were assembled, not at Brest, but in the ports
to the southward as far as the mouth of the Loire. The French fleet
therefore put to sea with the expectation and purpose of fighting the
enemy; but it is not easy to reconcile its subsequent course with that
purpose, nor with the elaborate fighting instructions[100] issued by
the admiral before sailing.

About the 5th or 6th of November there came on a tremendous westerly
gale. After buffeting it for three days, Hawke bore up and ran into
Torbay, where he waited for the wind to shift, keeping his fleet in
readiness to sail at once. The same gale, while keeping back the
French already in Brest, gave the chance to a small squadron under M.
Bompart, which was expected from the West Indies, to slip in during
Hawke's absence. Conflans made his preparations with activity,
distributed Bompart's crews among his own ships, which were not very
well manned, and got to sea with an easterly wind on the 14th. He
stood at once to the southward, flattering himself that he had escaped
Hawke. The latter, however, had sailed from Torbay on the 12th; and
though again driven back, sailed a second time on the 14th, the same
day that Conflans left Brest. He soon readied his station, learned
that the enemy had been seen to the southward steering east, and
easily concluding that they were bound to Quiberon Bay, shaped his own
course for the same place under a press of sail. At eleven P.M. of the
19th the French admiral estimated his position to be seventy miles
southwest by west from Belle Isle;[101] and the wind springing up
fresh from the westward, he stood for it under short sail, the wind
continuing to increase and hauling to west-northwest. At daybreak
several ships were seen ahead, which proved to be the English squadron
of Commodore Duff, blockading Quiberon. The signal was made to chase;
and the English, taking flight, separated into two divisions,--one
going off before the wind, the other hauling up to the southward. The
greater part of the French fleet continued its course after the former
division, that is, toward the coast; but one ship hauled up for the
second. Immediately after, the rear French ships made signal of sails
to windward, which were also visible from aloft on board the
flag-ship. It must have been about the same moment that the lookout
frigate in advance of the English fleet informed her admiral of sails
to leeward. Hawke's diligence had brought him up with Conflans, who