her.

[123] The leading ships of the two fleets diverged from each other
(C), which is, by the French, attributed to the English van keeping
away; by the English it is said that the French van luffed. The latter
account is followed in the diagrams.

[124] The position D, separated from the rest of the plan, shows the
end of the passage by, which began at C. It could not be shown in
connection with the other tracks without producing confusion.

[125] Afterward Duc d'Orleans; the Philippe Egalite of the French
Revolution, and father of Louis Philippe.

[126] The capture of the French commander-in-chief on board his
flag-ship, in the battle of April 12, 1782, was also a motive for this
new order.

[127] The following incident, occurring during Rodney's chase of De
Grasse, in April, 1782, shows how far subordination may be carried.
Hood was one of the finest of the British officers; nor does the
author undertake to criticise his action. He was some miles from
Rodney at the time. "The separated French ship in the N.W., having got
the breeze at the same time as our van division, boldly stood for and
endeavored to weather the British advanced ships; that being the only
way to regain her own fleet, then to windward. To such a length did
she carry her audacity that she compelled the Alfred, the headmost
ship of Sir Samuel Hood's division, to bear up in order to allow her
to pass. Every eye was fixed upon the bold Frenchman, excepting those
who were anxiously looking out on the commander-in-chief to make the
signal to engage, but who, most likely from not supposing it could be
an enemy, did not throw out the ardently looked-for signal, and
therefore not a gun was fired. This is mentioned to show the state of
discipline on board the ships composing Sir Samuel Hood's division,
and that he, though second in command, would not fire a single shot
until directed to do so by his commander-in-chief. 'It is more than
probable that Sir S. Hood's reason for having waited for the signal to
engage from his commander-in-chief, ere he would fire, arose from the
supposition that had he been the occasion of prematurely bringing on
an action under the above circumstances, he would have been
responsible for the results.'" (White's Naval Researches, p. 97.)

Hood may have been influenced by Rodney's bearing toward inferiors
whose initiative displeased him. The relations of the two seem to have
been strained.

[128] Sir N.H. Nicholas: Despat