When the British ships in general had got round, and were in line ahead on the starboard tack,—­the same as the French,—­ranging from rear to van of the enemy (Positions B, B, B), Byron signalled for the eight leading ships to close together, for mutual support, and to engage close.  This, which should have been done—­not with finikin precision, but with military adequacy—­before engaging, was less easy now, in the din of battle and with crippled ships.  A quick-eyed subordinate, however, did something to remedy the error of his chief.  Rear-Admiral Rowley was still considerably astern, having to make up the distance between the convoy and the fleet.  As he followed the latter, he saw Barrington’s three ships unduly separated and doubtless visibly much mauled.  Instead, therefore, of blindly following his leader, he cut straight across (aa) to the head of the column to support the van,—­an act almost absolutely identical with that which won Nelson renown at Cape St. Vincent.  In this he was followed by the Monmouth, 64, the brilliancy of whose bearing was so conspicuous to the two fleets that it is said the French officers after the battle toasted “the little black ship.”  She and the Suffolk, 74, Rowley’s flagship, also suffered severely in this gallant feat.

It was imperative with Byron now to keep his van well up with the enemy, lest he should uncover the convoy, broad on the weather bow of the two fleets.  “They seemed much inclined to cut off the convoy, and had it much in their power by means of their large frigates, independent of ships of the line."[64] On the other hand, the Cornwall, Grafton, and Lion, though they got their heads round, could not keep up with the fleet (c’, c"), and were dropping also to leeward—­towards the enemy.  At noon, or soon after, d’Estaing bore up with the body of his force to join some of his vessels that had fallen to leeward.  Byron very properly—­under his conditions of inferiority—­kept his wind; and the separation of the two fleets, thus produced, caused firing to cease at 1 P.M.

The enemies were now ranged on parallel lines, some distance apart; still on the starboard tack, heading north-north west.  Between the two, but far astern, the Cornwall, Grafton, Lion, and a fourth British ship, the Fame, were toiling along, greatly crippled.  At 3 P.M., the French, now in good order, tacked together (t, t, t), which caused them to head towards these disabled vessels.  Byron at once imitated the movement, and the eyes of all in the two fleets anxiously watched the result.  Captain Cornwallis of the Lion, measuring the situation accurately, saw that, if he continued ahead, he would be in the midst of the French by the time he got abreast of them.  Having only his foremast standing, he put his helm up, and stood broad off before the wind (c"), across the enemy’s bows, for Jamaica.  He was not pursued.  The other three, unable to tack and afraid to wear, which would