16th.--Never did men work harder than we had been doing to strengthen a
position to enable us to hold out till the arrival of a fleet superior
to the French; and from news received our hopes again arose that it
might yet arrive before we were driven to extremities. Many persons
have been blaming Sir Henry Clinton for allowing General Washington to
pass by him, but the truth is, he did not expect that this would have
been done, but fully believed that he purposed rather to besiege New
York itself.

17th.--A ship of the line advanced from the shore and joined those off
Tous Marsh. Signals being made all day long between the French
Commodore and the Compte de Grasse. French frigates passing and
re-passing between their squadrons. Something evidently in the wind.

18th.--Our forces employed as usual in pulling down houses and throwing
up works.

19th.--All the women and children, the negroes and other non-combatants,
were sent out of the town to enable us to eke out our not-over-abundant
supply of provisions.

20th.--The soldiers engaged in throwing up works, the seamen in cutting
down trees and in forming stockades.

21st.--Heavy rain fell, greatly retarding the progress of the works. I
was not a little pleased to hear that an attempt was to be made to
destroy the French squadron at the mouth of the harbour, and that four
fire-ships were to be employed on that service. I immediately offered
to command one of them--an offer which was at once accepted.
Lieutenants Conway and Symonds were appointed to command two others, and
Mr Camel, a lieutenant of a privateer, had charge of the fourth. Our
wish was to be under the orders of Captain Palmer of the Vulcan, whose
experience and judgment we felt would insure success, but the commodore
decided on allowing each of us to trust to our own abilities and to act
according to circumstances. The vessels were patched-up schooners and
sloops, and fitted in so hurried a way that they were scarcely
manageable. The experiment was to have been made that night, but the
wind and weather proving unfavourable, Captain Palmer, with whom we
consulted, advised us to defer it till the following--

22nd.--The wind being about north-west, it was this evening considered
practicable to attack the advanced ships of the enemy, and we
accordingly made preparations for our hazardous expedition. The Vulcan
and four other vessels were to be employed in the service. I was of
course well acqua