d through some prizes which
had been taken that the French fleet of which he was in search were
close to us.

Soon after sunrise we made them out bearing down towards us with
topgallant sails set. The signal was at once thrown out by the Admiral
to prepare for battle. It was a fine sight to see them coming down upon
us; but though there was a strong breeze blowing and a heavy sea on,
they did not near us as fast as we had expected, and we were ordered to
go to dinner. It was the last many a fine fellow on board some of the
ships was to take, but I do not believe that any one, on account of the
thoughts of the coming battle, ate a worse meal than usual.

Greatly to our disappointment, a short time after we returned on deck,
the French fleet were seen making off, but our spirits revived when Lord
Howe threw out the signal for a general chase, followed, almost
immediately afterwards, by another to engage the enemy's ships as soon
as we should arrive up with them. Only our leading ships were, however,
able to do so, and we saw them blazing away at the Frenchmen till night
closed in on us.

The _Audacious_ got most fighting, and being terribly knocked about, was
nearly taken by the enemy. She gave as much as she received, and so
battered the _Revolutionnaire_ that the French ship had to be taken in
tow by one of her own frigates.

Next day we had some more fighting, much in the same fashion as on the
first, but more severe, several of our ships having lost their topmasts
and yards, and two or three of the French being completely disabled.

Thus we kept manoeuvring for two days, till, to our great
disappointment, we lost sight of the French fleet during the night of
the last of May. We had been standing to the westward, when at daybreak
on the first of June, latitude 47 degrees 48 minutes north, longitude 18
degrees 30 minutes west, the wind a moderate breeze, south by west, and
the sea tolerably smooth, we descried the French fleet, carrying a press
of sail about six miles off on our starboard or lee bow, and steering in
a line of battle on the larboard tack. At 5 a.m. our ships by signal
bore up together and steered north-west. At about 7 a.m., we having
again hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, plainly saw the French
fleet, consisting of twenty-six sail of the line, the whole, with the
exception of one or two, complete in their masts and rigging.

Shortly after this we saw the welcome signal flying, orde