The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-09-24

| ipsihi iiitS.
6'sfrnd 2t@ letter from an o5Fcer or 6oard one
TIE JrigGsS IN Sir RoGeIs Callers feet.
. ION the esd July, about ia vi. the De
nance, one OF the lookout lhps, mad. a Gpna
Tor ifeet N. w. directly to windwar,. of ON
Meet; ifloriy after the iigna! for their being III,
eneny's fleet, and that they coniaed of flip
oi inc me, and fiigates, to the nuu.ltr of 80
OF TINS time we were to w;ndward of Tie Def
ance, aud four or five leagues tn wiudward q
our Feet. About half paft Ie, P. NJ. we comic
piaihiy count from our deck from Is to so fail
apparently lying too. The Defiance getting
neariy within sun-thot, returned to our nert
VINO were then forming in line of b,t.le
ABOUT 9, We were con6derably within gur.fhot
or the enenny's advanced fIuatlron, which then
tacked, and food to win..wartl OF their llsrt
tneii formed 10 line. We bore ND TO lee,var,,
or their advanced iiip. and paiied within half
gui'-iho. or thelr whole line, which WAS formed
10 inansriy ftyie, and confiaed of IT Gil Of
tue Inc, and line of battle flips to wi,,iward
ter the protection of thcir rear. Th.y had
''kew,le large frigates, two briggs, and a yerv
valuable ga!ieon, which one of their frigates had
y" cow tie figates were iikewiic to windward
WIN the ihps OF the iins) of their 9rrrm,,r
! mp. Oar heet WAS at this time about miles
20 tc"atd, OH tie itarooard tack, under a prefs
or iaii, the enemy at the fame time under csfy
iai'-a thick fog Intervening, prevented the
TWO 'isets tron, feeling each other. Seeing the
3ai'eon IN tow by the fr;gate, and obferviag they
were the iternnoH ihip of the eGemy's line, we
Tackled with the intent Of attempting to cut her
of. This fudden manouvrc drew the enemv,s
trigate itto alarm, and fhe Immediately rom.
menced firing Ggnal guns in quick iucceiIion.
"hich cauted line q battle Hips fatioreei tn
cover Their rear, TO ed &c down for her rroteGfi-
on. Our attempt being thus fru.trs.ed I've were
compete TO edge down to our feet. The fog
al shis time cleared little, and we perceived
that oar fieet tackled for the enemy, and the adj
rairai had given the iisnal to attack their centre.
as we were edglng away, we obferved the van
vi I''e enemy nad wore for the protection of the
S"iieoh likswlit, and when we obicrved their
leading lhips (three quarters Daft fourl were in
very critical iituation. On pafing, they
hoilted Spanlfh colours, and we received IT,.
Wnoie IRE or their leading lhips, upwards OF
~ pieces OF heavy artillery, dfcharging on our
hi5dte WALT We could only return 90. Thus
IIe action commenced Our leading hip, the
Eefo, "a, tackled immediately, the enemy o.
Pehed their hire on us, and comm snced heavy
cannonading on them in return. 1t continued
win uhremitting fury for three hours and half.
"hen we law, or the clearing of the fog at in
terVals Inc French line to winiward, and ftlips
dilanicd, although we could rot at the time DIFF
tinsuith whether they belonged to the enemy or
US. At half pait s, the firing ceafsd on bofb
hides; the admiral hoited his diftingui.l:inc
shas as a tbs S st ff et afg 70 bs in or7aB
order, confldering the extreme fogginefs of the
weather, and had apparently !utfcred but li.tle
although the firing on both fides was extremely
heavy. We being iuf TO leewarl of the admi
raj, were ordered into the rear to take poffeni-
OF of the two prizes, attending on which duty,
has been our conitant employment ever iince.
About nine, the admiral made iignal 70 bring too
OF the itarhoard tack, which was complied with
by the whole line. T he two Spaniih ihips that
have surrendered had GOO men killed & wound
ed their lower mats Hot away by the board
10 that they werercndered totally unrnanageable
and gave us immenie trouble in towing them
Had the weather been clear, have no hefitati-
on in fsying, they would have been completely
dcfeated-hnt thefog prevented our1ips getfing
near enough (tney not being difcernable bu. at
intervals) and the French being TO windward.
were TOO wife TO come nearer 10 US. On the
24th, The wind iisifted TO the eafward, which
ought our fleet to windward Of the enemy.
n this time, We were FL far to leeward with
our prizes, that we could not fee the enemy,
though our feet could.
Minutes of the aeion between the combined
beet OF FRANCE and Spain, and the Biitiih
iquadfon, under the command of Vice-Ad
m!ral Sir Robert Calder.
"H. NJ. ihip Nindfor Cattle, lat. "A
deg. 10 min. long. IL deg. 90 min
CaPc fiui!terre S. T. liz miles. One
hundred leagues of Uihant.
"P. M. Moderate brcezes, and thick foggv
weather. AT two o'clock, Admiral Calder
made the fgnal FOR an enemy being in fight, &
to prepare for battIe-at 8 do. for the line Of
battle in open order--45 minutes after four, the
van-ihips having tackled, Ggnal was made to en-
gage the enemy's centre in clofe order-55 af-
ter four, the cannonading commenced by ihips
a-heaG--the fog being 70 thick, could not DIFF
cover what fhips were engaged: ten minutes
pat five, being on the larboard tack, obferve d
the Barileur on the 1arboard tack tackled flip
on her wake--thc fog having cleared away a
little, dicoycred two French line of battle fhips,
frIg1te ahd brig oppofed TO us, when we o.
pened our fire., with an almoft inceiiant cannon
adIng-dt rs minutes after lix, Spaniih fIiip Of
the line dropped dowo to- fupport the above
hips; they hauling their fore and main hal
yards on board, r,ade fail TO windward from
us, at the Zane time kept up heavy fire--two
other ihps OF their line took their nations the
Prince of Wales coming mp, partially engaging
two Hips OF tie line, their foremoR fire direct
ed 1T US, and The aftermoR at the Prince of