The six French ships had now all come up, and were coming on in a body.
"Good morning, gentlemen," the young captain said gayly.

"We have a fine morning for our amusement.

I wish the wind would freshen a little more so as to take this lubberly old ship faster through the water." At six o'clock the leading vessel of the French squadron opened fire, and at the signal her consorts all followed her example.

Some of them were now almost abreast of the Resolution, and the iron shower tore through her sails and cut her rigging.

She answered with a broadside from both sides, and the battle commenced in earnest.
In all the annals of British seamanship there is no more heroic story than that of the fight between the Resolution and the six French men of war.