stays, three-fourths of the shrouds, and all the running rigging, shot away, her fore and mizen yards, and fore and main topmasts, disabled, some shot in the mainmast, and several in the hull, a lowerdeck gun split, several carriages broken, and all her boats rendered unserviceable. Being thus reduced to an unmanageable state, the Captain made a signal for assistance, and was towed clear of her opponents.

The Bedford, also, having had her standing and running rigging and sails much cut, her foremast, fore yard, bowsprit, maintopsail yard, and mizen topmast shot through, and the poles of the fore and main topgallantmasts shot entirely away, was equally obliged to discontinue the engagement and suffer herself to be towed out of the line.

In this smart affair with the Ca-Ira and Censeur, the Captain had three men killed, her first lieutenant (Wilson Rathbone), master (William Hunter), and seven seamen wounded, two of them mortally ; and the Bedford had six seamen and one marine killed, her first lieutenant (Thomas Miles), 14 seamen and three marines wounded. The two French ships also suffered considerably in hull, masts, and men, and were both reduced to nearly a defenceless state.

Since the beginning of this partial engagement with his rear, the French admiral had made a signal for the fleet to wear in succession and form the line upon his van-ship, the Duquesne ; intending to pass, on the starboard tack, to leeward of the British line then on the contrary tack, and to windward of the Ca-Ira and Censeur, so as to cover the latter from the fire of the Illustrious and Courageux, who, having made sail to support the Captain and Bedford, were now far ahead and rather to leeward of their line.

Owing to the lightness of the wind, the Duquesne was some time in coming round on the starboard tack. It was about this time, when almost every ship in the two fleets was in an ungovernable state for the want of wind, that the Lowestoffe found herself lying with her starboard quarter and stern exposed, at a long-gun range, to the larboard broadside of the Duquesne ; who, opening her lowerdeck ports, commenced a fire upon the British frigate. Not being in a position to discharge a gun in return, Captain Hallowell judiciously ordered all his crew, except the officers and the man at the wheel, to go below ; so that, when the large and beautiful Neapolitan frigate Minerva, as she drifted near to the Duquesne, took off the attention of the French crew from the Lowestoffe, the latter had not a man hurt : her stern and sails, however, were a good deal cut, by the 74's shot. At length the Duquesne got round on the starboard tack, and then, instead of leading her line, as she had been ordered by the signal, to leeward, the French 74 passed to windward, of the British van-ships.

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