Toulon, that a sufficient body of troops could scarcely have been assembled in time to have reached the spot previously to the evacuation. The destruction of the ships and magazines might certainly have been more complete; but here again the treachery of the Spaniards, and the pusillanimous flight of the Neapolitans, thwarted the plans of the British ; and the only surprise is, that the latter, hurried and pressed as they were, effected as much as they did.

During the time that Toulon remained in possession of the allied forces, a very formidable insurrection, existed in Corsica, and General Paoli, the leader of the insurgent party, sought the aid of the English, assuring Lord Hood that even the appearance of a few ships of force off the island would be of the most essential service to the popular cause.

Accordingly, in the month of September, a squadron, composed of the following line-of-battle ships and frigates, sailed from Toulon for Villa-Franca:

On his arrival off the latter port, Commodore Linzee, in conformity to the orders he had received, sent a letter on shore, containing the account of the restoration of monarchy at Toulon, as well as copies of the proclamations that had been addressed by Lord Hood to the inhabitant of the south of France. To this communication no answer was returned. The commodore then stood across to the island of Corsica, and showed his force off Calvi and San-Fiorenzo ; meeting from the respective inhabitants no better reception than he had experienced at Villa-Franca except that a few of the mountaineers came down and were supplied, at their request, with muskets and ammunition. His offers did not persuade, nor his force intimidate, the garrisons; although accompanied by an assurance that the latter, if desirous, should be conveyed to France.

The orders of the British commodore, in the event of a refusal on the part of the garrisons, were to attempt their reduction by force ; or, should that appear too hazardous, to invest the places with his ships, and starve the inhabitants into a compliance. To blockade three such ports as Calvi, San-Fiorenzo, and Bastia, with three line-of-battle ships and two frigates, was impracticable ; but Commodore Linzee, having been led to believe that the batteries of San-Fiorenzo could not, on account of the distance, co-operate with the tower and redoubt of Forneilli, situated about two miles in advance of the town, conceived he

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