1810	Captain Blackwood off Toulon	217

off Toulon, consisted, in general, of 13 sail of the line, but frequently of less, with, as usual, a very small quota of frigates.

On the 15th of July a continuance of strong gales from the north-west obliged Sir Charles Cotton, with the main body of the fleet, to take shelter under Levant island, the easternmost of the Hyères ; and, while here, the violence of the wind drove the admiral as far to the eastward as Villa-Franca. In the mean time the port of Toulon was watched by a detached squadron, under the orders of Captain the Honourable Henry Blackwood, of the 74-gun ship Warspite, consisting, besides that ship, of the 74s Ajax and Conqueror, Captains Robert Walter Otway and Edward Fellowes, the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Euryalus, Captain the Honourable George Heneage Lawrence Dundas, and the 10-gun brig-sloop Shearwater, Captain Edward Reynolds Sibly.

On the 17th eight sail of the line and four frigates stood out of Toulon to exercise, and one of the 74s exchanged a few broad sides with the Euryalus, but without doing her any injury. Either on this or the preceding day a convoy of French coasters from the westward, under the protection of a frigate and corvette, was chased by Captain Blackwood's squadron into Bandol, a small harbour 10 or 12 miles to the westward of Toulon. On the 18th the Euryalus reconnoitered the French fleet, and discovered two line-of-battle ships and one frigate at anchor off Cape Sepet, 11 line-of-battle ships and seven frigates in the outer, and two line-of-battle ships and one frigate in the inner road ; total, 15 sail of the line and nine frigates. Thirteen of these ships comprise all those named at pp. 205 and 206 (sic), except the Robuste and Lion: the two remaining ships were the Wagram of 130, and either the Sceptre of 80, or the Trident of 74 guns.

On the 20th, at 7 a.m., while the Shearwater lay close to the tongue of land that forms Cape Sepet, and the Euryalus more to the south-east, fronting the road of Toulon, six sail of the line (one three, and five two deckers) and four frigates, under a Vice-admiral, sailed out, with the apparent intention of releasing the frigate and her convoy at Bandol, as the latter, about the same time, got under way and stood to sea before a fine land wind. Just as Captain Sibly had made the signal of an enemy in the north-north west, in which direction the Shearwater, since daylight, had been ordered to reconnoitre, the brig was recalled by the commodore ; whose object, as he could not now prevent the junction of the frigate and convoy in Bandol, was to collect his own ships, and place them without the enemy, in the most eligible posture of defence in his power. Having, before she could reach her squadron, to cross the French van or advanced division, consisting of the 74-gun ship Ajax and 40 gun-frigate Amèlie, the Shearwater became rather critically circumstanced ; although it is doubtful whether, from her situation to windward, the Shearwater could have been molested by the French ships,

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