On the termination of hostilities, the regiment marched to Ghent, where it was quartered several weeks, and on the 10th of December embarked at Ostend for Ireland. As two of the transports approached the Irish coast, they were chased by a Sallee man-of-war of eighteen guns, carrying Zealand colours. Seeing his brave soldiers in danger of being made slaves, Lieut.-Colonel Stearne called them on deck; the whole resolved on a desperate defence; and it was arranged that when the Sallee man-of-war attacked one transport, the other should come to its assistance, and the enemy should be boarded by the soldiers sword in hand, not doubting but that they would overpower the Turks and Moors, and capture the ship. With this view the soldiers were kept out of sight to induce the enemy to make an attack, and every man was ready for action. "The Sallee man-of-war kept us company about an hour, and was once, as we thought, coming up to board us; however, she thought better of it, fell astern, and stood off without firing a shot."[18] During the following night the two transports narrowly escaped destruction from a storm; they afterwards arrived safe in Bantry Bay; the soldiers landed on the 24th of December, and marched to Cork, where the regiment was assembled. [Sidenote: 1699] From Cork the regiment marched, in July, 1698, to Waterford; in the spring of 1699 it proceeded to Dublin, and in 1700 it was removed to Kinsale. [Sidenote: 1700] Pursuing those schemes of aggrandizement which had repeatedly involved Europe in war, Louis XIV. procured the accession of his grandson, Philip Duke of Anjou, to the throne of Spain, in violation of existing treaties; seized on the Spanish Netherlands; and made prisoners the Dutch troops in garrison in the barrier towns. The sudden acquisition of the Spanish monarchy by a grandson of the most ambitious and potent monarch of Europe, with the prospect of France and Spain being eventually united under one sovereign, affected the interests and agitated the public mind of all countries. [Sidenote: 1701] War was resolved upon: the standing armies were augmented; and while the din of hostile preparation was heard on every side, the ROYAL IRISH regiment was placed upon a war establishment, and embarked for Holland, where it arrived, with several other corps, in July, 1701, and was placed in garrison at Huesden. On the 21st of September it was reviewed on Breda-heath by King William III. [Sidenote: 1702] Quitting Huesden in March, 1702, the regiment proceeded to Rosendael, where the British infantry was assembled under Brigadier-General Ingoldsby; and at this place the troops received information of the death of King William III., on the 8th of March, and of the accession of Queen Anne.