Never was war commenced so entirely with the wishes of the nation, and the supplies were granted in parliament without debate. Admiral Vernon sailed to the coast of South America, and, with only six ships, destroyed all the fortifications of Porto Bello, and came away with scarcely the loss of a man. Commodore Anson was to have co-operated with Vernon across the isthmus of Darien, but was detained by the blunders of the ministry ; and, coming into the South Seas at the stormy season, his fleet was dispersed, and his crew miserably reduced by the scurvy. He refreshed his men, however, at the delightful island of Juan Fer nandez ; after which, he sailed along the coast of Chili, and destroyed the rich city of Paita. Traversing next the great Pacific Ocean, his crew were again visited by the dreadful disorder of the sea scurvy. One of his ships becoming leaky, and the number of his hands decreasing, he set her on fire in the middle of the ocean. His fleet being now reduced to one ship, the Centurion, and all the crew in the most deplorable condition, he cast anchor on the deserted island of Tinian, which lies about half way between the American and the Asiatic continents. This island had some years before been peopled by near 30,000 inhabitants ; but an epidemical distemper coming among them, des troyed a part, and the rest forsook the place. Nothing, however, could exceed the beauty of the spot. The most romantic imagination cannot form a scene sur passing what Tinian naturally affo•ded,—green fields, groves, cascades, flowers, and prospects. All that a sea beaten company of mariners could wish was found in abundance,—clear and wholesome water, medicinal herbs, domestic animals, and other necessaries for refit ting their shattered vessels. From thence he proceed ed to China, and, returning the same way, fell in with the long-expected prize of a Spanish galleon from the Philippine islands, valued at 313,0001. ; which, with other captures, he brought to England, after finishing a voyage of three years, profitable to himself and his crew ; and though not immediately conducive to the good or glory of the nation, yet indirectly compensating for the loss of a fine squadrbn, by the sea-faring experi ence which he left recorded.
The armament to which Anson was to have acted subordinately was very unfortunate. It consisted of 29 ships of the line, nearly as many frigates, and of 15,000 soldiers. They arrived before Carthagena, and mastered the strong forts which defended the harbour, but were obliged to use the escalade in attempting those which lay nearer the town. But the guides being unfortunately slain, the forces attempted the strongest places of the forts ; their scaling ladders were too short ; and they retreated at last, leaving 600 dead behind them. The rainy and sickly season set in soon after this fatal attempt; and the commanders disagreeing among them selves, and unable to retrieve the calamity, re-embarked the troops, and returned.
The discontent which this fatal miscarriage occasion ed, fell principally upon the minister ; and the activity of the enemy, who took hundreds of merchantmen, while our fleets made but few reprisals, increased the mur murs of the people. In the succeeding parliament, the elections went in favour of the Country Party ; and Walpole, after a vain endeavour to gain over the Prince of Wales and his friends to his support, by making him pecuniary offers, beheld his strength expire in the House of Commons, and resigned all his employments.
He was succeeded as minister by Lord Carteret. The people rejoiced universally at his fall, expecting from his successor a redress of grievances at home, and a vigorous conduct of the war abroad ; but the war con tinued for some years with indifferent success. Some unsuccessful expeditions were carried on under Admiral Vernon and Commodore Knowles ; the issue of these, and the general failure of a naval war, inspired the nation with impatience, to try their fortune and their energies on the other element. The king's attachment to his electoral dominiops concurred with this desire ; and, as an army was prepared for Flanders, the Spanish war be came but a secondary object.
The troubles of Europe were now breaking out afresh, from the disputed succession which succeeded the death of Augustus, king of Poland. Germany and Russia supported the Elector of Saxony, son of the deceased king. France declared for Stanislaus, whom Charles the XII. of Sweden had long ago nominated ; and at tacked Austria with an army commanded by the aged Marshal Villars, who had now no Marlborough to oppose him. The duke of Montemar, the Spanish general, was equally victorious in the kingdom of Naples ; and the emperor, Charles the VI. had the mortification of seeing himself deprived of the greatest part of Italy, for having attempted to give a king to Poland. These rapid successes of France compelled him to a peace, and the Elector of Saxony was obliged to renounce all right to the crown of Poland. In 1740, the death of the emperor left his daughter beset by enemies, who would have stript her of her dominions ; and who, in defiance of the Pragmatic sanction, which settled her father's crown upon her, caused the Elector of Bavaria to be crowned emperor. Britain, Sardinia, and Hol land, became her allies in this forlorn situation : a sub sidy of 300,000/. was granted to her by parliament in 1741, and a subsidy of 500,000/. in 1742 ; and in a short time she triumphed over all her enemies. But what ever sympathy the queen of Hungary's cause might excite in Britain, there were few but the followers of the court who commended the lavishing of British blood and treasure in a cause which only concerned the Elec tor of Hanover. When the supplies came to be con sidered in parliament, after information from his majesty, that the British forces in the low countries had been augmented with 16,000 llanoverians, Lord Chesterfield observed, that the nation, after having exalted the Elec tor of Hanover from a state of obscurity to the crown, was condemned to hire the troops of that electorate to fight their own battles ; to hire them at a rate which was never demanded before ; and to pay levymoney for them, though it was known to all Europe that they were not raised for the present occasion. But the new min istry of Lord Carteret were proof against the force and truth of such remarks, for they were supported by the ex-ministry of Walpole, in return for being screened from the indignation of the public by their successors, the apostates of patriotism.