Great care was taken that no movement should be seen at Saint Germain.  The affair, however, began in time to get noised abroad.  A prodigious quantity of arms and clothing for the Scotch had been embarked; the movements by sea and land became only too visible upon the coast.  At last, on Wednesday, the 6th of March, the King of England set out from Saint Germain.  He was attended by the Duke of Perth, who had been his sub-preceptor; by the two Hamiltons, by Middleton, and a very few others.  But his departure had been postponed too long.  At the moment when all were ready to start, people learned with surprise that the English fleet had appeared in sight, and was blockading Dunkerque.  Our troops, who were already on board ship, were at once landed.  The King of England cried out so loudly against this, and proposed so eagerly that an attempt should be made to pass the enemy at all risks, that a fleet was sent out to reconnoitre the enemy, and the troops were re-embarked.  But then a fresh mischance happened.  The Princess of England had had the measles, and was barely growing convalescent at the time of the departure of the King, her brother.  She had been prevented from seeing him, lest he should be attacked by the same complaint.  In spite of this precaution, however, it declared itself upon him at Dunkerque, just as the troops were re-embarked.  He was in despair, and wished to be wrapped up in blankets and carried on board.  The doctors said that it would kill him; and he was obliged to remain.  The worst of it was, that two of five Scotch deputies who had been hidden at Montrouge near Paris, had been sent into Scotland a fortnight before, to announce the immediate arrival of the King with arms and troops.  The movement which it was felt this announcement would create, increased the impatience for departure.  At last, on Saturday, the 19th of March, the King of England, half cured and very weak, determined to embark in spite of his physicians, and did so.  The enemy’s vessels hats retired; so, at six o’clock in the morning, our ships set sail with a good breeze, and in the midst of a mist, which hid them from view in about an hour.

Forty-eight hours after the departure of our squadron, twenty-seven English ships of war appeared before Dunkerque.  But our fleet was away.  The very first night it experienced a furious tempest.  The ship in which was the King of England took shelter afterwards behind the works of Ostend.  During the storm, another ship was separated from the squadron, and was obliged to take refuge on the coast of Picardy.  This vessel, a frigate, was commanded by Rambure, a lieutenant.  As, soon as he was able he sailed after the squadron that he believed already in Scotland.  He directed his course towards Edinburgh, and found no vessel during all the voyage.  As he approached the mouth of the river, he saw around him a number of barques and small vessels that he could not avoid, and that he determined in consequence to approach