escape seldom very difficult, owing to their usual slowness of sailing. Whereas, a two-decked ship, like the Sans-Pareil, although larger every way but in height, and throwing full as heavy a broadside, is still only a two-decker, and is therefore permitted to approach, until the enemy finds it too late to get beyond the reach of her guns.

As soon as M. Villaret had recovered from his surprise at the unaccountable forbearance of Lord Bridport, he called a council of his admirals on board the Proserpine frigate, in which his flag was flying, to consult with them upon the propriety of anchoring on the coast so as best to resist the attack which he still conjectured would be renewed against him, as soon as the British admiral had made the necessary arrangements for the purpose.

Rear-admirals Kerguelen and Bruix both assured Admiral Villaret, that, if he adopted the measure, the whole of his fleet would be lost ; that the anchorage was very bad all along that coast ; that his cables would be cut by the rocks ; and that the British, having the weathergage, would cannonade his ships when they pleased, or probably send fireships to destroy them. These experienced officers advised the admiral to wait until the tide suited, and then enter the port of Lorient. Vice-admiral Villaret attended to these wise suggestions, and by 8 p.m. was at anchor in Lorient with the whole of his fleet, except the three captured ships.

One of the two officers, to whom the preservation of the French fleet was thus owing, expresses himself very pointedly on the manner in which Lord Bridport had terminated the action of the morning. " Le combat cessa avant neuf heures du matin; nous étions à une demie-lieue de Groix, lorsque les ennemis levèrent la chasse. S'ils avaient bien man�uvré, ils auraient pu, on prendre tous nos vaisseaux, ou les faire périr à la côte. " * However, the affair was viewed differently in England, and Lord Bridport, Sir Alan Gardner, and Lord Hugh Seymour, three out of the five flag-officers present, received the thanks of parliament.

We are at a loss to discover the reason of this selection. If it was meant to include the flag-officers of the ships which had the good fortune to get into action, why was the London's flag officer, Sir John Colpoys, omitted ? This appears almost as extraordinary as that the accidental absence of Rear-admiral Sir Roger Curtis (he was attending Captain Molloy's court-martial at Portsmouth) should have occasioned the Queen-Charlotte, who, under Captain Sir Andrew Snape Douglas, had distinguished herself beyond any ship in the fleet, not only to be unrewarded by the thanks of parliament, but, a much less pardonable omission, to be unmentioned in Lord Bridport's official despatch. The letter, indeed, is peculiarly meagre of thanks to

*Histoire des Evènemens, &c. par contr' amiral Kerguelen, p. 381.