By &c^a.
Secret Instructions for the Lord Viscount Howe, Vice Admiral
of the White Squadron of His Maj^s. Fleet and Comm^r. in Chief
of His Majesty's Ships & Vessels employed in North America.

Whereas the French King, contrary to the most solemn Assurances, and in subversion of the Law of Nations, hath signed a Treaty of Amity and Commerce with certain Persons employed by His Majesty's revolted Subjects in North America; And Whereas it is supposed that Mons^r. de la Mothe Piquet sailed from Quiberon Bay on the 27^th: or 28^th: of last Month with a Squadron of five or perhaps seven French Ships of the Line and some Frigates in order to escort fifteen or more large Ships laden with Military Stores, Clothing and other Supplies for his Majs. Rebellious Subjects, & that he may possibly convoy them to the Coast or into some of the Ports of North America; And whereas Lord George Germaine, One of His Majesty's Principal Secretarys of State hath signified to us that in consequence of such offensive proceedings of the French Court, it is His Majesty's pleasure that in case Mons" de la Mothe Piquet's Squadron or any part thereof shall arrive on any part of the Coast or in any of the Ports in North America within the Limits of your Lordship's Command, You do use your best endeavours to take or destroy the said Squadron or any part thereof as well as the Ships they may have under their Convoy, And his Lordship having likewise signified to us that His Majesty having thought fit to direct the Commander in Chief of His Army in North America to detach a body of the Troops under his Command under Convoy of a proper number of His Majesty's Ships, to attack and, if practicable, to reduce and take possession of the Island of S^t. Lucia; and also to make a different distribution of the remaining Forces under his Command, and to alter the plan of operations which had before been suggested to him,¹ it is His Majesty's farther pleasure we should instruct the Comm^r. in Chief of His Ships to co-operate with and give all the Assistance in his power to the Comm^r. in Chief of the Army in carrying the same into execution; Your Lordship is therefore hereby required & directed, in case you shall before these Instructions come to your hands have received certain Information of the Arrival of Monsr de la Mothe Piquet or any of the Ships of his Squadron on any part of the Coast or in any of the Ports of North America, within the Limits of your Command, to collect such part of your force together as you may judge sufficient and to go in pursuit of him or any of the said Ships of his Squadron and use your best endeavours to take or destroy them as well as all such Ships laden with Supplies for the Rebels as may be under their Convoy. But if you shall not have received any certain advice of the French Squadron abovementioned being within the Limits of your Command at the time you receive these Instructions, Your Lordship is then to co-operate with the Comm^r. in Chief of His Maj^s. Troops in embarking on board such Transports as you shall judge necessary & proper for the purpose, the number of Troops and such a proportion of Ordnance and Stores, as he is directed to detach in order to attack, and if practicable to reduce and take possession of the Island of S^t. Lucia. And when the whole shall be embarked, together with such a Number of Flat bottomed Boats as you may judge proper to send with them, You are to put the number of Ships & Frigates mentioned in the Margin² of the Classes against those numbers expressed, under the Command of Commodore Hotham, and all the said Transports under his Convoy and direct him to proceed with all possible dispatch off Carlisle Bay in the Island of Barbadoes, where he may expect to be joined by Rear Admiral Barrington or the Comm^r. in Chief for the time being of His Majesty's Ships employed at the Leeward Islands, under whose Command he is, in such case, to put himself with the Ships and Transports abovementioned, and whose Orders he is to follow for his further proceedings.

But if, contrary to expectation, he shall not meet with the Rear Admiral or Comm^r. in Chief when he arrives off Carlisle Bay, You will instruct him in that case to proceed ivithout loss of time to S^t. Lucia and, in conjunction with the Troops, attack and if practicable reduce and take possession of the Island as before directed and to co-operate with & assist the Comm^r. of the Troops in carrying into execution the Plan which will be more particularly pointed out in his Instructions, acquainting the Rear Admiral or Comm^r. in Chief from time to time with his proceedings and considering himself and the Ships with him as a part of the Squadron employed under his Command.

It being essential to the success of this Enterprize that it be carried into immediate execution, Your Lordship will therefore in concert with the Comm^r. in Chief of the Troops use all possible diligence in forwarding the departure of the Fleet so as that it may arrive if practicable at the place of it's destination before the Hurricane Season; And in order to facilitate and render more certain it's junction with the Comm^r. in Chief of His Majesty's Ships at the Leeward Islands, Your Lordship will dispatch a Frigate as early as possible to give him notice of the time he may probably expect to arrive off Carlisle Bay; And if any unforeseen Accident should prevent the Fleet from sailing from North America so soon as might be expected, Your Lordship will, in like manner give the Comm^r. in Chief at the Leeward Islands the earliest Information of it, that he may not be detained unnecessarily at Barbadoes in expectation thereof.

