n de Saint Tropez, a Bailli of the
Order of Knights of Malta. Born, 1726. Present at two naval actions
before he was twenty. Participated in 1756 in the attack on Port
Mahon, and in 1759 in the action off Lagos. Chef d'escadre in 1779.
Dispatched to the East Indies in 1781. Fought a British squadron
in the Bay of Praya, and a succession of brilliant actions with Sir
Edward Hughes, 1782-83. Vice-Admiral, 1783. Killed in a duel, 1788.
One of the greatest of French naval officers.--W.L.C.]

[Footnote 66: Troude says that one French seventy-four, having touched
in leaving port, was not in the engagement.]

[Footnote 67: First of the name. Born 1714. In 1780, he fell under
Rodney's censure, and went home. In 1781, he commanded in the general
action with the Dutch, known as the Dogger Bank. In 1782, he sailed
for the East Indies in the _Cato_, 64; which ship was never again
heard from.]

[Footnote 68: Sir Hyde Parker, Kt. Second of the name, son of the
first. Born, 1739. Captain, 1763. Rear-Admiral, 1793. Vice-Admiral,
1794. Admiral, 1799. Died, 1807. Nelson's chief at Copenhagen, in
1801.]

[Footnote 69: Louis Urbain de Bouenic, Comte de Guichen. Born, 1712.
Entered the navy, 1730. Commanded the _Illustre_ with success in North
America in 1756. Second in command in the action off Ushant in 1778.
Thrice fought Rodney in the West Indies in 1780. Fought Kempenfelt off
the Azores in 1781. Died, 1790.--W.L.C.]

CHAPTER VII

THE NAVAL WAR IN EUROPEAN WATERS, 1779. ALLIED FLEETS INVADE THE
ENGLISH CHANNEL. RODNEY DESTROYS TWO SPANISH SQUADRONS AND RELIEVES
GIBRALTAR

In June, 1779, the maritime situation of Great Britain had become
much more serious by Spain's declaring war. At the same moment that
d'Estaing with twenty-five ships of the line had confronted Byron's
twenty-one, the Channel fleet of forty sail had seen gathering against
it a host of sixty-six. Of this great number thirty-six were Spanish.

The open declaration of Spain had been preceded by a secret alliance
with France, signed on the 12th of April. Fearing that the British
government would take betimes the reasonable and proper step of
blockading the Brest fleet of thirty with the Channel forty, thus
assuming a central position with reference to its enemies and
anticipating the policy of Lord St. Vincent, the French Ministry
hurried its ships to sea on the 4th of June; Admiral d'Orvilliers,
Keppel's opponent, still in command. His orders were to cr