Nyorai mberi kweiyi ndima - Muna 1779 Johnstone akapihwa, uye akagamuchira, chinzvimbo sa commodore weLisbon Station, pasinei nekurwiswa kwake kwekare paushumiri, uye kutsigira kwake kuyananisa pamusoro pekupindira kwemauto. Akazvipembedza amene nokureva kuti sezvo France yakanga yapinda muhondo parutivi rweAmerica, iye aisagona kutsigira kuramba ari kunze kwehondo. Akavimbiswa basa pachiteshi chePortugal, asati aenda kumahombekombe eFrance mungarava yake huru, achitsvaka uchapupu hwekugadzirira kupinda. Nenguva isipi zvakazivikanwa kuti zvikepe zveFrance neSpain zvaida kubatanidza uye kuumba zvikepe zvikuru chimwe chete kuti zvikwire England
. Johnstone akatora "Romney" kuti abatane naAdmiral Sir Charles Hardy's Channel Fleet, uye akamumanikidza kuti atsvake hondo. Hardy panzvimbo pezvo akasarudza kudzivisa chiito pakutanga, achipedza ngarava dzomuvengi mugungwa apo yake pachake yakaramba ichigadzirisa uye kugoverazve kubva kunzvimbo dzezvikepe zvegungwa pamhenderekedzo yeEngland. Maitiro aHardy akabudirira, uye panzvimbo pokurwisana nezvikepe zveBritain zvakanga zvatsva uye zvakanyatsoshongedzerwa, zvikepe zvevavengi zvakasiya zvirongwa zvavo ndokudzokera kuzviteshi zveFrance.