the convoying of the East and West India and Newfoundland
merchant fleets clear of the Channel; and next, of intercepting a French
convoy returning from America laden with the produce of the West India
Islands. It consisted of thirty-four line-of-battle ships and fifteen
frigates, while the convoy numbered ninety-nine merchantmen.

On 2nd May, 1794, the fleet sailed from Spithead, and on the 5th they
arrived off the Lizard. Here Lord Howe ordered the convoys to part company
with the fleet, and detached Rear-admiral Montagu with six seventy-fours
and two frigates with orders to see the merchantmen to the latitude of
Cape Finisterre, where their protection was to be confided to Captain
Rainier with two battle-ships and four frigates.

Lord Howe now proceeded to Ushant, where he discovered, by means of his
frigates, that the enemy's fleet were quietly anchored in the harbour of
Brest.

He therefore proceeded in search of the American convoy. After cruising in
various directions for nearly a fortnight he returned to Ushant on the
18th May, only to find that Brest harbour was empty. News was obtained
from an American vessel that the French fleet had sailed from that harbour
a few days before. It afterwards turned out that the two fleets had passed
quite close to each other unseen, owing to a dense fog that prevailed at
the time. They were exactly the same strength in numbers, but the French
carried much heavier guns, and their crews exceeded ours by three thousand
men.

For more than a week the two fleets cruised about in the Bay of Biscay,
each taking many prizes, but without meeting. At last, early on the
morning of the 28th of May, they came in sight of each other. The French
were to windward, and, having a strong south west wind with them, they
came down rapidly towards us, as if anxious to fight. Presently they
shortened sail and formed line of battle. Howe signalled to prepare for
battle, and having come on to the same tack as the French, stood towards
them, having them on his weather quarter. Soon, however, the French tacked
and seemed to retreat. A general chase was ordered, and the English ships
went off in pursuit under full sail. Between two and three o'clock the
_Russell_, which was the fastest of the seventy-fours, began to exchange
shots with the French, and towards evening another seventy-four, the
_Bellerophon_, began a close action with the _Revolutionnaire_, one
hundred and ten guns. The _Bellerophon_ so