through the enemy's line, in order to obtain the weather-gage; and at 7 h. 35 m. a.m., another signal, giving permission to fire on the enemy in passing, but without the intention, on account of the distance, to bring on an immediate general action.* As the British van neared the French rear on the opposite tack, the latter fired, but at too great a distance to deserve a return, until about 20 minutes afterwards ; when, the ships of the British fleet having hoisted the red ensign, the commander-in-chief, the union at the main, and the other admirals their respective flags, the Cæsar and Queen opened a fire in passing.

At 8 a.m. the van ships of the French began wearing in succession, to support their rear thus menaced, and, running to leeward of their line, edged down towards the centre and van of the British. Having passed the rear of her fleet, the leading French ship, then distant about three miles from the British centre, hauled close to the wind, as did successively the ships astern of her. At 9 a.m., or a few minutes after, the whole of the French fleet being then on the larboard tack, the same as the British fleet, the van-ships of the former again bore away, and at 10 a.m. opened their fire, but without effect, upon the van-ships of the latter. Soon afterwards the distance between the two vans became lessened ; and the Invincible (who gallantly luffed out of the line to get nearer to the enemy), Royal-George, Valiant, Russel, Queen, and Cæsar, in succession, exchanged broadsides with the French van, and did an evident injury to the leading ship, the Montagnard. Nor did the British van escape with entire impunity, several of the ships having had their rigging and sails, and one or two their masts and yards, considerably damaged. At 11 h. 30 m. a.m., the signal was made to tack in succession, with the view of passing through the enemy's line. Finding, however, that the British van was not sufficiently advanced to cut off more than a few of the French rear ships, Lord Howe presently annulled the signal, and continued to stretch on upon the larboard tack. At half-past noon the signal to tack was repeated ; but, owing to the smoke, it remained for awhile unseen, and, when seen, was only, as we shall proceed to show, partially obeyed.

The leading ship in the British line, the Cæsar, making the signal of "inability to tack," wore, and ran past the eighth ship of her own line (and which eighth ship, the Majestic, appears to have been at least three-quarters of a mile astern of her leader, the Orion), before she hauled close to the wind on the starboard tack, and cut through; and, even then, the Cæsar