red to Naples, where he proposed to count Gallas, the new
viceroy, that the troops destined for the conquest of Sardinia should
be first landed in Sicily, and co-operate towards the conquest of that
island. The proposal was immediately despatched to the court of Vienna.
In the meantime, the admiral returned to Sicily, and assisted at the
siege of Messina. The town surrendered; the garrison retired into the
citadel; and the remains of the Spanish navy, which had escaped at
Passaro, were now destroyed in the Mole. The emperor approved of the
scheme proposed by the English admiral, to whom he wrote a very gracious
letter, intimating that he had despatched orders to the governor of
Milan to detach the troops designed for Sardinia to Vado, in order to be
transported into Italy. The admiral charged himself with the performance
of this service. Having furnished the Imperial army before Messina with
another supply of cannon, powder, and shot, upon his own credit, he set
sail for Vado, where he surmounted numberless difficulties started by
the jealousy of count Bonneval, who was unwilling to see his troops,
destined for Sardinia, now diverted to another expedition, in which he
could not enjoy the chief command. At length admiral Byng saw the forces
embarked, and convoyed them to Messina, the citadel of which surrendered
in a few days after their arrival. By this time the marquis de Lede had
fortified a strong post at Castro-Giovanne, in the centre of the
island; and cantoned his troops about Aderno, Palermo, and Catenea.
The Imperialists could not pretend to attack him in this situation,
nor could they remain in the neighbourhood of Messina on account of the
scarcity of provisions. They would, therefore, have been obliged to
quit the island during the winter, had not the admiral undertaken to
transport them by sea to Trapani, where they could extend themselves
in a plentiful country. He not only executed this enterprise, but even
supplied them with corn from Tunis, as the harvests of Sicily had been
gathered into the Spanish magazines. It was the second day of March
before the last embarkation of the Imperial troops were landed at
Trapani.

THE SPANISH TROOPS EVACUATE SICILY.

The marquis de Lede immediately retired with his army to Alcamo, from
whence he sent his mareschal de camp to count Merci and the English
admiral, with overtures for evacuating Sicily. The proposals were not
disagreeable to the Germans: but sir Geor