ndiamen safely to their place of destination. In the meantime de
Suffrein sailed to Pondicherry; but he could not prevent the triumph
of British arms on the coast of Coromandel and the island of Sumatra.
During the autumn, Negapatnam, Pedang, and other places belonging to the
French and Dutch, were captured.

FURTHER OPERATIONS IN THE WEST INDIES.

It was while Admiral Rodney was employed at St. Eustatius, that de
Grasse spread his sails for the Chesapeake. Rodney detached Hood and
Drake, with seventeen sail of the line, to intercept his course off
Fort Royal Bay, and a partial engagement took place, but de Grasse was
nevertheless able to hold on his way.

While he proceeded onwards for America, the Marquis de Bouille suddenly
appeared off the island of St. Lucie, and landed some troops; but he was
foiled in his designs, and he then turned his attention to the reduction
of Tobago. This island, though bravely and ably defended by Governor
Ferguson, was captured; and this conquest terminated all naval
operations for the year in the West Indies. Soon after, Rodney returned
to England on account of his health, and Sir Samuel Hood was left in
command of the fleet.

SENTIMENTS OF FOREIGN POWERS TOWARD ENGLAND.

The British cabinet were everywhere frustrated in their endeavours to
gain friends and allies. After the failure of their negociations with
Spain, they sought to purchase the friendship of the emperor Joseph II.,
by offering to him the navigation of the Scheldt, and other advantages,
both commercial and political. Joseph, however, still retained all his
ancient resentment against George III. and his ministers, and their
overtures were unheeded. The offers of the British cabinet, indeed,
appear to have been construed by him into a confession of weakness; for
he even ordered his subjects to withdraw their money from the English
funds, under the plea that a national bankruptcy was inevitable.
Probably, the long and loud cry of the opposition, concerning the
weakness and poverty of England, had reached his ears, which may have
led him into the belief that such a consummation was at hand. It would
have been well for Joseph's honour had he stopped here. Although England
was surrounded by enemies, and not a friend held forth a helping hand,
he sought to arm the Empress of Russia against her; asserting, that as
Great Britain had commenced hostilities against the Dutch, on account of
the Armed Neutrality, she w