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1779-lord Macartney, was under the neceffity of propofing a

capitulation, D'Estaing granted him but an hour for framing the articles, which when presented, were rejected in the grofs. The count propofed others fo extraordinary, that his lordship and the principal inhabitants thought it better to truft to the law and cuftom of nations, and to the justice of one court, and the interpofition of the other, by furrendering at discretion, than to bind themselves to fuch unexampled conditions. His lordship, in expectation that the fortified hill was next to impregnable, had carried thither his plate, jewels, and most valuable effects, and his principal officers had followed his example *. The count is charged with hav ing exercised great feverity and oppreffion; and it is faid, that his foldiers were indulged in fuch unbridled licence, that the condition of the inhabitants would have been deplorable beyond defcription, but for the huma nity and tenderness of the officers and privates of Dillon's Irish regiment.

Meanwhile, adm, Byron had returned to St. Lucie, from convoying the Weft India fleet; but weakened through the fhips he had fent with the trade to Great Britain. He there received intelligence of the lofs of St. Vincent; and immediately concluded with gen. Grant to proceed with the land and naval forces for its recovery. On their paffage, they received information that d'Estaing had attacked Grenada, without being acquainted with de la Motte Piquet's having joined him. They changed their intention, and fteered for the relief of Grenada.

The Paris account of the taking of Grenada.

July

The British commanders arrived within fight of the 1779 French fleet at break of day. Their force confifted of 6. 21 fhips of the line and a fingle frigate. They were embarraffed by the fomewhat greater number of tranfports which conveyed the troops. The French having received previous information of the approach of the British fleet, were then moftly getting under way, and thofe fhips which had not already hoisted their anchors, flipt their cables, and kept ftretching out to fea. The objects of the hoftile commanders were totally different. The British admiral's wanted to bring the enemy to clofe action in hopes of conqueft and of faving Grenada. D'Estaing fought for no further advantage than the preservation of his new acquifition, which to him was a fufficient victory. His fhips being cleaner, and confequently failing better than the British, he chose a partial action, rather than be exposed to the doubtful iffue of a desperate conflict. The firft fignal made by Byron was for a general chace; and the fecond, for the fhips to engage and form as they could get up. By eight o'clock the action was commenced by adm. Barrington in the Prince of Wales, with the capts. Sawyer and Gardner in the Boyne and Sultan, they having clofed with the van of the enemy. Being obliged to endure the whole weight of fire from that divifion, for a confiderable time before they could be fupported, they fuffered accordingly; beside the damage of the fhips and the loss of men, the admiral was himfelf wounded. The French eluded every effort made by the British commanders to bring on a close and decifive engagement. When the evolutions on both fides, and the eagernefs on one, threw a few of the British fhips into a fituation, which obliged

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them to endure a conflict with a much greater number of the enemy, a clofe engagement enfued. Thus the Grafton, the Cornwall, and the Lion, fuftained the whole fire of the French fleet. The Monmouth attempting fingly to arreft the progress of the enemy's van, hoping thereby to bring on a general action, but failing, was reduced almoft to a wreck. The Suffolk, adm. Rowley, with the Fame, fuffered alfo confiderably in fimilar fituations.

The action ceafed about twelve o'clock; but although renewed at two, and at other times, in a degree, during the evening, yet nothing effential was effected. During the heat of it, fome British fhips pushing their way to the very entrance of the harbour of St. George's, beheld French colours on the fort, and were fired at by the batteries. The object of the British commanders was therefore totally changed. The relief of the island was at an end. The protection of the transports, along with that of the difabled fhips, was now the main point to be confidered. Three of the difabled fhips were a great way aftern: the Lion was obliged to bear away fingly, in the best manner fhe could, before the wind. That and the other two might feemingly have been cut off by the French; but d'Estaing would not risk the bringing on of a decifive action by attempting their capture. In the evening, the Monmouth and the tranfports were ordered to make the best of their way to Antigua or St, Kitts. Byron drew up his line, reduced now to 19 fhips, about three miles diftant from d'Eftaing, and expected to be attacked in the morning; but during the night, the count returned to Grenada. The lofs of men in the British fleet was moderate:

the other circumftances of the action however, were ex-1779. ceeding grievous; for the great damage fuftained by the fhips, in their mafts and rigging, which could not be eafily remedied in that quarter, afforded an astonishing fuperiority of force to the French, which while it continues, will render it impoffible for the British longer to difpute the empire of the fea with them in the West Indies. All accounts concur in defcribing the French lofs of men in the action as prodigious. The published ' number of officers killed and wounded, both in the naval and land departments, is confiderable. The other must be in a great degree conjectural.

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The latter end of July, there failed from Port l'Orient the Bon Homme Richard, of 40 guns and 375 men, commanded by capt. Paul Jones, the Alliance of 36 guns, the Pallas a French frigate of 32, the Vengeance an armed brig of 12, together with a cutter: Jones acted as commodore to the fquadron. He fteered for the Western coaft of Ireland, and appeared off Kerry. From thence he ranged round the north of Scotland, till he came off Forth Frith on September the 19th;: when he directed his courfe to Flamborough Head.. Sept. Being off the Head, he fell in with the fleet from the 23. Baltic, under the protection of the Serapis, capt. Pearfon, and the Countess of Scarborough, capt. Piercy. Before noon, capt. Pearfon received intelligence from the bailiffs of Scarborough, of the fquadron under Jones being on the coaft. Between twelve and one the headmost of the fleet got fight of it, when the Serapis made all the fail fhe could to get between the enemy and the convoy, which the foon effected. Capt. Pearfon, by four o'clock, plainly difcerning from the deck, that the

1779. fquadron confifted of three large fhips, and a brig, (the cutter was not now with them) made the Countess of Scarborough's fignal to join him, which was done about half past five. A little after feven, the Bon Homme Richard brought to within mufket fhot of the Serapis, when the fight began, and was maintained with equal fury on both fides, each veffel ufing all poffible means to gain an advantageous fituation to rake the other. Capt. Pearfon had infinitely the fuperiority over the Bon Homme Richard in working the Serapis, and obtained advantages in spite of every effort of Jones's to prevent it. Jones, to render fuch fuperiority ufelefs, aimed at laying his fhip athwart the hawfe of the other. Though he did not fucceed to his wifh, yet as the bow-fprit of the Serapis ran between his poop and mizen mast, he feized the opportunity of lashing the veffels together, when the wind driving the head of the Serapis against the bow of the Bon Homme Richard, they became fo clofe fore and aft, that the muzzles of their guns touched each other's fides. In this pofition they engaged from half paft eight till half past ten. But before it commenced, the Bon Homme Richard had received many 18 lb. fhot between wind and water, and was become very leaky. Her tier of 12 pounders was entirely filenced and abandoned. Her fix 18 pounders, which were old, were of no fervice, and were fired but eight times in all. During the fucceeding action, Jones made ufe only of three nine pounders, whofe fire was feconded by that of his men in the round tops. At the fame time others threw fuch a quantity and variety of combuftible matters into the decks, chains, and every part of the Serapis, that she was on fire not less than 10 or 12 times in dif

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