opponent, did not know what to do with her. Here are the two fleets in the order in which they engaged:— ENGLISH =Defiance= 60 Capt. Andrews. =Portland= 50 " Baird. =Lancaster= 60 " Edgcumbe. =Buckingham= } (flagship of } 68 " Everitt. Admiral West) } =Captain= 64 " Catford. =Intrepid= 64 " Young. =Revenge= 64 " Cornwall. =Princess Louisa= 60 " Noel. =Trident= 64 " Durell. =Ramillies= (flagship} 90 " Gardiner. of Byng) } =Culloden= 74 " Ward. =Kingston= 60 " Parry. FRENCH _Lion_ 64 Capt. de Saint-Aignan. _Triton_ 64 " de Mercier. _Redoutable_ } (flagship of } Commodore } 74 " de Vilarzel. de Glandèvez)} _Orphée_ 64 " de Raymondis. _Fier_ 50 " d’Herville. _Guerrier_ 74 " Villars de Labrosse. _Foudroyant_ } (flagship of } 80 " Froger de La Galissonière) } l’Eguille. _Téméraire_ 74 " de Beaumont Lemaître. _Hippopotame_ 50 " Rochemore. _Content_ 64 " de Sabran Grammont. _Couronne_ (flagship } of Commodore } 74 " Gabanous. de La Clue) } _Sage_ 64 " Durevest. When the order to engage was given, the fleets were not parallel, but on lines converging to form an acute angle ahead of them. Thus the leading English ship was nearer the leading ship of the French than the rear was to their rear. So if each bore down on the Frenchman opposite to it at the time, the vessels in the van would come into action first, and would be exposed to a converging fire, while it would depend on the enemy’s decision to stay still and be attacked, whether the centre and rear of the English fleet ever got into action at all.