THE SERVICES OP LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 535 
making any more mistakes, are determined to remain in port. 
April 19th. —Our admirable Admiral is informed that within this 
week upwards of 60 vessels, escorted from St. Eustatius by three men- 
of-war and ten frigates, have got safe into Martinique and Guadeloupe 
with provisions for d'Estaing's fleet and army which were in great 
distress till their arrival. Had the English admiral done his duty this 
fleet must have become the prize of our fleet. He has also learnt that 
several French ships are off Nevis and St. Kitts, the inhabitants of 
which islands are watching night and day expecting an invasion. 
April 21st. —This day five of Mr. Byron's fleet got under way and 
stood over to Martinique and returned to anchor in the evening. 
April 22nd. —The packet arrived from England, but no letters for 
the army, except a very few. 
April 26th. —This morning four frigates came into the fleet from 
the windward, and in the evening several other ships. They are the 
Cork fleet with provisions. 
April 27th. —Four of our men-of-war went last night from the Giros 
Ilot, and this morning one sees them off Fort Royal harbour. I begin 
to suspect d'Estaing has again given Byron—a Bye-run. 
This morning Admiral Byron has had the flag flying for all boats 
and everyone belonging to the ships to be on board. Eight sail of 
large ships hove in sight to windward and kept down under the shore 
of Martinique, standing to Fort Royal. Afternoon.—The four ships 
above mentioned prove to be French, now joined by five more and are 
cruising off and on their harbour. The eight ships that are to wind¬ 
ward are English, they went out last night and are now returning into 
harbour, the French ships are still cruising about. Admiral Byron is 
lying as still as a mouse. I wonder at his philosophy; to command 
such a powerful fleet and yet suffer d'Estaing to go in and out of his 
port as he pleases, 'tis scandalous to say the best of such behaviour. 
April 29th. —We are informed this day that several men-of-war, five 
of which are absolutely French, are lying off St. Kitts and Nevis. 
Some are of opinion that Nevis is at present, or will be in a short 
time, in the possession of the French, or else destroyed and pillaged. 
April 30th. —To-day there appears by the signals, etc., amongst our 
fleet in Gros Ilot, an intention of moving soon. This evening a frigate 
came to the Careenage and received from the different transports a 
number of volunteers, who went with loud huzzas and in the greatest 
spirits on board those ships of Byron's that wanted men. 
May 1st , 1779.- —At length the fleet of Byron is roused from its 
slumbers. At 8 o'clock a.m. the whole were under way and standing 
over towards Fort Royal harbour in order of battle, and about one 
o'clock they were off the mouth of the harbour. In the night some 
people heard cannon and saw flashes of fire at a great distance; 
imagination sees and hears many things that never happen. 
May 3rd. —All day yesterday an abundance of rain and continued 
through the night. This morning the wind blows from the S.W., a 
very uncommon circumstance; this is the second time it has happened 
since our being here. Nothing transpired yet of what Byron has done. 
