Signal Book, 1756, United Service Institution+.] _Lord Anson's Additional Fighting Instruction, to be inserted after Article the 4th in the Additional Fighting Instructions by Day_.
Whereas it may often be necessary for ships in line of battle, to regulate themselves by bearing on some particular point of the compass from each other without having any regard to their bearing abreast or ahead of one another; You are therefore hereby required and directed to strictly observe the following instructions: When the signal is made for the squadron to draw into a line of battle at any particular distance, and I would have them keep north and south of each other, I will hoist a red flag with a white cross in the mizen topmast shrouds to show the quarter of the compass, and for the intermediate points I will hoist on the flagstaff at the mizen top-mast-head, when they are to bear N by E and S by W, one common pennant NNE " SSW, two common pennants NE by N " SW by S, three " " NE " SW, a Dutch jack.
And I will hoist under the Dutch jack when I would have them bear NE by E and SW by W, one common pennant ENE " WSW, two common pennants E by N " W by S, three " " and fire a gun with each signal.
When I would have them bear from each other on any of the points on the NW and SE quarters I will hoist a blue and white flag on the mizen topmast shrouds, to show the quarter of the compass and distinguish the intermediate points they are to form on from the N and S in the same manner as in the NE and SW quarter.[1] ED.

HAWKE.
FOOTNOTE: [1] From this article it would appear that the correct expression for 'line of bearing' is 'quarter line'-- _i.e._ a line formed in a quarter of the compass, and that 'bow and quarter line' is due to false etymology.

Though Hawke approved the formation, it does not appear in the Additional Instructions used by Boscawen in 1759.

It was however regularly incorporated in those used in the War of American Independence.

See _post_, p.