On the 19th of February, in the afternoon, Vice-admiral Sir Robert Calder, in the Prince-of-Wales 98, was detached from the Channel fleet to take the command of the blockading squadron off Ferrol, in the room of Rear-admiral the Honourable Alexander Cochrane, who with five sail of the line and a frigate, had quitted the station since the 24th of February for the West Indies, in pursuit of the Rochefort squadron, also of five sail of the line, and of the proceedings, of which we shall hereafter give some account. On the 1st of March, in the evening, the Prince-of-Wales arrived off Cape Prior, and joined six sail of the line under the command of Captain the Honourable Arthur Kaye Legge, in the Repulse 74, the senior officer at the departure of Rear-admiral Cochrane. The Franco-Spanish fleet in Ferrol at this time amounted to 10 sail of the line ready for sea, and two or three others fitting. Between the 22d of April and 31st of May Sir Robert, at no one time, had with him a greater force than nine sail of the line, and for days together not so many.

On the 15th of July the vice-admiral was reinforced by five sail of the line under Rear-admiral Stirling in the Glory 98, from off Rochefort.* This made Sir Robert Calder's force consist of the following 15 sail of the line and smaller vessels:

* See Vol. iii, P 301

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