nd inattention to signals had proceeded from anything
but error in judgment, I had certainly superseded you, but God forbid
I should do so for error in judgment only,"--again an illusion, not
obscure, to Byng's fate.

In Barbados, Rodney received certain information that a Spanish
squadron of twelve ships of the line, with a large convoy of ten
thousand troops, had sailed from Cadiz on April 28th for the West
Indies. The vessel bringing the news had fallen in with them on the
way. Rodney spread a line of frigates "to windward, from Barbados to
Barbuda," to obtain timely warning, and with the fleet put to sea on
the 7th of June, to cruise to the eastward of Martinique to intercept
the enemy. The latter had been discovered on the 5th by a frigate,
fifty leagues east of the island, steering for it; but the Spanish
admiral, seeing that he would be reported, changed his course,
and passed north of Guadeloupe. On the 9th he was joined in that
neighbourhood by de Guichen, who was able to bring with him only
fifteen sail,--a fact which shows that he had suffered in the late
brushes quite as severely as Rodney, who had with him seventeen of his
twenty.

Having evaded the British, the allies anchored at Fort Royal; but the
Spanish admiral absolutely refused to join in any undertaking against
the enemy's fleet or possessions. Not only so, but he insisted on
being accompanied to leeward. The Spanish squadron was ravaged by
an epidemic, due to unsanitary conditions of the ships and the
uncleanliness of the crews, and the disease was communicated to their
allies. De Guichen had already orders to leave the Windward Islands
when winter approached. He decided now to anticipate that time, and
on the 5th of July sailed from Fort Royal with the Spaniards. Having
accompanied the latter to the east end of Cuba, he went to Cap
Francois, in Haiti, then a principal French station. The Spaniards
continued on to Havana.

At Cap Francois, de Guichen found urgent entreaties from the French
Minister to the United States, and from Lafayette, to carry his fleet
to the continent, where the clear-sighted genius of Washington had
recognised already that the issue of the contest depended upon the
navies. The French admiral declined to comply, as contrary to his
instructions, and on the 16th of August sailed for Europe, with
nineteen sail of the line, leaving ten at Cap Francois. Sealed orders,
opened at sea, directed him to proceed to Cadiz, where he