Letter from Rear-Adm. Sir Samuel Hood to General Jacob de Budé, describing British attempts to reach the garrison on Brimstone Hill [on St Kitts] and its eventual surrender to the French, reporting his squadron's subsequent departure from the area to join the fleet at Barbados, on their lack of bread, on the strength of the French fleet and their movements, and commenting what could have been achieved against the French if Rear-Admiral Kempenfelt had come to the West Indies.
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and, am now on my passage to Barbadoes, to join Sir George Rodney, to gett water, and Bread if the convoy should be arrived, if not we must be assisted from Sir George’s Ships. Captn Rodney in the Sybil, in his way from reconnoitering Fort Royal & St Piers fell in with on the 12th. twenty one sail of French ships under the Island of Guadaloupe, seven of which were to two decks very large, so that Vandreuls ships are now all arrived, and make De Grasse upwards of forty sail of the Line of Battle—he moved into the Road of Bassiterre the day after I left it. I left two of my fastest sailing Frigates watching his motions, which have since joined, with a report the French fleet consisting of 36 of the Line Six Frigates and upwards of fifty small vessels, Left Basseterre road on the 20th & 21st and steered for martinique, the [[addition]] ^ frigates [[/addition]] are again gone to watch the enemy. Never my dear General [[catchword]] was [[/catchword]]
