e with the rest of the
combined squadrons.

{WILLIAM, 1688--1701.}

THE ENGLISH FLEET BOMBARDS ST. MALOES, &c.

While admiral Russel asserted the British dominion in the Mediterranean,
the French coasts were again insulted in the channel by a separate fleet
under the command of lord Berkeley of Stratton, assisted by the Dutch
admiral Allemonde. On the fourth day of July they anchored before St.
Maloes, which they bombarded from nine ketches covered by some frigates,
which sustained more damage than was done to the enemy. On the sixth,
Granville underwent the same fate, and then the fleet returned to
Portsmouth. The bomb vessels being refitted, the fleet sailed round to
the Downs, where four hundred soldiers were embarked for an attempt upon
Dunkirk, under the direction of Meesters the famous Dutch engineer, who
had prepared his infernals and other machines for the service. On the
first day of August the experiment was tried without success. The bombs
did some execution; but two smoke ships miscarried. The French had
secured the Ris-bank and wooden forts with piles, bombs, chains, and
floating batteries, in such a manner that the machine-vessels could not
approach near enough to produce any effect. Besides, the councils of the
assailants were distracted by violent animosities. The English officers
hated Meesters, because he was a Dutchman, and had acquired some credit
with the king; he on the other hand treated them with disrespect. He
retired with his machines in the night, and refused to co-operate with
lord Berkeley in his design upon Calais, which was now put in execution.
On the sixteenth he brought his batteries to bear upon this place,
and set fire to it in different quarters; but the enemy had taken such
precautions as rendered his scheme abortive.

EXPEDITION TO THE WEST INDIES.

A squadron had been sent to the West Indies under the joint-command of
captain Robert Wilmot and colonel Lilingston, with twelve hundred
land forces. They had instructions to co-operate with the Spaniards
in Hispaniola, against the French settlements on that island, and to
destroy their fisheries on the banks of Newfoundland in their return.
They were accordingly joined by seventeen hundred Spaniards raised
by the president of St. Domingo; but instead of proceeding against
Petit-Guavas, according to the directions they had received, Wilmot
took possession of Port Francois, and plundered the country for his own
private