supported by the _Duke_, _Namur_, and _Canada_; and the rest imitated their example. As soon as the _Formidable_ had broken the line she wore round; and a signal being made for the van division to tack, the British fleet thus gained the wind and stood upon the same tack with the enemy. By this bold and masterly manoeuvre the French line was completely broken and the whole thrown into confusion; the consequences were decisively advantageous and glorious to the British; for though the enemy still continued to fight with great gallantry, it was evident that the victory was with Admiral Rodney. The action hitherto had been chiefly supported by the van and centre of the British; for the rear under Sir Samuel Hood being becalmed, did not for some time get into the engagement; and when the breeze did spring up, it was so trifling that Sir Samuel Hood, in the _Barfleur_, took an hour and a half to reach that part of the enemy's line where it had been broken through by the _Formidable_. During all this time, however, he kept up a tremendous and well-directed fire. As the French ships always carry a much larger complement of men than the British, and as, moreover, at this time they had on board a great number of troops, the carnage was extreme; notwithstanding this, however, and the certainty that they must ultimately be beaten, the Count de Grasse in the _Ville de Paris_ and the other ships in the centre, withstood till the evening all the efforts of the various ships that attacked him. Nor was the gallantry of the British inferior to that of the French. Captain Cornwallis, of the _Canada_, especially distinguished himself; for, having obliged the _Hector_, a ship of the same force as his own, to strike her colours, he did not lose time by taking possession of her, but leaving her in charge of a frigate pushed on to the _Ville de Paris_, which he engaged for the space of two hours, notwithstanding her great superiority, and left her a complete wreck. The Count de Grasse, however, refused to surrender; and as it was supposed that he would not yield to any vessel that did not carry an admiral's flag, towards sunset Sir Samuel Hood poured from the _Barfleur_ a most dreadful fire into the _Ville de Paris_. The Count de Grasse bore it for about ten minutes, when he surrendered: at this time there were only three men alive and unhurt on the upper deck, and of this number the count himself was one. Besides the _Ville de Paris_ and the _Hector_, the _Ardent_, of sixty-four guns, which had been captured in the British Channel, was re-taken; the _Cæsar_ and the _Glorieux_, of seventy-four guns each, also surrendered after they were made complete wrecks. The _Diadem_, early in the engagement, bore up to assist in protecting the _Ville de Paris_ from the _Formidable_, but by a single broadside from the latter she was sunk.