avy also was
now hostile. The French government represented to its allies that by
concentrating their squadrons near the entrance of the Channel they
would control the situation in every point of view; but the Spaniards,
intent upon Gibraltar, declined to withdraw their fleet from Cadiz
until late in the summer, while the French persisted in keeping their
own at Brest. The Channel Fleet was decisively superior to the latter,
and inferior to the Spaniards in numbers only.

No relief having been given Gibraltar since Rodney had left it
in February, 1780, the question of supplying the fortress became
pressing. For this purpose, twenty-eight ships of the line, under
Vice-Admiral George Darby, sailed from St. Helen's on the 13th of
March, 1781, with a large convoy. Off Cork a number of victuallers
joined, and the whole body then proceeded for Gibraltar, accompanied
by five ships of the line which were destined for the East Indies,
as well as by the West India and American "trade." These several
attachments parted from time to time on the way, and on the 11th of
April the main expedition sighted Cape Spartel, on the African coast.
No attempt to intercept it was made by the great Spanish fleet in
Cadiz; and on the 12th of April, at noon, the convoy anchored in the
Bay of Gibraltar. That night thirteen sail of the transports, under
charge of two frigates, slipped out and made their way to Minorca,
then a British possession. The British ships of war continued under
way, cruising in the Bay and Gut of Gibraltar.

As the convoy entered, the besiegers opened a tremendous cannonade,
which was ineffectual, however, to stop the landing of the stores.
More annoyance was caused by a flotilla of gunboats, specially built
for this siege, the peculiar fighting power of which lay in one
26-pounder, whose great length gave a range superior to the batteries
of ships of the line. Being moved by oars as well as by sails, these
little vessels could choose their distance in light airs and calms,
and were used so actively to harass the transports at anchor that
Darby was obliged to cover them with three ships of the line. These
proved powerless effectually to injure the gunboats; but, while the
latter caused great annoyance and petty injury, they did not hinder
the unlading nor even greatly delay it. The experience illustrates
again the unlikelihood that great results can be obtained by petty
means, or that massed force, force concentrated, can