the British operations. On the 25th of
April, 1781, he left Wilmington, and a month later joined the division
at Petersburg, Virginia, then commanded by Benedict Arnold; Phillips
having died. There, in touch now with his fate, we must leave him for
the moment.

To complete the naval transactions of 1780, it is necessary to mention
briefly two incidents, trivial in themselves, but significant, not
only as associated with the greater movements of the campaign, but as
indicative of the naval policy of the States which were at war. The
two, though not otherwise connected, have a certain unity of interest,
in that the same British officer commanded on both occasions.

It will be remembered that in Byron's action off Grenada, in
July, 1779, the 64-gun ship _Lion_ received such injuries that her
commander, Captain Cornwallis, had been compelled to run down before
the trade-winds to Jamaica, in order to save her from capture.
Since that time she had remained there, as one of the squadron of
Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Parker. In March, 1780, still commanded by
Cornwallis, she was making an ordinary service cruise off the north
side of Haiti, having in company the _Bristol_, 50, and the _Janus_,
44. On the 20th of March, off Monte Christi, a number of sail were
sighted to the eastward, which proved to be a French convoy, on its
way from Martinique to Cap Francois, protected by La Motte-Picquet's
squadron of two 74's, one 64, one 50, and a frigate. The French
merchant ships were ordered to crowd sail for their port, while the
men-of-war chased to the north-west. La Motte-Picquet's flagship, the
_Annibal_, 74, got within range at 5 P.M., when a distant cannonade
began, which lasted till past midnight, and was resumed on the
following morning. From it the _Janus_ was the chief sufferer, losing
her mizzen topmast and foretopgallant mast. It falling nearly calm,
the _Bristol_ and _Lion_ got out their boats and were towed by them to
her support. The two other French ships of the line got up during
the forenoon of the 21st, so that the action that afternoon, though
desultory, might be called general.

The two opposing commodores differ in their expressed opinions as to
the power of the French to make the affair more decisive. Some of La
Motte-Picquet's language seems to show that he felt the responsibility
of his position. "The _Janus_, being smaller and more easily worked,
lay upon our quarter and under our stern, where she did consider