side by the batteries upon the isle of Aix, and on the other by a large floating battery, mounting 12 heavy mortars of an extraordinary size, and 32-long 36 and 24 pounders, with a furnace for heating shot.

The expedition of M. Missiessy, it will be remembered, had for its principal object the capture of the island of Dominique, with power to the rear-admiral, if he deemed the thing practicable, to attempt Sainte-Lucie ; and he was particularly directed to garrison and endeavour to retain possession of his conquests. On the 11th of January, in the present year, owing to the temporary absence of Rear-admiral Sir Thomas Graves, who then commanded on the Rochefort station, Rear-admiral Missiessy was enabled to put to sea. On the following morning, the 12th, the British 12-gun schooner Felix, Lieutenant Richard Bourne, discovered the French squadron, and proceeded with the intelligence in search of Sir Thomas Graves, but whom Lieutenant Bourne was not able to join until the 16th ; and even then, owing to a strong gale at south-west, the British squadron was compelled to put into Quiberon bay.

After being detained on the coast by a succession of similar gales, M. Missiessy, on the 25th, proceeded on his mission. His force consisted of the Majestueux three-decker, the four 74-gun ships Jemmappes, Lion, Magnanime, and Suffren, the three 40-gun frigates Armide, Gloire, and Infatigable, and the two 16 gun brig-corvettes Act�on and Lynx, having on board 3500 troops, under the command of General Lagrange, besides a great quantity of military stores, including a considerable train of artillery.

The interruption, already complained of in the correspondence of Napoléon with his minister of marine,* renders uncertain the nature of the modifications of the original plan. The probability is, that the additional instructions received by Rear-admiral Missiessy were, chiefly, that he was to disembark the military stores, in stated quantities, at Martinique and Guadaloupe ; that he was to capture and possess Dominique, and, without any particular reference to Sainte-Lucie, was to depredate, as far as he was able, the weaker of the neighbouring British colonies ; and that if, in 35 days from his arrival in the Antilles, Admiral Villeneuve, with the Toulon fleet, did not make his appearance, M. Missiessy was to commence his return home, calling on his way at the city of Santo-Domingo, and leaving with General Ferrand as many troops as he might have remaining on board.

On the 20th of February Rear-admiral Missiessy in with a squadron, entered the channel of Sainte-Lucie there and chased an English convoy, but succeeded in capturing one vessel only, the Prince-of-Asturias transport ; and, on the same

*  See vol. iii., p. 335,

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