cessary to keep a very bright
look-out. We could dimly see the other ships, with their lights
burning, as we glided over the water.

Presently Nettleship, near whom I was standing, remarked--

"There are two of them closer together than they should be;" and the
next instant he exclaimed, "They're foul of each other! I feared that
it would be the case."

Signals of distress were now thrown out from both the ships. We on this
closed with them; and Captain Macnamara ordered the boats to be lowered,
to ascertain what had happened, and to render assistance. I went in one
of them with our second lieutenant. The first we boarded proved to be
the _Nymph_. She had been run into by the _Alfred_. She was dreadfully
knocked about, being almost cut in two. We heard aboard her that the
_Alfred_ herself had also been severely damaged. A boat was at once
sent to report what had happened to the admiral, and as soon as daylight
dawned he threw out signals to the whole fleet to lay to while the
injuries the _Alfred_ had received were being repaired. The _Nymph_
herself was too severely damaged to proceed, and was ordered at once to
return to Antigua.

While we were lying to, a sail was seen in the distance, when the
admiral ordered by signal the _Liffy_ to chase. Before long we came up
with her. She proved to be a large French cutter, laden with shells and
ordnance stores for the besieging army.

Nearly the whole day was spent in repairing the damages the _Alfred_ had
received, and on our approaching Basse Terre, to our bitter
disappointment, we found that the Count de Grasse had put to sea. The
next night was spent in doubt as to what had become of him, but in the
morning the French fleet, consisting of about twenty-nine sail of the
line, was perceived about three leagues to leeward, formed in order of
battle. Sir Samuel Hood immediately ordered the British fleet to bear
down as if to attack him. This had the effect of driving him still
farther to leeward, when, to our surprise, the admiral threw out another
signal, directing the fleet to stand for Basse Terre.

In the evening we entered Frigate Bay, and anchored in line of battle.
The object of this was to cut off the French from all communication with
their forces on shore. Before we had brought up, the Count de Grasse
stood towards us, and commenced a furious attack on the rear of our
fleet, commanded by Commodore Affleck. He, supported by the _Canada_,
Captain