At about 7 h. 57 m. a.m. the Royal-George passed the Queen-Charlotte on the starboard and weather side, as the latter lay repairing her damaged rigging. Having knotted her ropes in the best manner the time would allow, the Queen-Charlotte hauled on board her fore and main tacks, to afford every possible assistance to the admiral. At 8 h. 15 m. Lord Bridport threw out a signal for the Colossus, who was about a mile and a half on the Queen-Charlotte's weather bow, to discontinue the action; and, in five minutes afterwards, made the same signal to the Sans-Pareil, who was about a mile and a half on the Queen-Charlotte's lee bow, and then receiving a fire from the larboard quarter guns of the Peuple. The Royal-George, when about half a mile from the west point of Isle-Groix, bore up and fired her starboard broadside into the stern and larboard quarter of the Peuple and her larboard broadside (not knowing that she had struck) into the starboard bow of the Tigre; who immediately bore up, and a second time made the signal of submission.

Immediately after she had done firing at the Tigre, which was about 8 h. 37 m. a.m., the Royal-George wore round from the land and from the French fleet ; and the other British ships followed the motions of their admiral. The Prince, Barfleur, and Prince-George were now directed, by signal, to take in tow the prizes ; and they and the fleet stood away to the south-west. The weathermost French ships, when Lord Bridport discontinued the action, did not, it appears, point higher than the mouth of the river Quimperlay, and could therefore have been weathered by the Royal-George and the other fresh ships that were coming up. Finding himself thus unexpectedly relieved, the French admiral kept his wind, and, after making several tacks, sheltered his fleet between Isle-Groix and the entrance to the Lorient.

None of the British ships appear to have had any spars shot away ; but the ships that were near enough to get into action suffered more or less damage in their masts, rigging, and sails. The fore and main masts of the Queen-Charlotte, who, as we have seen particularly distinguished herself ; were badly wounded. So were the main masts of the Sans-Pareil and Irresistible; as well as the main yard of the latter and the foretopsail yard of the former.

Taking the ships in the order in which they appear to have been engaged, the Irresistible had three seamen killed, her captain, master (Thomas Troughton), and nine seamen and marines wounded ; the Orion, six seamen and marines killed, and 18 wounded; the Queen-Charlotte, four seamen killed, and one master's mate (David Coutts), one midshipman (Hornsby Charles), and 30 seamen, marines, and soldiers wounded ; the Sans-Pareil, her second lieutenant (Charles M. Stocker), second lieutenant of marines (William Jephcott), and eight seamen and marines or soldiers killed, and, as far as the official returns show,