HISTORY OF THE WAR.
67
foul on each other, it became ex- tremely hazardous to attempt land- ing. Befides, the provifion was near exhaufted, and the foldiers by- being (o long cooped up in the tranlports, were grown fickly. It became highly necefTary to return home ; and they arrived at St. He- len's on the 29th of June.
The fuccefs of this expedition, by which the French fufFered large- ly, with fcarce any lofs on our fide, though it fufhciently anfwered the intention of this armament, fell fomevvhat fhort of the expec- tations of the public, who had formed much greater hopes than it was pofiible for the nature of fuch enterprizes to fulfil. However, their hopes were again revived ; by fee- ing that every thing was prepar- ed for another expedition, and that our armies and fleets were to be kept in conftant adion dur- ing the fummer. The time was now come when we were to turn the tables upon France, and to retaliate by real attacks, the terrors which had been raifed by her me- naces of an invafion. The Duke of Marlborough had now taken the command of the Englifn forces in Germany ; and general Bligh fuc- ceededhim in this command. Prince Edward refolved to go upon the ex- pedition, and to form himfelf for the fervice of his country under fo brave and able a commander as Howe. It is cafy to imagine, how much the fpirit, the prefence, and example of the gallant young prince, who went with the utmoll cheerfulnefs through all the detail of a midftiipman's duty, infpired both into the feamen and the troops.
On the firft of Augufl the P.eet fet fail from St. Helen's. In a few days they came to anchor before
Cherbourg. The French had drawn a line ftrengthened by forts, along the moft probable places for land- ing. They had drawn down three regiments of regular troops, and a confiderable body of militia to the (hore, and had in all appear- ance threatened a very reiolute oppofition to the defcent of the Englifii forces. But the commo- dore difpofed the men of war and bomb ketches fo judicicufly, and made fo fnarp a fire upon the enemy, that they never ventured cut of their entrenchments ; . , fo that the landing was ef- '='" fecleJ in excellent order, and with very little lofs. The French who made fo poor an oppofition to the Lindlr.g, had ftill many ad- vantages from the nature of the ground which they occupied; but they negleded them all ; and aban- doning by a moft Ihameful defpair their forts and lines on the coall, they fufFered the Englifh to enter Ciiorbourg the day after the land- ing, without .throwing the leafl ob- llacle in their way. It mull be re- membered too that the whole num- ber of the Englifh forces on this expedition, was rather ihort of 6coo men.
Cherbourg is on the land fide an open town; neither is it very Itrongly defended towards the fea. The harbour is naturally bad. But the place is v/ell fituated, in the midft of the channel, for protefting the French, and annoying the Eng- lifh commerce in the time ofv/ar, and perhaps for facilitating an in- vafion on England itfelf. Monfieur Belidore, the famous engineer, had demonftrated its importance, and prcpofed a plan for the improve- ment and defence of the harbour, as well as for the fortifications of the tov.'n. The plan was approved,
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