hips. In two hours
took and burned the two ships, one of 28 and one of 26 guns,
and took or destroyed all the others, save one which, by
throwing everything overboard, escaped over the bar into the
port. Lost 1 lieutenant and 10 men killed, 2 lieutenants and
51 wounded."

It is interesting to note these evidences of Hughes's conceptions of
naval warfare and enterprise, common though they were to the British
service; for their positive character brings into strong relief the
qualities of his next antagonist, Suffren, and his great superiority
in these respects over the average run of French officers of that day.

D'Orves returned to the Ile de France.

When war with Holland began, the British government decided to attempt
the capture of the Cape of Good Hope. For that object a squadron of
one 74, one 64, and three 50's, with numerous smaller vessels, under
Commodore George Johnstone, convoying a considerable body of troops,
sailed from England on the 13th of March, 1781, in company with the
Channel fleet under Vice-Admiral George Darby, then on its way to
relieve Gibraltar. The French government, having timely notice of the
expedition, undertook to frustrate it; detailing for that purpose
a division of two 74's, and three 64's, under the since celebrated
Suffren.[139] These ships left Brest on the 22d of March, with the
fleet of de Grasse. They also carried some battalions of troops.

On April 11th the British squadron reached Porto Praya, Cape de Verde
Islands. This bay is open to the southward, extending from east
to west about a mile and a half, and is within the limits of the
north-east trade-winds. Although aware that a French division was
on his track, and conscious, by the admissions of his report, that
protection could not be expected from the neutrality of the place,
Johnstone permitted his vessels to anchor without reference to attack.
His own flagship, the _Romney_, 50, was so surrounded by others that
she could fire only with great caution through intervals. On the
16th of April, at 9.30 A.M., the _Isis_, 50, which was the outermost
of the British squadron, signalled eleven sail in the north-east.
Fifteen hundred persons were then ashore engaged in watering, fishing,
embarking cattle, and amusing themselves. The strangers were Suffren's
division. The meeting was not expected by the French commander, whose
object in entering was simply to complete the water of the ships; but
he determi