 The English withdrawal did not end naval engagements in the Franco-Dutch War.As Louis XIV did not wish to send his main fleet against the more powerful Dutch, De Ruyter was first instructed to use his fleet in support in a 'descent' on the French Channel and Biscay coasts, in which the appearance of the fleet would create a threat of landings or an invasion, aiming to divert French forces from the Spanish Netherlands and the Rhine.In a further attempt to relieve pressure on the Netherlands, he was next ordered to take the fight against the French to the Caribbean.