On the 6th of February, 1778, the treaty between the United States and France was signed, followed in July of the same year by a declaration from the king protecting neutral ships, although bound for hostile ports and carrying contraband goods.  Meanwhile, on the 13th of April, the French fleet had sailed from Toulon under the command of D’Estaing, who had with him on the Languedoc, his flagship, a regularly appointed envoy, Girard de Rayneville, who had full power to recognize the independence of the States, Silas Deane, one of the American commissioners, and such well-known officers as the comte de la Motte-Piquet, the Bailli de Suffren, De Guichen, D’Orvilliers, De Grasse and others.  The history of this first expedition is a short and disastrous one.  The voyage was long, owing to the ships being unequally matched in speed, and it was ninety days after leaving Toulon before they anchored in Delaware Bay.  D’Estaing had hoped to surprise Lord Howe, who was guarding the mouth of the Delaware to strengthen the position of Sir Henry Clinton at Philadelphia, but when the fleet arrived Clinton had evacuated Philadelphia, and was in the harbor of New York.  Here the French admiral followed him, but, finding no pilots at Sandy Hook willing to take him over the bar, he on Washington’s recommendation proceeded to Rhode Island to co-operate with Sullivan, who was in command of the army there, which was divided into two brigades under Generals Greene and La Fayette.  On the 29th of July, 1778, the French fleet appeared off Newport, to the delight of the inhabitants, who were suffering from the English occupation, and saw in prospect an end to their troubles.  But, alas! their joy was premature.  Sullivan was so slow in moving that the moment for action was lost.  Lord Howe, having received reinforcements, appeared off Point Judith, where D’Estaing tried to meet and give him battle; but a hurricane coming up, both fleets were obliged to spend their energies in saving themselves from destruction, and before the storm passed the French ships were so scattered that all hope of success had to be abandoned.  D’Estaing found himself on the 13th of August separated from his convoy, and his ship, Le Languedoc, bereft of rudder and masts, forced to an encounter with three English vessels.  His fleet rallied round him, but it was too late after a disastrous action to do anything but repair damages:  in fact, Lord Howe had already reached Sandy Hook.  D’Estaing appeared off Newport on the 20th to announce that he should be obliged by instructions to go to Boston for provisions and water, and thus ended the first visit of the French to Newport, to the dismay of the inhabitants.  Sullivan criticised D’Estaing severely, but was obliged by La Fayette to retract:  indeed, it is a question whether the fault of failure lay in Sullivan’s procrastination or in want of judgment on the part of the French commander, who nevertheless, on his return to France, interested himself to induce the government to send out twelve