and reinforcements for Rio.
The suspicion reached England, also, and that country, then on the side of
Portugal, sent out a fleet to blockade Brest, where the vessels of the
expedition then lay, and prevent its sailing. But Admiral Trouin was not
the man to be caught in a trap, and he hurried his ships out of port
before they were quite ready, leaving the British an empty harbor to seal
up. The work of preparation was finished at Rochelle, whence the fleet
sailed in June, 1711. It consisted of seven line-of-battle ships, their
number of guns varying from seventy-four to fifty-six, six frigates, and
four smaller vessels, and had on board five thousand picked men,--a
formidable force to send against a colonial city.

The powerful fleet made its way safely over the sea, and reached the
vicinity of the northern Brazilian port of Bahia on August 27. Trouin had
some thought of beginning his work here, but his water-supply was getting
low and he felt obliged to hasten on. On the 11th of September he found
himself off the Bay of Rio de Janeiro, with the city and its environing
hills in full view.

The Portuguese had got ahead of him, the fleet from Lisbon having arrived,
giving warning of the danger and reinforcing the garrison. Three forts and
eleven batteries defended the narrow-mouthed harbor, within which lay four
ships-of-the-line and as many frigates. Had all this force been directed
by a man of ability the French might have found entrance to the bay
impossible. But Francisco de Castro, the hopeless governor of the year
before, was still at the head of affairs, and no man could have played
more thoroughly into the hands of the French.

As it chanced, fortune favored the assailants. A heavy fog descended,
under cover of which the fleet ran with little damage past the forts and
entered the harbor. When the fog rose the Portuguese were dismayed to see
their foes inside. Gaspar da Costa, the admiral of their fleet, was known
as an able commander, but he was old and in feeble health, and such a
panic now assailed him that he ran his ships in haste ashore and set fire
to them, leaving to his foes the undisputed command of the harbor. Admiral
Trouin had won the first move in the game.

Governor de Castro proved to be as completely demoralized as Admiral da
Costa. He had twice as many troops as the French, but not half the courage
and ability of his adversary. Fort Villegagnon, one of the chief defences,
was blown up by the mi