onade. It was indispensable to pause and let the smoke blow away.

It did not require many minutes to raise the curtain on the two fleets.
As soon as the firing stopped, the wind increased, and the smoke was
driven off to leeward in a vast straggling cloud, that seemed to scatter
and disperse in the air spontaneously. Then a sight of the havoc and
destruction that had been done in this short conflict was first
obtained.

The two squadrons were intermingled, and it required some little time
for Sir Gervaise to get a clear idea of the state of his own ships.
Generally, it might be said that the vessels were scattering, the French
sheering towards their own coast, while the English were principally
coming by the wind on the larboard tack, or heading in towards England.
The Caesar and le Pluton were still foul of each other, though a
rear-admiral's flag was flying at the mizzen of the first, while that
which had so lately fluttered at the royal-mast-head of the other, had
disappeared. The Achilles, Lord Morganic, was still among the French,
more to leeward than any other English ship, without a single spar
standing. Her ensigns were flying, notwithstanding, and the Thunderer
and Dublin, both in tolerable order, were edging away rapidly to cover
their crippled consort; though the nearest French vessels seemed more
bent on getting out of the _melee_, and into their own line again, than
on securing any advantage already obtained. Le Temeraire was in the same
predicament as the Achilles as to spars, though much more injured in her
hull, besides having thrice as many casualties. Her flag was down; the
ship having fairly struck to the Warspite, whose boats were already
alongside of her. Le Foudroyant, with quite one-third of her crew killed
and wounded, was running off to leeward, with signals flying for her
consorts to rally round her; but, within less than ten minutes after she
became visible, her main and mizzen-masts both went. The Blenheim had
lost all her top-masts, like the Plantagenet, and neither the Elizabeth
nor the York had a mizzen-mast standing, although engaged but a very
short time. Several lower yards were shot away, or so much injured as to
compel the ships to shorten sail; this accident having occurred in both
fleets. As for the damage done to the standing and running rigging, and
to the sails, it is only necessary to say that shrouds, back and
head-stays, braces, bowlines and lifts, were dangling in all direct