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'TO THE GOVERNOR OF CARTHAGENA.

'Princess Amelia, Jamaica,

'September 3d, 1771.

'I have the honour to acquaint your Excel'lency, that his Britannic Majesty has been

pleased to confer on me the command of his

squadron on this station, and to assure you 'that while I am protecting his Majesty's 'territories, and the trade of his subjects, I 'shall be truly solicitous to maintain a friendly correspondence with your Excellency, and 'with the rest of his Catholic Majesty's governors in America.

With such a disposition, judge, Sir, what 'must have been my astonishment to hear,

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on my arrival, that two guardacostas, under 'the pretended sanction of your Excellency's ' and the Commodore's orders, had forced his Majesty's schooner, the Hawke, into Carthagena, after they were told, and knew 'whose commission the commander of her ' had the honour to bear.

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I am moreover informed, that one of the 'Commodore's lieutenants acquainted the

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commander of the schooner, on her dismis'sion from the port of Carthagena, that she

I might go, but that if either the schooner, 'or any other of his Britannic Majesty's 'ships were afterwards found within twelve leagues of that coast, they should be taken, ' and their crews imprisoned.

'As your Excellency, I doubt not, is equally disposed with myself to support the harmony which so happily subsists between the two crowns, I cannot be persuaded that you 'have given the least countenance to these acts of violence.

"The officer who has dishonoured his King's 'colours by a tame submission to this insult has been already dismissed the service; and I have the fullest confidence that your Excellency will, on your part, immediately order the officers that have treated with : such indignity the British flag to be called

to the strictest account, and confirm the 'opinion I would willingly entertain of the 'impossibility of such a menace being sent 'by the Commodore, or any officer of rank, who wishes to preserve the general tran'quillity.

I have ordered the captain by whom I 'send this to wait your Excellency's an

'swer.'

'Since my letter of the 4th instant, giving 'their Lordships an account of the violent 'earthquake which happened the day before, 'which has been attended with frequent 'shocks till within these few days, and, in 'the opinion of the inhabitants, done more

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damage than any since the great one in 1692, particularly in the towns of Port Royal and Kingston, in the former of which 'there is not a single house that has not 'been damaged, I find his Majesty's dockyard has suffered considerably. The pitch'house is split up the middle of the arch, ' the chimney thrown down; the coppers and chimney where the people cook while at the 'wharf are rendered useless; the smith's shop split in several places, and so shaken as to 'be quite unserviceable. The foundations of

'the capstern and mast-houses have likewise ' received much damage.

His Majesty's hospital at Port Royal seems to have suffered more than any other 'building the chimneys shaken down, the 'walls shattered; the partition walls, and

gable end of the northern wing, and a 'southern wall next the dispensary, greatly damaged.

'As the sick men were very much alarmed, and really in danger, I found it necessary to 'order the surgeon and agent to repair it with 'all possible despatch. There have been nine shocks since the first, but as each has ap'peared weaker, I hope we shall experience no more of them.

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In surveying the damage done to the dockyard, I found it absolutely necessary to order the builder to erect a smith's shop near the

place marked in the plan which has already 'been laid before their Lordships and the

Navy Board, but on no account to make any

new ground, as was intended therein, and

with which plan, herewith sent to their Lord

ships, the present situation will coincide.

Their Lordships will perceive by this plan

'that there are apartments, composed of two rooms each, for the Admiral, and the cap'tains whose ships may be careening. For

my own part, I do not wish to put the Go'vernment to any expense; but I leave it to 'their Lordships' consideration, whether an ' apartment to accommodate the captains at 'such times will not be of public utility, and

be the means of having the duty go on 'brisker, and in a great measure prevent the ' desertion of the seamen.

'Since my letter to their Lordships of the 8th August, when I acquainted them that 'I intended to visit the different watering'places, in order to find whether the ships 'could not be watered without Government

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being at the expense of purchasing it, or 'that the seamen might be supplied with 'more wholesome water, I examined first the ' river Cobre, where his Majesty's ships for'merly watered, but it still remains so choked ' up as not to admit of their being supplied from thence.

'The next place was a reservoir erected by the late Mr. Payton, of Kingston. On my ' arrival here, it being recommended as whole