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The injuries to the British ships engaged were not such as to compel them to leave the fleet.  The Royal Oak lost her main topmast, and that of the Warrior fell two days later, not improbably from wounds; but in these was nothing that the ready hands of seamen could not repair so as to continue the chase.  Rodney, therefore, contented himself with reversing the order of sailing, putting Hood in the rear, whereby he was able to refit, and yet follow fast enough not to be out of supporting distance.  This circumstance caused Hood’s division to be in the rear in the battle of the 12th.  One of the French ships, the Caton, 64, had been so injured that de Grasse detached her into Guadeloupe.  It must be remembered that a crippled ship in a chased fleet not only embarrasses movement, but may compromise the whole body, if the latter delay to protect it; whereas the chaser keeps between his lame birds and the enemy.

During the night of the 9th the British lay-to for repairs.  The next morning they resumed the pursuit, turning to windward after the enemy, but upon the whole losing throughout the 10th and the 11th.  At daylight of the 10th the French, by the logs of Hood and Cornwallis, were “from four to five leagues distant,” “just in sight from the deck.”  During that night, however, the Zele, 74, had collided with the Jason, 64; and the latter was injured so far as to be compelled to follow the Caton into Guadeloupe.  At sunset of that day Rodney signalled a general chase to windward, the effect of which was to enable each ship to do her best according to her captain’s judgment during the dark hours.  Nevertheless, on the morning of the 11th the French seem again to have gained, for Hood, who, it will be remembered, was now in the rear, notes that at 10 A.M. twenty-two French sail (not all the fleet) could be counted from the masthead; Cornwallis, further to windward, could count thirty-three.  Troude, a French authority, says that at that time nearly all the French had doubled The Saintes, that is, had got to windward of them, and it looked as though de Grasse might succeed in throwing off his pursuer.  Unluckily, two ships, the Magnanime, 74, and the Zele, 74, the latter of which had lost her main topmast, were several miles to leeward of the French main body.  It was necessary to delay, or to drop those vessels.  Again, trivial circumstances conspired to further a great disaster, and de Grasse bore down to cover the crippled ships; so losing much of his hard-won ground, and entailing a further misfortune that night.  Rodney hung doggedly on, relying on the chapter of accidents, as one who knows that all things come to him who endures.  To be sure, there was not much else he could do; yet he deserves credit for unremitting industry and pluck.  During the afternoon, the signals noted in the British logs—­to call in all cruisers and for the fleet to close—­attest mutely the movement of de Grasse in bearing down,—­coming nearer.