y the
necessity of avoiding action, and of even retiring into port, with the
inadequate numbers before under his command, and his mind was fixed
now to compel an engagement, if he met the French.

The Brest fleet also put to sea, the day before Keppel, under the
command of Admiral the Comte d'Orvilliers. It contained thirty-two
ships of the line. Of these, three--64, a 60, and a 50--were not
considered fit for the line of battle, which was thus reduced to
twenty-nine sail, carrying 2098 guns. To these the British opposed an
aggregate of 2278; but comparison by this means only is very rough.
Not only the sizes of the guns, but the classes and weight of the
vessels need to be considered. In the particular instance the matter
is of little importance; the action being indecisive, and credit
depending upon manoeuvres rather than upon fighting.

The French admiral was hampered by vacillating instructions,
reflections of the unstable impulses which swayed the Ministry.
Whatever his personal wishes, he felt that he was expected to avoid
action, unless under very favourable circumstances. At the moment of
sailing he wrote: "Since you leave me free to continue my cruise, I
will not bring the fleet back to Brest, unless by positive orders,
until I have fulfilled the month at sea mentioned in my instructions,
and known to all the captains. Till then I will not fly before Admiral
Keppel, whatever his strength; only, if I know him to be too superior,
I will avoid a disproportionate action as well as I can; but if the
enemy really seeks to force it, it will be very hard to shun." These
words explain his conduct through the next few days.

On the afternoon of July 23d the two fleets sighted each other, about
a hundred miles west of Ushant, the French being then to leeward.
Towards sunset, they were standing south-west, with the wind at
west-north-west, and bore north-east from the enemy, who were
lying-to, heads to the northward. The British remaining nearly
motionless throughout the night, and the wind shifting, d'Orvilliers
availed himself of the conditions to press to windward, and in the
morning was found to bear north-west from his opponent.[39] Their
relative positions satisfied both admirals for the moment; for
Keppel found himself interposed between Brest and the French, while
d'Orvilliers, though surrendering the advantage of open retreat to his
port, had made it possible, by getting the weather-gage, to fulfil
his promise