for that he, with divers others, did begin to demolish and pull down the houfe of Mr. Matthew Cafey, Eaft-lane, Tooley-ftreet, on the 7th of June laft. He was acquitted. Lord Loughborough afterwards addreffed the convicts in a very affecting manner. Two of the pritoners, he faid, had been recom: mended to mercy, but there. was one of them (Bridport) who, having been found guilty of a capital crime, ought not to expect any mercy. The part of his duty, which he would execute with the greateft pleafure, would be, he faid, to reprefent at the foot of the throne, fuch favourable circumftances as had appeared in the trials. But he obferved, as in compaffion and juftice to all the people of the kingdom, it was impoffible to fhew mercy to all that had been condemned, he advifed each convict to look upon himfelt as one of those who were not to experience any mercy. fog then difperfing, we discovered a large fhip bearing down to us: I immediately made the fignal to chace, foon after which the Chace hauling her wind, being then only fix miles distance from us, we clearly difcovered her to be a large frigate, which from her conftruction we concluded to be French. con As we had light winds and calms the whole day, it was half patt eleven P. M. ere I found myfelf within clofe pistol fhot of her. The fignals the now made, both with rockets and lights, vincing me that he was an enemy, I immediately began to engage her; and at half past four A. M. fhe hauled down her colours to his majesty's fhips La Prudente and Licorne. She proved to be La Capricieuse, a French frigate, eight days from L'Orient, pierced for 44 guns, but mounting only 32; complement 308 men. She was launched in March last, measured 1100 tons, and was one of the finest frigates I ever faw. I am very forry to fay, that the condition of the prize was fuch (as their lordships may obferve from the report of the furvey) as rendered it impracticable to efcort her to England. Indeed the very heavy lofs I have fuitained in the action, and unfortunately having 20 fick on fhore and many on board, made it abfolutely impoffible for me to give her the neceffary affillance for that purpose; I therefore, after removing the prifoners, fet her on fire. Finding from the condition of my fhip the utter impoffibility of executing my orders, I have there fore given directions to Captain Cadogan, Cadogan, the commander of his majefty's fhip Licorne, to put them into immediate execution. Notwithflanding our feeming fuperiority, I hope the return of the killed and wounded will fufficiently evince, that my officers and fhip's company have acquitted themselves in the mot gallant and fpirited manner. Indeed I feel 'tis impoffible to do juftice to their merits. In juftice to Lieutenant Banks of the marines, I muft beg leave to obferve to their lordships, that his party behaved with the utmost fleadiness and bravery, keeping up a regular and conftant fire from the beginning of the action, till neceffity called them to the great guns, where they fhewed an equal fhare of fpirit and good order. But while I am thus giving those well-deferved encomiums to his Britannic Majefty's fubjects, I fhould feel myself in honour bound to give his enemies, on this occafion, the merits they are fo truly deferving, did not the condition of the ship, and the heavy lofs they have fuftained, fufficiently speak their praises. I muft beg leave to add, in honour to M. de Cheavel, who commanded La Capricieufe at the time the furrendered, that the colours were not hauled down till the fhip had five feet water in her hold. Monf. de Ranfanne and Monf. de Fontaine, the firft and fecond captains, both fell in the action; but as to their farther lofs, we are as yet ignorant, being unacquainted with the number of pritoners on board the Licorne; but from a rough calculation of their officers, they must have at least 100 killed and wounded. Purfuant to an order from the ed three fail in the N. W. mak Hon. William Waldegrave, Commander of his majefty's fhip La Prudente, of this day's date, to us directed, we whofe names are under-mentioned, have been board the prize frigate La Capricieuse, and have there taken a ftrict and careful furvey of her, and find as follows, viz. on The fore-maft wounded in feveral places. The foretop-mast over the fide. The main-maft laying fore and aft the deck, being gone about ten feet above the main deck. The mizen-maft fhot in feveral places. The mizen-top-maft the fame. All her spare yards and top mafts rendered unferviceable with fhot. A number of fhot-holes betwixt wind and water. Many other damages about the fhip, and, when we left her, fix feet water in the hold. And we do declare we have made and taken this furvey with fuch care and equity, that, if required, we are ready to make oath to the impartiality of our proceedings, Given under our hands, on board the prize frigate La Capricieufe, at fea, this 6th of July, 1780. JOHN RICHARDSON, Carpenter. JOHN SPASBATT, Carpenter. ing fignals to each other, to which he immediately gave chafe, and about midnight came up with and closely engaged one of them; that after a defence of more than two hours fhe ftruck, and proved to be La Belle Poule, mounted with 3 guns, twelve pounders, commanded by the Chevalier Kergariou, and 275 men; that the captain and 24 men were killed, the fecond captain, with feveral officers and men, to the amount of 50, were wounded; and that the Nonfuch had three men killed and ten wounded, two of whom have fince died. Copy of a Letter from Captain William Peer Williams, of his Majefty's Ship Flora, to Mr. Stephens, dated Falmouth, the 15th of August, 1780. I SIR, BEG you will communicate to the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty the following