THE SERVICES OF LIETJT.-COLONEL FRANCIS EOWNMAN, R.A. 503 
able fleet (to look at) thunder their broadsides on our brave little 
squadron, but what was the result of this seemingly destructive fire ? 
Not more than three or four men killed and ten or twelve wounded, 
and no damage done to any of our ships. It is astonishing, but it is 
no less a fact. The loss of the French we are quite ignorant about, 
we only know that several of their ships received damage in their 
rigging and that d'Estaing's nephew was killed by a shot from one of 
our batteries. The battery commanded by Lieutenant Garstin did 
much service to the English fleet by keeping the French at a distance ; 
his guns damaged several of their ships. Admiral Barrington and 
General Grant gave him thanks for his behaviour that day. 
December 30th .—-The capitulation was signed. 
December 31st .—An officer and thirty-five poor looking wretches of 
French soldiers marched into the town with a drum and laid down 
their arms at the bridge. 
January 1st , 1779 .—A ship of ours went with French officers and 
men to Martinique to be exchanged. From this day to the 5th noth¬ 
ing happened. Our fleet lay as usual, and our army are busy in mak¬ 
ing and mending roads. The French people are getting into the town 
and opening a few miserable shops. The situation of the town is 
horrible, it is in a bottom and almost surrounded with stagnant water. 
The inhabitants look more like bodies just crept from tho grave to 
frighten one, than living creatures. The mulattoes and negroes are 
much better looking folks. The island produces the same articles as 
others of the West Indies, but the coffee and chocolate seem to be the 
principal care of the planters near this place. There are good fish to 
be caught with tbe hook and line in deep water along the shore, and 
up the harbours are abundance of mullet, but the rockiness of the 
coast prevents their being caught with nets except in a very few 
places. 
On Wednesday, January 6th, about seven o'clock in the morning, 
we saw with great joy several large ships coming round the northward 
of the island towards us. We soon discovered them to be friends, and 
that they were no other than the fleet of our long lost, unfortunate 
Byron, consisting of nine line of battle ships only (including his own 
the Princess Royal of 90); several frigates and small craft were with 
him. He did not stop at Barbadoes, and had been only three weeks 
from Bhode Island. 
When I give myself time to think seriously of the great force the 
French have in these seas, particularly the armament we have driven 
away, and the many hair-breadth escapes our little army and navy have 
had, I cannot help exclaiming, we are a most fortunate people ! The 
Comte d'Estaing with his tremendous fleet sailed from Boston the 
same day, or near it, that we sailed from Sandy Hook. The narrow 
escape we had on the passage almost assures us we are the favourites 
of the Supreme Being, and that the cause we are fighting for is just 
and good. 
We are well informed that on the night of the 17th November when 
we were in latitude 26°, or thereabouts, the Comte d’Estaing was 
within a very few leagues of us. Our Commodore made a tack that 
