The vice-admiral then stood on to the southward as far as the Cape de Verds, and was on his return to resume the blockade of Cadiz, when fallen in with, as already related, by the Arethusa and her convoy.

As the British squadron was now working back to the northward, the direction in which the French squadron was when seen by the Arethusa, no immediate alteration became necessary in the course of the former. On the 25th, at 6 h. 45 m. A.M., latitude 30� 52' north, longitude 20� 16' west, when standing close hauled on the starboard tack, with the wind about east half north, the British descried, in the south-east quarter, which was a little abaft the weather beam, nine strange sail standing to the southward. At 7 A.M. the squadron tacked in the same direction ; and every rag of canvass was presently upon Sir John's six sail of the line and two frigates, in chase of the still supposed Rochefort squadron, of five sail of the line and smaller vessels.

During the whole day and night of the 25th the chase continued, both squadrons still on the larboard tack with a moderate breeze from the eastward. On the 26th, at 8 A.M., it was evident that the Superb, Spencer, and Agamemnon, with the Amethyst frigate, were gaining upon the sternmost French ship. It was also discovered, in the course of this forenoon, that, instead of five, the enemy had six sail of the line. These, as may be conjectured, composed the squadron of Rear-admiral Willaumez, numbering, with the absence of the Volontaire, just nine sail, on its way to St. Helena. The chase continued with increased advantage to the British, until 1 P.M. ; when the relative distances of the ships, according to the mean calculations of the two headmost British ships, were as follows : French sternmost ship from Superb about seven miles ; * Spencer astern of Superb about four miles, and Amethyst frigate rather nearer ; Agamemnon about five miles astern of Spencer, and hull down to Superb ; Acasta frigate and Powerful 74 about 22 miles from Spencer, and out of sight from Superb ; and Canopus and Donegal out of sight of both Spencer and Superb. According to the statement of a contemporary, the computed distance between the Superb and the sternmost ship of her squadron, which we take to have been the Donegal, was, by meridian observation, about 45 miles. �

At the time stated, l P.M., to the joy of M. Willaumez, and to the surprise, and of course the regret, of such of the British ships as could see it, Sir John directed to be hoisted a signal annulling the chase ; and the Superb, with more awkwardness than she ever betrayed, before or since, shortened sail and hove to. This

*  Superb's log says "nine or ten miles," Spencer's "five or six, ahead of Superb. We have taken the mean of the two.

�  Brenton, vol. iii., p. 522.

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