blic, has given me more joy than I should have received from the
appointment of any other person on the list, because I have had the
satisfaction of witnessing your bravery, zeal, and ardour in the
service. I am much pleased with your plan of the sword."

The Commander-in-chief, supposing the destination of the French
expedition to be Ireland, proceeded at once to Bantry Bay, where the
fleet remained until the end of May; while the enemy passed the
Straits of Gibraltar unmolested, having been on that occasion favoured
by a gale of wind, which prevented the fleet under Lord Keith (though
certainly very inferior) from bringing them to action. The French and
Spanish fleets returned to Brest, unobserved, on the 21st of June.

In the mean time a part of Lord Bridport's fleet, in which was the
Caesar, proceeded under command of Sir Alan Gardner to the Tagus, which
it left on the 18th; and, cruising back, returned to Cawsand Bay on
the 13th July. As the enemy showed no disposition to put to sea again,
the Caesar, and the rest of the fleet, remained quietly at Cawsand Bay,
and subsequently at Torbay till the 2nd September, when they again
sailed. In the course of the three ensuing months it put back three
times; and finally, on the 8th of December 1799, when the Admiralty,
being desirous of ascertaining whether Torbay was a safe anchorage for
the fleet during the winter months, ordered the Caesar to continue on
that station for the trial, and at the same time placed the London, of
98 guns, under the orders of Sir James. The tempestuous weather which
prevailed during the rest of the month, and throughout January,
afforded several occasions to determine the point. The London, during
a heavy gale, parted her cables, and was with great difficulty
preserved from going on shore, which left no doubt that it was an
insecure and unfit post to shelter a fleet.

On the 17th March 1800, Lord Bridport took command of the fleet, which
was soon after increased to twenty-five sail of the line; but nothing
remarkable occurred till the 18th of May, when a dreadful gale
occasioned much damage to many of the ships. The wind was at first
S.W. and blew with great violence, when it suddenly checked to the
N.W., before the S.W. sea had time to subside: most of the fleet wore.
The Lady Jane, Trompeuse, and Railleur foundered: the Montague lost
all her masts, and several others met with damage. It appears by the
log of the Caesar that she continued