De Grasse then hove-to for
the night, but sent an officer ashore both to give and to obtain
intelligence, and to reach an understanding for concerted action next
day.

The French fleet consisted of one ship of 110 guns, three 80's,
fifteen 74's, and one 64, in all 20 of the line, besides three armed
_en flute_,[91] which need not be taken into account, although they
served to cover the convoy. Besides these there were the four in Fort
Royal, one 74 and three 64's, a junction of which with the approaching
enemy it was one of Hood's objects to prevent. The force of the
British was one 90, one 80, twelve 74's, one 70, and two 64's: total,
17. Thus both in numbers and in rates of ships Hood was inferior to
the main body alone of the French; but he had the advantage of ships
all coppered, owing to Rodney's insistence with the Admiralty. He also
had no convoy to worry him; but he was to leeward.

Early in the morning of the 29th, de Grasse advanced to round the
southern point of the island, which was the usual course for sailing
ships. Hood was too far to leeward to intercept this movement, for
which he was blamed by Rodney, who claimed that the night had not been
properly utilised by beating to windward of Pointe des Salines.[92]
Hood, on the other hand, said in a private letter: "I never once lost
sight of getting to windward, but it was totally impossible.... Had I
fortunately been there, I must have brought the enemy to close action
upon more equal terms, or they must have given up their transports,
trade, etc." Hood's subsequent career places it beyond doubt that had
he been to windward there would have been a severe action, whatever
the result; but it is not possible to decide positively between his
statement and Rodney's, as to where the fault of being to leeward lay.
The writer believes that Hood would have been to windward, if in any
way possible. It must be added that the British had no word that so
great a force was coming. On this point Hood and Rodney are agreed.

[Illustration]

Under the conditions, the French passed without difficulty round
Pointe des Salines, the transports hugging the coast, the ships of
war being outside and to leeward of them. Thus they headed up to the
northward for Fort Royal Bay (Cul de Sac Royal), Hood standing to the
southward until after 10, and being joined at 9.20 by a sixty-four
(not reckoned in the list above) from Santa Lucia, making his force
eighteen. At 10.35 the Britis