Paris, 5 September. The French minister of navy of colonies count de Chabrol reported to the French king what happened in the meantime considering the situation at Haiti/St. Domingo. It was decided to send Baron de Mackay with an ordinance dated 17 April to protect the interests of the French trade. He left 4 May with the frigate la Circé Rochefort ordered to go immediately towards Martinique to consult lieutenant general Danzelot, governor of the colony and rear admiral Jurien commanding officer of the French squadron in the Antilles. Jurien was ordered to gather all his ships to be available between 15 and 20 June off Port Royal. Rear admiral Grivel commanding the squadron off Brazil was ordered to come towards Martinique to join Jurien. The la Medéa which left mid May France arrived 17 June at Fort Royal. The French crown also ordered that the 4 frigates l’Amphitrite, l’Antigone, la Flore and la Galathée had to be fitted out completely and to be able to depart immediately if requested. Also it was ordered that 2 ships of the line, 4 frigates and several small vessels were to be provisional commissioned or fitted out. There were just a few days required to do so. The squadron commanded by rear admiral Jurrien consisted 20 June of the ships of the line 80-gun l’Eylau and 74-gun le Jean Bart, 24-gun frigates la Venus and la Clorinde, 18-gun frigates la Nymphe, la Themis, la Magicienne, la Circé, la Medée and la Salamandre and 45 brigs or goelettes armed with 16,18 and 24 guns. Baron de Mackau commanding officer of the la Circé was ordered to depart some days before the squadron which was no to appear on the waters of Port-au-Prince before ordered to do so. De Mackau departed 23 June with a division consisting of the frigate and the brigs le Rusé and la Bearnaise Martinique and the other ships 27 June.
