In July, Sir Edward Hawke was sent to sea with orders to cruise between Ushant and Cape Finisterre, and to seize any French ships-of-the-line he might see; to which were added in August further orders to take all French ships of every kind, men-of-war, privateers, and merchantmen, and to send them into English ports.

Before the end of the year, three hundred trading vessels, valued at six million dollars, had been captured, and six thousand French seamen were imprisoned in England,--enough to man nearly ten ships-of-the-line.
All this was done while nominal peace still existed.

War was not declared until six months later.
France still seemed to submit, but she was biding her time, and preparing warily a severe stroke for which she had now ample provocation.

Small squadrons, or detachments of ships, continued to be sent to the West Indies and to Canada, while noisy preparations were made in the dock-yard of Brest, and troops assembled upon the shores of the Channel.

England saw herself threatened with invasion,--a menace to which her people have been peculiarly susceptible.