BULLETIN

FROM THE

LONDON GAZETTE OF JANUARY 13th,

1798.

Admiralty-Office, January 13, 1798.

Copy of a Letter from Admiral Peyton, Commander in Chief of His Majefty's Ships and Veffels in the Downs, to Mr. Nepean, dated on board the Overyffel, the 12th of January 1798.

SIR, HEREWITH fend

you

enclofed a Letter I have this Day received from Captain Lloyd, of His Majefty's Sloop Racoon, of this Date, stating his having captured Le Policrate French Privateer Cutter, carrying Sixteen Guns and Seventy-two Men, Yesterday Morning, off Beachy-Head, which Letter you will be pleased to lay before their Lordships.

I

SIR,

I am,
&c.

JOSEPH PEYTON.

Racoon, in the Downs, Jan. 12, 1798. BEG Leave to acquaint you, that Yesterday Morning at Seven A. M., Beachy-Head bearing North-Eaft, diftant about Seven Leagues, I dif. covered a Cutter in the South-Eaft. I immediately made all Sail in Chace, and, after a running Fire of Two Hours (within Mufket-Shot), came up with B

and

and captured Le Policrate French Privateer, carry. ing Seventy-two Men, and mounting Sixteen Guns, Five of which were thrown overboard during the Chafe. She is an entire new Veffel, Copper-bottomed, completely fitted for Three Months, and bound to the Welt Indies; failed from Dunkirk on Tuesday laft, and had not taken any Thing. It is a Matter of much Concern for me to add, that, in confequence of my being under the Neceffity of carrying a very heavy Prefs of Sail, my Deck (the Chafe being on the Lee Bow) was exposed to a very heavy Fire of Mufketry and Grape-Shot from his Stern-Chafe Guns, by which Mr. George Kennedy, the Mafter, was killed, in whom the Service has loft a moft experienced Seaman and a gallant Officer; Four Seamen were also wounded, Two feverely.

I have the Honor, &c.

ROB. LLOYD.

Admiral Peyton, &c. &c. &c. Downs.

M

BULLETIN

FROM THE

LONDON GAZETTE OF JANUARY 16th,

1798.

Admiralty-Office, January 16, 1798.

Capy of a Letter from Captain Reynolds, Commander of His Majesty's Ship La Pomone, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated Plymouth-Sound, the 14th of January 1798.

BEG to acquaint you, for the Information of

my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that in the Night of the 16th Ult. I loft Company with the Phoebe in a very heavy Gale of Wind at W. S. W. which came on the 8th, and continued blowing ftrong without Intermiffion until the 24th, and though the Violence of the Gale then abated, ftill it blew from the Weft; that with every poffible Exertion we were unable to get farther to the Weftward than Twenty-nine Degrees of Longitude before the 31ft Ult. the Day on which my limited Time for cruizing on the Ground prescribed by their Lordships expired.

On the ft Instant I edged away to the Eaftward; and on the 5th, at Eleven o'clock in the Night, Ufhant bearing N. 65 Deg. E. 94 Leagues, croffed a large Ship ftanding under eafy Sail to the N. W. I inftantly gave Chafe, and foon got clofe along fide

B 2

alongfide of her; for it being thick hazy Weather fhe was deceived in our Strength, and fhrunk not from, the Action, but had the Temerity to ex change feveral Broadfides with us before the called out for Quarter; in which we had One Man killed and Four wounded, and our Mafts and Rigging confiderably damaged. Having fhifted the Prifoners, and our Carpenter plugged up Eight ShotHoles fhe had received between Wind and Water, we were about to take her in Tow, (for her Mizenmaft was fhot away, and the was utterly disabled to carry any Sail,) when the Officer on board hailed us, and faid the was finking. I fent all our Boats to her Affiftance immediately, and finding no Efforts could fave her, had but juft Time to draw our Men and their Wounded from her, when the funk alongfide of us. She proved to be the Cheri, from Nantz, carrying Twenty fix long Twelve, Eighteen, and Twenty-four-Pounders, (mixed,) upon her MainDeck, and Two Hundred and Thirty Men, commanded by Monf. Chaffin; had been out Fourteen Days, and taken nothing. She had Twelve Men killed and Twenty-two wounded; among the latter was the gallant Captain, who, with Two others, died of their Wounds the next Day.

On Thursday Evening, the Eddiftone bearing N. E. Twelve Leagues, I captured a little Privateer from Rofco, called the Emprunt Foffe; had only Two fmall Carriage Guns, Six Swivels, and Twenty-five Men on board; fhe had been out but One Day, and had taken nothing.

Our Maiumaft and Foremaft being wounded, and both of them fifhed, and much of the Standing Rigging fo injured that it is neceffary to replace it, I thought it would be expediting the Service to fteer directly for this Port inftead of Falmouth; and I hope my having done fo will meet their Lordfhips' Approbation.

Admiralty