Cafile. Is gallantly attacked in the town by Major Picrfon. French commander falls, and his remaining troops furrender prisoners of war. Major Pierfon unfortunately flain in the inftant of victory. Neceffities of the inhabitants and garrison of Gibraltar. Extraordinary prices of provifions and neceffaries. Admiral Darby fails with the grand feet and a large convoy to its relief. Spanish fleet retires into Cadiz at the approach. Gun-boats. Dreadful cannonade and bombardment of the town and garrifon from the Spanish camp. Town deftroyed, and many of the inhabitants perifh. Convoy from St. Euftatius taken by M. de la Motte Piquet. Secret expedition, under Commodore Johnstone and Gen. Meadores. Fleet attacked in Port Praya Bay by M. de Suffrein French repulfed. M. de Suffrein's timely arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, fruftrates the defign upon that place. Dutch Ships taken by Mr. John- fone in Saldanha Bay. General Elliot's grand fally from Gibraltar, by which he deftroys the enemy's batteries and works. Invafion of the island of Minorca. Combined fleets return from that fervice, to cruize at the mouth of the Channel. Propofal for attacking Admiral Darby at Torbay, overruled in a council of war. Enemy, fruftrated in all their views, retire to their refpe&ive ports. State of the war with Holland, in Europe. Admiral Hyde Parker fails with a small squadron for the pro- tection of the Baltic trade. Upon his return, falls in with Admiral Zoutman, with a great Dutch convoy, and a fuperior force. Defperate engagement on the Dogger-Bank. great diforder to their own coafts. Hollandia of 68 guns funk. Confe quences of the action. Royal vifit to Admiral Parker at the Nore. Ad- miral Kempenfeldt fails to intercept a great convoy fitted out at Bref, with troops, flores, and fupplies for the French fleets and armies in the Eaft and Weft Indies. Falls in with and takes feveral of the convey; but difcovers the enemy to be fo greatly fuperior in force, that he could С НА Р. VI. State of parties at the meeting of Parliament. Debates on the Speech from the for adding 10,000 feamen to the number moved for by government for the fervice the year 1782. Sir James Lowther's motion for putting an end to the American war rejected, after a long debate, by a majority of only 41. Debate on the army eftimates. Converfation relative to the exchange of prisoners with America. De- bate on the motion for adjournment. Petition from Mr. Laurens, prefented by CHA P. VII. Motion of Mr. Fox, for a committee of the whole Houfe, to enquire into the causes of the want of fuccefs of his Majefty's naval forces during the war, and more particularly in the year 1781. Debate on the ordnance estimates. Motions by Mr. Barre and Mr. Burke. Mo- tion for the recommitment of the report negatived. Motion and de- bate in the Houfe of Lords relative to the execution of Colonel Haynes. Committee on naval affairs. Refolution of cenfure rejected by a fmall majority. Motion and debate of the House of Lords on the intended advancement of Lord George Sackville Germaine to the peerage. Motion on the fame fubject, after his creation. An ad- drefs to the King, to put an end to the American war, moved by Ge- neral Conway, and rejected by a majority of one. Committee of the lords on the lofs of the army at York-town. Refolution against the American war carried in the House of Commons. Addrefs to the King. The King's anfwer, and addrefs of thanks. Second refolution against the American war. Refolutions of cenfure on his Majefty's minifters moved by Lord John Cavendish, and rejected by a majority of ten. Motion by Sir John Rous, for withdrawing the confidence of parliament from his Majesty's minifters, loft by a majority of nine. Intimation, by Lord North, to the House, of his Majesty's intentions CHAP. VIII. New adminiftration formed under the Marquis of Rockingham. Pub- lic meafures ftipulated for. Recefs of parliament during the Eafter holidays. Debate on the affairs of Ireland. Meffage from the King, and addrefs. Addrefs from the parliament of Ireland. Repeal of the act of the 6th of Geo. I. Addrefs of thanks from the Irish Houfe of Commons, and vote of feamen. Reward voted for Mr. Grattan. Farther proceedings in the English parliament. Revenue- officers and contractors bills pals both Houses. Bill of reform in the civil lift expenditure. Bill for regulating the office of pay- mafter-general of the forces. Motion for refcinding the refolution relative to the Middlefex election carried. Motion by Mr. Wil- liam Pit, for a committee to enquire into the ftate of the reprefenta- tion in parliament, rejected, upon a divifion. Refolutions refpecting Exchequer, and other offices. Death of the Marquis of Rocking- ham. Changes in the miniftry. Debate on the fubject in both Houfes. Short fate of the proceedings on the Reports of the India Retrospective view of affairs in North America and the West Indies in the year 1781. South Carolina. Battle at the Eutaw Springs. Col. Stuart, with the British forces, retires to Charles-town. Island of St. Euftatius furprised and taken by the Marquis de Bouille. Dutch fettlements of Demerary and Ffequibo recovered by France. Marquis de Bouille invades the island of St. Chriftopher, with 8,000 men in the beginning of the year 1782, and is fupported by the Count de Graffe, with a great feet. Gen. Frafer and the governor, with the few troops on the island, retire to Brimstone-hill. Gallant attempt made by Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, with a very inferior force to fave the island: draws the enemy out to fea, and then feizes the anchorage-ground in Baffeterre road, which they had juft quitted. French feet repeatedly attack the English fquadron, and are repulfed with lofs. Works on Brimflone-hill in no degree anferable to the firength of the fituation. Gallant defence made by the garrifen. All the attempts made by the Admiral, and by Gen. Prefcot, for the relief of the place, prove ineffectual. The works and buildings in the top of the hill being almost entirely deftroyed, Gen. Frafer and Gov. Shirley are obliged to capitulate, and obtain conditions High honourable to the garrifen, and advantageous to the ifland. Engi fquadron flip their cables, and return to Barbadoes. Nevis ara Montferrat follow the fortune of St. Chriftopher. Formida preparations by France and Spain for the invafion of Jamaica. miral Sir George Rodney arrives with a firong reinforcement from England, and takes the command of the fleet. Fails in his defign of intercepting the French convoy from Breft. Puts into St. Lucia efit, and to watch the motions of the enemy. Objects, and refpccine force of the commanders on both fides. Perilous fiate of the Engi affairs in the West Indies. M. de Graffe proceeds with his fe and a great convoy from Fort Royal, in order to form a juntius with the French and Spanish forces at Hifpaniola. Is immediate pursued by Sir George Rodney. Partial engagement between the French fleet and the van of the English, on the 9th of April. Great fea fight on the 12th, which lafts from fun rife to fun fet. Gal iantry difplayed on both fides. French fleet entirely routed. The Count de Graffe taken in the Ville de Paris. Four other fhips the line take, and one funk. Various particulars of the actin Cefar, one of the French prizes, blown up on the night of the batt Admiral Sir Samuel Hood detached with a fquadron, in purtat f the enemy. Takes two French frips of the line and two frigates in the Mona paffage. Sir George Rodney proceeds with the Coust de Graffe and the prizes to Jamaica. Confequences of the late land. CHA P. X. great Minorca. Siege of Fort St. Philip. Fatal progrefs of the fcurvy the the gun-boats, in faving the enemy from the flames. Battering [215 --- - General Murray's account of the fiege of Fort St. Philip, articles of - - [249 and |