Some hours after this scene, which, as the French officer from whom the extract is taken says, "appears now almost grotesque, but which is only an exact portrayal of the sea manners of the day, the whole squadron was lost on a group of rocks known as the Aves Islands. Such were the officers." The flag-captain, in another part of his report, says: "The shipwreck resulted from the general line of conduct held by Vice-Admiral d'Estrées. It was always the opinion of his servants, or others than the proper officers of the ship, which prevailed. This manner of acting may be understood in the Comte d'Estrées, who, without the necessary knowledge of a profession he had embraced so late, always had with him obscure counsellors, in order to appropriate the opinions they gave him so as to blind the ship's company as to his capacity."[65] D'Estrées had been made vice-admiral two years after he first went aboard ship. FOOTNOTES: [45] Martin: History of France. [46] Martin: History of France. [47] Ledyard, vol ii. p. 599; Campbell: Lives of the Admirals. See also letter of Sir Richard Haddock, Naval Chronicle, vol. xvii. p. 121. [48] Hoste: Naval Tactics. [49] See Map, p. 107. [50] Martin: History of France. [51] Brandt: Life of De Ruyter. [52] Campbell: Lives of the Admirals. [53] Troude: Batailles Navales de la France, year 1673. [54] Ibid. [55] Troude: Batailles Navales de la France, year 1673. [56] Chabaud-Arnault: Revue Mar. et Col. July, 1885. [57] Jurien de la Gravière: Guerres Maritimes. [58] Mémoires. [59] See Map of Mediterranean, p. 15. [60] Lapeyrouse-Bonfils: Hist. de la Marine Française.