The Hector, Cesar, and Glorieux, already paralyzed ere the chase began, were the only results of this languid movement, except the French flag-ship and the Ardent, 64.  The latter was taken because, notwithstanding her being an indifferent sailer, she gallantly tried to pass from her own division, the van, to support her commander-in-chief in his extremity.  It was 6.29 P.M. when the Ville de Paris struck; sixteen minutes later, 6.45, Rodney made signal to bring-to for the night—­to give over pursuit.  Only the Ville de Paris and the Ardent can be considered to have been secured by following, after the battle proper closed.

Nor was any other attempt made to profit by the victory.  On the 13th the fleet began to move very slowly towards Jamaica, the local protection of which had become imperative through the failure to annihilate the enemy, who must now go to leeward—­to Hayti; but after four hours Rodney brought-to again, and on the 16th, according to Hood, was in “the exact same spot off Guadaloupe.  It has indeed been calm some part of the time, but we might have been more than twenty leagues farther to the westward.”  The Cesar having been accidentally burned on the night of the battle, the prizes Hector and Glorieux were sent ahead in charge of three ships-of-the-line.  This was a questionable disposition, as they were advancing in the direction of the enemy, without being covered by the interposition of the main fleet.  The Ville de Paris Rodney kept close by his own side, unable to tear himself from her; so at least said Hood, who “would to God she had sunk the moment she had yielded to the arms of His Majesty,” for “we would then have had a dozen better ships in lieu of her.”  Rodney was so tickled with her that he “can talk of nothing else, and says he will hoist his flag on board of her.”

On April 17th Hood, having vainly urged his commander to improve the situation by more energetic action, represented to him that the small detachment convoying the Hector and Glorieux might fall in with a superior enemy, if not supported.  Rodney then directed him to go ahead with ten ships until as far as Altavela, midway on the south side of Santo Domingo, where he was to await the main body.  Hood gave a wide construction to these orders, and pushed for the Mona Passage, between Santo Domingo and Porto Rico, where on the 19th he intercepted two sixty-four gun ships, and two smaller cruisers.  In reporting this incident to Rodney, he added, “It is a very mortifying circumstance to relate to you, Sir, that the French fleet which you put to flight on the 12th went through the Mona Channel on the 18th, only the day before I was in it.”  That sustained vigorous chase could not have been fruitless is further shown by the fact that Rodney himself, deliberately as he moved, apparently lying-to each night of the first half-dozen succeeding the battle, reached Jamaica three days only after the main body of the defeated French gained Cap Francois, though they had every motive to speed.