[Illustration]

During the night, at 2 A.M. of April 12th, the Zele and de Grasse’s flagship, the Ville de Paris, 110, crossing on opposite tacks, came into collision.  The former lost both foremast and bowsprit.  It has been stated by John Paul Jones, who by permission of Congress embarked a few months later on board the French fleet as a volunteer, and doubtless thus heard many personal narratives, that this accident was due to the deficiency of watch-officers in the French navy; the deck of the Zele being in charge of a young ensign, instead of an experienced lieutenant.  It was necessary to rid the fleet of the Zele at once, or an action could not be avoided; so a frigate was summoned to tow her, and the two were left to make their way to Guadeloupe, while the others resumed the beat to windward.  At 5 A.M. she and the frigate were again under way, steering for Guadeloupe, to the north-west, making from five to six miles (Position 3, a); but in the interval they had been nearly motionless, and consequently when day broke at 5.30 they were only two leagues from the Barfleur, Hood’s flagship, which, still in the British rear, was then standing south on the port tack.  The body of the French, (Position 3), was at about the same distance as on the previous evening,—­ten to fifteen miles,—­but the Ville de Paris (c) not more than eight.  Just before 6 A.M.  Rodney signalled Hood, who was nearest, to chase the Zele; and four of the rearmost ships of the line were detached for that purpose (b).  De Grasse, seeing this, signalled his vessels at 6 A.M. to close the flagship, making all sail; and he himself bore down to the westward (cc’), on the port tack, but running free, to frighten away Rodney’s chasers.  The British Admiral kept them out until 7 o’clock, by which time de Grasse was fairly committed to his false step.  All cruisers were then called in, and the line was closed to one cable.[115] Within an hour were heard the opening guns of the great battle, since known by the names of the 12th of April, or of The Saintes, and, in the French navy, of Dominica.  The successive losses of the Caton, Jason, and Zele, with the previous detachment of the two 50-gun ships with the convoy, had reduced the French numbers from thirty-five to thirty effective vessels.  The thirty-six British remained undiminished.

The British appear to have been standing to the south on the port tack at daylight; but, soon after sending out the chasers, Rodney had ordered the line of bearing (from ship to ship) to be north-north-east to south-south-west, evidently in preparation for a close-hauled line of battle on the starboard tack, heading northerly to an east wind.  Somewhat unusually, the wind that morning held at south-east for some time, enabling the British to lie up as high as east-north-east on the starboard tack (Position 3, d), on which they were when the battle joined; and this circumstance, being