Signals.
From Monday 6. to Tuesday 7 July 1778.
At 2:30 o’clock in the morning the Action ended;1 I immediately made the signal to put about before the wind, by four lights at the mizzenmast, and by a light at the foremast.
At 4 o’clock I made the signal, by a white and blue flag at the foremast.
At 5. o’clock I signaled the frigate Aimable2 to chase a ship which was within its range, by a yellow flag at the foremast with its private pennants.
At 5:30 o’clock the Zélé3 signaled one unknown ship; I asked what point of the compass it bore, by a blue flag at the mizzenmast, and by a red and blue flag at the foremast.
The Zélé signaled North-West-¼-West.
At 6:15 o’clock the Engageante, returning with the ship which it had taken, signaled; I replied by an English flag white at the tail;4 and one at half-mast below it.
At 7 o’clock I raised the command pennant.
At 9 o’clock I made a signal to the César5 to take the starboard tack, by a white and red flag at the foremast with its private pennants.
At 11 o’clock I signaled the Sagittaire6 to unship its long boat, by a white flag with a red cross at the mizzenmast,7 and by a Dutch flag, with its private pennants.
At 6 o’clock I signaled to take on board the Vessels with oars, by a white flag with a red cross at the mizzenmast, and by a white flag at the foremast.
At 7:15 o’clock [pm] I made the signal to be waited on by a red flag at the mizzenmast.
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Monday 6 July 1778.
At 5:30 o’clock in the morning the snow being to leeward of the squadron, the frigate Aimable, which was the nearest, chased and overtook it after
8 o’clock; this ship surrendered on the first cannon shot; it proved to be a French prize8 that the privateer Rose had taken; at noon these two ships joined the squadron which was lying to.
From Noon yesterday until today at the same time, the wind had been variable from North-North-East to South- South-West with light breezes and calm, the sky clear and the sea smooth; the course corrected is equal to West-North- West, 2 degrees North.
There was only 6 minutes of difference farther south than what was estimated.
Course corrected—9 leagues
Latitude observed—37 d. 48min
Longitude reached West 73 d. 23min
The wind then to the South-West, with light breezes, lying to—starboard to the wind, we took soundings and found the bottom. We found 25 fathoms of water the first time and it continued to diminish until 10 fathoms, bottom fine sand and some small shells.
From yesterday at 7 o’clock in the evening, we saw the land; it appeared very flat, we approached it up to 5 or 6 leagues; we tacked about well off during the night, when we were at only 13 fathoms, we made the same maneuver during the day when we were at only 10 fathoms.
At sunset variation observed North-West 1 degree.
At 7:15 o’clock in the evening we set sail, and made our course to the North during the night.
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