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was last evening chafed by the fquadron under my command, and cap. tured, after a few hours chafe, by his Majefty's fhip Lively; the has been out nine days from Cadiz, without taking any thing.

Earl St. Vincent.

My Lord,

I have the honour to be, &c.

GEO. HOPE.

His Majefty's Ship Mercury, at Sea, Jan. 15. I HAD the honour to acquaint you, in my letter of the 6th inftant, of having captured Le Benjamin French fhip privateer belonging to Bourdeaux. I have now the fatisfaction to inform your Lordship, that this morning, Cape Finisterre bearing eaft half north 40 leagues, we discovered two fail to leeward, and, upon chafing them, foon found they were armed veffels. They continued together until the Mercury came almost within gun-fhot of the fternmost, intending, as I fuppofed, to fupport each other; but upon being close preffed, they steered different courfes, and I was enabled to come up with only one of them, after a chase of eight hours, who fired a few hot, and ftruck his colours. She proves to be Les Trois Sœurs, French brig privateer belonging to Rochelle, pierced for 18 guns, but mounting 16 fix-pounders, and 100 men, copper-bottomed, fails remarkably well, and only five days out of port, on her firft cruise.

Earl St. Vincent.

I have the honour to be, &c.

THO. ROGERS.

King's Fisher, Tagus, Jan. 12.

My Lord, I HAVE the honour to acquaint your Lordship, that on the morning of the 8th inftant, the Burlings bearing eaft, diftant about fifty leagues, at daylight we difcovered a fhip on our weather quarter, and foon after perceived her to bear up and stand towards us; at nine we tacked, and at half past the hoifted French colours, and began firing, which we returned as we paffed on different tacks, but at too great a distance to do much execution; fhe then wore: finding we could not weather her as I wifhed, we fhortened fail for her to get abreast of us, when we began to engage, and continued for an hour and a quarter. Falling little wind, and our jib-boom being carried away, fhe fhot ahead of us, and endeavoured to make off, crowding all fail, and firing her ftern-chafers. Having got out another jib-boom, and the wind freshening, at one P. M. we were enabled to renew the action, which was continued for half an hour, when the ftruck. She is called La Betfey, a fhip privateer, fitted out at Bourdeaux, copper-bottomed, pierced for 20 guns, but mounting only 16 fix-pounders, and had on board 118 men, one of whom was killed; the first and fecond Captain and fix feamen wounded; the fecond Captain and three feamen fince dead of their wounds. She had been out 15 days, but made no captures.

The damages fuftained by the King's Fisher in hull, fails, and rigging, are trifling, and I am happy to add that one man only is flightly wounded.

I beg to exprefs my entire approbation of the steadiness and good conduct of the officers and fhip's company during the action, And have the honour to be, &c.

Earl St. Vincent.

CH. H. PIERREPONT.

VOL. VII,

E

Copy

Copy of another Letter from Admiral the Earl of St. Vincent to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated on board bis Majefty's Ship Ville de Paris, in the River Tagus, the 20th of January.

Sir,

I ENCLOSE a letter I have received from Captain Williams, commander of his Majefty's ftore-fhip the Gorgon, whofe judgment, in bearing away for Lifbon upon the intelligence he had obtained, meets my full approbation; and you will acquaint the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty with his fubfequent fuccefs. ST. VINCENT.

My Lord,

I am,

&c.

His Majefty's Ship Gorgon, Tagus, Jan. 16. I HAVE the pleasure of acquainting your Lordship, that at half paft noon on Saturday the 13th, in lat. 46 deg. 9 min. long. 7 deg. 33 min. Cape Finisterre bearing S. 20 W. about 70 leagues, I fell in with and retook the Ann brig of Dartmouth, bound from Newfoundland to Lisbon. She had been taken 15 days by a French privateer; and while exchanging people, another brig under national colours bore down upon us, who, after a few fhot being fired at her, ftruck to his Majesty's hip under my command; the proves to be Le Henri, a French privateer from Nantes, carrying 14 guns and 108 men; fhe had thrown five of her guns overboard, and had been out five days, and taken nothing. I immediatey ordered my first Lieutenant, Archbald, with Mr. Tritton, and fixteen other fupernumeraries belonging to L'Aigle, to take poffeffion of her, and proceed in company with me to Lisbon, where I have the additional pleature to inform your Lordfhip fhe is fafe arrived, and have every reason to believe the brig will fhortly join us. I have the honour to be, &c.

