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180 Sir James Saumarez was afterwards detached with two frigates to cruise off Rochfort, where he remained for six months, during the most tempestuous weather. He then resumed his station in the fleet off Brest, from whence he was sent to reinforce Sir John Jervis, whom he joined five days before the memorable battle off Cape St. Vincent, on which occasion the Orion was one of the six ships that attacked the body of the enemy’s fleet, and afterwards joined in the attack of the huge Santissima Trinidada, which, according to an entry made in the Orion’s log book, at length hauled down her colours, and hoisted English ones, but was rescued by several of the enemy’s fresh ships. In this engagement, already detailed in our memoir of Earl St. Vincent, the Orion had only 9 men wounded.

On the 30th April, 1798, Sir James Saumarez, who, subsequent to the above battle, had been employed in the blockade of Cadiz, accompanied Sir Horatio Nelson to the Mediterranean, and shared in the honours acquired off the Mouth of the Nile. The Orion was the third ship that doubled the