stop her way, and then to pay her head off to leeward, clear of the two
vessels. About quarter of an hour elapsed, by Captain Gardiner's
evidence, from the time that the _Ramillies's_ head pointed clear of the
_Trident_ and _Louisa_ before sail was again made to go forward to aid
the van. The battle was already lost, and in fact had passed out of
Byng's control, owing to his previous action; nevertheless this further
delay, though probably due only to the importance attached by the
admiral to regularity of movement, had a discreditable appearance.

The Court held that the admiral was justified in not trying to go to
leeward of the two ships, under the circumstances when they were seen;
but blamed him for permitting the useless cannonade which prevented
seeing them sooner. The results at this moment in other parts of the
field should be summarized, as they show both the cause and the
character of the failures due to faulty management.

The five ships of the British van had already seen their adversaries
withdraw after a sharp engagement. This seems to have been due to the
fact that two were individually overmatched and driven off; whereupon
the other three retired because unable to contend with five. But no
support reached the British van at this important moment; on the
contrary, the British rear was now two or three miles distant, astern
and to windward. The lagging of the crippled _Intrepid_ held back the
_Revenge_. Cornwall was detained some time by the old idea that he
needed a signal to pass her, because to do so was breaking the order
established by the admiral; but concluding at last that Byng was unaware
of the conditions, and seeing that his immediate opponent--the French
admiral--was drawing ahead, he sent word to the _Intrepid_ to hold her
fire for a few moments till he could go by. He then made sail.