sent to England, and the Captain detached off Bastia), lying at anchor in Mortella bay. Notwithstanding the opportunity thus afforded him, of striking a decisive blow against the British naval power in the Mediterranean, Admiral Langara, steered for the road of Toulon ; where, on or about the 26th of the month, he anchored, in company with 12 French sail of the line and several frigates ready for sea ; forming in the aggregate, a force of 38 sail of the line and 18 or 20 frigates, the largest fleet of men-of-war, we believe, ever seen in that port.

The rapid and extraordinary successes of General Buonaparte in Italy had greatly reduced the weight and influence of England along the northern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean. The King of Sardinia, since the 15th of May, had been compelled to sign a treaty with France, by which he yielded up Savoy, the patrimony of his ancestors for many ages, together with the city and territory of Nice, and a large tract of land, which the conquerors entitled the Department of the Maritime Alps. The King of the Two Sicilies, being also unable to stand against the victorious army of Buonaparte, solicited and obtained, on the 5th of June, a cessation of hostilities, and on the 10th of November signed with France a treaty of peace equally humiliating. With these powers as neutrals, or vassals rather, and with Spain as an ally in the war, France was on the eve of attaining what had long been her wish, the sole dominion of the Mediterranean sea.

One island, however, that had only a year or two before belonged to the republic, was still in the hands of the English. Precarious, indeed, was the tenure of the latter. The report of the continual victories of their countrymen had encouraged the Franco-Corsicans to renew their endeavours to undermine the interest of the British. Discontent soon prevailed all over the island, and a communication was established between the exiles at Leghorn and elsewhere with their partisans in Corsica. It soon became manifest to the viceroy, that an insurrection was preparing, of such a magnitude, that the comparatively small British force on the island would be insufficient to put it down. On becoming acquainted with this state of things, and actuated, also, by the daily expected rupture with Spain, the British government sent out orders for Corsica to be evacuated, and the troops and stores removed to Porto-Ferrajo. Just as this measure was beginning to be carried into effect, the island was invaded, and the departure of the British, to say no worse of it, rather prematurely urged.

No English detailed account of the evacuation of Corsica having, that we know of, been published, not even in a contemporary work, written chiefly to blazon the deeds of the admiral who superintended the operations, we must either pass over the subject as beneath our comprehension, or trust to the French accounts for particulars. In doing the latter we shall keep our

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