expected of him, pursued vigorously, watching his chance.  On the morning of July 27th the two fleets [Fig 1, AA, AA], were from six to ten miles apart, wind south-west, both on the port tack,[41] steering north-west; the French dead to windward, in line ahead.  The British were in bow-and-quarter line.  In this formation, when exact, the ships of a fleet were nearly abreast each other; so ranged, however, that if they tacked all at the same time they would be at once in line of battle ahead close to the wind,—­the fighting order.[42] Both fleets were irregularly formed, the British especially so; for Keppel rightly considered that he would not accomplish his purpose, if he were pedantic concerning the order of his going.  He had therefore signalled a “General Chase,” which, by permitting much individual freedom of movement, facilitated the progress of the whole body.  At daylight, the division commanded by Sir Hugh Palliser—­the right wing, as then heading—­had dropped astern [R]; and at 5.30 A.M. the signal was made to seven of its fastest sailers to chase to windward, to get farther to windward by pressing sail, the object being so to place them relatively to the main body, as to support the latter, if an opportunity for action should offer.

At 9 A.M. the French admiral, wishing to approach the enemy and to see more clearly, ordered his fleet to wear in succession,—­to countermarch.  As the van ships went round (b) under this signal, they had to steer off the wind (be), parallel to their former line, on which those following them still were, until they reached the point to which the rear ship meantime had advanced (c), when they could again haul to the wind.  This caused a loss of ground to leeward, but not more than d’Orvilliers could afford, as things stood.  Just after he had fairly committed himself to the manoeuvre, the wind hauled to the southward two points,[43] from south-west to south-south-west, which favoured the British, allowing them to head more nearly towards the enemy (BB).  The shift also threw the bows of the French off the line they were following, deranging their order.  Keppel therefore continued on the port tack, until all the French (BB), were on the starboard, and at 10.15, being nearly in their wake, he ordered his own ships to tack together (dd), which would bring them into line ahead on the same tack as the French; that is, having the wind on the same side.  This put the British in column,[44] still to leeward, but nearly astern of the enemy and following (CC).  At this moment a thick rain-squall came up, concealing the fleets one from another for three quarters of an hour.  With the squall the wind shifted back to southwest, favouring the British on this tack, as it had on the other, and enabling them to lay up for the enemy’s rear after which (French BB) they were standing and could now bring to action.  When the weather cleared, at 11, the French were seen to have gone about again, all the ships together, and were still in the confusion