hips into danger.

ATTACK AND SURRENDER OF AIX.

While the above ships, with the addition of the Royal William, were
attending the French ship of war safe into the river Garonne, the
remainder of the fleet was beating to windward off the isle of Oleron;
and the commander-in-chief publishing orders and regulations which did
credit to his judgment, and would have been highly useful, had there
ever been occasion to put them in execution. On the twenty-third the van
of the fleet, led by captain Howe in the Magnanime, stood towards Aix, a
small island situated in the mouth of the river Charente, leading up
to Rochefort, the fortifications half finished, and mounted with about
thirty cannon and mortars, the garrison composed of six hundred men,
and the whole island about five miles in circumference. As the Magnanime
approached, the enemy fired briskly upon her; but captain Howe,
regardless of their faint endeavours, kept on his course without
flinching, dropping his anchors close to the walls, and poured in so
incessant a fire as soon silenced their artillery. It was, however, near
an hour before the fort struck, when some forces were landed to take
possession of so important a conquest, with orders to demolish the
fortifications, the care of which was intrusted to vice-admiral Knowles.

Inconsiderable as this success might appear, it greatly elated the
troops, and was deemed a happy omen of further advantages; but, instead
of embarking the troops that night, as was universally expected, several
successive days were spent in councils of war, soundings of the coast,
and deliberations whether the king's express orders were practicable, or
to be complied with. Eight days were elapsed since the first appearance
of the fleet on the coast, and the alarm was given to the enemy. Sir
Edward Hawke, indeed, proposed laying a sixty gun ship against Fouras,
and battering that fort, which it was thought would help to secure the
landing of the troops, and facilitate the enterprise on Rochefort. This
a French pilot on board, Thierry, undertook; but after a ship had
been lighted for the purpose, vice-admiral Knowles reported, that a
bomb-ketch had run a-ground at above the distance of two miles from the
fort; upon which the project of battering or bombarding the fort was
abandoned. The admiral likewise proposed to bombard Koch elle; but this
overture was over-ruled, for reasons which we need not mention. It was
at length determined, i