We were both ready again for the frigates as they passed us, but they were not ready with their broadside for the _Sea-horse_, who followed us very closely, so that they had two broadsides each, and we had only four in the _Diomede_, the _Sea-horse_ not having one.

Our rigging was cut up a great deal, and we had six or seven men wounded, but none killed.

The French frigates suffered more, and their admiral perceiving that they were cut up a good deal, made a signal of recall.

In the meantime we had both tacked, and were ranging up on the weather quarter of the sternmost frigate: the line-of-battle ships perceiving this, ran down with the wind, two points free, to support their frigates, and our in-shore squadron made all sail to support us, nearly laying up for where we were.

But the wind was what is called at sea a soldier's wind, that is, blowing so that the ships could lie either way, so as to run out or into the harbour, and the French frigates, in obedience to their orders, made sail for their fleet in-shore, the line-of-battle ships coming out to support them.