Saumarez's flag captain proposed asking the Spanish to hand over the French ships, though the admiral judged that the defenders had not yet suffered enough to consider it. The suggestion was less implausible than it sounds because Gibraltar Bay sustained regular contact across hostile lines. Sieges and fleet actions existed alongside local relationships that kept unofficial conversations possible. Diplomacy and combat could operate simultaneously in this confined, repeatedly contested maritime space.
Notable Point · 2:18:31-2:19:55
Gibraltar Bay kept informal wartime channels open
Even during battle, the opposing communities around Gibraltar Bay retained channels through which surrender or negotiation could be tested.