Earl St. Vincent.

RICH. WILLIAMS.

Copy of a Letter from Sir Edward Pellery, Captain of his Majefty's Ship Indefatigable, to Evan Nepean, Efq, dated at Sea, the 28th of Jan.

Sir,

I HAVE the pleafure to inform you, that I this day, in company with his Majefty's fhip Cambrian, captured the French fhip privateer L'Heureufe Nouvelle, of 22 guns and 130 men, from Brest thirty-fix days, in which time they had taken nothing but a large fhip, an American, called the Providence, loaded with fugar and cotton, which I am in hopes of retaking, having left the Cambrian in chafe of her.

I have the honour to be, &c.

EDW. PELLEW.

From the LONDON GAZETTE, Feb. 13, 1798.

Admiralty Office, Feb. 13.

Extract of a Letter from Admiral Earl St. Vincent, Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships on the Coaft of Portugal, to Evan Nepean, Efq. Secretary of the Admiralty, dated Ville de Paris, in the Tagus, the 26th of January.

I ENCLOSE an extract of a letter from Captain Digby, of his Ma4y's fhip Aurora, relative to the capture of a Spanish fchooner letter marque from Laguira.

Extract

Extract of a Letter from Captain Digby, of bis Majefly's Ship Aurora, ta Admiral Earl St. Vincent, dated the 28th of January.

I HAVE the honour to acquaint you, that I captured on the 17th inftant, to the weftward of Cape Finisterre, La Cafualided Spanish letter of marque (fchooner rigged), mounting fix guns and 17 men, Don Ysidro Orneze commander; 47 days from Caraccas, with a cargo of cocoa.

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Copy of a Letter from Vice-admiral Kingsmill, Commander in Chief of bis Majesty's Ships and Veffels on the Coaft of Ireland, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated at Cork, the 4th inftant.

Sir,

PLEASE to lay before my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty the accompanying letter to me from Captain Frafer, of his Majefty's fhip Shannon, giving an account of his having captured, off Cape Clear, on the ad inftant, a large fhip privateer, mounting 24 guns and 150 men, with which he arrived here last evening.

I have the honour to be, &c.

R. KINGSMILL.

Sir, Shannon, Cove of Cork, Feb. 3. I BEG leave to acquaint you, that yesterday at three P. M. being fix or eight leagues to the fouthward of Cape Clear, with his Majefty's ship under my command, I faw and gave chase to a fhip in the N. E. She at first hoifted English colours, but on the Shannon's firing a fhot towards her, the hauled them down, hoifted the national flag, and fired her ftern-chases; continuing to do fo (without effect) until the Shannon's hot fell far beyond her, when the ftruck her colours, and brought to at five P. M.

She is called Le Duguay Trouin, a privateer of St. Malo, commanded by Citizen Legue, mounting 24 fix-pounders, feveral of which were thrown overboard during the chafe, and armed with 150

men.

She failed from St. Malo the 3d of November, but having been forced into the river Benois, in Brittany, by bad weather, fhe had been only eight days from thence; fhe had taken nothing until early in the morning of the day I fell in with her, when the captured the Wilding of Liverpool, Henry Ward mafter, from Jamaica, 23 of whofe crew I found on board her. I have to regret the extreme haziness of the weather all day, which prevented any object from being feen at more than four or five miles diftance, otherwife I think I must have seen and recaptured that fhip; but it blowing very fresh at weft. it was late in the night before the prize could be fecured and the prifoners fhifted, which having done, I thought it neceffary, from the number on board, and the state of the Shannon's rigging, which had fuffered much in the late gale, to proceed for this port.

Le Duguay Trouin is 112 feet long on the gun-deck, and 30 feet broad; he is very well found in every thing as a privateer, and fails faft. 1 have the honour to be, &c. Vice-admiral Kingsmill, Cork.

ALEX. FRASER.

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From the LONDON GAZETTE, Feb. 17, 1796,

Admiralty Office, Feb. 17.

Extract of a Letter from Vice-admiral Kingsmill, Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Veffels on the Coast of Ireland, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated at Cork, the 9th inft.

I REQUEST you will lay before their Lordships the accompanying letter to me from Lord A. Beauclerk, giving an account of his having captured and brought in here Le Mars of Nantes, a new coppered hip privateer, mounting 16 guns and 220 men.

Sir,

Dryad, Cork Harbour, Feb. 9.

