the English coast for a wild campaign of murder
and pillage. Fifteen hundred of these _Chouans_ were actually landed
at Fishguard in February of 1798, but promptly surrendered, and
France had to give good English prisoners in exchange for them on
the threat that they would be turned loose again on French soil.

Much more serious was General Hoche's expedition to Ireland of
the winter before. Though Hoche wished to use for the purpose the
army of over 100,000 with which he had subdued revolt in the Vendee,
the Government was willing to venture a force of only 15,000, which
set sail from Brest, December 15, 1796, in 17 ships-of-the-line,
together with a large number of smaller war-vessels and transports.
Heavy weather and bad leadership, helped along by British frigates
with false signals, scattered the fleet on the first night out. It
never again got together; and though a squadron with 6,000 soldiers
on board was actually for a week or more in the destination, Bantry
Bay, not a man was landed, and by the middle of January nearly all of
the flotilla was back in France. The British squadron under Colport,
which had been on the French coast at the time of the departure, had
in the meanwhile been obliged to make port for supplies. Bridport
with the main fleet left Portsmouth, 250 miles from the scene of
operations, four days after news of the French departure. During
the whole affair neither he nor Colport took a single prize.

Even so small a force cooperating with rebellion in Ireland might
have proved a serious annoyance, though not a grave danger. Invasion
on a grand scale, which Napoleon's victorious campaign in Italy
and the peace with Austria (preliminaries at Loeben, April, 1797)
now made possible, was effectually forestalled by two decisive
victories at sea. Bonaparte, who was to lead the invasion, did not
minimize its difficulties. "To make a descent upon England without
being master of the sea," he wrote at this time, "is the boldest and
most difficult operation ever attempted." Yet the flotilla of small
craft necessary was collected, army forces were designated, and in
February of 1798 Bonaparte was at Dunkirk. All this served no doubt
to screen the Egyptian preparations, which amid profound secrecy
were already under way. The Egyptian campaign was an indirect blow
at England; but the direct blow would certainly have been struck
had not the naval engagements of Cape St. Vincent (February, 1797)
and Camperdown