ips, under command of Admiral Lord Howe, which was to convoy a
flotilla of merchantmen with relief for the garrison.

By September 11th the preparations were completed, and on that day Howe
set sail from Spithead with one hundred eighty-three sail, including the
convoy, under the command of Vice-Admirals Barrington and Milbank, Rear
Admirals Hood and Hughes, and Commodore Hotham.

Hampered by the difficulty of keeping the merchantmen together, and
baffled by contrary winds and violent weather, Howe's passage was
unusually slow and tedious.

The Spanish Government having gained intelligence of the approach of
this powerful force, instantly took measures to attack the expedition
before it could arrive at its destination. For this purpose the combined
fleets of Spain and France which lay in the harbor of Algeciras were
reenforced, and dispositions were made for intercepting the British
ships on their passage through the Straits.

These arrangements had scarcely been completed when, on the evening of
October 10th, a fresh westerly wind sprang up in the bay, and toward
night gradually increased in violence till it blew a hurricane. Soon the
enemy's vessels were in distress, many were dragging their anchors, and
signal-guns were fired for help in rapid succession. Throughout the
night the fury of the storm did not abate, and daybreak disclosed the
havoc among the squadrons at Algeciras; a ship of the line and a frigate
were ashore at Orange Grove, a French liner had suffered great damage to
her masts and rigging, and the St. Michael, of seventy-two guns, was
discovered close in shore off the Orange Bastion in distress. She was
immediately fired at and after having lost four men she was run ashore
on the line-wall, and taken possession of by Captain Curtis. Her
commander, Admiral Don Juan Moreno, and her crew of six hundred fifty
men were landed as prisoners. These misfortunes materially affected the
ulterior movements of the combined fleets. In the mean time Lord Howe
had on the 8th of the month arrived off Cape St. Vincent, and a frigate
was sent on from there to gain information from the consul at Faro of
the enemy's dispositions. Two days afterward she returned with the
intelligence that the combined fleets, consisting of nearly fifty sail,
lay at anchor at Algeciras.

Upon the receipt of this news a council of war was held, and clear and
stringent orders were afterward issued for the guidance of the masters
in charge