ning broke, and discovered the French squadron about three miles
to windward. Admiral Linois had calculated that if the fleet consisted
only of merchant vessels they would have profited by the darkness to
have attempted to escape, and he had worked to windward during the
night, that he might be all ready to pounce down upon his quarry. But
when he perceived that the English ships did not attempt to increase
their distance he was sadly puzzled.

The French tricolour hardly had time to blow clear from their taffrails,
when the English unions waved aloft in defiance; and that Admiral Linois
might be more perplexed by the arrangements of the night, three of the
most warlike Indiamen displayed the red ensign, while the remainder of
the ships hoisted up the blue. This _ruse_ led the French admiral to
suppose that these three vessels were men-of-war, composing the escort
of the fleet.

At nine o'clock the commodore made the signal to fill; and the French
squadron not bearing down, the India fleet continued its course under
easy sail. The French admiral then edged away with his squadron, with
the intention of cutting off the country ships, which had been stationed
to leeward; but which, since the British fleet had hauled their wind,
had been left in the rear. It was now requisite for the British
commander to act decidedly and firmly. Captain Timmins, an officer for
courage and conduct not surpassed by any in our naval service, who
commanded the _Royal George_, edged to within hail of the commodore, and
recommended that the order should be given to tack in succession, bear
down in a line a-head, and engage the enemy. This spirited advice was
acted upon; the _Royal George_ leading into action, followed by the
other ships in such close order that their flying jib-booms were often
pointed over the taffrails of their predecessors.

In a quarter of an hour was to be witnessed the unusual spectacle of a
fleet of merchant ships exchanging broadsides with the best equipped and
highest disciplined squadron that ever sailed from France. In less than
an hour was presented the more unusual sight of this squadron flying
from the merchant ships, and the signal for a general chase answered
with enthusiastic cheers.

That Admiral Linois might have supposed, previous to the engagement,
that some of the British ships were men-of-war, is probable; but that he
knew otherwise after they had commenced action, must also have been the
case.