ser's ship, the _Formidable_ (R), on the starboard tack,
passed the _Victory_ to leeward, apparently the last of the fleet out
of action. A half-hour after this the _Victory_ had been joined by
three of the centre, which were following her in close order, the van
remaining in the same relative position. Astern of these two groups
from van and centre were a number of other ships in various degrees
of confusion,--some going about, some trying to come up, others
completely disabled. Especially, there was in the south-south-east,
therefore well to leeward, a cluster of four or five British vessels,
evidently temporarily incapable of manoeuvring.

This was the situation which met the eye of the French admiral,
scanning the field as the smoke drove away. The disorder of the
British, which originated in the general chase, had increased through
the hurry of the manoeuvres succeeding the squall, and culminated
in the conditions just described. It was an inevitable result of a
military exigency confronted by a fleet only recently equipped. The
French, starting from a better formation, had come out in better
shape. But, after all, it seems difficult wholly to remedy the
disadvantage of a policy essentially defensive; and d'Orvilliers'
next order, though well conceived, was resultless. At 1 P.M.[49] he
signalled his fleet to wear in succession, and form the line of battle
on the starboard tack (Fig. 2, F). This signal was not seen by the
leading ship, which should have begun the movement. The junior French
admiral, in the fourth ship from the van, at length went about, and
spoke the flagship, to know what was the Commander-in-Chief's desire.
D'Orvilliers explained that he wished to pass along the enemy's fleet
from end to end, to _leeward_, because in its disordered state there
was a fair promise of advantage, and by going to leeward--presenting
his weather side to the enemy--he could use the weather lower-deck
guns, whereas, in the then state of the sea, the lee lower ports could
not be opened. Thus explained, the movement was executed, but the
favourable moment had passed. It was not till 2.30 that the manoeuvre
was evident to the British.

[Illustration]

As soon as Keppel recognised his opponent's intention, he wore the
_Victory_ again, (d), a few minutes after 3 P.M., and stood slowly
down, on the starboard tack _off the wind_, towards his crippled ships
in the south-south-east, keeping aloft the signal for the line of
bat