Hearing that the fortifications at St. Vincent had been almost destroyed by the hurricane, Rodney, in combination with General Vaughan, commanding the troops on the station, made an attempt to reconquer the island, landing there on December 15th; but the intelligence proved erroneous, and the fleet returned to Santa Lucia.  “I have only nine sail of the line now with me capable of going to sea,” wrote the Admiral on the 22d, “and not one of them has spare rigging or sails.”  In the course of January, 1781, he was joined by a division of eight ships of the line from England, under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood,—­Nelson’s Lord Hood.  These, with four others refitted during that month, not improbably from stores brought in Hood’s convoy of over a hundred sail, raised the disposable force to twenty-one ships of the line:  two 90’s, one 80, fifteen 74’s, and three 64’s.

On the 27th of January, an express arrived from England, directing the seizure of the Dutch possessions in the Caribbean, and specifying, as first to be attacked, St. Eustatius and St. Martin, two small islands lying within fifty miles north of the British St. Kitts.  St. Eustatius, a rocky patch six miles in length by three in breadth, had been conspicuous, since the war began, as a great trade centre, where supplies of all kinds were gathered under the protection of its neutral flag, to be distributed afterwards in the belligerent islands and the North American continent.  The British, owing to their extensive commerce and maritime aptitudes, derived from such an intermediary much less benefit than their enemies; and the island had been jealously regarded by Rodney for some time.  He asserted that when de Guichen’s fleet could not regain Fort Royal, because of its injuries received in the action of April 17th, it was refitted to meet him by mechanics and materials sent from St. Eustatius.  On the other hand, when cordage was to be bought for the British vessels after the hurricanes of 1780, the merchants of the island, he said, alleged that there was none there; although, when he took the island soon afterwards, many hundred tons were found that had been long in stock.

Rodney and Vaughan moved promptly.  Three days after their orders arrived, they sailed for St. Eustatius.  There being in Fort Royal four French ships of the line, six British were left to check them, and on the 3d of February the fleet reached its destination.  A peremptory summons from the commander of a dozen ships of the line secured immediate submission.  Over a hundred and fifty merchant ships were taken; and a convoy of thirty sail, which had left the island two days before, was pursued and brought back.  The merchandise found was valued at over L3,000,000.  The neighbouring islands of St. Martin and Saba were seized also at this time.