Do you mind quoting the deeper segment? The British were at war with the Russians in the mid-1700s, were patronisingly arrogant in alliance negotiations after that, and then hostile during the League of Armed Neutraliy after that.
For sure. Here's the Project Gutenberg link to the book:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32370/32370-h/32370-h.htm
And here's the relevant passage, a quote from a letter from the British ambassador to Russia in 1782. The British were trying to get Russian mediation to negotiate a peace in the American Revolution, and offering Minorca to sweeten the deal apparently:
"I suggested the idea of giving up Minorca to the Empress,
because, as it was evident to me we should at the peace be compelled to make sacrifices, it seemed to me wiser to make them to our friends than to our enemies. The idea was adopted at home in its whole extent,
and nothing could be more perfectly calculated to the meridian of this Court than the judicious instructions I received on this occasion from Lord Stormont. Why this project failed I am still at a loss to learn.
I never knew the Empress incline so strongly to any one measure as she did to this, before I had my full powers to treat, nor was I ever more astonished than when I found her shrink from her purpose when they arrived. I imputed it at the same time, in my own mind, to the
rooted aversion she had for our Ministry, and her
total want of confidence in them; but I since am more strongly disposed to believe that she consulted the Emperor (of Austria) on the subject, and that he not only prevailed on her to decline the offer, but betrayed the secret to France, and that it thus became public. I cannot otherwise account for this rapid
change of sentiment in the Empress, particularly as
Prince Potemkin (whatever he might be in other transactions) was certainly in this
cordial and sincere in his support, and both from what I saw at the time, and from what has since come to my knowledge,
had its success at heart as much as myself. You will observe, my lord, that
the idea of bringing the Empress forward as a friendly mediatrix went hand-in-hand with the proposed cession of Minorca."
There's a footnote with more details here:
(13) "It is then a fact that the English Government, not satisfied with having made Russia a Baltic power, strove hard to make her a Mediterranean power too. The offer of the surrender of Minorca appears to have been made to Catherine II. at the end of 1779, or the beginning of 1780, shortly after Lord Stormont's entrance into the North Cabinet—the same Lord Stormont we have seen thwarting the French attempts at resistance against Russia, and whom even Sir James Harris cannot deny the merit of having written "
instructions perfectly calculated to the meridian of the Court of St. Petersburg." While Lord North's Cabinet, at the suggestion of Sir James Harris, offered Minorca to the
Muscovites, the English Commoners and people were still trembling for fear lest the
Hanoverians (?) should wrest out of their hands "one of the keys of the Mediterranean." On the 26th of October, 1775, the King, in his opening speech, had informed Parliament, amongst other things, that he had Sir James Graham's own words, when asked why they should not have kept up some blockade pending the settlement of the "plan," "
They did not take that responsibility upon themselves." The responsibility of executing their orders! The despatch we have quoted is the only despatch read, except one of a later date. The despatch, said to be sent on the 5th of April, in which "the Admiral is ordered to use the
largest discretionary power in blockading the Russian ports in the Black Sea," is not read, nor any replies from Admiral Dundas. The Admiralty sent
Hanoverian troops to Gibraltar and Port Mahon (Minorca), to replace such British regiments as should be drawn from those garrisons for service in America. An amendment to the address was proposed by Lord John Cavendish, strongly condemning "the confiding
such important fortresses as Gibraltar and Port Mahon to foreigners." After very stormy debates, in which the measure of entrusting Gibraltar and Minorca, "
the keys of the Mediterranean," as they were called, to
foreigners, was furiously attacked; Lord North, acknowledging himself the adviser of the measure, felt obliged to bring in a
bill of indemnity. However, these foreigners, these Hanoverians, were the English King's own subjects. Having virtually surrendered Minorca to Russia in 1780, Lord North was, of course, quite justified in treating, on November 22, 1781, in the House of Commons, 'with utter scorn the insinuation that
Ministers were in the pay of France.'"
So the date of the transfer would be later than I initially was thinking (it had been a while since I read this) - IMO that makes it more plausible that Russia could project power out to the Balearics.