I HAVE the honour to inform you, that on the 4th inft. at five A. M. Cape Clear N. E. twenty leagues, I captured Le Mars, a ftout fast-failing privateer from Nantes, pierced for 20 guns, had mounted 12 twelves, 2 eighteens, and 2 twelve-pound carronades, with 222 men; had been out 49 days, and not captured any thing.

Vice-admiral Kingsmill, &c.

I am, &c.

A. BEAUCLERK,

From the LONDON GAZETTE, Feb. 20, 1798.
Admiralty Office, Feb. 20.

Copy of a Letter from the Right Hon. Lord Bridport, K. B. to Evan
Nepean, Efq. dated the 16th inft.

YOU will herewith receive for their Lordships' information, a copy of a letter from Capt. Durham, of his Majesty's fhip Anson, stating his having captured Le Jafon fhip privateer of Nantes, coppered, mounting 12 guns and 108 men.

You will alfo receive a copy of a letter from Captain Herbert, of his Majesty's fhip Amelia, dated the 14th inftant, ftating his having captured La Branche d'Olive, a French merchant brig, laden with flour, beef, wine, and brandy; and with his having fallen in with a small convoy in the Paffage du Raz, and captured Le Cultivateur de Rochelle brig, and an armed chaffe marée; but the latter having ftruck upon a rock, he was obliged to destroy her.

My Lord,

I am, Sir, &c. &c. &c.

BRIDPORT.

Anfon, at Sea, Feb. 8.

I BEG leave to acquaint your Lordship, that I have this day cap. tured Le Jafon French privateer of 12 guns and 108 men, belonging to Nantes, copper-bottomed, out two days, and made no captures, I have the honour to be, my Lord, &c. &c. &c. P. C. DURHAM.

Right Hon. Lord Bridport, K.B.

My Lord, Amelia, Plymouth Sound, Feb. 14. I HAVE to inform your Lordship of the arrival of his Majesty's fhip Amelia here this morning. Your Lordship will, from Captain Stirling, have heard of my parting from him in a heavy gale of wind on the 31st

As foon as the weather made it poffible, I returned off Ufhant, rding to my orders. I made a night attempt to destroy a man of

war

war brig, and cutter, juft to the northward of Point St. Matthew's, but quitted it almost immediately, finding from their fituation it was impoffible to effect it. At dark I came to an anchor off the Cap du Cherri, and fent all the boats armed clofe into Point St. Matthew's, in hopes of taking part of the convoy under the protection of the veffels abovementioned, if they attempted to go into Breft that night. One boat, however, only fell in with and captured La Branche d'Olive, a French merchant brig of about 170 tons, laden with flour, beef, wine, and brandy. The next day having feen her fafe to the northward of Ufhant, I got in by dark clofe to Point du Raz, and at daylight faw a convoy of one brig and fome chaffe marées, under protection of a small lugger, coming through the Paffage. The lightnefs of the wind enabled the lugger and most of the chaffe marees to escape; but the brig Le Cultivateur de Rochelle, and an armed chaffe marée, Le St. Pierre's, were captured. The latter having ftruck on a rock in the Paffage, I was obliged to deftroy her, having taken out of her part of her cargo, confifting of officers' baggage. The brig is about 130 tons, laden with brandy, wine, and groceries.

I am, my Lord, &c. &c.

Right Hon. Lord Bridport, K. B.

CHARLES HERBERT.

From the LONDON GAZETTE, Feb. 24, 1798.

Admiralty Office, Feb. 24.

Copy of a Letter from the Earl of St. Vincent, K. B. Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels employed on the Coaft of Portugal, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated on board the Ville de Paris in the Tagus, Jan. 31.

Sir,

I ENCLOSE a letter from Captain Rogers, of his Majefty's fhip the Mercury, acquainting me with his having captured La Conftance French privateer of 18 guns, the third taken by that fhip fince her arrival from Newfoundland. I am, Sir, &c.

My Lord,

ST. VINCENT.

His Majefty's Ship Mercury, at Sea, Jan. 25. I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship, that this day at noon, the Burlings bearing S. E. 42 leagues, I fell in with La Conftance French brig privateer, belonging to Nantz, which I captured after a chafe of five hours; fhe is a remarkably fine veffel, pierced for 18 guns, but has only 12 fix and nine pounders on board, and 98 men, copperbottomed, quite new, fails very fast, and is only ten days from Nantz, on a cruife off the Western Islands.

I have the honour to be, &c.

THO. ROGERS.

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