About this time the four British frigates came down to reconnoitre, and were chased by some of the Allied fleet, which latter, however, rejoined the main body at nightfall. Just before dark the French ship Aigle made signal for eighteen British ships in line-of-battle, to the southward; and shortly after the combined fleet wore and stood to the northwest. On the 21st, a little before daylight, the French Admiral, abandoning his plan of forming line-of-battle of twenty-one ships (as the enemy were now to windward, and of nearly equal force to himself), ordered the three columns, composed of the twenty-one ships, without regard to priority of rank among them, to form in close line-of-battle, on the starboard tack, upon the leewardmost division of twelve ships, and then to steer southeast. The manœuvre executed, daylight found the two fleets fairly in sight of each other, for the first time. The centre of the Franco-Spanish fleet bearing about east by south of the centre of the British, and distant about ten miles. The wind was then light, from west-northwest, and a heavy swell setting in from the westward. Let us now look at the movements of the British fleet during the period just before the momentous battle now impending. About half-past nine A. M., on the 19th, while the British fleet was lying to, fifty miles west-southwest from Cadiz, the line-of-battle ships which formed the cordon of communication between the fleet and the reconnoitring frigates, inshore, repeated the signal that the enemy was coming out of port. Lord Nelson immediately made sail to the southeast with light breezes, mostly from south-southwest. At three P. M. the signal was repeated, that the enemy was at sea. That afternoon Lord Nelson directed that the fleet should observe the motions of his flag-ship, the Victory, during the night, and that the best sailing ships should stand ahead, and steer for the mouth of the Straits. On the 20th of October, at daylight, the English found themselves near the entrance of the Straits, but saw nothing of their enemy. Thereupon the fleet wore, and made sail to the northwest, with a fresh breeze at south-southwest. At seven A. M., one of the frigates signalled the Allied fleet, bearing north; and by noon the Victory and the English fleet were within twenty-five miles of Cadiz, standing to the west-northwest, on the port tack. Early in the afternoon they were taken aback, by a breeze from the west-northwest, and at 4 P. M. wore, and again came to, on the port tack, steering north. It was now telegraphed that the Allied fleet seemed determined to go to the westward, and Lord Nelson replied that he relied on the frigates keeping them in sight during the night. The frigates then signalled “thirty-one sail of the enemy, bearing north-northeast.” When night fell the British fleet wore, and stood to the southwest, and at 4 A. M. of the 21st wore again, and steered north by east, under easy sail.