In the naval campaign of this year, although no great battle took place between the rival fleets of the two.na tions, our accustomed superiority was maintained. On the channel station, Admiral Cornwallis menaced or blockaded Brest ; in the south, Sir John Borlase Warren intercepted the trade and communication of Toulon ; Sir James Saumarez cut off the trade of Cadiz; Dickson and Greaves menaced the Dutch shores ; Admirals Keith and Bickerton possessed the Levantine and Egyptian seas ; Duckworth and Seymour protected our West India islands ; and Nelson threw back the terrors of invasion on the shores of France.
The Dutch colony of St Eustatia was captured early in the course of the year by Captain Perkins of the Arab, and a detachment of the 3d regiment of foot under Colonel Blunt. Ternate, the most considerable of the Molucca islands, surrendered to the arms of the East India Company.
In the Mediterranean, Sir James Saumarez finding three French ships of the line and a frigate at anchor near Algesiras, embraced the bold resolution of cut ting them out. But the batteries on shore opening a tremendous fire, and several ships of his fleet being disabled from succouring those which commenced the attack, he was obliged to desist from the attempt, and to leave the Hannibal, a 74, which had struck on a shoal beneath the Spanish batteries. The news of this disaster occasioned a boundless exultation in France it was publicly announced in the Parisian theatres, that six British ships of the line, 'Ad been beaten by three French ships, and one of the British ships taken. No allusion was made to the Spanish batteries.
With his few remaining ships, Admiral Saumarez did not hesitate to follow a fleet of the enemy front Cadiz, amounting to ten French and Spanish sail of the line. A cluster of these were attacked by two British ships, on the night of the 11th of July, and in a short time it was discovered that two of the Spa niards were on fire. Two thousand four hundred men were on board these vessels, inextricable from destruc tion by friend or foe. Saumarez continued to pursue the enemy, who dispersed before him, but two French seventy-fours were made prizes. The boldness and dexterity of this exploit, deservedly received the thanks of parliament.
After consolidating his power, and humbling the great nations, the establishment of peace with England could not be unwelcome to Bonaparte, to whom it would necessarily bring popularity ; while the protraction of the war eventually exposed him to farther losses of his colonies, and demanded from him an attempt at the hopeless invasion of England, or a tacit acknowledg ment that it was beyond his power. It is needless to
recapitulate the circumstances which made the pros pect of peace acceptable to the administration of Britain, as the most wished for boon which they could confer upon the great bulk of the country.
In the midst of these hostilities, flags of truce were daily passing amidst vessels of war, from both sides of the channel, and couriers passing between London and Paris.
M. Otto, who had been agent for the release of pri soners, still continued in the British capital ; and soon after the preliminaries of peace had been ratified be tween the French and Austrian government, Mr Merry was sent to Paris as an agent of the British ministry. At length the secretary of state for foreign affairs, after a long and mysterious negotiation with M. Otto, suddenly announced the signature of preliminaries of peace with France, Spain, and Holland. The intelli gence spread such universal joy, as never was remem bered in the country ; and when the French plenipo tentiaries arrived with the ratification of the terms, their carriage was drawn through the streets by the populace. Amiens was the place assigned for con cluding the definitive treaty : thither the Marquis Cornwallis went as plenipotentiary from Britain, Don John Azara from Spain, Joseph Bonaparte from France, and Roger John Schimmclpinnich from the Dutch republic.
The definitive treaty was signed at Amiens on the 27th of March 1802. Great Britain ceded by this peace all the colonies which she had gained during the war, except the Spanish island of Trinidad, and the Dutch settlements in Ceylon. Egypt was to be restored to the Porte, and the integrity of the Turkish empire was guaranteed. The dominions of our ally, Portugal, were to remain entire ; and the French troops were to evacuate the territory of Naples, and of Rome. By an agreement, however, which was admitted in the course of the treaty, the limits of French Guiana were ex tended, and the dominions of Portugal curtailed, con formably to the treaty of Badajos, which had been con cluded between France and Portugal in the preceding year. With respect to Malta, it was stipulated, that no French or English langue or class of knights should be allowed ; that one half of the soldiers in the garrison should be natives, and the rest furnished tor a time by the king of Naples ; that the independence of the island should be guaranteed by France, Great Britain, Austria, Spain, Russia, and Prussia ; and that its ports should be free to all nations.