Title: Transcript of D615/P(S)/1/10/12A
Author: Joanne Evans
Last saved by: Andy Holt
Company: Staffordshire County Council

Nottingham in Plymouth sound ye 2nd March 1747

My Lord

On Sunday the 31st January at Day-break I was ordered to chace upon seeing a sail in the NW.  In less than an hour after I judged her to be french ship of Force, and made the signal of her being such, upon which the Portland was directed to follow me.
 
For four days before we had had hard southerly winds with a very great sea, and the wind and sea were at that time but little abated.  The chace was under her courses, steered about three points from the wind, and with that sail, when I came up with her, went nine knots.  She had no main, and a jury Foretopmast.

In ten Leagues chacing from our Squadron, and long out of sight of them, we came up with her soon after nine in the morning, sheared a little wide to discover her force, and told fourteen Ports of her lower-tier when I knew her to be a seventy-four gun Ship.

I thought the best way to stop her was by engaging before her Ice-beam, but we first ranged along her quarter.  There was so great a sea she couldn’t fight her lower-tier, and we only for a short time one of our weather Guns, which as soon as they saw they put more before it and our Port was shut again.

I didn't perceive any disadvantage they were under after we came up with them for want of Topsails (except that they could not get away) in the working their Ship, for there was so much wind she readily answered her helm; nor that they would have acted injudiciously in the method they took in fighting if no ship had been coming up a stern; but as it was it answered our purpose and shewed little judgement in them; for when they found us upon her starboard bow, the lee side, they put their helm a Starboard, and in spight of what I could do we after shot a head of her; then by porting their helm, and being nimble with their lower yards, they brought us broad to windward of them; but this must be attributed to the wind we had and the unwillingness of English seamen to leave their Guns to trim sails; which I believe everyone will experience.

By eleven o'clock Captain Stevens came near enough to the enemy to haul his foresail up, back his maintopsail, and lay to upon her weather quarter or rather a stern of her.  In about half and hour after being there at some distance gave her a raking fire, and brought to upon her lee-quarter.  When he had got to windward again by the bearing away of the enemy, he gave her a second raking fire at the same distance he did the first, and afterwards fired some Guns at her quarter.

This method of fighting (which at least might have lasted a week) made it necessary for me without waiting any longer to secure our Masts, knot, and splice, which we did and hauled up on the contrary tack to what we had been engaged on for the most part, that I might have been able to have fetched the Enemy had she kept her wind.

The Portland soon after filled, shot up upon her weather beam pretty near her, then laid his maintopsail a-back; and as it appeared to me forged at first a little a-head, engaged well for about half and hour, and dropt a-stern again.

As soon as we could I made sail up to the Portland and asked Captain Stevens what he thought most advisable to be done with the affair in hand.  He told me to keep together and follow the enemy till finer weather.  So many chances of losing her in the hazey blowing weather we then had as we had not disabled her from carrying sail (besides not being able to see how she could be engaged to greater advantage than with her lower battery shut and our firing two shot to their one which we did all the while) occurred to me that I did not agree to it, but told him I was for carrying on the attack, and together; that I would be upon her Bow if he would lay upon her quarter and to try what that would do.  To this proposition he readily assented, and as he had shot up before my beam in the conversation and we were then near the enemy he led on, and by his steering would have placed us within a short-pistol-shot of her, but they saved him the trouble by surrendring the instant he was going to fire.  We dropt a boat on board, but it was three days after before we could shift a Prisoner.

I am well satisfied, my Lord, we carried on the attack to greater advantage by being to leeward as the elevation of her weather guns must have caused them to have played mostly upon our Masts and rigging, which soon would have determined the action in our disfavour; besides she laid long upon her lee rolls which laid her decks open to us; and we improved the opportunity as your Lordship will believe when I say, the Nottingham fired that day more than 3000 musket cartridges away, and more than 1100 shot from our upper deck Guns.  The most I feared was her striking us under water by which indeed we suffered; for three days after we made near three feet water an hour, but by cutting away part of a hanging knee in the surgeons Cabbin, and clearing the wings of our Orlop the most material leaks were come at, though we are still leaky and must go into the Dock.  This was made up to us by the saving our Men; for the Enemy had, by the best I can learn, a hundred and fifty odd killed and wounded; the Nottingham but sixteen killed, and twenty one wounded, amongst the former is my Master the only Officer I lost, and whom I lament much as he was a good Man.  The Portland had none killed, and four wounded.

Was I writing this for the Publick I might be criticised for egotism in my account; but as I have the Honour to relate it to your Lordship, my particular friend, I should think my self more to blame was I less ingenuous.

