Dance uses his long experience and borrowed crewmen to make selected East Indiamen handle more like warships. The company brig Ganges repeats signals while the largest merchantmen fly blue ensigns and form between the French squadron and the rest of the convoy. Dance keeps the apparent battle line in position with lights showing throughout the night, then orders an aggressive turn when Linois threatens the rear. The merchantmen exchange long-range fire and pursue for two hours after the French break off, behavior so implausible for ordinary traders that it confirms Linois's mistaken assessment. Only after the bluff succeeds do two British ships of the line meet the convoy near the Strait of Malacca, with another escorting it onward to England.
Chapter · 58:08-1:06:10
Pulo Aura: merchantmen bluff a French squadron
Nathaniel Dance makes armed East Indiamen look and behave like a Royal Navy battle line, then attacks and chases a stronger French squadron until it withdraws.