In May he detached commodore Rowley,
with eight sail, to cruise off the harbour of Toulon; and a great number
of merchant ships belonging to the enemy fell into his hands. In August
he sent commodore Martin with another squadron into the bay of Naples,
to bombard that city, unless his Sicilian majesty would immediately
recall his troops, which had joined the Spanish army, and promise to
remain neutral during the continuance of the war. Naples was immediately
filled with consternation; the king subscribed to these conditions; and
the English squadron rejoined the admiral on the road of Hieres, which
he had chosen for his winter station. Before this period he had landed
some men at St. Remo, in the territories of Genoa, and destroyed the
magazines that were erected for the use of the Spanish army. He had
likewise ordered two of his cruisers to attack a Spanish ship of the
line which lay at anchor in the port of Ajaccio, in the island of
Corsica; but the Spanish captain set his men on shore, and blew up his
ship, rather than she should fall into the hands of the English.

OPERATIONS IN THE WEST INDIES.

In the course of this year admiral Vernon and general Wentworth made
another effort in the West Indies. They had in January received a
reinforcement from England, and planned a new expedition, in concert
with the governor of Jamaica, who accompanied them in their voyage.
Their design was to disembark the troops at Porto-Bello, and march
across the isthmus of Darien to attack the rich town of Panama. They
sailed from Jamaica on the ninth day of March, and on the twenty-eighth
arrived at Porto-Bello. There they held a council of war, in which it
was resolved, that as the troops were sickly, the rainy season begun,
and several transports not yet arrived, the intended expedition was
become impracticable. In pursuance of this determination, the armament
immediately returned to Jamaica, exhibiting a ridiculous spectacle of
folly and irresolution.*

* In May, two English frigates, commanded by captain Smith
and captain Stuart, fell in with three Spanish ships of war,
near the island of St. Christopher's. They forthwith
engaged, and the action continued till night, by the favour
of which the enemy retired to Porto Rico in a scattered
condition.--In the month of September, the Tilbury ship of
war, of sixty guns, was accidentally set on fire, and
destroyed, off the island of Hispaniola