Immediately after his arrival, Norris detached 3 British and 2 Dutch men of war with the public money, recruits and ammunition to Barcelona to receive the orders of Archduke Charles for the coming campaign. There, Norris was informed by Archduke Charles that the enemy had a design, either upon Sardinia or Naples, and that the Duke de Tursis, a Genoese nobleman, who commanded a fleet of galleys for the service of Philip V, was at sea to execute this enterprise.
The archduke also informed him that he desperately needed the relief corps assembled in Northern Italy to be transported to Catalonia. Admiral Norris first landed the vice-roy in Sardinia, where he found all things quiet. He then proceeded to the coast of Italy to embark the relief force destined for Catalonia. He then sailed to Vado to embark the relief corps. He immediately called a council of war where it was decided to prevent the planned Franco-Spanish descent on the Island of Sardinia.
On 12 June, Norris detached 4 men of war to escort the transports to Barcelona to reinforce the Allied army of Field-Marshal Starhemberg ; and 5 British and 4 Dutch men of war to cruise off Toulon to intercept a French convoy expected from the Levant. Admiral Norris sent some boats which brought away the ship, but the crew made its escape on shore. A bark coming from the shore brought the news that the Duke de Tursis had sojourned a few days at Porto-Vecchio before sailing to Bonifacio, in preparation for his enterprise against Sardinia.
There 4 enemy tartanes were spotted. They had landed men and 60 officers under the command of Count de Castillo. Admiral Norris resolved to land some forces to attack them.
Seeing that it was vain to offer any resistance, the Count de Castillo surrendered at discretion. The Allies took soldiers prisoners, with 63 officers and several persons of quality, natives of Sardinia, who had joined the enemy. However Admiral Norris planned to seize them, remonstrating to the Republic of Genoa that Queen Anne would resent the fact that they had permitted the Duke of Tarsis, one of their subjects, to make such an armament in their dominion.
