pierced for 20 guns, but mounting 16 four and fix pounders (10 of which he threw overboard) and 132 men, which I captured after a chafe of 36 hours; the Alcmene, Lively, and Thalia, under the orders of Captain Hope, joined company during the chafe. The privateer fails extremely well, and is a very defirable fhip for his Majefty's fervice; The is copper-bottomed and perfectly new, this being her first cruise, during which fhe captured the Governor Bruce English brig, from Bristol bound to Faro; a Portuguese fchooner; and was beat off by an English letter of marque. I have, &c.

THOMAS ROGERS. Copy of a Letter from Captain Downman, Commander of his Majefty's Sloop Speedy, to Admiral Earl St. Vincent, K. B. &c. &c. &c. dated off Oporto, December 26, 1797.

I HAVE the honour to inform you, that on the 21ft inftant, feven leagues weft of the Bayonna iflands, his Majefty's loop Speedy fell in with three Spanish privateers, and after a chase of four hours, captured the Pilgrim, a lugger, mounting three carriage-guns and 22 men. The other two, a lugger mounting fix nine-pounders and 50 men, and a fchooner mounting four fix-pounders and 45 men, made their escape into Vigo. I have, &c.

HUGH DOWNMAN.

From the LONDON GAZETTE, Feb. 6, 1798.

Admiralty Office, Feb. 6.

Copy of a Letter from Admiral the Earl St. Vincent, Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels employed on the Coast of Portugal, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated on board the Ville de Paris, in the Tagus, the 20th of January.

Sir,

I ENCLOSE letters from the Captains of L'Aigle, Alcmene, and Mercury, Speedy and King's Fisher floops, reciting the captures of French and Spanish privateers made by the fhips and floops under their commands. The judgment difplayed by Captain Pierrepont, joined to bis fpirited conduct, and that of the officers and crew of his Majesty's floop King's Fifer, in the action with the Betfey, does credit to them and honour to his Majesty's arms; and the activity of all the cruisers under my command is worthy of commendation.

My Lord,

I am, &c.

ST. VINCENT.

L'Aigle, at Sea, Jan. 5.

I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship, on the 4th inftant, off the coast of Corunna, I chafed and captured a French privateer fhip of 20 guns and 90 men; been out eight days from L'Orient; fhe is coppered, and a fast failer, not made any captures. I have the honour to be, &c.

Earl St. Vincent.

CHA. TYLER.

My Lord, Alcmene, at Sea, Jan. 9. I HAVE the honour of informing your Lordship, that the Buonaparte French privateer, carrying two guns, fome fwivels, and 40 men,

was

was last evening chafed by the fquadron under my command, and captured, after a few hours chafe, by his Majefty's fhip Lively; fhe 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 difcovered 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 fternmolt, intending, as I fuppofed, to fupport each other; but upon being clofe preffed, they steered different courfes, and I was enabled to come up with only one of them, after a chafe of eight hours, who fired a few fhot, and ftruck his colours. She proves to be Les Trois Soeurs, 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 first cruise.

Earl St. Vincent.

My Lord,

I have the honour to be, &c.

THO. ROGERS.

King's Fiber, Tagus, Jan. 12. I HAVE the honour to acquaint your Lordship, that on the morning of the 8th instant, the Burlings bearing east, distant 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 shortened 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 second 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 Fifher 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 fteadiness and good conduct of the officers and fhip's company during the action,

Earl St. Vincent.

And have the honour to be, &c.

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 Majefly'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. I am, &c.

ST. VINCENT.

My Lord, 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 thip 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 pleafure to inform your Lordship fhe is fafe arrived, and have every reason to believe the brig will shortly join us. I have the honour to be, &c.

Earl St. Vincent.

RICH. WILLIAMS.

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

Sir,

I HAVE the pleasure 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 Breft thirty-fix days, in which time they had taken nothing but a large hip, an American, called the Providence, loaded with fugar and cotton, which I am in hopes of retaking, having left the Cambrian in chase of her.

I have the honour to be, &c.

EDW. PELLEW.

From the LONDON GAZETTE, Feb. 13, 1798.
Admiralty Office, Feb. 13.

Extra of a Letter from Admiral Earl St. Vincent, Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships on the Coaft of Portugal, to Evan Nepean, Elq. 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 Majefty's fhip Aurora, relative to the capture of a Spanish schooner letter of marque from Laguira.

Extract of a Letter from Captain Digby, of his Majefty's Ship Aurora, to
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.

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

Sir,

PLEASE to lay before my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty the accompanying letter to me from Captain Frafer, of his Majesty's fhip Shannon, giving an account of his having captured, off Cape Clear, on the 2d inftant, a large fhip privateer, mounting 24 guns and 150 men, with which he arrived here laft 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 fhip under my command, I faw and gave chafe to a flip in the N. E. She at first hoifted English colours, but on the Shannon's firing a hot 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 fhot fell far beyond her, when she struck her colours, and brought to at five P. M.

She is called Le Duguay Trouin, a privateer of St. Malo, com. manded 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 morn ing of the day I fell in with her, when the captured the Wilding of Liverpool, Henry Ward master, from Jamaica, 23 of whofe crew I found on board her. I have to regret the extreme hazinefs 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 west, it was late in the night before the prize could be fecured and the prifoners shifted, which having done, I thought it neceffary, from the number on board, and the ftate 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; fhe is very well found in every thing as a privateer, and fails faft. I have the honour to be, &c. Vice-admiral Kingsmill, Cork.

ALEX. FRASER.

From the LONDON GAZETTE, Feb. 17, 1798.

Admiralty Office, Feb. 17.

Extract of a Letter from Vice-admiral Kingsmill, Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels on the Coaft 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 fhip 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 faft-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 Anfon, ftating his having captured Le Jafon fhip privateer of Nantes, coppered, mounting 12 guns and 108 men.

You will also 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 struck upon a rock, he was obliged to deftroy 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 captured 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 ult. As foon as the weather made it poffible, I returned off Ufhant, according to my orders. I made a night attempt to destroy a man of

war