[Footnote 73:  Rodney’s Report.  Chevalier says that one of them was retaken by her crew and carried into Cadiz.]

[Footnote 74:  Now the British Mauritius.]

CHAPTER VIII

RODNEY AND DE GUICHEN’S NAVAL CAMPAIGN IN WEST INDIES.  DE GUICHEN RETURNS TO EUROPE, AND RODNEY GOES TO NEW YORK.  LORD CORNWALLIS IN THE CAROLINAS.  TWO NAVAL ACTIONS OF COMMODORE CORNWALLIS.  RODNEY RETURNS TO WEST INDIES

When Rodney arrived at Santa Lucia with his four ships of the line, on March 27, 1780, he found there a force of sixteen others, composed in about equal proportions of ships that had left England with Byron in the summer of 1778, and of a reinforcement brought by Rear-Admiral Rowley in the spring of 1779.

During the temporary command of Rear-Admiral Hyde Parker, between the departure of Byron and the arrival of Rodney, a smart affair had taken place between a detachment of the squadron and one from the French division, under La Motte-Picquet, then lying in Fort Royal, Martinique.

On the 18th of December, 1779, between 8 and 9 A.M., the British look-out ship, the Preston, 50, between Martinique and Santa Lucia made signal for a fleet to windward, which proved to be a body of French supply ships, twenty-six in number, under convoy of a frigate.  Both the British and the French squadrons were in disarray, sails unbent, ships on the heel or partially disarmed, crews ashore for wood and water.  In both, signals flew at once for certain ships to get under way, and in both the orders were executed with a rapidity gratifying to the two commanders, who also went out in person.  The British, however, were outside first, with five sail of the line and a 50-gun ship.  Nine of the supply vessels were captured by them, and four forced ashore.  The French Rear-Admiral had by this time got out of Fort Royal with three ships of the line,—­the Annibal, 74, Vengeur, 64, and Reflechi, 64,—­and, being to windward, covered the entrance of the remainder of the convoy.  As the two hostile divisions were now near each other, with a fine working breeze, the British tried to beat up to the enemy; the Conqueror, 74, Captain Walter Griffith, being ahead and to windward of her consorts.  Coming within range at 5, firing began between her and the French flagship, Annibal, 74, and subsequently between her and all the three vessels of the enemy.  Towards sunset, the Albion, 74, had got close up with the Conqueror, and the other ships were within distant range; “but as they had worked not only well within the dangers of the shoals of the bay (Fort Royal), but within reach of the batteries, I called them off by night signal at a quarter before seven."[75] In this chivalrous skirmish,—­for it was little more, although the injury to the French in the loss of the convoy was notable,—­Parker was equally delighted with his own squadron and with