t off,
others with their sides torn open or heads fearfully smashed--I found
that the enemy were out of our reach, and that not one of our three
ships was in a condition to follow them. This was very provoking,
though we had fought a right gallant action, of that there can be no
doubt. Captain Forrest seeing that, if we got to leeward, we should be
unable to beat off, and very likely be driven on shore and lost, ordered
a course to be steered for Jamaica, where we arrived in a couple of
days. The admiral highly approved of what had been done, and Captain
Forrest received orders to get his ship repaired with all despatch and
return as soon as possible in search of the enemy. The hands were taken
off our sloop for this purpose, and there seemed every probability of
our remaining some time longer on board the _Augusta_. Still, things
are not done so quickly out here as they are in the dockyards at home.
At last we got to sea and sailed for Cape Francois. On looking into
that port we found that the Frenchmen had put their best legs foremost,
and that Monsieur De Kearsaint, having repaired his ships, had some days
before sailed with the convoy for Europe, and we should have no chance
of overtaking him. We had accordingly to come back, when we again
sailed with the admiral, whose flag was flying on board the
_Marlborough_, for a cruise off Cape Tiberon. I should make my letter
too long if I were to describe all that took place. We had not been
many days on the station before we captured two French privateers, and
from their crows learned that a rich convoy was preparing at Port au
Prince to sail for Europe, under the protection of two large armed
private ships. The admiral on this sent in his tender to ascertain if
such was the fact. Her commander, who speaks French, managed to gain
all the intelligence he required; he soon returned, having ascertained
that the information received was correct. The admiral accordingly
directed us to proceed off the island of Golave, to cruise there for two
days, and, should we see anything of the convoy at the expiration of
that time, to return and join him. Golave, you will understand, is in
the middle of the large bay which occupies nearly the whole western
coast of Saint Domingo, to the northward of Cape Tiberon.

"The afternoon of the day following our arrival, we had got well up into
the bay, when we caught sight of two sloops. To prevent them from
taking us for what we wer