of your abilities in guarding the heir apparent of the House of Hanover, against thofe principles and practices which we in Scotland could not put up with, even under our own ancient, hereditary, and royal family, of the Houfe of Stuart, from whofe loins your lordship is defcended. "Permit me to affure your lordship, I do not mention your royal defcent as any blemish; on the contrary I think it very noble. But I with, indeed, to remind your lordfhip, in a serious manner, that we noblemen, whofe ancient families have been fo closely related, allied, and attached to the royal Houfe of Stuart in former times of dangerous politics, have the difcerning eyes of the true Proteftant people throughout Europe and America, most steadily fixed upon us at this prefent moment; therefore, our advice and conduct (as faithful friends to the House of Hanover, being Proteftants) ought to be exexemplarily decided in fupport of Reformation and Revolution principles." Lord Southampton's Answer to Lord George Gordon : "My Lord, HIS royal highness is out of town at prefent; when I have an opportunity, I will lay your letter before him. "I beg leave to apprife your lordship, that the Prince of Wales (not having a court) gives no audience. "I have the honour to be, Your moft obedient Sept. 6, 1781. On Friday the 14th inftant, Lord George Gordon came to the outward room at St. James's with a book. The lord in waiting informed him, that nobody could be permitted to deliver a book to the king without his majesty's permiffion being firft afked and obtained. Lord George appeared at the levee without the book; and after the levee was over, the lord in waiting took the king's pleafure, and fignified to Lord George, that his majefty having confidered Lord George Gordon's letter to Lord North, announcing his intention to deliver a book, did not think proper to admit Lord Geo. Gordon into his prefence, to prefent any book announced by fuch a letter. Remarkable Actions at Sea. Admiralty-Office, March 13, 1781. Extract of a letter from Lieut. Ingles, commanding his Majesty's Sloop Zephyr, to Mr. Stephens, dated Spithead, March 11, 1781. PL LEASE to acquaint their lordships of his majesty's floop Zephyr, under my command, being arrived at Spithead from the coaft of Africa, after a paffage of 57 days. I likewife have the honour of acquainting their lordships, that on 31st of October laft, being just returned to Goree from a cruize, I received intelligence from Governor Wall of a French frigate of 24 guns being in Gambia River, which had taken two transports and two floops there, wooding and watering for the garrison of Goree. I immediately failed, with the the Polly Letter of Marque, mounting fixteen fhort four-pounders, with thirty men, under my command, agreeable to the advice of Governor Wall. On the 2d of November, at eleven A. M. being at the entrance of the river, faw four fail at anchor off Barra Point; found them to be one of the tranfports, two floops, and a French frigate; the tranfport mounted fixteen guns, and was, as I heard, manned with Frenchmen and Negroes, belonging to Albedra, on the banks of Gambia, and interefted with the French. At twelve, the transport and two floops were fet on fire, the other transport being burnt the preceding day. At one P. M. the enemy's fhips being under weigh, and the Zephyr within piftol-fhot of her, a warm action enfued, and lafted till four P. M. when, through chafing, the Zephyr and enemy grounded, at very near low water, as close to each other as before, which occafioned the action to be renewed with redoubled violence, hence more refembling two batteries on fhore, than a fea fight. During the greatest part of the action, the letter of marque was anchored three quarters of a mile aftern; but, notwithstanding, a continual fire was kept up by the Zephyr and enemy till fix, when the enemy ftruck, with the lofs of twelve killed, and twenty-eight wounded; the Zephyr two killed, and four wounded, her bowfprit, main-top-maft, and main yards fhot away, her hull, mafts, yards, fails, and rigging very much thattered, infomuch, that with the greateft difficulty on the twelfth we arrived at Goree. During the whole of the action, the Zephyr was in the utmost danger from fire-rafts, both under her bows and ftern; but luckily the deftructive intentions of the enemy proved abortive. After boarding the enemy, found her to be the Senegal (Lieutenant Commandant Allery) the French king's