Instructions from time
immemorial. Rodney's first signal informing the fleet that he intended
to attack the enemy's rear meant nothing to his captain at this
time. Accordingly he sailed away to engage the first ship in the
French van, followed by the vessels immediately astern of him,
and thus wrecked the plan of his commander in chief.

Nothing could illustrate better the hold of the traditional style
of fighting on the minds of naval officers than this blunder, though
it is only fair to add that there was some excuse in the ambiguity
Of the order. Rodney was infuriated and expressed himself with
corresponding bitterness. He always regarded this battle as the one
on which his fame should rest because of what it might have been
if his subordinates had given him proper support. The interesting
point lies in the fact that he designed to throw his whole force
on an inferior part of the enemy's force--the principle of
concentration. In a later and much more famous battle, as we shall
see, Rodney departed still further from the traditional tactics
by "breaking the line," his own as well as that of the French,
and won a great victory.

Meanwhile there occurred another operation not so creditable. Rodney
had spent a large part of his life dodging creditors, and it was
due to the generous loan of a French gentleman in Paris that he
did not drag out the years of this war in the Bastille for debt.
When Holland entered the war he saw an opportunity to make a fortune
by seizing the island of St. Eustatius, which had been the chief
depot in the West Indies for smuggling contraband into America.
To this purpose he subordinated every other consideration. The
island was an easy prize, but the quarrels and lawsuits over the
distribution of the booty broke him down and sent him back to England
at just the time when he was most needed in American waters, leaving
Hood in acting command.

In March, 1781, de Grasse sailed from Brest with a fleet of 26
ships of the line and a large convoy. Five of his battleships were
detached for service in the East, under Suffren, of whom we shall
hear more later. The rest proceeded to the Caribbean. On arriving
at Martinique de Grasse had an excellent opportunity to beat Hood,
who had an inferior force; but like his predecessors, d'Estaing and
de Guichen, he was content to follow a defensive policy, excusing
himself on the ground of not exposing his convoy. While at Cape
Haitien he received messages f