The same course was maintained throughout the night, the French gradually overhauling the British, and becoming visible at 3 A.M.of the 11th.

By Howe's dispatch, they bore in the morning, at an hour not specified, east-north-east, which would be nearly abeam, but somewhat more distant than the night before, having apparently kept closer to the wind, which by this had steadied at east-north-east.
In the course of the day Howe shifted his flag from the _Eagle_, 64, to the _Apollo_, 32, and placed himself between the two fleets, the better to decide the movements of his own.

Finding it impossible to gain the weather-gage, and unwilling, probably, to be drawn too far from Rhode Island, he now made a wide circle with the fleet by a succession of changes of course: at 8 A.M.to south, then to south-west and west, until finally, at 1.30 P.M., the ships were steering north-west; always in line of battle.

The French Admiral seems to have followed this movement cautiously, on an outer circle but with a higher speed, so that from east-north-east in the morning, which, as the fleets were then heading, would be on the starboard side of the British, abreast and to windward, at 4 P.M.the French bore south-south-east, which would be somewhat on the port quarter, or nearly astern but to leeward.

At this time their van was estimated by Howe to be two or three miles from the British rear, and, according to his reading of their manoeuvres, d'Estaing was forming his line for the same tack as the British, with a view of "engaging the British squadron to leeward," whereby he would obtain over it the advantage of using the lower-deck guns, the wind and sea having become much heavier.