 The weather was foul throughout the voyage and Rodgers missed the convoy, capturing only seven small merchant vessels.On hearing of "Belvidera" encounter, Vice Admiral Herbert Sawyer, the commander of the Royal Navy's North American Station based at Halifax, Nova Scotia, despatched a squadron under Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke to catch Rodgers' squadron.Broke's squadron consisted of the 64-gun ship of the line and the frigates , , "Belvidera" and .