When the French fleet had got sufficiently to the northward, to offer a prospect of the launch pursuing her course unobserved, she was ordered to shove off; but she had scarcely got a mile from the ship, when, to Captain Brenton’s great dismay, the enemy were seen on the starboard tack, and there was the greatest probability that the poor launch would have fallen into their hands. The officer however on seeing them approach, most judiciously lowered his sails; by which means, they passed without seeing him, although as he said, one of the ships was so near him, that he thought his capture inevitable. He was most providentially preserved, and the Spartan kept her station on the weather beam of the French Admiral during the night, and as day approached made sail on the opposite tack, by which she was soon out of danger of pursuit, and preserved that distance until the evening, when she again bore down and took her station for the night. On the morning of the 2nd, just before daylight, the enemy were still on the starboard tack, on which they had been the whole night. The Spartan was put about, and Captain Brenton, who had been on deck nearly the whole night, left orders to stand on the larboard tack, until the topsails only of the French squadron could be seen from the deck, when the ship was again to be put in stays, and bear the same tack with the enemy. He had not long however been asleep, when he was called by the officer of the watch, and informed that the French squadron had tacked and lay up for the Spartan; that they had a fresh breeze whilst the Spartan was nearly becalmed. The enemy approached rapidly, and had got within four or five miles, when their wind also failed them, and a most anxious day was passed by all on board the Spartan. The sails were sometimes trimmed for one tack, and sometimes for the other, and their steering sails, a-low and a-loft, and all in the course of an hour or two, as the wind veered round the compass. In the afternoon the wind set in again, and blew steady from its old quarter, the N.W.; and the French Admiral determined to avail himself of every change, in the hope of catching the British frigate, divided his squadron into two parts, and put one on each tack; but the Spartan having the breeze strong and steady had the heels of them, and had got so far to windward before dark, that when the squadron again united, and got upon the starboard tack, which they always did at night, she was again under the necessity of bearing down, in order to ensure keeping sight of them during the night. On the evening of the 3rd the wind having got round to the Northward, the French Admiral was observed to keep away, (about west) and a frigate went along the line, apparently speaking every ship; which movement Captain Brenton interpreted in the following manner. “The French Admiral finding he cannot shake off the British frigate, or get hold of her, is determined to pursue his course to the westward; it may be for