e had been for some days cruising off the cape, always
near enough to keep the port in sight, so that no vessel could steal out
without our knowing it, when early in the morning the _Dreadnought_,
which was inshore of us, made the signal that the enemy was in sight,
and before noon we could see the whole French squadron standing out in
line towards us, the wind being about north-east--if you get the chart,
father will explain matters to you. We were to windward of them,
keeping close together, though not so close as the Frenchmen, who seemed
very anxious to be backing up each other. Our captain now made the
signal for the other two captains to come on board the _Augusta_. As
soon as they stepped on the quarter-deck, Captain Forrest, after shaking
hands, said, `Well, gentlemen, you see the Frenchmen are come out to
engage us.' On which Captain Suckling quickly replied, `I think it
would be a pity to disappoint them.' `And what do you say?' asked our
captain, turning to Captain Langdon. `I heartily agree with Captain
Suckling,' was the answer. `If we disable them, we shall do good
service by preventing them from convoying the merchant vessels, and
maybe we shall take one or two of them. Of one thing I feel very sure,
that they won't take us.'

"The three captains being agreed, the other two went back to their
ships, and we hoisted the signal to make all sail and to close the
enemy. The _Dreadnought_ led in our line; the _Intrepide_, the French
commodore's ship, led in that of the enemy, followed by the _Greenwich_.
The wind was light, and it seemed to me that we should never get into
action. Though I've seen a good deal of fighting on a small scale, yet
this affair was likely to prove more serious than any I had yet engaged
in. I was stationed on the main-deck, and the scene was very different
to what I had been accustomed to on board the _Champion_ where we've no
deck above us and can see everything that is going forward. Here, it
was only by looking through a port that I could get a glimpse of the
enemy's ships, as they stood on in a long line, one closely following
the other--so closely, indeed, that the leading ship had the jibboom end
of the one next her in line almost over her taffrail. Molly, Kiddle,
and I had charge of the guns manned by the _Champion's_ people. We
reminded them that they must show what they were made of, and maintain
the honour of the little ship; they one and all answered that they