Signals.
From Wednesday 1st. to Thursday 2. July 1778.
At 4:30 o’clock one of the frigates Signaled a Foreign Ship; I Asked of him to which Point of the compass it bore, by a blue Flag at the mizzenmast, and by a blue and red Flag at the foremast; The frigate Signaled to the South-East.
At 6 o’clock I made a Signal to the Alcmène1 to Come alongside, by a blue and red Flag at the mizzenmast, by a white Flag at the mainmast, and by a blue Flag at the foremast, with its particular pennants.
At 6:30 o’clock one of the Ships of the Line and the Aimable2 Signaled Two Foreign Ships in the North-North-West, by a blue Flag at the mainmast, and by
a white and blue Flag at the Foremast.
A moment afterward, one Signaled four Sails, by a red Flag at the mizzenmast, by a blue and red Flag at the mainmast, and by a Jack at the Foremast.
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Wednesday 1st. July
Since yesterday Noon until today at the same time the wind has been variable from the West-South-West to the South-South-West a light breeze, the sky clear and the sea calm; the course corrected is set at North-West, 4 degrees North. There was only one minute of difference farther North than what was Estimated.
Course corrected 30 leagues
Latitude observed 33 d 44.min
Longitude reached West 67 d 48.min
The Wind then to the West-South-West light breeze, we continued the Course to the North ¼ North-East in order to chase a schooner that was seen since 10 o’clock in the morning.
At 5. o’clock in the Evening having approached nearly within cannon range, the Languedoc and the César3 fired some balls at it without any effect; I then resumed the starboard tack in order to Rejoin the Squadron and I left the César to continue the Chase.
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At 8:15 o’clock, I made a signal to the Chimère4 to Chase, by a yellow Flag at the foremast, with its particular pennants.
A moment later I signaled it to sail, by a white Flag at the Foremast.
At 9:15 o’clock I made a signal to the César to Chase by a yellow Flag at the Foremast, with its particular pennants.
A moment afterward I Signaled the North-North-West, by a white Flag with a red cross at the mizzenmast, by a Dutch Flag at the mainmast, and by a white and red Flag at the Foremast.
At 11:45 o’clock I made a Signal to the César to Sail, by a white Flag at the foremast, with its particular pennants;
A little after I Signaled North, ¼ North-East, by a white Flag at the mizzenmast, by a white Flag with a red cross at the mainmast, and by a Jack at the Foremast.
At one thirty o’clock I made a signal to the Aimable to sail, by a white Flag at the Foremast, with its particular pennants.
At 3 o’clock I made the same signal to the entire Squadron.
At 4:30 o’clock having come up with the Ship that we were chasing, one fired a cannon shot with powder at it; it not having paid perfect attention to it, one fired into him another cannon ball; and at the same instant I made the Signal to commence battle, by a red Flag at the mainmast. As the César had failed to come up to cannonade this Ship it had Chased it while firing its chase guns at
it with grapeshot; but having reached it, this Ship is discovered to be an American Rebel.5
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