he century is
to be measured. In describing them, therefore, attention will be given
chiefly to those circumstances which exhibit the shackles under which
fleet movements then labored, not only from the difficulties inherent to
the sea and sailing ships, but from the ideas and methods of the times.
Those incidents also will be selected which show how false standards
affected particular individuals, according to their personal
characteristics.

In Admiral Mathews' action, in February, 1744, an allied fleet composed
of sixteen French ships-of-the-line and twelve Spanish lay in Toulon,
waiting to sail for a Spanish port. The British, in force numerically
equal, were at anchor under the Hyeres Islands, a few miles to the
eastward. They got underway when the allied movement began on February
20th; but anchored again for the night, because the enemy that day came
no farther than the outer road of Toulon. The next morning the French
and Spaniards put to sea with a wind at first westerly, and stretched to
the southward in long, single column, the sixteen French leading. At 10
A.M. the British followed, Vice-Admiral Lestock's division taking the
van; but the wind, shifting to east, threw the fleet on the port tack,
on which the rear under Rear-Admiral Rowley had to lead. It became
necessary, therefore, for this division and the centre to pass Lestock,
which took some time with the light airs prevailing. Two or three
manoeuvres succeeded, with the object of forming the fighting order, a
column similar and parallel to that of the enemy, and to get closer to
him. When night fell a signal was still flying for the line abreast, by
which, if completed, the ships would be ranged on a line parallel to the
allies, and heading towards them; consequently abreast of each other. It
would then need only a change of course to place them in column, sides
to the enemy; which, as before said, was the fighting order--the "line
of battle."

The line abreast, however, was not fully formed at dark. Therefore the
admiral, in order to hasten its completion, soon afterwards made a night
signal, with lanterns, for the fleet to bring-to,--that is, bring their
sides to the wind, and stop. He intended thereby that the ships already
in station should stand still, while the others were gaining their
places, all which is a case of simple evolution, by land as by sea. It
was contended by the admiral that Vice-Admiral Lestock's division was
then too far to the