ee-deckers, which no doubt occasioned the separation of
the St. Antonio: and in the evening the squadron came to anchor.

Rear-admiral Linois was exceedingly sorry that he was not on
board the Formidable; but he did not think proper to resist the
earnest solicitations of General Moreno, who induced him to go
on board his frigate that they might better concert their
operations. My respectful salutations,

DUMANOIR LE PELLEY.

Report of Captain Troude, provisional commander of Le Formidable, to
Rear-admiral Linois:

Cadiz, 15th July 1801.

CITIZEN GENERAL,

I have the honour of communicating to you an account of the
operations of Le Formidable, with the provisional command of
which you entrusted me. Proud of the honourable charge of
defending your flag, I endeavoured to execute your orders with
the most scrupulous exactness. I immediately repaired on board
to assume the chief command, and I put to sea as soon as you
made the signal.

You observed, as well as myself, the movements of the enemy's
squadron, which had retired to Gibraltar after the memorable
battle of the 6th at Algeziras. Seeing the enemy set sail at the
same time as the combined squadrons, and keeping to windward of
us at the distance of about a league, I endeavoured to follow
exactly your manoeuvres, and made all the sail possible to
follow you; but the ship I had the honour to command, being
absolutely disabled, having only jury-masts and the lower sails,
I could not make that way which I wished. During the darkness
of the night a strong breeze broke the small top-gallant-mast
that served me as a fore-top-mast, and everything contributed to
prevent me from following the combined squadron.

About midnight I sustained the fire of five English ships that
had come up with me: they fired red-hot bullets. I escaped as
fast as possible from the brisk cannonade which they maintained,
hanging up the same lights as I observed them to have. I had
only three men killed, and two wounded. As I was very near the
combined squadron, I resolved not to engage, that I might avoid
those fatal mistakes which too often take place in a night
engagement. I was afraid lest I might fire into some of our own
vessels, or that they might fire into mine; from which, fatal
accidents must have resulted to the combined squadron. At one in
the morning, not being