ght; and as
their ships-of-war, though better sailers than the English, were
delayed by the convoy of transports, there was little doubt of
overtaking them. Accordingly, at daylight on the morning of the 9th,
some of the advanced ships were close up with their convoy under
Dominique, while their men-of-war seemed much scattered: fourteen of
the latter were between Dominique and the Saints, with a breeze from
east-north-east; but the rest were becalmed under the land about St.
Rupert's Bay, and one ship was observed at some distance in the
north-west.

About half-past seven, the van division, commanded by Sir Samuel Hood,
got the breeze; while the centre and rear, in which was the Russell,
continued to be becalmed. This of course caused a separation, but did
not deter Sir Samuel Hood from advancing, although he had only eight
ships to fourteen of the enemy. In the mean time, the French ship seen
in the north-west, which had got the breeze, boldly stood on and
weathered the Alfred, the van-ship of Sir Samuel Hood's division,
which bore up to allow her to pass; and, no signal having been made to
engage, not a shot was fired.

At nine o'clock the action began, and was maintained with determined
bravery for upwards of an hour, the enemy's ships which had the breeze
having borne down upon and engaged this division; the Barfleur and
others had, at times, three to one opposed to them; and in this attack
there can be but one opinion, that the Comte de Grasse displayed great
professional ability. At length the leading ships of the centre got up
with the enemy's rear, and were followed by the Duke, Formidable, and
Namur; the Arrogant lost her main-top-mast, as well as the Royal Oak.
The rear squadron, commanded by Admiral Drake, now came up, and the
Comte de Grasse prudently hauled his wind; and as his ships sailed
better than the English, he succeeded in gradually drawing off, and by
half-past one his fleet were all out of the reach of shot.

Captain Bayne, of the Alfred, lost his life in this his sixth
encounter with the enemy; and it is said that he bled to death after
his leg was shot off, before he was carried to the cockpit.

In the action of this day the Russell had only a small share, as she
belonged to the rear division of the fleet, and, being becalmed, could
not get up until the enemy had hauled off. The Royal Oak, Montagu, and
Alfred were the ships which suffered most, but not so much as to
prevent their being rep