the ships which
fired upon me, took fire and blew up. I supposed them to be
English, presuming that the fire had been occasioned by the
furnaces they had on board for heating their shot; but, on
entering the harbour of Cadiz, I was assured they were Spanish.
The darkness had led them into a mistake, which I had justly
dreaded. They fired on each other, and on my vessel, at the
moment when I formed the prudent resolution of avoiding a combat
in which I could not distinguish the enemy. The names of these
two vessels are the San Carlos and the Hermenegildo.

In the combat so severe as that of this morning, and against so
unequal a force, I am happy in having to regret only twenty men
killed, or severely wounded.

Accept, Citizen General, assurances of my zeal and most
respectful devotion.
TROUDE.

Letter from Rear-admiral Linois to the Minister of the Marine, giving
an account of the action:

CITIZEN MINISTER,

On the 9th of July a Spanish division, consisting of six sail of
the line and three frigates, arrived at Algeziras from Cadiz,
under command of his Excellency Lieutenant-general Moreno, in
order to raise the blockade of four sail of the line and one
frigate, which were under my orders, and to favour their escape
to Cadiz. That officer accordingly gave me every assistance in
his power in order to put my ships in a condition to put to sea,
and to tow them out, in order to enable them to set sail. Our
labour was continued day and night. General Moreno made his
squadron anchor in a line N.E. and S.W. On the 12th, there was a
tolerable fresh east wind, and it was determined to set sail at
one o'clock in the afternoon, on account of the tide. The signal
being given at that hour, the fleet set sail, the Spanish
squadron being to windward of ours. The frigate L'Indienne towed
the Hannibal, which we were sorry to perceive made very little
way.

The calm which we experienced under Gibraltar necessarily
deranged the regularity of our order; while the enemy, having a
brisk gale at east, sailed from Gibraltar with five sail of the
line, a frigate, a brig, and a Portuguese frigate, and formed
the order of battle. As soon as the English Admiral had passed
Europa Point, he made a signal, and immediately we saw to
windward six sail, of which two had three masts. I was then with
M. de Moreno on board the