a defeat of the enterprise upon New
York and the shipping and troops at that place, and next in the delay
occasioned in ascertaining the depth of water over the bar which was
essential to their entrance into the harbor of New York. And, moreover,
after the enterprise upon Rhode Island had been planned and was in the
moment of execution, that Lord Howe with the British ships should
interpose merely to create a diversion and draw the French fleet from
the island was again unlucky, as the Count had not returned on the 17th
to the island, though drawn off from it on the 10th; by which means the
land operations were retarded, and the whole subjected to a miscarriage
in case of the arrival of Byron's squadron."--WASHINGTON'S Letter, Aug.
20, 1778.

[133] See page 426.

[134] D'Estaing's position at anchor is marked by the anchor in Plate
X.

[135] Of one of these, the "Monmouth," sixty-four (a'), it is said
that the officers of the French flag-ship drank to the health of the
captain of the "little black ship." Ships' names, like those of
families, often have a marked career. A former "Monmouth," twenty
years before, had attacked and taken, practically single-handed, the
"Foudroyant," eighty-four, one of the finest ships in the French navy.
She was then commanded by a Captain Gardiner, who, having commanded
Byng's ship in the battle which led to his execution, was moved by his
mortification at the result of that affair to dare such desperate
odds, and thereby lost his life. The same ship, here punished so
severely off Grenada, will be found in like sturdy fight, under
another captain, three years later in India.

[136] The line BC shows the final direction of the French
line-of-battle; the lee ship (o) having tacked and standing to o',
while the other ships took position in her wake. Though not expressly
stated, Byron doubtless formed in the same way on a parallel line.
Into this new line the disabled ships (c'), which could scarcely have
made good the course they were heading, would be easily received.

[137] Chevalier: Hist. de la Marine Francaise.

[138] Guerin: Hist. Maritime.

[139] Drinkwater, in his history of the siege of Gibraltar, explains
that the Spanish admiral believed that Rodney would not accompany the
convoy to the Straits, but had separated from it. He did not detect
his mistake until too late.

[140] The place where the battle was fought is shown by the crossed
flags.

[141] The black ships, in