During the year 1780 was formed the League of the Baltic Powers, known historically as the Armed Neutrality, to exact from Great Britain the concession of certain points thought essential to neutral interests.  The accession of Holland to this combination, together with other motives of dissatisfaction, caused Great Britain to declare war against the United Provinces on the 20th of December.  Orders were at once sent to the East and West Indies to seize Dutch possessions and ships, but these did not issue in action until the following year.

Towards the end of 1780 the French Government, dissatisfied with the lack of results from the immense combined force assembled in Cadiz during the summer months, decided to recall its ships, and to refit them during the winter for the more extensive and aggressive movements planned for the campaign of 1781.  D’Estaing was sent from France for the purpose; and under his command thirty-eight ships of the line, in which were included those brought by de Guichen from the West Indies, sailed on the 7th of November for Brest.  Extraordinary as it may seem, this fleet did not reach its port until the 3d of January, 1781.

[Footnote 75:  Parker’s Report.]

[Footnote 76:  Ibid.]

[Footnote 77:  Ante, p. 115.]

[Footnote 78:  Rodney’s Report.  The French authorities give their line of battle as twenty-two ships of the line.  There was no 90-gun ship among them—­no three-decker; but there were two of 80 guns, of which also the British had none.]

[Footnote 79:  A cable was then assumed to have a length of 120 fathoms,—­720 feet.]

[Footnote 80:  A properly formed line of twenty ships, at two cables’ interval, would be about five miles long.  Rodney seems to have been satisfied that this was about the condition of his fleet at this moment.]

[Footnote 81:  Rodney’s Report.]

[Footnote 82:  Testimony of the signal officer at the court-martial on Captain Bateman.]

[Footnote 83:  Singularly enough, this officer was afterwards court-martialled for misbehaviour, on the 1st of June, 1794, of precisely the same character as that from all share in which Rodney now cleared him.]

[Footnote 84:  The words in Rodney’s public letter, suppressed at the time by the Admiralty, agree with these, but are even more explicit.  “I cannot conclude this letter without acquainting their Lordships that had Captain Carkett, who led the van, properly obeyed my signal for attacking the enemy, and agreeable to the 21st Article of the Additional Fighting Instructions, bore down instantly to the ship at that time abreast of him, instead of leading as he did to the van ship, the action had commenced much sooner, and the fleet engaged in a more compact manner....”  This clearly implies that the Additional Fighting Instructions prescribed the direction which Rodney expected Carkett to take.  If these Additional Instructions are to be found, their testimony would be interesting.