Holland soon felt the consequences of its baseness, by the loss of all its West India possessions, and some valuable convoys. The free port of St. Eustatius, hitherto the depot of America, and of every adventurer who had money, fell early in February without firing a gun. Demerara, Issequibo, and the Dutch Settlements on the Spanish main were successively taken, together with the Mars of 60 guns, Admiral Krowl, with 28 sail of merchantmen under his protection, who was killed by a musquet ball, in a short action with the Monarch, Captain Reynolds.
Sir Samuel, now Lord Hood, having been soon after sent to windward to cruize for De Grasse, was limited to a station, which gave little hope of ultimate success.
Three sail of the line were unfortunately retained at St. Eustatius, which would have been a valuable addition to his force, thus inferior to the expected arrivals from France.
The British Admiral continued off Fort Royal, Martinique, until the 28th of April, when a signal was made for the enemy's approach. Every effort was used to close with the land, and of course with them, who, in line of battle, on the morning of the 29th, afforded protection to a numerous convoy that soon reached a safe anchorage. De Grasse was immediately strengthened by 4 ships of the line, from the Bay, which authorized him to have followed up the most decisive views. Sir Samuel Hood formed his fleet into close order, and was joined by the Prince William of 64 guns, Captain Stair Douglas, who then watered at St. Lucia, but had weighed with an unexampled dispatch to share in the conflict, and who continued to cheer along the British Line, until he fell into his station.
De Grasse opened his fire, but at a distance little calculated to balance the scale of victory. He had the option of it though he never availed himself of his fortune. Three hours cannonade was kept up, during which it appeared that the French powder was much stronger than ours, when the British Admiral seeing the unavailing expenditure ceased to waste it.
This period could not boast of that liberal attention to the seaman's wants, which has characterized our Country, during the late war, towards her naval servants. Scurvy, at that time, was the prevalent disease in our fleet, and this had reached an alarming height in many of the ships attached to Sir Samuel Hood.
The world too generally ground their opinions upon external circumstances, without examining minutely into inferior details, which, when known, will be considered, by the judicious, as often constituting the solid merits of human action. To a great superiority of fresh ships and healthy crews, as yet unbraced by the climate, Admiral Hood was opposed with 7 sail less in number, reduced in effective strength by scurvy, and against an enemy, whose naval confidence had never arrived at a greater summit. That steady countenance which he evinced in their presence, was yet surpassed by a noble effort, on the following day, which shewed the invincible spirit of his mind, and these resources so usually annexed to magnanimity and talents.
Observing the scattered order of the French, and catching a change of wind in his favor, not common in that Country, he directed a general chace, and levelled all his force against their most vulnerable point.