the British Admiral: the French must
come back to Martinique.

From the vigilance of his frigates it resulted that when the look-outs
of de Guichen, who passed to windward of Martinique on the 7th of
May, came in sight of Gros Ilet on the 9th, it was simply to find
the British getting under way to meet the enemy. During the five
following days both fleets were engaged in constant movements, upon
the character of which the writers of each nation put different
constructions. Both are agreed, however, that the French were to
windward throughout, except for a brief hour on the 15th, when a
fleeting change of wind gave the British that advantage, only to lose
it soon again. They at once used it to force action. As the windward
position carries the power to attack, and as the French were
twenty-three to the British twenty, it is probably not a strained
inference to say that the latter were chasing to windward, and the
former avoiding action, in favour, perhaps, of that ulterior motive,
the conquest of Santa Lucia, for which they had sailed. Rodney states
in his letter that, when the two fleets parted on the 20th of May,
they were forty leagues to windward (eastward) of Martinique, in sight
of which they had been on the 10th.

During these days de Guichen, whose fleet, according to Rodney, sailed
the better, and certainly sufficiently well to preserve the advantage
of the wind, bore down more than once, generally in the afternoon,
when the breeze is steadiest, to within distant range of the British.
Upon this movement, the French base the statement that the British
Admiral was avoiding an encounter; it is equally open to the
interpretation that he would not throw away ammunition until sure of
effective distance. Both admirals showed much skill and mastery of
their profession, great wariness also, and quickness of eye; but it
is wholly untenable to claim that a fleet having the weather-gage
for five days, in the trade-winds, was unable to bring its enemy to
action, especially when it is admitted that the latter closed the
instant the wind permitted him to do so.

On the afternoon of May 15th, about the usual hour, Rodney "made a
great deal of sail upon the wind." The French, inferring that he was
trying to get off, which he meant them to do, approached somewhat
closer than on the previous days. Their van ship had come within long
range, abreast the centre of the British, who were on the port tack
standing to the south-south