his enemy.  “The steadiness and coolness with which on every tack the Conqueror received the fire of these three ships, and returned her own, working his ship with as much exactness as if he had been turning into Spithead, and on every board gaining on the enemy, gave me infinite pleasure.  It was with inexpressible concern,” he added, “that I heard that Captain Walter Griffith, of the Conqueror, was killed by the last broadside."[76] Having occasion, a few days later, to exchange a flag of truce with the French Rear-Admiral, he wrote to him; “The conduct of your Excellency in the affair of the 18th of this month fully justifies the reputation which you enjoy among us, and I assure you that I could not witness without envy the skill you showed on that occasion.  Our enmity is transient, depending upon our masters; but your merit has stamped upon my heart the greatest admiration for yourself.”  This was the officer who was commonly known in his time as “Vinegar” Parker; but these letters show that the epithet fitted the rind rather than the kernel.

Shortly after de Guichen[77] took command, in March, 1780, he arranged with the Marquis de Bouille, Governor of Martinique, to make a combined attack upon some one of the British West India Islands.  For this purpose three thousand troops were embarked in the fleet, which sailed on the night of the 13th of April, 1780, intending first to accompany a convoy for Santo Domingo, until it was safely out of reach of the British.  Rodney, who was informed at once of the French departure, put to sea in chase with all his ships, twenty of the line, two of which were of 90 guns, and on the 16th came in sight of the enemy to leeward (westward) of Martinique, beating up against the north-east trade-winds, and intending to pass through the channel between that island and Dominica.  “A general chase to the north-west followed, and at five in the evening we plainly discovered that they consisted of twenty-three sail of the line, and one 50 gun ship."[78]

As it fell dark Rodney formed his line of battle, standing still to the north-west, therefore on the starboard tack; and he was attentive to keep to windward of the enemy, whom his frigates watched diligently during the night.  “Their manoeuvres,” he wrote, “indicated a wish to avoid battle,” and he therefore was careful to counteract them.  At daylight of April 17th, they were seen forming line of battle, on the port tack, four or five leagues to leeward,—­that is, to the westward.  The wind being east, or east by north, the French would be heading south-south-east (Fig. 1, aa).  The British order now was rectified by signal from the irregularities of darkness, the ships being directed to keep two cables’[79] lengths apart, and steering as before to the northward and westward.  At 7 A.M., considering this line too extended, the Admiral closed the intervals to one cable (aa).  The two fleets thus were passing on nearly parallel lines,