treated him with the most distinguishing marks of respect,
that the Spanish army, amounting to thirty thousand men, commanded by
the marquis de Lede, had landed in Sicily, reduced Palermo and Messina,
and were then employed in the siege of the citadel belonging to this
last city; that the Piedmontese garrison would be obliged to surrender
if not speedily relieved; that an alliance was upon the carpet
between the emperor and the king of Sicily, which last had desired the
assistance of the Imperial troops, and agreed to receive them into the
citadel of Messina. The admiral immediately resolved to sail thither,
and took under his convoy a reinforcement of two thousand Germans for
the citadel, under the command of general Wetzel. He forthwith sailed
from Naples, and on the ninth day of August was in sight of the Faro
of Messina. He despatched his own captain with a polite message to the
marquis de Lede, proposing a cessation of arms in Sicily for two months,
that the powers of Europe might have time to concert measures for
restoring a lasting peace; and declaring, that should this proposal be
rejected, he would, in pursuance of his instructions, use all his force
to prevent further attempts to disturb the dominions his master had
engaged to defend. The Spanish general answered, that he had no powers
to treat, and consequently could not agree to an armistice, but should
obey his orders, which directed him to reduce Sicily for his master the
king of Spain. The Spanish fleet had sailed from the harbour of Messina
on the day before the English squadron appeared. Admiral Byng supposed
they had retired to Malta, and directed his course towards Messina,
in order to encourage and support the garrison in the citadel. But in
doubling the point of Faro, he descried two Spanish scouts, and learned
from the people of a felucca from the Calabrian shore, that they had
seen from the hills the Spanish fleet lying to in order of battle. The
admiral immediately detached the German troops to Reggio, under the
convoy of two ships of war. Then he stood through the Faro after the
Spanish scouts that led him to their main fleet, which before noon he
descried in line of battle, amounting to seven-and-twenty sail large
and small, besides two fire-ships, four bomb-vessels, and seven galleys.
They were commanded in chief by don Antonio de Castanita, under whom
were the four rear-admirals Chacon, Mari, Guevara, and Cammock. At
sight of the English squad