Sir
Some time in January 1776, being in His Majesty's Ship Pomona, then under my command, between the Islands of Guadaloupe and Mariegalante, I saw a ship standing in from sea-toward the harbour of Point a pitre in Guadaloupe and, having your order to examine all ships and vessels I should meet with, I made sail intending to have got between her and the harbour, that I might speak with her as she passed; but finding from her distance that there was a great probability. of her passing a head of us, and of our not being able to stop her, I ordered a shot to be fired, to bring her too, which instead of almost touching the yards of the Hercules in its passage, as the Master of her has represented, fell at least three ships lengths a head of her: When I came within hail of the Hercules I was surprized at being addressed by the Master of her in very uncivil language mixed with threats of what he would have done, if his ship had been of sufficient force; but as I then saw a number of Officers in French Regimentals on board, and was convinced of her being a french vessel, I expressed myself sorry for having detained them & left them to proceed on their voyage. On my going into the Road of Basseterre a few days after, the Governor of Guadaloupe told me 'that having received information, from the passengers on board the Hercules, one of which was Major General of Martinique, of the very disrespectfull behaviour of the Master of her to me, he had ordered him into confinement, where he then was, and that if I wished it he would send him to prison and punish him very severely; I then entreated the Governor to remit whatever punishment he meant to inflict on him, & to release him yet so very much was the Governor incensed at the impropriety of his conduct as represented by the officers who were present, that it was not 'till after I had waited on him three times to interceed for the Master of the Hercules, that the Governor consented to his being released on making proper appologies to me for his behaviour.
Antigua Feby 28th 1777.