fhip, mounting eighteen fix-pounders, and 126 men, but fought the Zephyr with twenty-two, owing to tranfporting guns. She was formerly the Racehorfe, commanded by Lord Mulgrave, and lately the Senegal, in his majefty's fervice. As the was of great detriment to his majefty's trading fubjects on the coast of Africa, the taking of her gives me the utmost pleasure and fatiffaction. On our arrival on the 12th at Goree from Gambia, Governor Wall gave me information of two veffels being off Senegal Bar, taking in gum. Ready to act confonant with his information, tho' in fo fhattered a condition, and the Senegal not condemned, from which the property of the captors was at ftake, we chearfully confented to proceed in pursuit of the apparent fuccefs; but the wind being at N. E. directly contrary, and the Zephyr in an infirm fituation, after beating five days out at fea, the fhips were obliged to return to Goree, in order to refit, on purpose that we might a fecond time be able to attempt the expedition. On our return the condemnation of the fhip Senegal was entered upon, and the Judge Advocate demanding an inventory, proper officers and men were fent from the Zephyr for that purpofe, and that of refitting her for the afore[Q] 4 faid faid expedition; but alas! through fome unknown caufe, on the 22d of November, she was unhappily blown up, with the lofs of Lieut. George Crofts, and 22 others, officers and feamen, fpecified by the inclofed lift. I flatter myfelf their lordships will fhew all neceffary indulgence to the officers and feamen's friends, who nobly and gallantly fupported me in the late action, and unluckily fuffered by the above accident. A Lift of the Officers and Seamen belonging to his Majefty's Sloop Zephyr, who were blown up in the French King's Frigate, La Senegal, Lieutenant Allery, Commandant, on the 22d of November, 1780. Geo. Crofts, lieutenant; Francis Fyffe, mate; Lauder Rutherford, able; Tho. Harris, boatfwain; Wm. Tramplett, gunner; Thomas Nefbit, clerk; John Croker, captain's mate; John Parminter, fail-maker; P. M'Kewen, quarter-gunner; Henry Clark, able; Mark Short, ditto; George Williams, ditto; John Oakes, ditto; Cabel Cornwall, ditto; Andrew Buchanan, ditto; Wm. Forfyth, captain's fervant; John Lawlers, able; Thomas Smith, ditto; Wm. Baker, ditto; Tho. Crofs, ditto; Jo. Hall, ditto; Thomas O'Hara, ditto. Tranfuctions on board the Nonfuch, in an Engagement between the 14th and 15th of May 1781, received in Vice-Admiral Darby's Letter of the 19th of May. chafed; foon after we faw a fail in the E. S. E. which we took to be a French line of battle fhip; chafed, gained upon her.-At about half past ten at night came along-fide of her; the gave us her broadfide, we returned it; she dropt aftern, we wore and raked her; we continued the action for near an hour, during fome part of which we were on board one an other; the carried away our fpritfail yard, and our anchor hooking her quarter carried away the flukes of it. All this time he had fo much the worft of the action, that the took the opportunity of our heads being different ways to make all the fail the could to get away; we wore and chafed her again; our mizen-maft being entirely dif abled prevented our getting up with her before five A. M. It being day-light, we could diftinguish one another plainly; the appeared to be a French 80 gun fhip, in good order for battle. Some people on board us, who pretend to know, fay fhe is the Languedoc. At five we began the action again, and continued till half paft fix, when finding our fhip much difabled, the fore-yard com. ing down, all the mats, yards, fails and rigging much hurt, guns difmounted; the wreck of these, and dead and wounded men filling the deck; I thought it proper to haul our wind, in order to clear it. The enemy kept on her courfe for Breft. Extract of a Letter from Capt. Wm. Peere Williams, of his Majesty's Ship Flora, to Mr. Stephens, Secretary to the Admiralty, dated Spithead, June 27, 1781. ON N May 29th, difcovering two Dutch frigates, we (the Flora and Crefcent) prepared for immediate action; but the wind increafing to a storm, obliged us to wait a more favourable opportunity. At feven in the evening the gale abated, and the next morning the fea was confiderably fallen. Having kept the enemy in fight all night, at day break we edged towards them, and at five commenced the action, fhip against fhip, within a cable's length of each other, which was continued