advanced to cut off the ships that, owing either to mismanagement, or a blind confidence in their numerical strength, had been allowed to separate from the main body. The ships of the latter, grouped together in what may be called a square, were running under all sail, with the wind on the starboard quarter ; while the leewardmost ships were close hauled on the same tack, striving hard to effect a junction with their companions, in time to frustrate, if possible, the evident design of the British admiral.

As, besides the object of cutting off the six detached sail of the line, it was now an equally important one, to be ready to receive the 19 (one with her fore topmast gone), bearing down from to-windward, and the advanced ships of which, at a few minutes before 11 a.m., began wearing and trimming in succession on the larboard tack, the British admiral, at 11 a.m., ordered his fleet to form in line of battle ahead and astern of the Victory, as most convenient, and to steer south-south-west ; a course that kept the enemy's lee or detached division, consisting of one three-decker with a vice-admiral's flag, five two-deckers, and a few frigates, upon the lee or larboard bow.

The advanced position of the Culloden in the morning's chase conferred upon her the honour of being the leading ship in the line about to be formed ; which line, when the whole had fallen into their stations, was composed of the following ships, standing close hauled on the starboard tack, in the order in which they are named: Culloden, Blenheim (rather to windward), Prince-George, Orion, Colossus (to windward), Irresistible, Victory, Egmont, Goliath, Barfleur, Britannia, Namur, Captain, Diadem, Excellent.

Thus formed, the British fleet steered straight for the opening, still wide, but gradually narrowing, between the two divisions of the Spanish fleet: the leewardmost of which divisions, as if to avoid the British line in its approach, had just bore away to nearly south-east by south ; while the weather division, or the advanced portion of it, in very irregular order (several of the ships doubling upon each other, and some lying three abreast), was steering about north-north-east, with the apparent intention, after having passed the British line on the contrary tack, to round its rear, and thereby effect the wished-for junction.

At 12 h. 28 m. a.m. ** the Victory and the other ships of the fleet hoisted their colours ; and in the next minute the signal No. 40 was made, to pass through the enemy's line, the British ships still steering about south-south-west, with the wind, as before, at west by south. About this time five out of the six line-of-battle ships, in the Spanish lee division, observing that the British admiral by keeping his wind had no immediate design upon them, hauled sharp up on the starboard tack, as if intending to weather the whole British fleet. The sixth Spanish ship, a two-decker, continued under a crowd of sail steering to the south-east, and soon disappeared.

At 11 h. 31 m. a.m., having arrived abreast of the van-ships

[** Should perhaps read 11 h. 28 m. a.m. when viewed in context with the next paragraph and the fact that James infers that it's still a.m. Transcriber.]

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