andy . ▁Smith ▁constructed ▁bar ra cks ▁and ▁gun ▁batter ies ▁and ▁man ned ▁the ▁islands ▁with ▁ 5 0 0   s ail ors ▁and ▁Royal ▁Mar ines , ▁including ▁a ▁large ▁proportion ▁of ▁men ▁un fit ▁for ▁ship - board ▁service , ▁described ▁as ▁" invalid s ". ▁The ▁Gl eng ar ry ▁F enci bles ▁offered ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁g arrison , ▁but ▁after ▁the ▁French ▁captured ▁Smith ▁this ▁fell ▁through . ▁ ▁The ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁regularly ▁supplied ▁the ▁islands with ▁food ▁from ▁Britain , ▁and ▁visit ing ▁vessels ▁brought ▁b ags ▁of ▁earth ▁that ▁allowed ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁veget able ▁garden . ▁Smith ▁supported ▁the ▁islands ▁with ▁several ▁gun v ess els , ▁including ▁the ▁converted ▁ho ys ▁, ▁, ▁and ▁, ▁the ▁fires hip ▁, ▁and ▁the ▁Mus qu ito - class ▁floating ▁battery ▁, ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁had ▁purpose - built ▁for ▁the ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁islands . ▁Lieutenant ▁Charles ▁P apps ▁Price , ▁captain ▁of ▁Bad ger ▁and ▁an ▁un pop ular ▁officer ▁who ▁had ▁repeatedly ▁been ▁passed ▁over ▁for ▁promotion , ▁commanded ▁the ▁British ▁occupation ; ▁Price ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁time ▁on ▁the ▁islands ▁with ▁a ▁prost itute ▁he ▁had ▁brought ▁from ▁Port sm outh . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 7 9 6 ▁French ▁victory ▁in ▁Italy ▁over ▁the ▁Aust ri ans , ▁pressure ▁had ▁been ▁growing ▁in ▁France ▁for ▁direct ▁action ▁against ▁Britain . ▁Command ▁of ▁an ▁army ▁deployed ▁in ▁Northern ▁France ▁and ▁named ▁the ▁Arm ée ▁d ' Angle terre