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became an hofpital through the many thousands of fick 1779.
that were landed. It was a most happy circumstance
for the British merchants, that a large Jamaica fleet
escaped and got into the channel about ten days before
he first entered it; and that eight homeward bound East
Indiamen had timely notice of their danger, so as to
have the opportunity of putting into Ireland.

In the beginning of September, adm. Barrington arrived with dispatches, giving an account of the taking of the ifles of St. Vincent and Grenada, and of an

action between adm. Byron and count d'Estaing. The July

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count failed for Grenada, and arrived off the island with
a fleet of five or fix and twenty ships of the line, about
12 frigates, and near 10,000 land forces, including ma-
rines. The defence of the place lay in about 150 fol-
diers and 350 militia, 200 volunteers, with some fea-
men; and its strength confifted in a fortified and in-
trenched hill, which commanded the fort, harbour, and:
capital town of St. George. The French landed be-
tween 2 and 3000 regulars, under count Dillon, the
fame evening; and the next day invested the hill, and
made the necessary preparations for carrying it by storm
the following night, as they would lose no time, left
adm. Byron's fleet might arrive. The defence was ob-
stinate, confidering the force on each side. Although
d'Estaing headed a column of the assailants in person,
they were repulfed in the first onfet; but their fuperior
numbers at length prevailed, and the lines were carried
after a conflict of about an hour and a half; the lofs of
the French however in killed and wounded was confider-
able. The cannon taken on the top of the hill, being
turned at break of day against the fort, the governor,

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#779-lord Macartney, was under the necessity of proposing a capitulation. D'Estaing granted him but an hour for framing the articles, which when presented, were rejected in the grofs. The count proposed others so extraordinary, that his lordship and the principal inhabitants thought it better to trust to the law and custom of nations, and to the justice of one court, and the interposition of the other, by furrendering at difcretion, than to bind themselves to fuch unexampled conditions. His lordship, in expectation that the fortified hill was next to impregnable, had carried thither his plate, jewels, and most valuable effects, and his principal officers had followed his example*. The count is charged with having exercised great severity and oppreffion; and it is faid, that his foldiers were indulged in such unbridled licence, that the condition of the inhabitants would have been deplorable beyond defcription, but for the huma. nity and tenderness of the officers and privates of Dillon's Irish regiment.

Meanwhile, adm, Byron had returned to St. Lucie, from convoying the West India fleet; but weakened through the ships he had fent with the trade to Great Britain. He there received intelligence of the loss of St. Vincent; and immediately concluded with gen. Grant to proceed with the land and naval forces for its recovery. On their passage, they received information that d'Estaing had attacked Grenada, without being acquainted with de la Motte Piquet's having joined him. They changed their intention, and steered for the relief of Grenada,

* The Paris account of the taking of Grenada.

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The British commanders arrived within fight of the 1779. July French fleet at break of day. Their force confifted of 6. 21 ships of the line and a single frigate. They were embarraffed by the fomewhat greater number of tranfports which conveyed the troops. The French having received previous information of the approach of the British fleet, were then mostly getting under way, and those ships which had not already hoisted their anchors, flipt their cables, and kept stretching out to fea. The objects of the hoftile commanders were totally different. The British admiral's wanted to bring the enemy to clofe action in hopes of conquest and of faving Grenada. D'Estaing fought for no further advantage than the preservation of his new acquisition, which to him was a sufficient victory. His ships being cleaner, and confequently failing better than the British, he chose a partial action, rather than be exposed to the doubtful issue of a desperate conflict. The first signal made by Byron was for a general chace; and the second, for the ships to engage and form as they could get up. By eight o'clock the action was commenced by adm. Barrington in the Prince of Wales, with the capts. Sawyer and Gardner in the Boyne and Sultan, they having closed with the van of the enemy. Being obliged to endure the whole weight of fire from that division, for a confiderable time before they could be fupported, they fuffered accordingly; beside the damage of the ships and the lofs of men, the admiral was himself wounded. The French eluded every effort made by the British commanders to bring on a close and decisive engagement. When the evolutions on both fides, and the eagerness on one, threw a few of the British ships into a fituation, which obliged

1779. them to endure a conflict with a much greater number of the enemy, a close engagement ensued. Thus the Grafton, the Cornwall, and the Lion, sustained the whole fire of the French fleet. The Monmouth attempting singly to arreft the progress of the enemy's van, hoping thereby to bring on a general action, but failing, was reduced almost to a wreck. The Suffolk, adm. Rowley, with the Fame, fuffered also considerably in similar fituations,

The action ceased about twelve o'clock; but although renewed at two, and at other times, in a degree, during the evening, yet nothing effential was effected. During the heat of it, some British ships pushing their way to the very entrance of the harbour of St. George's, beheld French colours on the fort, and were fired at by the batteries, The object of the British commanders was therefore totally changed. The relief of the island was at an end. The protection of the transports, along with that of the disabled ships, was now the main point to be confidered. Three of the disabled ships were a great way aftern: the Lion was obliged to bear away singly, in the best manner she could, before the wind. That and the other two might feemingly have been cut off by the French; but d'Estaing would not risk the bringing on of a decisive action by attempting their capture. In the evening, the Monmouth and the transports were ordered to make the best of their way to Antigua or St. Kitts. Byron drew up his line, reduced now to 19 ships, about three miles distant from d'Estaing, and expected to be attacked in the morning; but during the night, the count returned to Grenada. The loss of men in the British fleet was moderate:

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the other circumstances of the action however, were ex-1779. ceeding grievous; for the great damage sustained by the ships, in their masts and rigging, which could not be easily remedied in that quarter, afforded an aftonishing fuperiority of force to the French, which while it continues, will render it impossible for the British longer to difpute the empire of the sea with them in the Weft Indies. All accounts (concur in defcribing the French loss of men in the action as prodigious. The published number of officers killed and wounded, both in the naval and land departments, is confiderable. The other must be in a great degree conjectural..........

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The latter end of July, there failed from Port l'Orient the Bon Homme Richard, of 40 guns and 375 men, commanded by capt. Paul Jones, the Alliance of 36 guns, the Pallas a French frigate of 32, the Vengeance an armed brig of 12, together with a cutter: Jones acted as commodore to the squadron. He steered for the Western coast of Ireland, and appeared off Kerry. From thence he ranged round the north of Scotland, till he came off Forth Frith on September the 19th;: when he directed his course to Flamborough Head. Sept. Being off the Head, he fell in with the fleet from the 23. Baltic, under the protection of the Serapis, capt. Pearfon, and the Countess of Scarborough, capt. Piercy. Before noon, capt. Pearfon received intelligence from the bailiffs of Scarborough, of the squadron under Jones being on the coast. Between twelve and one the headmost of the fleet got fight of it, when the Serapis made all the fail she could to get between the enemy and the convoy, which she soon effected. Capt. Pearfon, by four o'clock, plainly difcerning from the deck, that the

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