The combined fleet was at this stage three weeks ahead of Keith's pursuit. During the night of 7 July Bruix' force had passed Gibraltar, the Spanish ships randomly firing on two Algerian ships as they passed. At Gibraltar St. Vincent, who was traveling back to Britain on the frigate HMS "Argo" and had paused in the port, ordered a ship to be sent to investigate the firing and dispatched the 18-gun hired armed cutter "Penelope" under Lieutenant Frederick Lewis Maitland. As dawn rose on 8 July, Maitland found that he had sailed into the Spanish division of the fleet. In calm conditions, Maitland managed to drive off the Spanish brig "Vivo" but was forced to surrender soon afterwards to the frigate "Carmen". In the hold the captors found a large cargo of specie that had inadvertently been left on board. Between 10 and 12 July the combined fleet arrived at Cádiz, where the two ships left at Toulon rejoined the fleet although "Censeur" was discovered to be damaged beyond repair and so was transferred to the Spanish Navy, the French receiving the "San Sebastian", renamed "Alliance", in return. On 21 July, with no sign of the British blockade returning, Bruix' fleet put to sea again, although the 112-gun Spanish ships "Mexicano" and "Santa Ana" were forced to return after "Santa Ana" ran aground while leaving the harbour. Bruix fleet now numbered 59 ships, of which 40 were ships of the line. The combined fleet turned north, passing up the Portuguese coast. On 30 July, nine days after Bruix' departure, Keith's fleet sailed from Gibraltar. Over the next nine days the British fleet followed Bruix, although Keith was unsure of his location or destination. On 8 August off Cape Finisterre a Danish ship reported sighting the combined fleet two days previously to the northeast. The following day the frigate HMS "Stag" under Captain Joseph Sydney Yorke joined the fleet having sighted Bruix' force off Cape Ortegal sailing for the Bay of Biscay. On 12 August the British fleet was from Ushant with no sign of the combined fleet and on 14 August Keith sent a scouting squadron to investigate the Roadstead of Brest. This force, consisting of HMS "Impetueux", HMS "Pompee" and HMS "Ethalion" under the command of Captain Sir Edward Pellew, closed with the anchorage and discovered the combined fleet there.