the free consent and approbation of M. de Varage, I sent the Cerf
in to reconnoitre the coast, and endeavour to take the boats and
people the next day, while the squadron stood off and on in S. W.
quarter, in the best possible situation to intercept the enemy's
merchant ships, whether outward or homeward bound. The Cerf had
on board a pilot well acquainted with the coast, and was ordered
to join me again before night. I approached the shore in the
afternoon, but the Cerf did not appear; this induced me to (p. 101)
stand off again in the night in order to return and be joined
by the Cerf the next day; but to my great concern and
disappointment, though I ranged the coast along, and hoisted our
private signals, neither the boats nor the Cerf joined me. The
evening of that day, the 26th, brought with it stormy weather,
with the appearance of a severe gale from the S. W., yet I must
declare I did not follow my own judgment, but was led by the
assertion which had fallen from Captain Landais, when I in the
evening made a signal to steer to the northward and leave that
station, which I wished to have occupied at least a week longer.
The gale increased in the night with thick weather; to prevent
separation, I carried a top light and fired a gun every quarter
of an hour. I carried also a very moderate sail, and the course
had been clearly pointed out by a signal before night; yet, with
all this precaution, I found myself accompanied only by the
brigantine Vengeance in the morning, the Granville having
remained astern with a prize, as I have since understood the
tiller of the Pallas broke after midnight, which disabled her
from keeping up, but no apology has yet been made in behalf of
the Alliance.

On the 31st we saw the Flannen Islands, situated near the Lewis,
on the N. W. coast of Scotland; and the next morning, off Cape
Wrath, we gave chase to a ship to windward, at the same time two
ships appearing in the N. W. quarter, which proved to be the
Alliance and a prize ship which she had taken, bound, as I
understood, from Liverpool to Jamaica. The ship which I chased
brought to at noon; she proved to be the Union, letter of marque,
bound from London for Quebec, with a cargo of naval stores on
account of government, adapted for the service of Bri