 The admiral sent two reconnoitring frigates which surprised and caught two French and Spanish vessels in a night-time raid.Encouraged by this success, Jervis dispatched a small squadron under recently promoted Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson with the aim of seizing Santa Cruz by means of an amphibious attack.On 14 July Nelson sailed for the Canaries aboard his flagship HMS "Theseus", (Captain Miller), leading a squadron composed of HMS "Culloden" (Captain Troubridge), HMS "Zealous" (Captain Hood), all 74-gun ships; and the frigates HMS "Seahorse" (38 guns), commanded by Captain Fremantle, HMS "Emerald" (36 guns) led by Captain Waller, and HMS "Terpsichore" (32 guns) under Captain Bowen; as well as the hired armed cutter "Fox" under Lieutenant John Gibson, and a mortar boat, the "Ray", under Lieutenant Crompton.