July; and, the Levant wind having failed on entering the
Straits, they cruised between the coast of Africa and that of
Europe, in which they captured the English brig of war the
Speedy, of sixteen guns, that was a Mahon packet, and was
conducting to Gibraltar a prize, the merchant brig the Union,
loaded with oil and provisions.

The continuation of the westerly winds obliged the said division
to come into this port on the 5th instant, at seven in the
evening. From that moment, recollecting the desperate attacks of
the English at Alexandria and Copenhagen, we could not but
expect that their squadron, which had been seen off Cadiz on the
3rd instant, under the command of Rear-admiral Saumarez, would
come and attack this division. So it happened.

As soon as the English received intelligence where the French
had anchored, they steered directly for the Straits; and, on the
6th instant, at half-past six in the morning, six English ships
doubled the Point of Carnero, and, coming round the island of
Algeziras, advanced in a line within half cannon-shot of the
French ships. The batteries of St. Garcia and the island opened
their fire upon the English; and afterwards the frigate and
republican ships.

As soon as the English line came opposite the French ships at
anchor, they opened upon them an animated, bold, and unremitting
fire. The English Admiral having placed himself against the
French, and the British ship Hannibal being under sail,
cannonaded furiously the French Admiral, who, with superior
spirit and success, resisted them; insomuch that, having carried
away the Admiral's mizen-mast, and sails of the main and
fore-mast, with no small damage of his hull, the commander of
the English ship Hannibal, despising the fire from the battery
of St. Jago, pushed on to his succour; and, intending to place
the French Admiral between two fires, by running between him and
the shore, had the imprudence, being unacquainted with his
position, to place himself within a quarter of a gun-shot of the
battery, and ran aground. He relieved his Admiral, who, after
this, went out of the action; but he lost his own ship and crew,
as the fire from the battery and French Admiral dismantled him,
and killed three parts of his ship's company.

Until this ship's surrender, which was about the time of the
retreat of the English Ad