particulars, which I have the pleafure of tranfinitting to you from this port, where contrary winds have obliged me to put in. On Thursday the 10th inftant, at half paft four in the afternoon, ftanding in under Ufhant, in quest about E. N. E. of the fleet, the wind at that time we difcovered through the haze a fquare rigged veffel and cutter under our lee, lying to with their heads to the northward, distant from us about four miles; whereupon we made fail, beat to quarters, and edged towards them, which the fhip perceiving, wore, hauled to the wind, backed her mizen top-fail, and [T] waited waited our approach, the cutter Return of Killed and Wounded on At ten mi working off and on. nutes past five we got abreast of her, and, within two cables length, upon fhewing our colours, received her fire, which we inftantly returned, and continued brifkly on both fides for about an hour, gradually nearing each other; when our wheel being fhot away, our fhrouds, back ftays, and running rigging much cut, we dropped on board of her, and continued the engagement in that pofition about 15 minutes; the enemy then deferted their great guns, attempted to board us, but were inftantly repulfed with lofs. Our people boarded them in return, fword in hand, ftruck their colours, and in a fhort time took poffeffion of the fhip, which proved to be a French frigate, called La Nymphe, commanded by the Chevalier du Remain, who died the fame evening of the wounds he received in the action. She is four years old, is copper-bottomed, mounts 32 guns, though pierced for 40, and her complement confifted of 291 men. She had been only four days out of Breft, and was employed upon reconnoitring fervice off that port. board the Flora. Killed. Mr. Biffet, Midshipman 1. Seamen 6. Marines 2. Total killed 9. Wounded. Mr. Creed, mafter 1. Seamen 13. Marines 4. Total killed and wounded 27. Seamen fince dead 1. Marines z. N. B. The Flora mounted 36 guns, and had on board when the action began 259 men. On board the La Nymphe. Killed. First captain, fecond ditto, first lieutenant, 3. Other officers, feamen, and marines. 60. Killed 63. Wounded. The fecond lieunant, two officers of marines, two volunteers, five other officers, feamen, and marines, 63. Total killed and wounded 131. Admiralty-office, August 26, 1780. Copy of a Letter from Captain Macbride, of his Majefty's Ship Bienfaifant, to Mr. Stephens, dated at Sea, August 13, 1780. I SIR, WROTE to you, for the information of their lordships, on my arrival at Cork, the intelligence I had received, and the fteps I intended to take in confequence. The Charon arrived on the 11th inftant. I failed with the convoy next day, having the Charon, Licorne, and Huffar in company. As many of the convoy ftill remained, I ordered the Licorne and Huffar to keep off the harbour's mouth to haften them, whilft the Bienfaifant and Charon lay-to with those that were out. At day-light we had drove down as far as the Old Head of Kinfale, W. P. WILLIAMS. when I obferved a large fail in Fefore I conclude my letter I beg leave to add, that my officers and people in general fhewed the greatest coolness and intrepidity on this occafion, and indeed merit more encomiums than I can find words to exprefs; their conduct will, I flatter myfelf, meet with their lordships approbation, and recommend them to their future favour. I am, &c. the : the fouth-eaft in chafe of fome of the convoy; he was foon chafed in turn, the Charon in company; the other two frigates were out of fight of Cork. About half paft feven we came up with her. It is fomething fingular, that the action on both fides began with mufquetry; he hoifted English colours, and kept his fire: I determined to do the fame as we ranged within piftol-fhot, fome converfation passed between us. In this mode we got fo forward on his bow, that neither his bow nor our quarter guns would bear. Being certain what the fhip was, I then ordered the fmall arms on the poop to begin; the returned it, and hoifted her proper colours. It was fome little time before I could regulate my fail, and place my thip: they had determined to board us, and acted fo to favour the defign. It was a daring, though unfucceff ful attempt. After an hour and ten minutes fmart action, her rigging and fails cut to pieces, twenty-one men killed and thirty-five men wounded, the ftruck, and proved to be the Comte d'Artois, of 64 guns, upwards of 644 men, a private fhip of war, commanded by the Chevalier Clonard, a Lieutenant de Vaiffeaux, who is flightly wounded in the action. His brothers, the one a colonel, the other colonel en fecond, in the Irish legion of that name, are on board; likewise a Lieutenant Perry of the Monarch; and the people who were taken on board the Margaritta prize. The Bienfaifant had three killed, and twenty-two wounded; furniture cut of course; but the mafts and yards not materially injured. There was one mau flightly ber 11. Ic HE conduct and fuccefs of Captain Edward Moor, commanding the Fame private fhip of war, of Dublin, on a late occafion, will, I doubt not, be esteemed fufficiently remarkable for my troubling your lordship with the following particulars: He failed from Mahon the 20th of laft month, and receiving advice foon after of the departure of five French veffels, all letters of marque, from Marfeilles, bound for the West Indies, determined to go in queft of them. On the 25th he defcried five fail near the Spanish coaft, which corresponded with his intelligence; but as they were at a diftance, and the day was far fpent, he judged it prudent not to make a thew of purfuing them, that he might have a better chance to fucceed in getting betwixt them and the land at night, which he had the good fortune to effect. He found him[T] 2 felf |