the spanish sailed past gibraltar into the mediterranean and joined with the squadron at cartagena, forming a fleet of 26 ships of the line. this fleet cruised in the ligurian sea, passing cap corse and sighting scouts from jervis' fleet at san fiorenzo. jervis had only 14 ships of the line and might have been overwhelmed, but lángara declined to attack, retiring to toulon and uniting with brueys. jervis was now hugely outnumbered by the 38 ships of the combined fleet, and anxiously awaited mann's return, unaware that the junior admiral had decided to return to britain on his own initiative and against orders. by mid-october it was clear that mann would not return and jervis gave orders for a complete british withdrawal from the mediterranean. british frigates had already clashed with spanish scouts; at the action of 13 october 1796 hms "terpsichore" captured the spanish frigate "mahonesa" off cartagena.