ithin musket-shot, and having been engaged by the whole English line,
was very much damaged.

"So soon as their headmost ship had passed athwart our stern, she
tacked, followed by five or six others passing our line to windward;
the remaining ten ships, that were before on our larboard side, then
bore up at the same time, and passed through our line in different
positions, and consequently remained on the other tack fighting us in
great order, with a heavy and well-directed fire: this manoeuvre
decided the action in their favour. I did not fail to guard against
this from the commencement, and anticipated it by ordering the ships
ahead to tack and gain the enemy's rear to leeward; and if the
commanders of the Principe, Regla, Oriente, and Firmin had availed
themselves of the opportunity to join six or eight ships of the van,
they would have placed the enemy between two fires, and terminated the
action in a very different manner.

"Although the Principe and Regla were not able to fall into the rear
of our line, they notwithstanding did their utmost from their
situation, engaging the enemy at the time of passing our line, till
they had obtained the weather gage. The attack of the enemy was now
principally on the Trinidad, which, from the crippled situation of her
mast and rigging, fell to leeward. By word of mouth, and by signals,
the Salvador, San Josef, Soberano, and San Nicholas were ordered to
shorten sail, and to form in our rear, which they executed with
celerity, maintaining a severe action. The van continually remaining
to windward, at two I made them a signal to shorten sail, and bear
down for a general attack.

"The Mexicano formed upon our bow about three in the afternoon, and
engaged the foremost ship of the enemy's line; they now for the
remainder of the day fixed their whole attention against the San
Josef, Mexicano, San Nicholas, and San Yisidro, which were the only
ships that bore the principal and hottest part of the action against
the whole enemy's squadron.

"In this situation it would have been highly expedient that our centre
and van should have come to our support, but it was out of my power to
intimate to them the necessity of this movement, the ships being in
want of masts, rigging, and every necessary for making signals. I
cannot refrain from giving due praise to the valour of the
above-mentioned ships formed at my stern, and expressing the gallant
manner in which they behaved during the engag