At midnight on May 21 Lord St. Vincent made sail towards Toulon; but on June 2 he became so ill that he was obliged to return to Port Mahon, and on the 18th he resigned the command to Lord Keith and went home. On July 3 the fleet came in sight of Toulon, the _Centaur_ (Captain Markham) being ahead. Owing to some news he received, Lord Keith then crowded all sail for the Bay of Rosas, in hopes of intercepting the French fleet. But there was disappointment, and once more he shaped a course for Toulon. The _Centaur_ was always the advanced ship, well ahead, the frigate _Bellona_ being five miles astern, and the rest of the fleet out of sight. At 9 A.M. on June 18 five strange sail were reported from the masthead. A very exciting chase immediately began at a distance of about sixty miles from Cape Sicie on the French coast. The strangers proved to be three French frigates and two brigs. After nine hours the _Centaur_ came up with the sternmost frigate, and fired into her. She struck, and Captain Markham made a signal to the _Bellona_ to take possession. Again making all sail, he came up first with the second and then with the third frigate, which both struck, as well as the brigs. The prizes were brought to Port Mahon, and all were taken into the British Navy. Lord Keith cruised off Toulon for some days and then went to Genoa; but still there were no authentic tidings of the French fleet. Once more he stood towards Minorca, and received a reinforcement of twelve sail of the line under Admiral Collingwood. But on June 24 the French fleet left the Mediterranean, and on July 12 it was at Cadiz. Lord Keith determined to try for news at Gibraltar, arriving on the 14th, only to receive the maddening intelligence that the enemy was just two days ahead of him. Then began a desperate chase; for if the French fleet could be forced to give battle, it would be the most momentous event in the war. On the 30th Lord Keith left Gibraltar with thirty-one sail of the line. He was just too late. The _Centaur_ looked into Brest and saw forty sail of the line safely anchored there, being the French fleet under Admiral Bruix and the Spanish fleet under Admiral Mazaredo. They had got in only six hours before, and Keith was gaining on them fast. Lord Keith, stung with anguish at the disappointment, sadly returned to Port Mahon. Minorca continued to be a very important base for the operations of the British fleet, whence Lord Keith obtained his memorable successes on the coast of Egypt. But when the Peace of Amiens was signed on March 26, 1802, Minorca was ceded to Spain. The long connection of the little island with England was thus severed for ever, and to the Minorcans was only left a tradition and a memory of happier and more prosperous times. Such prosperity as Minorca has since enjoyed has been due to her excellent harbour, the fame of which as a safe place of refuge gave rise to Andrea Doria’s well-known proverb: