English Translation

38 - 35 Under these circumstances, a new attempt by England in 1779 to drag Russia into his war finds even less love for Catherine than the previous ones, although the English envoy so beautifully of an intervention Also the attempt made by England at the end of 1780 to move Russia as allies against France and Spain to the Mediterranean by offering the port of Port Mahon to Minorca fails. Katharina is concerned at the beginning with regard to the English-Russian trade, not too keenly against England. But when England's opponents, Spain and France, reach for the same means of caper war and the Russian trade continues to suffer damage, she decides to take a 2) active action. The insult of the Russian flag should not become a harmful habit. It mobilizes its fleet, sends three cruiser squadrons to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea and 3) demands free travel for the neutrals. London is extremely surprised by this courage, which it had not expected in confidence in Russia's economic dependence, but, in view of its weakening by the American war, it is unable to take countermeasures; however, the English are secretly trying to damage the Russian fleet which is leaving the British caper ships by means of sabotage measures. At the end of May 1780, when the Russian squadrons were ready to leave Kronstadt, a fire arose on one of the ships, which fortunately could already be suffocated at the beginning. On the ship a large bag was found, in which a barrel of powder and other explosives were placed. Had it not been possible to sound an alarm in time 1) Aleksandrenko 1, p.55; Firsov S.3l9. 2) Aleksandrenko 1, pp. 53 and 3l4-3l5; rescript to Simolin of 27.2.1780 for Aleksan-drenko 2, p.207-211. also pp. 219-220. 3) Rescript to simolin of 7.6.i780 with AlekSandrenzo 2, pp.2ll; see also Notovič p. 107-108; Stählin 2, page 606.