Letter from Rear-Adm. Sir Samuel Hood to General Jacob de Budé, announcing that he had acquired the requested wine for Prince Frederick and reporting on his and the British Navy's activities in the Caribbean, including the fact that Sir George Rodney had handed the command of the British fleet into his hands and was returning to England, the appearance of various French and American vessels in the area and his hope to reach America before the enemy's ships, and the arrival of a number of Spanish ships at the Cape after the storming of Pensaecola.
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St. Piers, which were the ships, that gave rise to the report, brought Sir George Rodney, of Six sail of the Line under La Molte Piquet--at the same time another report was brought from Santa Cruz, which appeared to be well founded; that a French frigate was arrived at Cape Francois, with thirty Pilots for the Chesapeake & Delaware, which with a number of American vessels collected there, & waiting convoy to the number sixty, made it looked upon as certain that the French Fleet under DeGrasse (which was hourly expected at the Cape from Martinique) would proceed immediately to America--Sir George then advised me, to call the Ships from St. Lucia as soon as possible, and wait their junction with me. How very unfortunate, they should be sent away, as no one ill consequence could have arisen from their being detained here, three or four days! And much may depend upon my getting to the Coast of America before the Enemy, which I shall labour to do; and to that end, have ordered Mr. Drake [[catchword]] to [[/catchword]]
