Vice Admiral Arbuthnot failed with his fquadron early on the ioth and proceeded to the fouthward with a prefs of fail in purfuit of the enemy On the I3th when in lat 39 30 N within a few leagues of the coaft the Admiral fpoke a veflel from London to New York and was informed by her that fhe had feen the French fquadron on the preceding day about a degree to the fouthward and that it then confided of eight fail of large fhips three frigates and a tender This intelligence raifed the fpirits of the Britifh tars The Admiral fleered the courfe by which he thought it moft likely that he fliould fall in with them and that fame evening the wind increafed to a gale from the N W this was extremely favourable to the purfuit and made the Vice Admiral entertain hopes that he would be able to overtake the enemy s fquadron before they entered the Chefapeak or if practicable to attack them whilft at anchor there On the i6th the Iris frigate at fix in the morning made the fignal for difcovering five ftrange fail to the N N E and foon after came within hail and informed the Vice Admiral that they were large hips and fleering for the Capes of Virginia and fuppofed them to be only about a league diftant on which the Vice Admiral prepared his fquadron for battle by making the fignal for a line of battle ahead a cable s length afunder on a wind which was then frefh and not doubting but the fhips feen were the French fquadron he made towards them with a prefs of fail At this time Cape Henry bore S W by W diftant about fourteen leagues the wind at weft the enemy s fleet bearing E N E the weather fo hazy that the line of the Britifh line could fcarcely be difcerned About eight o clock the wind veered to N W by W and foon after to N by W by which means the enemy obtained the weather gage and about this time feveral of their fhips were difcovered to windward manoeuvring to form their line At half an hour after eight the Guadaloupe frigate ranged under the Vice Admiral s lee and brought the fame intelligence that the Iris had given he ordered her to make fail and to keep fight of the enemy The haze appearing to thicken the Vice Admiral ordered the Iris by fignal to make fail ahead and keep fight of the enemy The Britifh line was by this time completed formed and clofe hauled on the larboard tack The headmoft fhips of the enemy s fquadron at twenty minutes after nine tacked as did the reft in fucceflion and formed their line on the larboard tack f At thirty five minutes after nine the weather being very fqually the Vice Admiral made the fignal for his fquadron to form a line of battle ahead at two cable 5 length afunder and at a quarter after ten he made the fignal for the fquadron to tack the headmoft and weathermoft fhip firft and gain the wind of the enemy A little before eleven o clock the headmoft fhip of the French line tacked but one of their hips having miffed flays the reft wore and formed their line on the larboard tack At forty minutes after eleven Vice Admiral Arbuthnot made the fignal for his fquadron to form the line at a cable s length afunder and at twelve o clock there being a profpect of the van of the Britifh line reaching the enemy he made the fignal for the fquadron to tack the van firft and for the van fhip continuing to lead on the other tack At one o clock the enemy s fquadron confifting of eight two decked fhips having completed their line of battle ahead but being apprehenfive of the danger and inconvenience of engaging to windward from the high fea and the weather fqually the French Admiral about half an hour after one o clock made the fignal for his fquadron to wear and form their line to the leeward of the Britifh line At two o clock the van of the Britifh fquadron wore in a line and in a few minutes the Robuft which was the leading fhip bore down in the moil gallant manner and was warmly engaged with the enemy s van the van and centre of the Britifk fquadron were all engaged by half paft two o clock and by three o clock the French line was broke j their fhips began foo to wear and to form their line again with their heads to the fouth eaft At twenty minutes after three Vice Admiral Arbuthnot made the fignal for his fquadron to wear and land after them but by that time the Robuft Prudent and Europe which were the headmoft hips and had received the moft of the enemy s fire at their rigging as they bore down t engage were fo entirely difabled and the London s main topfail yard being carried away the two firft unmanageable