He had hoisted his flag again on February 28, 1758.  His first service was directed against a French squadron of five ships-of-the-line, fitting at Rochefort to convoy troops for the relief of Louisburg, in Cape Breton Island, then about to be besieged by British and colonial forces.  Hawke’s observations of the previous year had ascertained the hitherto unknown facilities of Basque Roads for occupation by a fleet and consequent effectual interception of such an expedition.  Upon making the land the French vessels were found already in the Roads, therefore soon to sail; but before this superior force of seven ships they cut their cables, and fled across the shoals up the river Charente, on which Rochefort lies.  Hawke, instructed by his previous experience, had earnestly but fruitlessly demanded fire-ships and bomb-vessels to destroy the enemy in case they grounded on the flats; which they did, and for some hours lay exposed to such an attack.  Not having these means, he had to watch helplessly the process of lightening and towing by which they at last made their escape.  He then returned to England, having frustrated the relief expedition but, through defective equipment, not destroyed the vessels.  The Admiralty, upon receiving his report of the transaction, made no acknowledgments to him.

Pitt had profited by Hawke’s ineffectual request for small vessels and his suffering from the want of them; but he utilized the suggestions in a manner that robbed their author of any share in the results.  A squadron of that sort was to be constituted, to operate on the French coast in diversions like that of 1757; but it was to be an independent command, under an officer chosen by the Government without consulting the admiral.  To the main fleet was assigned the necessary, but in credit very secondary, office of cruising off Brest, to prevent interruption by the French ships there; to play, in short, the inconspicuous role of a covering force, while the light squadron had the brilliant part of fighting.  The officer selected for the latter was Howe, deservedly a favorite of Hawke’s, but not therefore acceptable to him as a supplanter in his honors.

The admiral had been for some time superintending the equipment of the vessels for the light division, when, on May 10, 1758, Howe reported to him, bringing his orders.  Hawke boiled over at once; and, in a heat evidently beyond his will to control, despatched the following letter, three hours after Howe’s arrival.

     Portsmouth, 7 o’clock p.m. 10th May, 1758.

Sir,—­About 4 o’clock arrived here Captain Howe, and delivered me their Lordships’ order of the 9th.  In last September I was sent out to command an expedition under all the disadvantages one could possibly labor under, arising chiefly from my being under the influence of land-officers in Councils of War at sea.[4] Last cruise (March-April, 1758) I went out on a particular service, almost without the least means of performing