Some persons may think it was foolish not to make the most of our time in endeavouring to get as far as possible from the Speedy.  Perhaps it was; but, two miles distant, there was really less to apprehend than might at first appear.  It was not probable the English would abandon the French vessels as long as they could stick by them, or, until they were captured; and I was not so completely ignorant of my trade as to imagine that vessels like those of la Grande Nation, which were in sight, were to be taken without doing their adversaries a good deal of harm.  Then, the prizes themselves would require looking after, and there were many other chances of our now going scot-free, while there was really very small ground of danger.  But, putting aside all these considerations, curiosity and interest were so active in us all, as to render it almost morally impossible we should quit the place until the battle was decided.  I am not absolutely certain the Dawn would have moved, had we been disposed to make her.  With these brief explanations, then, we will turn our attention exclusively to the frigates.

By the time we had got the Dawn just where we wished her to be, the combatants were drawing quite near to each other.  The Speedy had carried sail so long, as to be a little to windward of her consort’s wake, though half a cable’s-length astern of her.  The French were in still closer order, and they would soon be far enough advanced to bring the leading ship on each side, under fire.  I supposed the opposing vessels would pass about a cable’s-length apart.  All four were under their top-sails, jibs, and spankers, with the courses in the brails.  The Black Prince and the Speedy had their top-gallant-sails clewed up, while la Desiree and le Cerf had theirs still sheeted home, with the yards on the caps.  All four vessels had sent down royal-yards.  This was fighting sail, and everything indicated that Monsieur Menneval intended to make a day of it.

The first gun was fired, on this occasion, from the Desiree, the leading French ship.  It was directed at the Black Prince, and the shot probably told, as Sir Hotham Ward immediately kept away, evidently with a desire to escape being raked.  The French did the same to keep square with their adversaries, and the four vessels now ran on parallel lines, though going different ways, and a short cable’s-length asunder.  La Desiree followed up her single gun with each division as it would bear, until her whole broadside was delivered.  The Black Prince stood it all without answering, though I could see that she was suffering considerably, more especially aloft.  At length Sir Hotham Ward was heard in the affair.  He let fly his whole broadside, almost simultaneously; and a spiteful, threatening roar it was.  The smoke now began to hide his ship, though la Desiree, by moving towards us, kept ahead of her own sulphurous canopy.