THE 17TU OF OCTOBEll. 341 its weakness. Thereupon, Dundas rang a bell, chap. X 1 1 r and sent for the chart ; but the captains did not ; come to precise conclusions as to the ranges at which the ships taking part in the array would have to act.* They apparently judged that the service would be one of greater danger to the ships than it proved to be ; but, in regard to the hopelessness of the intended attack, they did not deceive themselves. However, they deferred to authority. It must be acknowledged that the English were English 1 IT » 1 ■ fill compliancy good, easy allies. As on the morning oi the land- ing they had made haste to accept the change, and to mend the confusion which the French had created by altering the place of the buoy,"}* so now our ships' captains gave proof that even under such a trial as this — and it was notliing less than that of having to play out before Europe a play which each saw to be a sorry one — they could keep themselves I'ree from the guilt of that which the churches call 'schism.' The English Admiral had to form, with the Nature of French, a line of ships riding at anchor, which Dundas . was now was to stretch m unbroken array across the ap- under- , . . taking: proaches of the roadstead ; and although it is true that to a portion of Admiral Hamelin's fleet this design seemed to offer a fair opportunity of ruin-
- They had not, of course, before them all the requisite data
for coming to such conclusions, unless they knew the exact imrt of Chersonese Bay at which the French line of battle was to commence, and upon that, apparently, they were imperfectly informed. + See voh ii. chap. xxii. of 'Cabinet Edition.'
