rts. To give the greater weight to these orders,
it was resolved to send out those admirals who had distinguished
themselves most towards the end of the last war. Accordingly, on
the twenty-first of July, sir Edward Hawke sailed on a cruise to the
westward, with eighteen ships of the line, a frigate, and a sloop; but,
not meeting with the French fleet, these ships returned to England
about the latter end of September and the beginning of October; on the
fourteenth of which last month another fleet, consisting of twenty-two
ships of the line, two frigates, and two sloops, sailed again on a
cruise to the westward, under admiral Byng, in hopes of intercepting the
French squadron under Duguay, and likewise that commanded by La Mothe,
in case of its return from America. But this fleet likewise returned to
Spithead on the twenty-second of November, without having been able
to effect any thing, though it was allowed by all that the admiral had
acted judiciously in the choice of his stations.

While these measures were pursued, for the general security of the
British coasts and trade in Europe, several new ships of war were begun,
and finished with the utmost expedition, in his majesty's docks: twelve
frigates and sloops, contracted for in private yards, were completed by
the month of August; and twenty-four ships and twelve colliers were then
taken into the service of the government, to be fitted out as vessels
of war, to carry twenty guns and one hundred and twenty men each. In the
meantime the French trade was so annoyed by the English cruisers, that
before the end of this year three hundred of their merchant ships, many
of which, from St. Domingo and Martinique, were extremely rich, and
eight thousand of their sailors were brought into English ports.
By these captures the British ministry answered many purposes: they
deprived the French of a great body of seamen, and withheld from them a
very large property, the want of which greatly distressed their people,
and ruined many of their traders. Their outward-bound merchant ships
were insured at the rate of thirty per cent., whilst the English paid no
more than the common insurance. This intolerable burden was felt by all
degrees of people amongst them: their ministry was publicly reviled,
even by their parliaments; and the French name, from being the terror,
began to be the contempt of Europe. Their uneasiness was also not a
little heightened by new broils between their king an