Letter from Rear-Adm. Sir Samuel Hood to General Jacob de Budé, partly duplicate of 0680, but forcibly expressing his disappointment at not pursuing and capturing the fleeing French fleet, criticising the abilities and actions of Sir Charles Douglas and Adm. Sir George Rodney, and remarking that his (Hood's) health has suffered as a result of 'seeing things go as they do'.
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much a duplicate of what I wrote you by the Andromache April 16th My Patience my dear General is now fairly exhausted for notwithstanding Sir George Rodney appeared most perfectly satisfied from what I took the liberty of suggesting to him on the morning of the 13th. of the very great propriety of pursuing with all possible eagerness and gave orders accordingly to Sir Charles douglas in my hearing, adding, he would wait for nothing, and upon my leaving him made sail; in less than four hours after, he changed his mind, and brought the fleet too--and here we are in the same spot, off Guadaloupe, if has indeed been calm part of the time, but we might eer this have been above twenty Leagues farther to the Westward. It is much to be lamented, that Sir Charles douglas is weak and irresolute to a degree, which will never do and in no more fitt for the station he fills, than I am to make a Bishop: In a great fleet, the duty of a [[underline]] first [[/underline]] [[catchword]] captain [[/catchword]]
