It was found very hard to man these vessels and any other captain than Jones would have given up the task as an impossible one.

It seemed as if about every known nation in the world was represented and some of the men of the most desperate character.

Maclay says in his "History of the American Navy" that the muster roll of the _Bonhomme Richard_ showed that the men hailed from America, France, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, England, Spain, India, Norway, Portugal, Fayal and Malasia, while there were seven Maltese and the knight of the ship's galley was from Africa.
The majority of the officers, however, were American.
[Illustration: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.] This squadron sailed from L'Orient on June 19, 1779.

Almost immediately trouble occurred.

Captain Landais, without any show of reason, claimed that the command, by right of seniority of commission, belonged to him.
On the first night out the _Alliance_ and _Bonhomme Richard_ collided and were obliged to return to port for repairs.