20 minutes later, more than 30 French warships appeared on the southeastern sea.
When the British sailors aboard the "Thesius" saw those small French boats spewing black smoke, they couldn't help but sneer in mockery—
The largest of these ships were merely fifth-rate, unqualified to even enter the battle line on their side, only relegated to peripheral patrol duties.
Meanwhile, the formation of the French fleet was loose and disorganized—not a standard diagonal attack formation, let alone a proper battle line. It looked more like a fleet of leisurely sightseeing boats.
Additionally, the wind at sea was presently southwest, yet the French were sailing from due east, nearly against the wind...
Some British sailors had begun speculating that the French might not even be here to fight, as they seemed to have committed nearly every blunder possible in a naval battle.
