and both strictly enjoined to act with the utmost unanimity
and harmony. Europe beheld with astonishment these mighty preparations.
The destination of the armament was wrapped in the most profound
secrecy: it exercised the penetration of politicians, and filled France
with very serious alarms. Various were the impediments which obstructed
the embarkation of the troops for several weeks, while Mr. Pitt
expressed the greatest uneasiness at the delay, and repeatedly urged the
commander-in-chief to expedite his departure; but a sufficient number
of transports, owing to some blunder in the contractors, had not
yet arrived. The troops expressed an eager impatience to signalize
themselves against the enemies of the liberties of Europe; but the
superstitious drew unfavourable presages from the dilatoriness of the
embarkation. At last the transports arrived, the troops were put on
board with all expedition, and the fleet got under sail on the eighth
day of September, attended with the prayers of every man warmed with the
love of his country, and solicitous for her honour. The public, big with
expectation, dubious where the stroke would fall, but confident of its
success, were impatient for tidings from the fleet; but it was not till
the fourteenth, that even the troops on board began to conjecture that
a descent was meditated on the coast of France, near Rochefort or
Rochelle.

ADMIRAL KNOWLES SENT TO TAKE AIX.

On the twentieth, the fleet made the isle of Oleron, and then sir Edward
Hawke sent an order to vice-admiral Knowles, requiring him, if the wind
permitted the fleet, to proceed to Basque road, to stand in as near to
the isle of Aix as the pilot would carry him, with such ships of his
division as he thought necessary for the service, and to batter the
fort till the garrison should either abandon or surrender it. But the
immediate execution of this order was frustrated by a French ship of
war standing in to the very middle of the fleet, and continuing in that
station for some time before she discovered her mistake, or any of the
captains had a signal thrown out to give chase. Admiral Knowles, when
too late, ordered the Magnanime, captain Howe, and Torbay, captain
Keppel, on that service, and thereby retarded the attack upon which he
was immediately sent. A stroke of policy greatly to be admired, as
from hence he gained time to assure himself of the strength of the
fortifications of Aix, before he ran his majesty's s