py check our land forces have undergone, we may yet
hope for success. But the only means to have it is to attack
vigorously the squadron, which, with our superiority, cannot
resist, notwithstanding its land batteries, whose effects will
be neutralized if we run them aboard, or anchor upon their
buoys. If we delay, they may escape.... Besides, our fleet being
unmanned, it is in condition neither to sail nor to fight. What
would happen if Admiral Byron's fleet should arrive? What would
become of ships having neither crews nor admiral? Their defeat
would cause the loss of the army and the colony. Let us destroy
that squadron; their army, lacking everything and in a bad
country, would soon be obliged to surrender. Then let Byron
come, we shall be pleased to see him. I think it is not
necessary to point out that for this attack we need men and
plans well concerted with those who are to execute them."

Equally did he condemn the failure of D'Estaing to capture the four
crippled ships of Byron's squadron, after the action off Grenada.

Owing to a combination of misfortunes, the attack at Porto Praya had
not the decisive result it deserved. Commodore Johnstone got under way
and followed Suffren; but he thought his force was not adequate to
attack in face of the resolute bearing of the French, and feared the
loss of time consequent upon chasing to leeward of his port. He
succeeded, however, in retaking the East India ship which the
"Artesien" had carried out. Suffren continued his course and anchored
at the Cape, in Simon's Bay, on the 21st of June. Johnstone followed
him a fortnight later; but learning by an advance ship that the French
troops had been landed, he gave up the enterprise against the colony,
made a successful commerce-destroying attack upon five Dutch India
ships in Saldanha Bay, which poorly repaid the failure of the military
undertaking, and then went back himself to England, after sending the
ships-of-the-line on to join Sir Edward Hughes in the East Indies.

Having seen the Cape secured, Suffren sailed for the Isle of France,
arriving there on the 25th of October, 1781. Count d'Orves, being
senior, took command of the united squadron. The necessary repairs
were made, and the fleet sailed for India, December 17. On the 22d of
January, 1782, an English fifty-gun ship, the "Hannibal," was taken.
On the 9th of February Count d'Orves died, and Suffren became