Arriving at length at Marseilles, he found that the grain-ships had turned up safely, which was really a great triumph; but the wily merchants were too cunning for the simple seaman. There was, it appears, a clause in the agreement to the effect that Cassard should bring in the convoy--it is easy to imagine how such a document would be worded--and, because he had not personally conducted the ships into port, the merchants refused to pay him the stipulated sum for his services! He appealed, but the merchants had too many friends at court; so he found himself some £10,000 out of pocket in the long run, as a reward for averting a famine by his skill and courage.
He was destined, however, to repeat the exploit. In June 1709 a huge fleet of eighty-four merchant vessels, under convoy of six men-of-war, was despatched to Smyrna to bring back grain. The squadron consisted of the _Teméraire_, 60, _Toulouse_, 60, _Stendard_, 50, _Fleuron_, 50, _Hirondelle_, 36, and _Vestale_, 36, under the command of M. de Feuquières. Reaching Smyrna in safety, they sailed in October on the return voyage, with their precious freight; but De Feuquières, learning that a strong English squadron was watching for him in the Gulf of Genoa, put into Syracuse, in Sicily; and sent the _Toulouse_ to Marseilles for additional force.
The people of Marseilles shamelessly appealed to Cassard, whom they had treated so scurvily; he refused at first to have anything to do with it. However, he was eventually placed in command of a little squadron, consisting of the _Parfait_, 70, with his flag; the _Toulouse_, Captain De Lambert; _Serieux_, 60, Captain De l'Aigle; and _Phoenix_, 56, Captain Du Haies.
With a fair wind, on November 8th he sailed for Syracuse, according to Mr. Norman, arriving there on the evening of the following day--a feat which may be safely put down as practically impossible, the distance being over 650 nautical miles, or knots. However, there is no doubt that Cassard arrived off Syracuse one day, and found only two English men-of-war watching for the grain fleet, instead of a strong squadron, as he expected. With these he resolved to deal at once, and bore down upon them.
The two English ships were the _Pembroke_, 64, Captain Edward Rumsey--not _Rumfry_, as Mr. Norman calls him, probably from some French document--and the _Falcon_, 36, Captain Charles Constable, the remainder of the squadron having gone to Mahon, in Corsica, to refit. The _Pembroke_ had apparently had her turn there and returned to her station a few days previously, the _Falcon_ joining her.