Later in the night the hostile ships went about, evidencing thereby a desire to keep to windward, which pointed much more toward Cadiz than to any western destination.  The “Minerve” imitated them, but altered her course so as to edge away gradually from her dangerous neighbors.  Nelson, some time after, again entered the cabin, and told Drinkwater and Elliot, the latter having also waked, that he had got clear of the enemy, but that at daylight the course would be altered so as to sight them once more, if they were really going west.  Should it prove to be so, they must make up their minds to visit the West Indies.  Nothing, however, being seen during the 12th, the commodore, satisfied at last that he had been in the midst of the grand fleet, hastened on, and towards noon of the 13th joined the admiral.  Before doing so, some of the Spaniards were again sighted.  They had been seen also by the regular British lookouts, one at least of which had kept touch with them through the preceding days of hazy weather.  Nelson, after an interview with Jervis, went on board the “Captain,” where his broad pendant was again hoisted at 6 P.M.

At daybreak, the position of the two fleets was twenty-five miles west of Cape St. Vincent, a headland on the Portuguese coast, a hundred and fifty miles northwest of Cadiz.  During the night the wind had shifted from the eastward to west by south, and, being now fair, the Spaniards were running for their port, heading about east-southeast; but they were in disorder, and were divided into two principal fragments, of which the headmost, and therefore leewardmost, numbered six ships.  It was separated from the other division of twenty-one by a space of six or eight miles.  In the whole force, of twenty-seven ships, there were seven of three decks, the least of which carried one hundred and twelve guns; the remainder were principally seventy-fours, there being, however, one of eighty-four guns.  Jervis’s fleet consisted of fifteen ships-of-the-line,—­two of one hundred guns, four of ninety-eight or ninety, eight seventy-fours, and one sixty-four.  From the intelligence received the previous day of the enemy’s proximity, the admiral kept the command throughout the night in two columns, in close order, a formation suited by its compactness to a hazy night, and at the same time manageable in case of encountering an enemy suddenly.  The course was south by west, almost perpendicular to that of the Spaniards.  The two fleets were thus running, one from the westward, and the other from the northward, to a common crossing.[42]

At daylight the enemy’s fleet was partly visible to the leading ships of the British columns.  As the morning advanced, and the situation developed, it was seen that the Spanish line was long and straggling, and the gap began to show.  As the British were heading directly towards it, Jervis ordered a half-dozen of his ships, which were all still under moderate canvas, to press on and interpose between the enemy’s