opportunity of distinguishing herself: she passed three French ships in succession within pistol-shot, and, giving them a broadside apiece, succeeded in knocking away a topmast from each of two of them.

But even this did not bring on a general engagement; for the French admiral, satisfied apparently with having extricated his two disabled ships, wore round, and, standing away large on the larboard tack, rejoined his rear. The British fleet wore in the same direction, but kept the weathergage ; and at a few minutes after 5 p.m. all firing ceased. Each fleet now busied itself in forming a line on the larboard tack, and in repairing the damages occasioned by this smart, though partial contest.

The lower deck of the Queen-Charlotte, owing to the lowness of her ports (four feet and a half) and the roughness of the sea, was full of water ; and the pumps, during the greater part of the ensuing night, were kept constantly going. In other respects, the Queen-Charlotte, considering her exposed situation, suffered very little. Of the 12 or 14 ships that had the good fortune to be engaged, the Queen, Royal-George, Royal-Sovereign, and Invincible, were those only whose casualties were of serious consequence. *

* The following is an account of the damages sustained by some of the ships, as extracted from their logs

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