THE SERVICES OP LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 537 
ceive volunteer sailors from the transports, which she did and returned 
immediately. About 3 in the afternoon, the whole fleet got under sail 
and stood to windward. 
May 26th. —-This evening the packet and several other ships sailed 
from the Careenage bound for England. Orders were given out by 
General Grant for the three following regiments to be left on St. 
Lucia :—27th, 35th and 49th, under command of Sir H. Calder. The 
5th and 46th to go on board Byron's fleet as marines, and the 4th, 15th, 
28th, 40th and 55th to go to America under General Prescott. 
Generals Grant and Medows go for England. Artillery orders are for 
Captain Downman with four subalterns and 80 men, with surgeon, 
clerks of stores, etc., etc., to remain in St. Lucia. Captains Williamson 
and Standish with the remainder of Artillery to go to America. 
June 1st, 1779. —It began to rain most violently with very high wind 
and continued for four days, except some short intermissions. 
June 4th. —A French prize brig came into the Careenage this morn¬ 
ing taken by Byron's fleet. A cutter from France with despatches is 
also taken, by which Byron is informed of a reinforcement of seven 
ships and 5,000 men beiug on their passage for d'Estaing under 
M. de la Motte Piquet. 
June 6th. —This morning, early, a fleet of 26 sail appeared in sight 
to windward which we suppose to be Byron; soon after the whole of 
them sailed close along shore, passed the Careenage and went away 
to leeward with a press of sail, the Princess Royal the headmost ship. 
June 7th. —A fine morning. We can perceive a fleet of about 50 sail 
to leeward at a great distance. We imagine it is Byron convoying the 
Granada fleet out of danger from Martinique: we also observe four 
French men-of-war off Fort Royal harbour which have taken a look 
at the fleet and are now going into port again. 
June 8th. —This morning four French men-of-war came from Mar¬ 
tinique, looked into the Gros Hot and Careenage under English colours, 
then wore round and stood away. They did not come within cannon 
shot of us. 
June 10th. —Early this morning we discovered eleven or twelve sail 
of French vessels standing from Fort Royal towards us; five of them 
were men-of-war. About 3 o'clook in the afternoon two of them after 
standing in almost close to the Gros Ilot and into the Choc bay came 
down opposite the Careenage, but at not less distance than a mile or 
more from the rock battery, from which I fired a shot at a great eleva¬ 
tion which fell on the further side. They immediately hoisted English 
colours and stood to windward, and in the morning after lying off the 
Gros Ilot returned to their shore. We were apprehensive they meant 
to take off* Mr. Byron's 800 sick sailors and marines lying at the Gros 
Ilot, with nothing to protect them but two 6-prs. lately sent from the 
Careenage. Mr Byron has gone, the Devil and the French know 
where, for no sooner is he away than we are braved by them and any 
