led it well done."

The English fell back on New York. The French rallied again off the
entrance of Narragansett Bay; but D'Estaing decided that he could not
remain on account of the damage to the squadron, and accordingly
sailed for Boston on the 21st of August. Rhode Island was thus left to
the English, who retained it for a year longer, evacuating then for
strategic reasons. Howe on his part diligently repaired his ships, and
sailed again for Rhode Island when he heard of the French being there;
but meeting on the way a vessel with word of their going to Boston, he
followed them to that harbor, in which they were too strongly placed
to be attacked. Taking into consideration his enforced return to New
York, the necessary repairs, and the fact that he was only four days
behind the French at Boston, it may be believed that Howe showed to
the end the activity which characterized the beginning of his
operations.

Scarcely a shot had been exchanged between the two fleets, yet the
weaker had thoroughly outgeneralled the stronger. With the exception of
the manoeuvres for the weather-gage after D'Estaing left Newport, which
have not been preserved, and of Howe's dispositions to receive the
expected attack in New York Bay, the lessons are not tactical, but
strategic, and of present application. Chief among them undoubtedly
stands the value of celerity and watchfulness, combined with knowledge
of one's profession. Howe learned of his danger by advices from home
three weeks after D'Estaing sailed from Toulon. He had to gather in his
cruisers from the Chesapeake and outside, get his ships-of-the-line
from New York and Rhode Island, embark the supplies of an army of ten
thousand men, move down the Delaware,--which unavoidably took ten
days,--and round to New York again. D'Estaing was ten days behind him
at the Delaware, twelve days at Sandy Hook, and only one day ahead of
him in entering Newport, outside which harbor he had lain ten days
before sailing in. An English narrator in the fleet, speaking of the
untiring labor between June 30, when the English army reached Navesink,
and the arrival of the French fleet on the 11th of July, says: "Lord
Howe attended in person as usual, and by his presence animated the zeal
and quickened the industry of officers and men." In this quality he was
a marked contrast to his amiable but indolent brother, General Howe.

The same industry and watchfulness marked his remaining operations. As
soon