after hood sent a squadron under john gell to raid genoa on 5 october and seize a french frigate anchored there, the genoese, sympathetic to the french, refused to allow any austrian reinforcements to embark for toulon from the port, weakening the position at toulon. a second french frigate was taken from la spezia shortly afterward. the following month the french royalist ship of the line "scipion" was lost with heavy loss of life at leghorn in a possible arson attack.