-east, with the wind at east (aa, aa). Here
the breeze suddenly hauled to south-southeast (wind b). The heads
of all the ships in both fleets were thus knocked off to south-west
(s, s), on the port tack, but the shift left the British rear, which
on that tack led the fleet, to windward of the French van. Rodney's
signal flew at once, to tack in succession and keep the wind of the
enemy; the latter, unwilling to yield the advantage, wore all together
(w), hauling to the wind on the starboard tack, and to use Rodney's
words, "fled with a crowd of sail" (a', a').

[Illustration]

The British fleet tacking in succession after their leaders, (t, t),
the immediate result was that both were now standing on the starboard
tack,--to the eastward,--the British having a slight advantage of the
wind, but well abaft the beam of the French (bb, bb). The result, had
the wind held, would have been a trial of speed and weatherliness.
"His Majesty's fleet," wrote Rodney, "by this manoeuvre had gained the
wind, and would have forced the enemy to battle, had it not at once
changed six points (back to east, its former direction,) when near the
enemy, and enabled them to recover that advantage." When the wind thus
shifted again, de Guichen tacked his ships together and stood across
the bows of the advancing enemy (cc, cc). The British leader struck
the French line behind the centre, and ran along to leeward, the
British van exchanging a close cannonade with the enemy's rear.
Such an engagement, two lines passing on opposite tacks, is usually
indecisive, even when the entire fleets are engaged, as at Ushant; but
where, as in this case, the engagement is but partial, the result is
naturally less. The French van and centre, having passed the head of
the enemy, diverged at that point farther and farther from the track
of the on-coming British ships, which from the centre rearwards did
not fire. "As the enemy were under a press of sail, none but the van
of our fleet could come in for any part of the action without wasting
his Majesty's powder and shot, the enemy wantonly expending theirs
at such a distance as to have no effect." Here again the French were
evidently taking the chance of disabling the distant enemy in his
spars. The British loss in the action of May 15th was 21 killed and
100 wounded.

[Illustration]

The fleets continued their respective movements, each acting as
before, until the 19th, when another encounter took place, of ex