On the 6th of August Commodore Savary got under way with his squadron from the road of the Isle of Aix, and escaped to sea unobserved. On the 21st the squadron made the westernmost end of Ireland, and the general intended to disembark the troops at Killembach; but contrary winds drove the ships towards the bay of Killala. The French squadron made its approach under English colours, and on the evening of the 22d cast anchor near Killcumin head, the western point of Killala bay. In the course of the evening the troops disembarked, taking on shore with them four field-pieces, four loaded ammunition waggons, 30,000 pounds of powder, and uniforms and equipments complete for 3000 rebel Irishmen.

The only British force at the post consisted of a small detachment of the Prince of Wales's fencible regiment, and a few yeomanry, attended by some clergymen of the neighbourhood, in number altogether about 200. These, or the loyal portion of them at least, offered what resistance they could, but were at length compelled to give way, after having lost a few in killed and wounded, and a great many willing and unwilling prisoners. An officer and 25 privates of the fencible regiment, being the whole of the prisoners who preferred captivity to freedom under the terms on which alone it was offered, were sent on board the French squadron. Commodore Savary soon afterwards weighed and set sail from the coast ; and these four French frigates were fortunate enough to reach in safety the port whence they had departed.

The subsequent operations being wholly of a military nature, it may suffice to state, that General Humbert was soon joined by several bands of United Irishmen, but not in such numbers as he had been led to expect ; that he had several skirmishes with the loyal part of the inhabitants and the troops sent against him ; and that finally, on the 8th of September, at Ballinamuck, the French general, with 843 of his followers, including officers, surrendered, at discretion, to a superior British force under Lieutenant-general Lake.

About a week after the surrender of General Humbert and his "Armée d'Irlande," * the French privateer-brig Anacréon, from Dunkerque, having on board the Irish rebel Napper-Tandy, and the French General Rey, besides some other officers and a detachment of light artillery, together with a quantity of arms, ammunition, and clothing, appeared off the Irish coast, near a small island which lies to the westward of the county of Donegal. A communication from the shore soon acquainted General Rey with the fate of General Humbert, and the Anacréon immediately made sail on her return. Going north-about, the French brig fell in with and captured two British

* Victoires et Conquêtes, tome a., p. 390.

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