without intermiffion for two hours and a quarter, when our adverfary ftruck her colours. She proved to be the Caftor frigate, of Rotterdam, commanded by Captain Pieter Melvill, mounting 26 twelve and 10 fix-pounders; her complement confifting of 230 men. The action between the Crefcent and Brill, a frigate of the fame rate as the Caftor, mounting 26 twelve, 2 fix, and 8 four pounderers, continued fome minutes longer; when an unlucky fhot carrying away the main and mizen mafts of the Crefcent, and the wreck failing within board, whereby her guns were rendered ufelefs and the fhip ungovernable, Capt. Pakenham was reduced to the difagreeable neceffity of ftriking the king's colours. Seeing her fituation, we, with great difficulty, got our fhip's head towards her, and by that means prevented the enemy taking poffeffion of her, who made off in the beft manner they could. Had our difabled ftate been fuch as to have permitted us to have purfued, the bad condition of the Crefcent and Caftor (both of which fhips made between four and five feet water an hour) would have rendered fuch a step unjuftifrable. The fteady and refolute behaviour of my officers and crew on this occafion, merits my warmest praife and admiration; and I hope will recommend them to their lordfhips favour. It would be doing injuftice to the merit of Captain Pakenham, his officers, and fhip's company, if I concluded my letter without acknowledging they did as much as. men could do to fupport the dignity of the British flag, till that unfortunate accident, which deprived them of every means of refiftance, and the fuccefs that would otherwife have attended. The Brill must have received confiderable damage from the Crefcent; her main-maft was feen to go by the board early in the afternoon. I beg you will acquaint their lordships, that I took upon me to recommiffion his majesty's ship the Crefcent, and appoined my first lieutenant, Mr. John Bligh, to the command of her; reinftating the rest of the officers; and that Lieutenant Ellery, fecond lieut. of the faid fhip, having fince died. of the wounds he received in action, I have appointed Mr. Peter Creed, Mafter of the Flora, whom I ftrongly recommended to their lordships for promotion, after the action with the Nymph, to fucceed him; which fteps I hope their lordships will approve. In my S 9 killed, 32 wounded. S26 killed, 167 wounded. 22 killed, 141 wounded. Caftor I am forry to add to this letter a circumftance which gives me in finite concern. As foon as the damages of the three fhips were repaired in the beft manner we were able, which employed us five days, we proceeded on our paflage without interruption, till the 19th inft, when early in the morning, in lat. 47. N. long. 6. 30. W. being in chace of a privateer brig, which had dogged us all night, and part of the preceding day, I discovered, upon the clearing away of a fquall, two fhips to windward, edging towards me; upon which I veered fhip, and returned to the Crefcent and Caftor, flattering myfelf the appearance of our force united would check the ardour of their purfuit: but in this I was mistaken; they ftill continued the chale, encouraged, I have no doubt, by the difabled appearance of my conforts, and gained upon us very faft. Confcious of our actual want of ftrength, I did not think it advifeable to hazard an action, and my officers were unanimoufly of the fame opinion. Each ship therefore shaped a differ ent courfe, and about one o'clock P. M. I had the mortification to fee the Caftor retaken by one of the frigates, which fired a gun, and hoisted French colours, though till that moment they had chased under English. The other frigate, not being able to come up with the Flora, bore away about three o'clock, after the Crefcent, and, as the night was clear, I am apprehenfive the fared the fame fate as the Caftor. When their lordships reflect how reduced the complement of his majefty's fhips were by the lofs of the killed and wounded, and from the number of men fent on board the prize, viz. 38 from the Flora, and nearly the fame number from the Crefcent (which men were constantly employed at the pumps to keep the fhip free), I flatter myself they will acquit me of having acted improperly on this occafion. N. B. The Flora had 36 guns, and 270 men; the Crefcent 28 guns, and 200 men. Admiralty Office, Sept. 18, 1781. Extract of a Letter from Captain Curtis to Mr. Stephens, dated Brilliant, Gibraltar, August 7, 1781. |