more useful, to the enemies of Great Britain,
including the revolted colonists, than it was to the mother country.
Rodney asserted that help from there was readily forthcoming to supply
French and Spanish requirements, while professions of inability abounded
whenever his fleet made a demand in occasional emergencies.

He was therefore full of gall against the island and its merchants, the
more so because he suspected that British subjects, unpatriotically
ardent for gain, were largely concerned in maintaining conditions thus
hurtful to their country; and, when the orders to act came, it needed
but three days for himself and General Vaughan to sail on an errand of
which they probably had previous intimations. On the 3d of February they
arrived off St. Eustatius, which in the face of their imposing force
submitted at once. They took possession of the island, with goods stored
to the estimated value of L3,000,000,--an immense spoil in those days. A
Dutch ship-of-war, with a hundred and fifty sail of traders of various
nationalities, were also seized; while a convoy of thirty merchant
ships, which had sailed thirty-six hours before, was pursued and
captured by a British detachment,--the Dutch admiral commanding the
ships-of-war being killed in the attendant action.

From one point of view this was an enormous success, though unproductive
of glory. It destroyed at a blow a centre of commerce and supply
powerfully contributive to the maintenance of the enemies of Great
Britain; both to their hostile operations, and to the indirect but no
less vital financial support that trade gives to national endurance,--to
the sinews of war. Besides this, however, there was the unprecedented
immediate booty, transferable as so much asset to the conquerors. It was
upon this present tangible result that Rodney's imagination fastened,
with an engrossment and tenacity that constitute a revelation of
character. It perverted his understanding of conditions, and paralyzed
his proper action as commander-in-chief. It is needless in this
connection to consider whether it was the matter of personal profit,
through legitimate prize-money, that thus influenced him,--an effect to
some extent pardonable in a man who had long suffered, and still was
suffering, from pecuniary straitness,--or whether, as he loudly
protested, it was the interest to the nation that made his personal
superintendence of the proceeds imperative. In either case the point to
be