s, I desired Lieutenant General D.
Juan Joachim Moreno to reestablish the line of battle close on the
larboard tack, and gave orders that jury-masts should be fixed on the
Trinidad and the Moredes frigate, to protect her to Cadiz, profiting
by the wind and the situation of the enemy at night-fall.

"I embarked in consequence, with my Major General and Adjutants, on
board the Diana frigate, and ordered several frigates along the line,
that they should observe the order given, and repair the damages with
all haste in order to return again to action. The squadron remained
the whole night on the larboard tack, with the wind at W. to W.N.W.
till six o'clock A.M. of the 15th, when I formed on the other tack,
close hauled to the wind.

"My next attention was to inquire by signal the situation of the ships
for action,--and it proved that the Concepcion, Mexicano, and Soberano
_were not in a state to renew the action_; and that the Regla,
Oriente, San Pablo, Pelayo, and San Antonio _could enter into action_,
without my being able to gain any information regarding the others.
Nevertheless I continued my course towards the enemy, that to the
number of twenty ships had been seen since eight o'clock at S.S.W. My
opinion as to the state of the ships of the squadron remaining still
indecisive, in the afternoon I desired to know _if it was advisable to
attack the enemy_; the ships Concepcion, Mexicano, San Pablo,
Soberano, San Domingo, San Ildefonso, Nepomuceno, Atlante, and Firmin
replied in the negative; the Gloriose, Pablo, Regla, and Firmin, _that
it was advisable to delay the attack_; and only the Principe,
Conquistador, and Pelayo, positively asserted that _the attach was
advisable_. From the diversity of opinion, and considering the reply
of each commander as an indication of the true state of his respective
ship, I did not think it proper to force a press of sail towards the
enemy, having likewise been informed that the Mexicano, San Domingo,
and Soberano were considerably damaged, and the Atlante in want of
men, which was general in every ship.

"At three o'clock in the afternoon the enemy was still to the E.S.E. I
directed our course S.E. and varied it at five, to S.E. 74 S. to
double Cape St. Vincent; and that every exertion should be made by day
and night to repair the ships that were not very considerably damaged,
I ordered the line at half-past eleven to close on the starboard tack.
On the 16th some of the enemy's crui