PENDER now made the signal that the enemy were 
coming up with all sail. A squall of wind just then 
drove the Barbuda off the bank, when she floated. Her 
cable was promptly cut, and sail made in the track of her 
consorts. These had got a long way ahead : and, when 
the Barbuda anchored abreast of the Sand Hills, after 
dark, all hands were found at work. They had come to 
an anchor be».v/een 5 and 6 o'clock. Immediately on 
doing so, the Commodore gave orders to Captain 
Graeme to take the Carpenter of the Oroonoko and a 
number of seamen, to clear away a place for getting up 
some guns upon the hill. Should the enemy's smaller 
vessels, which had heavy cannon, attempt to attack at 
their own distance, upon the flood, when the British 
could not have got nigher to them, these guns would 
defend the latter. But one of the Oroonoko's guns 
had been got out when Captain PENDER arrived with the 
latest news of the enemy, one of whose frigates had 
been in chase of him. Captain GRAEME, who was at the 
time at work on the hill, was now recalled ; the men 
were sent to their ships, and the Oroonoko's gun was 
got on board. The Commodore ordered everything to be 
ready for a6lion, being determined that, If the enemy's 
ships came up in the night, he should make what 
resistance was in his power. He ordered the Henry, 
with guard boats, to go down the River and endeavour 
to find whether the enemy had landed, as, in that case, they 
would entirely command the decks of the British ships 
with their musquetry. At about 10 o'clock, Mr. 
GARDNER returned from his mission to the French 
ander-in-chief. He reported that the Count DE 
' would not read the proposals for the colony, 
E 
