Captain Broke of the _Shannon_ promptly followed suit and signaled for all the boats of the squadron.

In a long column they trailed at the end of the hawser; and the _Shannon_ crept closer.
Catspaws of wind ruffled the water, and first one ship and then the other gained a few hundred yards as upper tiers of canvas caught the faint impulse.

The _Shannon_ was a crack ship, and there was no better crew in the British navy, as Lawrence of the _Chesapeake_ afterwards learned to his mortal sorrow.

Gradually the _Shannon_ cut down the intervening distance until she could make use of her bow guns.
At this Captain Hull resolved to try kedging his ship along, sending a boat half a mile ahead with a light anchor and all the spare rope on board.

The crew walked the capstan round and hauled the ship up to the anchor, which they then lifted, carried ahead, and dropped again.