568 THE SERVICES OE LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 
7,000 troops on board their fleet. The English fleet has been joined 
by the Vengeance of 74, two ships of 50 guns, a frigate or two, and 
two bomb ketches. The regiments that went from here are divided 
between St. Kitts and Antigua. The Artillery and stores from all 
our ships are landed at St. Kitts and will be dispersed for the pro¬ 
tection of those islands. 
Lord Macartney, governor of the Grenadines behaved exceedingly 
well; he is sent a prisoner to France. 
Admiral Barrington went on July 15th to England in the Ariadne , 
some say in disgust, others say on extraordinary business. The whole 
business is extraordinary. Faults there are, and not a few. Who is 
right, or who has done amiss may soon be discovered, I wish some of 
their caputs may not be in danger. 
A transport, the Savile with Colonel Ogilvie and 150 men of the 4th 
regiment is taken, which is the only one of our transports that is 
missing. General Grant is gone to England to give an account of his 
stewardship. 
August 20th. —Byron and his fleet have arrived at Barbadoes. 
d’Estaing is gone, but no one here knows whither. Byron is gone to 
England. 
September 1st , 1779. —The troops are exceedingly sickly and die 
away fast. Since General Grant went away, we have lost in all Lieut. 
Walker and six of the artillery, and upwards of 30 are sick. Since 
the first part of the army landed on the island (?) officers and rank 
and file are dead, and a vast number of women and children. The 
Comte d’Estaing, we are informed, is gone to America. Our fleet are 
cruising somewhere or other. Admiral Parker has taken 14 St. Dom- 
ingomen. The Sphinx , with the bomb and tender sailed from Barba¬ 
does ; a French frigate left Martinique the same day, and in a few days 
afterwards we were told the Sphinx and tender were taken and carried 
into Martinique. This is the second time poor Garstin has lost all his 
baggage. 
October 17th, 1779. —1 was taken exceedingly ill, and in a few days 
was given over, however, I disappointed the doctors, and recovered 
just when they thought me going and boards were asked about for 
my coffin. 
November 21st. —Just able to get on a horse. 
Extremely busy on the hill in finishing our redoubts and getting 
everything ready for an attack which we have expected for some time. 
The Marquis de Bouille, Governor of Martinique did certainly collect 
all the troops he could with an intention to pay us a visit, but some¬ 
thing prevented him. 
November 28th. —Five men-of-war and a frigate of Admiral Parker’s 
fleet came to anchor in Choc Bay to wood and water. We are informed 
that Comte d’Estaing has been beaten off from Charlestown, with 
considerable loss of men, and himself wounded in two places, but that 
bis fleet had taken or destroyed four of our ships. 
December 4th. —Admiral Parker and the remainder of his fleet came 
here and anchored in the Gros Ilot. We are told d’Estaing’s fleet has 
