On the 19th, the fleet was in proper order for battle about eight in the morning; having the Dutch in the van, the red in the centre, and the blue in the rear. About ten o’clock the French fleet bore down upon them with great resolution, and about half after eleven, the Royal Sun, the finest ship in France carrying 100 guns, began the fight with Admiral Russell, within three-quarters musket shot. The French exercised their guns very briskly till about one o’clock, when they began to tow her off in great disorder. The fight continued till four in the afternoon, when the French taking advantage of a fog began to retreat. About eight in the evening it grew foggy again, and part of the blue squadron having fallen in with the enemy, engaged about half an hour, till the French, having lost four ships, bore away for Conquest road. In this short action Sir John Ashby’s Rear-Admiral Carter was killed: who when found himself mortally wounded, recommended to Captain Wright, who commanded his ship, to fight her as long as she could swim. The English continued the chase till the 22nd, when, about eleven in the forenoon, the French Admiral, in the Royal Sun, ran ashore and cut away her mast. He was followed by some others of his fleet, and were all afterwards destroyed. In the evening a great number of the enemy’s ships were seen going to La Hogue. On the 23rd the Admiral sent Sir George Rooke, with several men of war, fireships and all the boats in the fleet, to destroy these ships, consisting of thirteen sail of men of war, besides a great number of transports, etc. Sir George having manned his boats, went in person, to encourage the attempt; when he burnt six of them that night, and the other seven, with the transports the next morning. Sir John Ashby, with the blue squadron and some Dutch ships, pursued the rest of the French fleet till they ran through the race of Alderney, among such rocks and shoals where the English pilots refused to follow them. Sir John has been much censured for his conduct in this part of the transaction, though probably without any reason, since some of the ablest seamen in England were of opinion, that nothing could be more desperate than the flight of the French through that dangerous passage. And though despair might justify them in attempting it, yet the bare possibility of success in following them might be equivalent to the danger of the undertaking.