342 A VOYAGE TO Book IX. 



fs on the coth. This happy change could be attri- 

 "med only to the fargafo iiicked into' fiich Teams as 

 "^ere open: and this farther appeared by feveral pieces 

 of it thrown our by the pump ; befides a confider- 

 able quantity of the v;eed was feen (licking to the 

 outfide of the (hip's bottom. Bnt on the 29th the 

 water began again to increafc, and foon after abated ; 

 in fuch variations it continued during the whole voy- 

 age. And we according to its (late, fluiluating be- 

 twixt hope and fear. 



On the 21ft of July, about i:x in the morning, 

 being in z?3 deg. 57 min. latitude, and 39 dcg. 44 

 min. E. of Concc'pñon, we difcovcred two fail within 

 three leagues of us; bearing li. N. E. The rays of 

 the fun had hindered us getting fight of them fooner. 

 They ilood to the S. W. and our three Ihips kept on 

 together N. E. without altering their courfe till leven 

 in the morning, when being within little more than 

 cannon-ihot of each other, the largeit of the two fired 

 a gun with fhot, and at the fame time both hoilled 

 Englilh colours, our frigates alfo formed a line, 

 thougri little in a condition for fighting ; for befides 

 being weakly manned, and the want of arms and 

 ammunition, they had no nettings for fecuring the 

 nun, fo that both the quarter deck and fore-caftle 

 were expofed. 



Wh, however, after the enemy had hoifted their 

 colours, continued failing in a line, but ftill in our 

 prope^r courfes, till the fmalleft of the Englifh fiiips 

 bore dowii upon us, and fired feveral iliot to oblige us 

 to hoid our colours J on which at half an hour after 

 feven a fire both of great guns and mufketiy began on 

 both fides ; and at eight o'clock the fnips were vvithin 

 piiloi-ihot of each other. 



The force of the three French frigates was this, 

 the Louis Erafme carried twenty guns; eight on the 

 Cuirter deck of eight-pounders, and the twelve on 

 the fore-caüle fix-pounders, and had betwixt feventy 



and 



