fleet; but, a
misunderstanding having arisen between him and the General, he was
superseded by Vice-Admiral Morard de Galles.

The Minister of Marine, M. Truguet, whose able arrangements seemed to
have anticipated and provided for every difficulty, had intended that
the descent should be made in October, or at latest by the beginning of
November; but the General having preferred to embark the whole army at
once, it was delayed for the arrival of Rear-Admirals Pachery and
Villeneuve; of whom the first, with seven sail of the line and three
frigates, was waiting for an opportunity to come up from Rochefort, and
the other was expected with five sail of the line from Toulon. The
secret of the enemy's intentions was so well kept, that England had to
conjecture the destination of the armament, and it was doubted to the
last whether its object was Ireland, Portugal, or Gibraltar. In this
uncertainty, a principal division of the Channel fleet, under Lord
Bridport, remained at Spithead: Sir Roger Curtis, with a smaller force,
cruised to the westward; and Vice-Admiral Sir John Colpoys was stationed
off Brest, at first with ten, but afterwards with thirteen sail of the
line. Sir Edward Pellew, with a small force of frigates, latterly
watched the harbour.

About the middle of November, Sir R. Curtis returned to port, and soon
after, M. Richery sailed from Rochefort, and entered Brest on the 11th
of December. Sir E. Pellew, who had necessarily retired on his approach,
immediately sent off two frigates with despatches, the _Amazon_ to
England, and the _Phoebe_ to Sir J. Colpoys. On the 15th, he stood in
with the _Indefatigable_, and though chased by a seventy-four and five
frigates, stationed in Bertheaume Bay, he persisted in watching the port
as usual. In the afternoon, he saw the French fleet leave the road of
Brest, and immediately sent back the _Phoebe_ to report the fact to the
Admiral. The enemy anchored between Camaret and Bertheaume Bays, in
front of the goulet, or entrance into Brest road.

Knowing how much depended on his vigilance, Sir Edward had watched Brest
with the most anxious attention. The wind blew generally from the
eastward, at times so strong, that the line-of-battle-ships would be
under a close-reefed maintop-sail and reefed foresail; and the weather
was intensely cold: yet he went every morning to the mast-head, where he
would remain making his observations for a considerable part of the day,
one of the ol