squadron. At about 4 h. 30 m. p.m. the frigates and bomb-vessels weighed and stood out, followed and fired at by the gunboats until 6 p.m.; which was at least an hour after any shot could possibly reach.

Thus ended an affair, which, on both sides, was perfectly harmless. A British squadron continued to cruise, for a while, off the Isle of Ré, to prevent the escape of the Spanish ships. The latter, nevertheless, found an opportunity, in the middle of September, to escape to sea. The Spaniards, at first, made an attempt to join their countrymen at Brest ; but, finding the port too well watched, they afterwards stood away to the southward, and succeeded in re-entering Ferrol. Although increased by five French sail of the line fitted out since the departure of M. Bruix in April, including a fine new 80-gun ship, the Indivisible, the powerful Franco-Spanish fleet at anchor in Brest road, the whole of the pendants in which, according to the French accounts, exceeded 90, made no attempt to put to sea during the remainder of the present year.

Our attention is now called back to the Mediterranean, but to a more easterly part of it than was visited by the French and Spanish fleets, of whose separate, as well as conjoint cruises we have given some account. We left the French General Championnet, after having seized upon Rome and dethroned the Pope, on his full march towards Naples. On the 10th of January the republicans took Capua, and on the 24th, after a smart but ineffectual resistance on the part of the mob or lazzaroni, possessed themselves of Naples ; from which city, however, the king and royal family, as has already been stated, had retired to Palermo, in Sicily.*

The territories of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, into which Pope Pius VI., as well as the King of Sardinia, had sought a refuge, were the next to be invaded. A seasonable intimation of the republican General Gauthier's intentions enabled Charles Emmanuel and his family to quit Florence for Leghorn ; whence, finding themselves not safe even there, they embarked for Cagliari, in Sardinia. On the 29th of March General Gauthier and his 3000 troops took quiet possession of Florence; and on the following day the Grand Duke and his family, escorted by a detachment of French, retired to Venice, on their way into the dominions of Austria. Two days after General Gauthier had entered Florence. General Miollis, at the head of 4000 republicans, made himself, with equal facility, master of Leghorn.

Among the prisoners that fell into the hands of the French, on taking possession of Tuscany, was the pope. By order of the French directory, the latter was conducted to Parma, then across the Alps, to Briançon, and subsequently to Valence;

* See p. 190.

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