On Feb. 7th the Admiral sent (with a flag of truce) Lieutenant Miln of the Boyne, accompanied by Lieutenant James of the fifteenth regiment, and the Chaplain of the Boyne, with a letter for the municipality or governor of Maran. As they approached the town they perceived hostile preparations making in the fort of St. Etienne; but, in hopes of preventing a flag of truce being insulted, Mr. Miln boarded one of the American ships that had been run aground the day before, intending, in case the captain of it was on board, to take him in his company. Being now within half gun-shot of the fort, the enemy began to fire on the boat, notwithstanding the flag of truce, and continued to do so, although Mr. Miln endeavoured to proceed towards the shore: but the enemy seeming determined to oppose his landing, and several of their shot falling close by the boat, he at length judged it most prudent to return. As he passed Pointe du Bourgnesse he perceived some negroes near the fort, and sent the two gentlemen who accompanied him armed, to endeavour to cut off their retreat, and to give them the papers which were to have been delivered to the commander at Maran; but the negroes, on perceiving them land, immediately made off towards the town: they however found a wounded man, whose leg had been broken by a cannon ball, with whom they left the papers, adding a note to express their surprise and indignation at a flag of truce being fired on[7]. [7] The French have since said that they fired on the boat because it had a white flag hoisted: this was a most ridiculous objection; for, though with them a mark of aristocracy, it has ever been acknowledged by all nations as a signal of peace and cessation from hostilities. However, we found it necessary afterwards to comply with their wishes; and whenever a boat was sent from either party on a truce, they carried the flag of the opposite party in the bow of the boat, and their own colours abaft. In the afternoon Mr. Miln went with the gun-boats against Maran, to form a diversion in favour of Lieutenants Rutherford and Rogers, who had landed with two companies of seamen to carry fresh provisions to Sir Charles Grey's army. This had the desired effect, as soon after a large body of troops came down from the hills to the town and fort, which might otherwise have fallen in with the seamen on their march.