The French had suffered much more severely.  The flagship Languedoc, 90, had carried away her bowsprit, all her lower masts followed it overboard, and her tiller also was broken, rendering the rudder unserviceable.  The Marseillais, 74, lost her foremast and bowsprit.  In the dispersal of the two fleets that followed the gale, each of these crippled vessels, on the evening of the 13th, encountered singly a British 50-gun ship; the Languedoc being attacked by the Renown, and the Marseillais by the Preston.  The conditions in each instance were distinctly favourable to the smaller combatant; but both unfortunately withdrew at nightfall, making the mistake of postponing to to-morrow a chance which they had no certainty would exist after to-day.  When morning dawned, other French ships appeared, and the opportunity passed away.  The British Isis, 50, also was chased and overtaken by the Cesar, 74.  In the action which ensued, the French ship’s wheel was shot away, and she retired;—­two other British vessels, one of the line, being in sight.  The latter are not mentioned in the British accounts, and both sides claimed the advantage in this drawn action.  The French captain lost an arm.

After making temporary repairs, at the anchorage where Howe saw them on the 15th of August, the French fleet had proceeded again towards Newport.  It was in the course of this passage that they were seen by Byron’s flagship[35] on the 18th, to the southward of Long Island.  The Experiment, 50, which Howe had sent to reconnoitre Narragansett Bay, was chased by them into Long Island Sound, and only reached New York by the East River; being the first ship of the line or 50-gun ship that ever passed through Hell Gate.  On the 20th d’Estaing communicated with General Sullivan, the commander of the American land forces on Rhode Island; but it was only to tell him that in his own opinion, and in that of a council of war, the condition of the squadron necessitated going to Boston to refit.  Whatever may be thought of the propriety of this decision, its seriousness can be best understood from the report sent by Pigot to Howe.  “The rebels had advanced their batteries within fifteen hundred yards of the British works.  He was under no apprehensions from any of their attempts in front; but, should the French fleet come in, it would make an alarming change.  Troops might be landed and advanced in his rear; and in that case he could not answer for the consequences.”  Disregarding Sullivan’s entreaties that he would remain, d’Estaing sailed next day for Boston, which he reached on August 28th.  On the 31st the indefatigable Howe came in sight; but the French had worked actively in the three days.  Forty-nine guns, 18 and 24-pounders, with six mortars, were already in position covering the anchorage; and “the French squadron, far from fearing an attack, desired it eagerly."[36] The withdrawal of the French fleet from Rhode Island was followed by that of the American troops from before Newport.