about two p.m.
Two merchantmen and a brig engaging a line-of-battle ship , two frigates , and two other ships of war -- for the rest of the fleet had not yet got up . The _ Royal George _ bore the brunt of the action , for Captain Timins took his ship as close to the enemy as they would let him , and the _ Ganges _ and _ Earl Camden _ opened their fire as soon as their guns could take effect . Before , however , any of the other ships could get into action the Frenchmen hauled their wind and stood away to the eastward , under all the sail they could set . On this , at about two p.m. , the signal was made for a general chase , and away went the fleet of merchantmen after the men-of-war . We pursued them for two hours , when the commodore , fearing that we might be led too far from the mouth of the straits , made the signal to tack , and in the evening we anchored ready to pass through the straits in the morning . We afterwards found that the squadron we had engaged was that of Admiral Linois , consisting of the _ Marengo _ , 84 guns , the _ Belle Poule _ and _ Semillante _ , heavy frigates , a corvette of 28 guns , and a Batavian brig of 18 guns . That the Frenchmen either took some of our big ships for men-of-war , or fancied that some men-of-war were near at hand and ready to come to our assistance , is very probable , but that does not detract from the gallantry of the action .