Sir Robert Calder to reinforce Vice-Admiral Collingwood off
ing towards the Bocas of Trinidad. This fresh intelligence removed all doubts. The ships were cleared for action before day-light, and entered the Bay of Paria on the 7th, hoping and expecting to make the mouths of the Orinoco as famous in the annals of the British navy as those of the Nile. Not an enemy was there; and it was discovered that accident and artifice had combined to lead them so far to leeward, that there could have been little hope of fetching to windward of Grenada for any other fleet. Nelson, however, with skill and exertions never exceeded, and almost unexampled, stood for that island.
Advices met his Lordship on the way, that the combined fleets, having captured the Diamond Rock, were at Martinique on the 4th, and expected to sail that night for the attack of Grenada. On the 9th he arrived off that island; and there learnt, that they had passed to leeward of Antigua the preceding day, and taken a homeward bound convoy. Had it not been for false information, upon which Nelson had acted reluctantly, and in opposition to his own judgment, he would have been off Port Royal just as they were leaving it, and the battle would have been fought on the spot where Rodney defeated de Grasse. But as it was he had saved the colonies, and above two hundred vessels laden for Europe, which would else have fallen into their hands; and he had the satisfaction of knowing that the mere terror of his name had effected this, and put to flight the allied enemies, whose force nearly doubled that before which they fled. That they were flying back to Europe he believed, and for Europe he steered in pursuit on the 13th, having disembarked the troops at Antigua, and taking with him the Spartiate, of 74 guns, the only addition to the squadron with which he was chasing so superior a foe. Five days afterwards a frigate brought intelligence, that she had spoke a schooner, which had seen them on the evening of the 15th steering to the northward. From that time no further tidings were obtained of the fugitives until July 25th; when being in the neighbourhood of Tetuan, at which place he had again touched for supplies, his Lordship was informed that they had been met with on the 19th June, and were still holding the same course. He then proceeded off Cape St. Vincent, rather cruizing for intelligence than knowing whither to betake himself. Still persevering, and still disappointed, he returned near enough to Cadiz to ascertain that they were not there; traversed the Bay of Biscay; and then, as a last hope, stood over for the N.W. coast of Ireland, against adverse winds, till on the evening of Aug. 12, he heard that they had not been seen in that quarter. Frustrated thus in all his hopes, after a pursuit, to which, for its extent, rapidity, and perseverance, no parallel can be produced, he judged it best to reinforce the Channel fleet with his squadron, lest the enemy should form a junction with the ships at Ferrol and Rochefort, and then bear down upon Brest with their whole collected force. He accordingly joined Admiral Cornwallis off Ushant on the 15th, and leaving the remainder of his squadron with that veteran commander, returned to Portsmouth with the Victory and Superb.
