and to be employed in covering the
retreat of the fireship's boats, and in defending the ship from any
attempts that may be made on her by the boats of the enemy.

XXII. If the ship of any flag officer be disabled in battle, the flag
officer may repair on board, and hoist his flag in any other ship (not
already carrying a flag) that he shall think proper; but he is to
hoist it in one of his own squadron or division if there be one near,
and fit for the purpose.

XXIII. If a squadron or any detachment be directed by signal to gain
or keep the wind of the enemy, the officer commanding it is to act in
such manner as shall in his judgment be the most effectual for the
total defeat of the enemy; either by reinforcing those parts of the
fleet which are opposed to superior force, or by attacking such parts
of the enemy's line as, by their weakness, may afford reasonable hopes
of their being easily broken,

XXIV. When the signal (30) is made to extend the line from one
extremity of the enemy's line to the other, though the enemy have a
greater number of ships, the leading ship is to engage the leading
ship, and the sternmost ship the sternmost of the enemy; and the other
ships are, as far as their situation will admit, to engage the ships
of greatest force, leaving the weaker ships unattacked till the
stronger shall have been disabled.[8]

XXV. If the admiral, or any commander of a squadron or division, shall
think fit to change his station in the line, in order to place himself
opposite to the admiral or the commander of a similar squadron or
division in the enemy's line, he will make the Signal 47 for quitting
the line in his own ship, without showing to what other part of the
line he means to go; the ships ahead or astern (as circumstances may
require) of the station opposed to the commander in the enemy's line
are then to close and make room for him to get into it. But if the
admiral, being withdrawn from the line, should think fit to return to
any particular place in it, he will make the signal No. 269 with the
distinguishing signal of his own ship, and soon after he will hoist
the distinguishing signal of the ship astern of which he means to
take, his station. And if he should direct by signal any other ship to
take a station in the line, he will also hoist the distinguishing
signal of the ship astern of which he would have her placed, if she is
not to take the station assigned her in the line of battle given out.