The large Reinforcement of Troops lately sent from France to the Islands of Martinico & Guadaloupe make it highly necessary that the Object of this Expedition should be unsuspected, and in order to divert the public attention and conceal our purpose it has been given out there that the Troops are to return forthwith from N^o. America to Great Britain; and if that opinion should be entertained by the French Officers in the West Indies it will serve to confirm them in it, if your Lordship were also to assign the same reason for the Embarkation.

As the sudden addition of the number of Ships abovementioned to the Squadron stationed at the Leeward Islands may render it necessary to send a Supply of Naval Stores and also a Supply of Provisions along with them; Your Lordship will therefore send with Commodore Hotham such Supplies of each from the Stores in North America, as the State of the Magazines which are now there and the large Supplies going thither under convoy of Rear Adm^l. Gambier will enable you to do without distressing in any degree the Ships that will remain under your Command—Your Lordship will also send with Commodore Hotham the Jersey Hospital Ship, if She can with any propriety be spared from under your Command, there being great reason to believe from the present State of the Hospitals and Accomodations for the Sick at the Leeward Islands that she may be essentially useful there.

When Provision has been made for the Service beforementioned, the Comm^r. in Chief of the Army is instructed to detach another Body of Troops with a proportion of Ordnance & Stores to the Floridas in such Transports & under such Convoy as your Lordship shall think fit to appoint. And when these Detachments are made, or at the time of making them, if it be found convenient, the General is to evacuate Philadelphia & proceed to New York & wait there the Issue of the Treaty which His Majesty's Commissm. are authorized to propose:³ But if that Treaty should prove unsuccessful or the General should find himself in danger of being overpowered or of having his Retreat cut off, he is in either of those cases to withdraw the Troops from New York and proceed to Rhode Island, if that Post can be maintained, and leaving there as many Men as may be necessary for it's defence, proceed with the rest to Halifax; And if he has a greater number of Troops there than shall be judged necessary for the defence of Nova Scotia and the naval yard at Halifax, to detach what can be spared to Canada with such Artillery and Stores as may be proper for the Service in that Province, and in order to facilitate these Removals, if such Removals shall become necessary, He is, on his arrival at New York to set apart such proportions of Ordnance and Stores as are useful and necessary to the Army and take all safe opportunities of sending the remainder to Great Britain. Your Lordship is therefore hereby farther required & directed to concert with the General & to cooperate with & give all the Assistance in your power to the Troops in the several Movements and Operations abovementioned.

And Whereas His Majesty has been pleased, in consideration of His Marine Forces being now wanted to serve on board His Fleet, to direct the General to permit the Battalion of Marines serving on Shore at Halifax, to return to England upon the Arrival of the 70^th: Reg^t. and the Regiments commanded by Colonels M^c.Clean and Campbell,⁴ which Regiments will probably sail from the Clyde the beginning of next Month; Your Lordship will give the necessary directions that upon the Arrival of the said Regiments the Battalion of Marines now serving on Shore in North America be embarked on board such Transports as may be necessary to receive them, and that they be sent to England under proper Convoy as expeditiously as possible.

And whereas there is at present a great want of Frigates for Channel & Home Services, Your Lordship is farther required and directed, immediately on the receipt hereof, to select and send to England as expeditiously as may be the numbers of each Class of Frigates and sloops mentioned in the Margin,⁵ directing their respective Commanders to acquaint us with their arrival and to wait our Orders for their further proceedings.

When this is done and your Lordship has allotted such a number of the other Ships under your Command for the Services before pointed out as you shall judge necessary You are to send the remainder also to England including those which may be in the River S^t: Lawrence when the approach of Winter shall render their Service in that River no longer necessary.

And having by our Secretary's Letter of the 25^th: of last Month⁶ prepared your Lordship to expect that Vice Adml. Byron would speedily be sent out to join you; and at the same time signified our permission to you to return to England upon his Arrival, if, from the impaired State of your health or from other Motives, you should wish to do so: We are now to acquaint your Lordship that it is judged unnecessary for Vice Adm^l. Byron to proceed to North America; But that nevertheless if your Lordship from the considerations abovementioned should wish to return to England, You are at liberty to do so when you have made the necessary Arrangements for the Services beforementioned, leaving in such case the Command of the Squadron with Rear Adm^l. Gambier, and giving him such Instructions for his guidance in carrying on the various important services that will be committed to his care, as your Lordship shall judge proper.

Given &^c. 21^st. March 1778.

By &c^a. P.S.