30 January Aquilon was off the coast of Portugal when her crew observed three vessels to their west. Two of the three immediately fled while the third drew closer, apparently planning to hail or engage the British ship. The vessel was a 20-gun French privateer, Le Comte de Gramont from the city of Bayonne. Belatedly realising that Aquilon was a Royal Navy ship, the privateer's crew crowded on sail and attempted to escape. Aquilon gave chase and overhauled the French vessel the following day. The outgunned French surrendered without incident, and Le Comte de Gramonts 117 crew were taken prisoner. They, the vessel and its cargo of indigo and deer skins were transported to Lisbon and handed over to Admiralty control. Further victories followed. The 12-gun Le Zephyr was captured off the coast of Ushant on 4 March and sailed to Spithead. On 13 April the 10-gun La Poste was taken, and the 10-gun L'Aurore from La Rochelle was seized off Cape Machicaco, Spain in July. On 7 August Aquilon was off Cape Finisterre when she overhauled and captured La Subtile, a 16-gun French East Indiaman from Mauritius. The East Indiaman's 84 crew were taken prisoner and handed over to Navy authorities in Plymouth. Alone on patrol in late August 1761 she encountered a 74-gun French ship of the line, and attempted to flee. After a brief chase both vessels were becalmed, and Captain Ogle ordered his crew into the boats to row ahead of Aquilon and tow her out of range. The crew of the French vessel followed suit and both vessels were dragged forward under oars; after 26 hours of rowing the British vessel had made sufficient headway that the French gave up the pursuit. Caribbean service This was Aquilons final victory in European waters; in late 1761 she was assigned to support a planned invasion of France's Caribbean stronghold of Martinique, as part of Admiral Rodney's fleet of 17 ships of the line escorting more than 25,000 British troops. She set sail for the Caribbean on 19 December 1761 and was stationed on arrival off the Leeward Islands. On 28 January she achieved the minor victory of retaking the Portland, a British merchant snow which had previously fallen into French hands. Martinique fell to Rodney's forces on 4 February. On 26 March Rodney was superseded by Admiral George Pocock who commenced plans for the capture of Spanish