This squadron left England with several advantages in point of victualling, which no ships had before enjoyed. They were amply supplied with sour crout and melasses; they had all more or less wine, of an excellent quality; and the Formidable had an entire supply of it, in place of spirits, of which none was put on board. This slip had hitherto, and did for some months afterwards, enjoy an extraordinary, perhaps an unparallelled, degree of health. What farther contributed to the health of this ship was, that she had been long in commission, and most of the recruits with which the crew had been completed were men turned over from other ships. There was also extraordinary medical attention paid, particularly in watching the first beginnings of complaints. Upon the arrival of the squadron at Barbadoes, it was found, that, the two hostile fleets having returned from North America in the beginning of December, the campaign had opened with the siege of St. Christopher’s, which had been invested by twenty-eight ships of the line, and a considerable army. Our fleet, under Lord Hood, having attempted, with great enterprise and skill, but without success, to relieve it, Lord Rodney made haste to join them with the reinforcement he had brought from England. He remained at anchor at Barbadoes only one night, and in a few days came off Antigua, where he was informed of the surrender of St. Christopher’s; and here, on the 25th of February, he was joined by the rest of the fleet in their return to windward. CHAP. II. Account of the HEALTH of the FLEET from the Junction of the Squadron from England, till the general Rendezvous at St. Lucia in the Beginning of April.----The Fleet found on the Station very healthy--Health of the Ships from the American Station--Health of the Ships from England compared with that of the Ships found on the Station--Small-pox prevalent--Instance of the remarkable Efficacy of Lemon Juice in curing the Scurvy--Additional Reinforcement from England--Watering Duty dangerous and unhealthy--The most healthy Ships those that had been longest in the Climate--List of the Numbers taken ill of each Complaint in March--Inflammation of the Liver not common in the West Indies. The fleet which was found in the West Indies consisted of all the sixteen that went from thence to America in August, 1781, (except the Terrible, which had been lost) together with six ships of the line[8] from the American station, the St. Albans, which arrived from England in November, and the Russel, which had remained in the West Indies during the hurricane months. They were all extremely healthy, having only one man in twenty-eight on the sick list, and very few had been sent to hospitals.