1/8	Quiberon.
had begun to make preparations for an invasion of the
Threatened British Isles on a large scale. Flat-bottomed
the^aBritish boats were built at Havre and other places
Isles.	along the coasts of Normandy and Brittany, and
large fleets were collected at Brest and Toulon, besides
a small squadron at Dunkirk. A considerable force was
assembled at Vannes in the south of Brittany, undei: the
command of the Due d'Aiguillon, which was to be con-
voyed to the Irish coasts by the combined fleets of Brest
and Toulon, while the flat-bottomed boats transported a
second army across the channel under cover of a dark
night. The Dunkirk squadron, under Admiral Thurot, a
celebrated privateer, was to create a diversion by attack-
ing some part of the Scotch coast.
The design was bold and well contrived, and would
not improbably have succeeded three or even two years
Its chances ^Defb^re> but the opportunity was gone. England
of success, was no longer in ^£ that enervate state in which
20,000 men from France could shake her.' Had a
landing been effected, the regular troops in the country,
with the support of the newly created militia, would
probably have been equal to the emergency, but a mote
effectual bulwark was found in the fleet, which watched
the whole French coast, ready to engage the enemy as
soon as he ventured out of his ports.
The first attempt to break through the cordon was
made by M. de la Clue from Toulon. The English
Mediterranean fleet, under Admiral Boscawen, cruising
before that port, was compelled early in July to retire to
Gibraltar to take in water and provisions and to refit
some of the ships. Hereupon M. de la Clue put to sea,
and hugging the African coast, passed the straits without
molestation. Boscawen, however, though his ships were
not yet refitted, at once gave chase, and came up with the
enemy off the coast of Portugal, where an engagement