The French account of this action, as we have already noticed, was still more exaggerated than the Spanish; and, unfortunately for the friends and relatives of the Admiral, officers, and men of the squadron, it made its way to England some time previously to the true accounts,—causing much uneasiness. The Moniteur announced that
On the 5th July, at eight o'clock in the morning, the cannonade commenced against six English ships, which lost no time in coming within musket-shot of the French vessels. The action then became very warm. These two squadrons seemed equally animated with a determination to conquer. If the French squadron had any advantage in point of situation, the English had double their force, and several of their vessels had ninety guns each: already had the English ship, Hannibal, of seventy-four guns, contrived to place herself between the French squadron and the shore. It was now eleven o'clock a.m., and this proved the decisive moment. For two hours the Formidable, the French Admiral's ship, successfully opposed three English ships.
One of the British squadron, which was singly engaged with a French vessel, struck her colours at three-quarters past eleven. Immediately after, the Hannibal, exposed to the fire of three French ships, which fired from two decks, also struck her colours: about half-past twelve, the English squadron cut their cables, and sailed away. The Hannibal was boarded by the Formidable. Of six hundred men, who composed her crew, three hundred were killed. The first ship that struck her colours was retaken by a great number of gun-boats, and other vessels, sent out from Gibraltar. This action covers the French arms with glory, and shows what they are capable of accomplishing. Rear-admiral Linois proceeded to Cadiz with the Hannibal, in order to repair her damage.[37] We wait with impatience the returns of the loss sustained by each ship.
These accounts appear to have reached Paris on the 11th July. On the 19th, the following bulletin reached St. Malo.
Three French ships of the line and a frigate, under the command of Rear-admiral Linois, were attacked on the 6th instant by six English sail of the line and a frigate. The English were completely beaten, and took refuge in Gibraltar, leaving in possession of the French the Hannibal, of seventy-four guns: another ship of the line had struck, but was towed off by a great number of gun-vessels, which sailed from Gibraltar to her relief.
About this time, the Jason frigate, having been wrecked near St. Malo, the captain and crew were made prisoners. The author was sent in with a flag of truce by Commodore Cunningham, of the Clyde, to negotiate for the exchange of prisoners; when the French officer, with an air of triumph and exultation, handed him a copy of that bulletin: but, as soon as the negotiation was ended, the author had the pleasure of handing to him, in return, the Gazette account of the victory of the 13th, which Sir James Saumarez had gained over Linois, and which the Commodore had received, fortunately, on that day. The Frenchman's chagrin may be easily imagined, when he threw down the Gazette, with the exclamation 'Ce n'est pas vrai!'
On the statement of Linois' victory, as it was called, reaching Paris, a handsome sword was sent to him; which, however, did not reach him until after his subsequent defeat. On this occasion the following Epigram was written.
In the days of the Bourbons, a man was rewarded
For standing the brunt of the day:
But, now, this old maxim in France is discarded,—
Men are honoured for running away!
In the French accounts nothing was mentioned of their running their ships aground to escape from the English, which is, indeed, the only thing Citizen Linois deserved any credit for doing. At the same time, it could not fail to convince both the French and Spanish troops, of the want of confidence he must have had in his crews, and of their evident inferiority: it was certainly a new mode of fighting, which called forth the following lines on this improvement in naval tactics.