ch captains, two lieutenants,
and about one hundred private soldiers, part of six hundred who had
been sent out in tartanes the preceding day, to reinforce the enemy's
squadron. This soon re-appearing, the line of battle was formed on each
side, and about two o'clock admiral Byng threw out a signal to bear away
two points from the wind and engage. At this time his distance from the
enemy was so great, that rear-admiral West, perceiving it impossible to
comply with both orders, bore away with his division seven points from
the wind, and closing down upon the enemy, attacked them with such
impetuosity, that the ships which opposed him were in a little time
driven out of the line. Had he been properly sustained by the van,
in all probability the British fleet would have obtained a complete
victory; but the other division did not bear down, and the enemy's
centre keeping that station, rear-admiral West could not pursue his
advantage without running the risk of seeing his communication with the
rest of the line entirely cut off. In the beginning of the action, the
Intrepid, in Mr. Byng's division, was so disabled in her rigging
that she could not be managed, and drove on the ship that was next in
position; a circumstance which obliged several others to throw all aback
in order to avoid confusion, and for some time retarded the action.
Certain it is, that Mr. Byng, though accommodated with a noble ship of
ninety guns, made little or no use of his artillery, but kept aloof,
either from an overstrained observance of discipline, or timidity. When
his captain exhorted him to bear down upon the enemy, he very coolly
replied, that he would avoid the error of admiral Matthews, who, in his
engagement with the French and Spanish squadrons off Toulon, during the
preceding war, had broke the line by his own precipitation, and exposed
himself singly to a fire which he could not sustain. Mr. Byng, on the
contrary, was determined against acting, except with the line entire;
and, on pretence of rectifying the disorder which had happened among
some of the ships, hesitated so long, and kept at such a wary distance,
that he never was properly engaged, though he received some few shots
in his hull. M. de la Galissionniere seemed equally averse to the
continuance of the battle; part of his squadron had been fairly obliged
to quit the line; and though he was rather superior to the English
in number of men and weight of metal, he did not choose to a