he injuries to the British ships engaged were not such as to compel
them to leave the fleet. The _Royal Oak_ lost her main topmast, and
that of the _Warrior_ fell two days later, not improbably from wounds;
but in these was nothing that the ready hands of seamen could not
repair so as to continue the chase. Rodney, therefore, contented
himself with reversing the order of sailing, putting Hood in the rear,
whereby he was able to refit, and yet follow fast enough not to be out
of supporting distance. This circumstance caused Hood's division to
be in the rear in the battle of the 12th. One of the French ships,
the _Caton_, 64, had been so injured that de Grasse detached her into
Guadeloupe. It must be remembered that a crippled ship in a chased
fleet not only embarrasses movement, but may compromise the whole
body, if the latter delay to protect it; whereas the chaser keeps
between his lame birds and the enemy.

During the night of the 9th the British lay-to for repairs. The next
morning they resumed the pursuit, turning to windward after the
enemy, but upon the whole losing throughout the 10th and the 11th. At
daylight of the 10th the French, by the logs of Hood and Cornwallis,
were "from four to five leagues distant," "just in sight from the
deck." During that night, however, the _Zele_, 74, had collided with
the _Jason_, 64; and the latter was injured so far as to be compelled
to follow the _Caton_ into Guadeloupe. At sunset of that day Rodney
signalled a general chase to windward, the effect of which was to
enable each ship to do her best according to her captain's judgment
during the dark hours. Nevertheless, on the morning of the 11th
the French seem again to have gained, for Hood, who, it will be
remembered, was now in the rear, notes that at 10 A.M. twenty-two
French sail (not all the fleet) could be counted _from the masthead_;
Cornwallis, further to windward, could count thirty-three. Troude,
a French authority, says that at that time nearly all the French had
doubled The Saintes, that is, had got to windward of them, and it
looked as though de Grasse might succeed in throwing off his pursuer.
Unluckily, two ships, the _Magnanime_, 74, and the _Zele_, 74, the
latter of which had lost her main topmast, were several miles to
leeward of the French main body. It was necessary to delay, or to drop
those vessels. Again, trivial circumstances conspired to further a
great disaster, and de Grasse bore down to cover the cr