Admiral Hood (Rodney having remained behind at St.
Eustatius) was blockading before Fort Royal, the French port and arsenal on the lee side of the island, in which were four ships-of-the-line, when his lookouts reported the enemy's fleet.

Hood had two objects before him,--one to prevent the junction of the four blockaded ships with the approaching fleet, the other to keep the latter from getting between him and Gros Ilot Bay in Sta.

Lucia.
Instead of effecting this in the next twenty-four hours, by beating to windward of the Diamond Rock, his fleet got so far to leeward that De Grasse, passing through the channel on the 29th, headed up for Fort Royal, keeping his convoy between the fleet and the island.

For this false position Hood was severely blamed by Rodney, but it may have been due to light winds and the lee current.

However that be, the four ships in Fort Royal got under way and joined the main body.