, he cut off a part of the convoy, despite his
inferior numbers.[163] A few days later a tempest dispersed the
French fleet. Only two ships-of-the-line and five merchantmen out of
one hundred and fifty reached the West Indies.

The year 1782 opened with the loss to the English of Port Mahon, which
surrendered on the 5th of February, after a siege of six months.--a
surrender induced by the ravages of scurvy, consequent upon the lack
of vegetables, and confinement in the foul air of bombproofs and
casemates, under the heavy fire of an enemy. On the last night of the
defence the call for necessary guards was four hundred and fifteen,
while only six hundred and sixty men were fit for duty, thus leaving
no reliefs.

The allied fleets assembled this year in Cadiz, to the number of forty
ships-of-the-line. It was expected that this force would be increased
by Dutch ships, but a squadron under Lord Howe drove the latter back
to their ports. It does not certainly appear that any active
enterprise was intended against the English coast; but the allies
cruised off the mouth of the Channel and in the Bay of Biscay during
the summer months. Their presence insured the safe arrival and
departure of the homeward and outward bound merchantmen, and likewise
threatened English commerce; notwithstanding which, Howe, with
twenty-two ships, not only kept the sea and avoided an engagement, but
also succeeded in bringing the Jamaica fleet safe into port. The
injury to trade and to military transportation by sea may be said to
have been about equal on either side; and the credit for successful
use of sea power for these most important ends must therefore be given
to the weaker party.

Having carried out their orders for the summer cruise, the combined
fleets returned to Cadiz. On the 10th of September they sailed thence
for Algesiras, on the opposite side of the bay from Gibraltar, to
support a grand combined attack by land and sea, which, it was hoped,
would reduce to submission the key to the Mediterranean. With the
ships already there, the total rose to nearly fifty ships-of-the-line.
The details of the mighty onslaught scarcely belong to our subject,
yet cannot be wholly passed by, without at least such mention as may
recognize and draw attention to their interest.

The three years' siege which was now drawing to its end had been
productive of many brilliant feats of arms, as well as of less
striking but more trying proofs of steadfast