Commerce de Marseille, launched at Toulon Dockyard in August 1788, the largest ship in the world Three years ago, an Anglo-Spanish fleet under Admiral Samuel Hood's command brought troops to the city of Toulon, where an uprising against the French Republic had broken out. The French fleet was caught in port. There were 31 ships of the line, 13 frigates, 11 corvettes and 2 brigs in the harbour, under construction, under refit or active - a heavy blow to the French navy which

Thomas Slade Britain and France are at war in North America. War has been latent for two years between the endless rivals but, on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, events have already gone bad. Last year, on the Ohio river, the French thwarted the aggression of a fort by a militia led by a certain George Washington. The British navy is now harassing French merchant fleet and just seized a ship of the line. The awful struggle of the British settlers against the allied