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of a peace, but to the framing of such a peace
as may be firm and lasting.’
The king, as he read the wishes of
Franklin, which were seconded by
Vergennes, ‘thought it best to let
Oswald remain at
Paris,’ saying that ‘his correspondence carried marks of coming from a man of sense.’
While
Oswald came to
London to make his second report, news that better reconciled the
English to treat for peace arrived from the
Caribbean islands.
The fleet of
de Grasse in 1781, after leaving the coast of the
United States, gave to
France the naval ascendency in the
West Indies.
St. Eustatius was recaptured, and generously restored to the United Provinces.
St. Christopher,
Nevis, and Montserrat
were successively taken.
On the nineteenth of February, 1782,
Rodney reappeared at
Barbadoes with a re-enforcement of twelve sail, and in the next week he effected a junction with the squadron of
Hood to the leeward of
Antigua.
To cope with his great adversary,
de Grasse, who was closely watched by
Rodney from
St. Lucia, must unite with the Span-
ish squadron.
For that purpose, on the eighth of April he turned his fleet out of
Fort Royal in
Martinique; and with only the advantage of a few hours over the
British he ran for
Hispaniola.
On the ninth,
a partial engagement took place near the island of
Dominique.
At daylight on the twelfth,
Rodney by
skilful manoeuvres drew near the
French in the expanse of waters that lies between the islands of Guadeloupe, the Saintes, and
Marie Galante.
The sky was clear, the sea quiet; the trade-wind blew lightly, and, having the advantage of its unvarying breeze,
Rodney made the signal for attack.
The
British had