Though the intelligence I send your Lordship may be a repetition of what you have read at the Board in Captain Steven's Letter, as I have communicated the whole of what I know to him the senior Captain from whom the account may best come, yet I send it that I may not be wanting in the fullest information I can give.

The Marquiss D'Albert, a Chef d'Escadre, sailed from Brest the 13th January O.S in the Magnanime of seventy-four Guns, in company with the Alcide of 64; the Lare-en-ceil of 54; and the Cumberland frigate (a Privateer taken from us) of 22 Guns.  They came out with the wind at East, and to avoid our Squadrons kept in the Latitudes of 48:00, to 50. 13, till they had run a 150 leagues to the westward, and then hauled to the southward; but meeting with hard southerly winds, the sixth day after in the night lost company with the other Ships, and when we met the Magnanime she was standing to the Eastward, Ushent then bearing EbN 80 Leagues, going to Brest, as they say, to get topmasts up.

This Squadron was bound to Cadiz where they were to be joined by three Ships from Toulon; one of 74; one of 64, and one of 54 Guns; and upon their joining were to have proceeded to Pontichery in the East Indies, under the Command of Mr. D'Albert.  The rest of the Squadron may be got to Cadiz for what we know.

This is the best and most I am able to learn by laying together every thing that has come to my knowledge, which by the case they have taken is not so much as I sincerely wished for.

Upon Mr. D'Alberts coming on board me I asked him where he was bound to.  He answered he was not at liberty to tell – it was a secret.  I told him if it was so my duty obliged me to use means to discover that secret, which I must endeavour to do by searching for papers.  He answered upon the striking his colours he had thrown his papers and instructions over board with a weight to sink them; and by the search I have only been able to find, in a case of his made for that purpose, the Oriental draughts of the last survey the French made, which as they are Originals I send your Lordship by this express, that if you esteem them valuable they may be yours; at the same time your Lordship will make what use of them you see proper with the Board.

Although this expedition will turn out to have been managed with as much secrecy and art as any they have undertaken this War, and they have but the appointment of six months in their provisions and stores; the outward design of their Voyage only to be guessed at in France by their being sheathed; and although we have not been able to come at his instructions, the fullest proof of their designes, yet with me tis beyond a doubt this Squadron was and is (if the loss of this ship and the discovery of their scheme does not put a stop to it) destined to Pontichery, which place, by Letters found wrote to the Officers upon surmising they were going there shews the people in France to be under apprehensions will fall into the hands of Mr. Boscawen, if not timely relieved.  The copy of an order relating to their conduct towards the Dutch etc after getting round the Cape of good hope found in the pocket book of the Chevalier de Parade, Major to the expedition, and delivered out by him in orders to the several Captains, will upon its being transmitted to the Board by Captain Stevens, together with all other papers delivered to him, bring clear information to your Lordship they were bound so far; and, as to their provisions and stores, those could be got at Cadiz.

Mr. D'Albert appears to be more than sixty years of age, a tall, thin man, with a right Martinus face; seemingly more grave crabbed, and thoughtful, than a frenchman of any age I ever met with.

There is taken with him, the Baron de Ray, Colonel of Infantry; the Chevalier de La Marville, Colonel of Infantry; the Chevalier de Parade, Nephew to Mr. D'Albert, and Major to the Expedition; The two latter were wounded in the action, together with Mr. Petit, and Mr. Percave two Engineers.  These Gentlemen were passengers to Pontichery.  The Chevalier de Bossey first second Captain, for they have two, was killed in the action, and the Chevalier de Parade is since dead.

Could I have laid my orders on one of the three frigates we have met with, this intelligence, which I look upon to be very material, should long since have been in London, but Captain Stevens was to do it, and God has made some people strangely.

The Shipwrights are hard at work by the account of these people in repairing the ships at Brest, but none of them, they say, are yet rigged, or have Captains appointed to them.  The Magnanime they tell me was the best sailing Ship belonging to france, and that her construction will be followed in their future buildings.

The ignorance of these people in Sea matters is beyond belief, my Lord, and I pray that their understandings may never be inlightened.  Talking to Mr. D'Albert about Ships, I asked him what he thought of our three decked ships for Battle.  Oh sayed he, they are fine ships, because their sides are so thick no ball can pierce them; and I had surely taken him if I had never seen the Portland, for their fears had magnified me to a seventy-four gun ship.

It has long since been time to relieve you, my Lord, from this long letter; and I shall continue it no longer than while I assure your Lordship I shall esteem my self happy in every opportunity of shewing, how truly I am.

My Lord
your Lordships,
most faithful, and 
obliged Servant,
R. Harland