In 1677, D'Estrees obtained from the king a body of eight ships which he undertook to maintain at his own expense, upon the condition of receiving half the prizes made.
With this squadron he made an attack upon the then Dutch island of Tobago, with a recklessness which showed that no lack of courage prompted his equivocal conduct at the Texel.

The next year he went out again and contrived to run the whole squadron ashore on the Aves Islands.

The account given by the flag-captain of this transaction is amusing as well as instructive.

In his report he says:-- "The day that the squadron was lost, the sun having been taken by the pilots, the vice-admiral as usual had them put down the position in his cabin.

As I was entering to learn what was going on, I met the third pilot, Bourdaloue, who was going out crying.
I asked him what the matter was, and he answered: 'Because I find more drift than the other pilots, the admiral is threatening me and abusing me, as usual; yet I am only a poor lad who does the best he can.' When I had entered the cabin, the admiral, who was very angry, said to me, 'That scoundrel of a Bourdaloue is always coming to me with some nonsense or other; I will drive him out of the ship.