While these advanced ships doubled the French line, the _Vanguard_ was the first that anchored on the outer side of the enemy, within half pistol shot of their third ship, the _Spartiate_. Nelson had six colours flying in different parts of the rigging, lest they should be shot away--that they should be struck, no British Admiral considers as a possibility. He veered half a cable, and instantly opened a tremendous fire, under cover of which the other four ships of his division, the _Minotaur_, _Bellerophon_, _Defence_ and _Majestic_, sailed on ahead of the Admiral. In a few minutes every man stationed at the first six guns in the fore part of the _Vanguard’s_ deck was killed or wounded--these guns were three times cleared. Captain Louis, in the _Minotaur_, anchored next ahead, and took off the fire of the _Aquilon_, the fourth in the enemy’s line. The _Bellerophon_, Captain Darby, passed ahead, and dropped her stern anchor on the starboard bow of the _Orient_, seventh in the line, Bruey’s own ship of one hundred and twenty guns, whose difference in force was in proportion of more than seven to three, and whose weight of ball, from the lower deck alone, exceeded that from the whole broadside of the _Bellerophon_. Captain Peyton, in the _Defence_, took his station ahead of the _Minotaur_ and engaged the _Franklin_, the sixth in the line, by which judicious movement the British line remained unbroken. The _Majestic_, Captain Wescott, got entangled with the main rigging of one of the French ships astern of the _Orient_, and suffered dreadfully from that three-decker’s fire; but she swung clear, and closely engaging the _Heureux_, the ninth ship in the starboard bow, received also the fire of the _Tonnant_, which was the eighth in the line. The other four ships of the British squadron, having been detached previous to the discovery of the French, were at a considerable distance when the action began. It commenced at half-after six, about seven the night closed, and there was no other light than that from the fire of the contending fleets.