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40** place April 12, 1794; when he joined the grand fleet, at that period commanded by Earl Howe. Early in the following month he was detached with a squadron to escort the outward bound East India fleet, and other convoys, amounting in the whole to about four hundred sail, as far to the southward as Cape Finisterre. After the performance of this important service, he cruised for some days to the northward of Cape Ortegal and previous to his return to port; captured a French corvette of 22 guns and 140 men, and re-took several British and Dutch merchantmen.

Early in June, he was again ordered to sea, for the purpose of reinforcing Lord Howe, as well as to look out for a valuable convoy coming from America, and bound to the western coast of France, the capture or destruction of which, at that critical period, was deemed an object of the utmost importance. On the 8th of the same month, being off Ushant with eight 74-gun ships, one 64, and several frigates, he discovered a French squadron consisting of one 3-decker, seven 74’s, and one other two-decked ship, which he pursued until they got close under the land, and some of them into Brest Water, where two other ships, supposed to be of the line, were then at anchor. At seven A.M. on the following day, the fleet under M. Villaret Joyeuse appeared in sight to the westward, standing in for the land, with the wind about north. Rear-Admiral Montagu, perceiving that the enemy had fourteen effective line-of-battle ships (one of which was a first rate) independent of five others which had been disabled in the recent battle with Lord Howe, besides frigates, &c.; aware of the ease with which those he had chased on the preceding evening might have formed a junction with this superior force, and fearing that his sternmost ships would not be able to weather the French line, tacked to the eastward in order of battle, and then gradually edged away to the southward, with the view of drawing M. Joyeuse off the land, and getting his own squadron in as eligible a situation as possible to act against the enemy, if an opportunity should offer itself; but his adversary kept his ships so closely connected, and guarded with so much care those which were disabled, that the Rear-Admiral had it not in his power to take any step that was 