The Fraternite, with the other three ships in company, was very near the fleet on the 20th, but it was concealed from her by a fog; and a gale which dispersed the fog, separated her from her consorts.  Proceeding alone to the Bay, she had nearly reached it on the 21st, when she fell in with a British frigate, which she mistook for one of her own fleet till she was almost within gun-shot.  Night saved her from capture, but the chase had carried her far to the westward, and it was eight days before she obtained a fair wind to return.

The ships continued beating up to Bearhaven against a fresh easterly breeze until the evening of the 22nd, when the Rear-Admiral anchored off the eastern extremity of Great Bear Island, with eight sail of the line, two frigates, and some smaller vessels.  Seven sail of the line, and eight frigates, kept under sail; and the wind rising in the night blew them all off to sea.

It blew hard, with a heavy sea, through the next day and night.  On the 24th, the weather having moderated, it was determined in a council of war to land the remaining troops immediately, and General Grouchy made a formal requisition for that purpose.  A suitable landing-place was found, and the necessary preparations were completed; but it was now late in the afternoon, and the landing was necessarily deferred until morning.  That night, the gale rose from the eastward, and increased through the next day to a tempest.  At length the ships began to drive from their anchors.  The Indomptable, 80, ran foul of the Resolve frigate, and totally dismasted her.  The other frigate, the Immortalite, in which Rear-admiral Bouvet had embarked, though his proper flag-ship was the Droits de l’Homme, parted one of her cables in the evening, and was obliged to cut the other, and run out to sea.  The weather would not allow her to return until the 29th, and then the Rear-Admiral, hopeless of re-assembling the fleet, decided to proceed to Brest.

Others were less fortunate.  The Tortue frigate, two corvettes, and four transports, were taken.  The Surveillante frigate was wrecked, and a transport foundered in the bay; and a third frigate, l’Impatiente, was driven on shore near Crookhaven.  The sailors determined to secure for themselves alone the means of escape, leaving the troops to their fate.  Where such a feeling could exist, the discipline required for their own safety was not likely to be found:  and all perished but seven, who were saved chiefly by the exertions of the people on shore.

Part of the fleet, after having been blown out of the bay, steered for the Shannon, which had been fixed on as a rendezvous in the event of separation; but they were too few to attempt a landing, and after waiting for a short time in hope of reinforcements, they found it necessary to return.