commission, and give the necessary orders at Pondicherry; he landed at five in the afternoon, and was received with all the distinctions annexed to his authority. In the mean time the other ships worked in, and anchored off Cuddalore, two miles to the south of Fort St. David.
The English squadron having in ten days worked as high to windward as the head of Ceylon, stood in again for the coast, which they made on the 28th, off Negapatam, and proceeding along shore, discovered at nine the next morning the French ships riding off Cuddalore, which immediately weighed and bore down towards Pondicherry, throwing out signals to recal the Comte de Provence and the Diligente; but they not weighing in obedience to the summons, the squadron stood out to sea E. by N. the wind blowing from the S.E. Mr.Pocock, on the first sight of the French squadron, had thrown out the signal for chace, which implies, that every ship is to push with crowded sail, and without regard to each other, in pursuit of the enemy, until countermanded by a different signal. At half an hour after twelve, his ships were within a league of the enemy, who were formed, and waiting for them in a line of battle a-head; when Mr. Pocock hauled down the chacing signal, brought to on the starboard tack, hoisted his colours, and made the signal for the line a-head, and to be formed at the distance of half a cable, or 100 yards, one ship from another. The Tyger sailing ill, and the Cumberland much worse, were at this time so far a-stern of the other ships, that it was ten minutes past two before they got up to their allotted stations in the line; which being now formed, the Admiral made the signal to bear down, each ship in the exact direction to the antagonist she was intended to encounter, according to the disposition of the two lines; and this was explained by continuing the distinctive signal of the line of battle a-head, joined to that of bearing down.
The French line consisted of nine sail, all, excepting the Zodiac, capable of carrying more guns than they mounted, and she having changed her lower battery of 32 pounders for 24 at Brest, had riot been able to replace them at the Isle of France. The Vengeur of 54 led, followed by the Bien Aimé of 58, next the Conde of 44,
