THE SERVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 577 
Gros Ilot weighed and went down and spoke her, and then bore away 
towards the lee end of Martinique, the other, the Pegasus , came to anchor 
in the Gros Ilot. General Vaughan came in her from the fleet. In 
the night the Actseon and all the frigates sailed from the Gros Ilot. 
The Pegasus is ordered to England immediately. Colonel Musgrave 
went in her. 
April 26th. —An agreeable day with pleasant gentle showers. This 
morning early, saw a fleet of ships off Fort Royal harbour. 
April 27th. —Rainy morning. The fleet seen yesterday is English 
and is now about four miles off the Gros Ilot. I went thither about 
noon, at which time Admiral Rodney and most of the ships came to 
anchor; a good many appear to have had a number of shots through 
them. The report respecting the Captains of some of the ships not 
doing well is confirmed. One of them is under an arrest. 
April 29th. —A clear day. A French fleet is seen to leeward this 
evening not far from Fort Royal. 
April 30th. —Our fleet got under way and stood over to Martinique 
on a fine day. 
May 1st , 1780. —Our fleet is a little way to leeward of this island, 
standing towards it; in the afternoon about four o'clock, the whole 
came to anchor, some in Choc Bay, and others opposite the Yigie 
and Careenage. We saluted the Admiral with 19 guns, he re¬ 
turned 17. 
May 6th. —A fine clear morning. The fleet got under way and stood 
towards Martinique. The Cyclops frigate brought in a rich French 
ship, which informs us of the French fleet being to windward of 
Martinique. 
May 7th. —Hazy weather. We can just discover the English fleet 
under Martinique shore. 
May 11th. —A rainy cool morning. Our fleet is not far distant 
from the Gros Ilot. A fleet of 10 or 12 sail of large ships are seen 
to windward, which we suppose to be part of the French, waiting 
there to intercept Commodore Walshingham. A ship came from 
Barbadoes yesterday, which left Cork on April 1st in company of a 
number of others, conveyed by the Triumph man-of-war; they are 
safely arrived at Barbadoes, and have 1,300 men on board, the remain¬ 
der of the new regiments that arrived some time ago, and a few 
recruits. In the afternoon we discovered upwards of 20 sail of large 
ships to windward of Martinique. Our fleet is striving all they . . . 
The diary ends abruptly, carried on apparently into another book 
