My Lord,
You will see from the List enclosed herewith of the Crews presently on board the Guardships that they come to a total of 4,948 men who are quite unequally divided since there are ships with more. than 400 men and others that do not have enough to man their boats. To tell the truth, only those in Chatham are in this situation because the port is the least exposed. Among the others we can see two with crews of 500 men. You will remember, My lord, that these two ships had been cruising off the Azores in order to intercept American vessels following the intelligence brought by the ship from Philadelphia taken by treason to Bristol by her crew. They stopped several Vessels which they met during their cruise but they did not capture any. These two ships will return to the other Guardships the detachments they had drawn from them in order to be able to put to sea.
We receive intelligence from all the Ports that Sailors are so rare that they cannot be found in spite of the extraordinary inducements offered by the Government, and that most of those who are on the Register of Seamen are land people, so that out of the 4,948 hardly a third are true sailors. However if we consider this total as an effective number and compare it to what is required in order to complete the commissioning of these 20 Ships in time of war, we see that 9,000 men are still lacking. Thus, My lord, the greatest advantage to England in having these Guardships on the present footing, is to have always available 20 seaworthy ships which by the detachments they can provide put her in a position occasionally to put a few Ships to Sea on a day's notice, and to have, if need be, a fleet ready to sail in a short time by means of an impressment.
They are busy training the men they receive in order to provide trained crews to the Frigates that put to Sea. Thus, we cannot consider that they are on stable footing today. But we must not conceal from ourselves that this is a useful establishment which deserves to be imitated.
Captain [James] Cook sailed from Plymouth on the 18th of this month for his new journey to Otahitee, new Zealand, and from there to the Coast of California from whence he will look for a passage to the Pole. The ship which is to follow him is still in Plymouth.
We still have not received any news concerning the military operations in America. Lord How arrived in Halifax on the 25th of June with his single ship and he was to sail without delay to rejoin the General his brother who had left on the 10th of the same month.
The Board of Trade received intelligence today that Ameican Privateers captured nine richly loaded ships from the West Indies, namely, 3 from Jamaica and 6 from Nevis, Antigua and the Barbados. This piece of news is so unquestionable that the cost of Insurance went up from 5 to 15 p. 100. A Ship arrived in Bristol from Jamaica and confirmed the capture by two Spanish coast-guard ships of M. Irwin's vessel. I am with respect &ca.
[Enclosure]
Current List of Crews on Board the Guardships, 26 July 1776
Ports |
Ships |
Guns |
Complement |
Wartime
complement |
Number required
to complete
wartime complement
on board each Ship |
Plymouth. |
Ocean |
90 |
358 |
850 |
492 |
|
Foudroyant |
80 |
280 |
750 |
470 |
|
Albion |
74 |
360 |
700 |
340 |
|
Torbay |
74 |
350 |
700 |
350 |
|
Boyne |
70 |
256 |
670 |
414 |
|
Non Such |
64 |
500 |
60 |
150 |
|
Sommerset |
64 |
300 |
650 |
350 |
|
Raisonable |
64 |
300 |
650 |
350 |
Portsmouth. |
Barfleur |
90 |
400 |
800 |
400 |
|
Royal-ok |
74 |
174 |
700 |
526 |
|
Centaure |
74 |
150 |
700 |
550 |
|
Hector |
74 |
150 |
700 |
550 |
|
Resolution |
74 |
150 |
700 |
550 |
|
Lenox |
74 |
180 |
700 |
520 |
|
Egmont |
74 |
190 |
700 |
510 |
|
Worcester |
64 |
500 |
650 |
150 |
|
Exeter |
64 |
230 |
650 |
420 |
Chatham. |
Ramilies |
74 |
70 |
700 |
630 |
|
Mars |
74 |
25 |
700 |
675 |
|
Ardent |
64 |
25 |
650 |
625 |
|
|
|
4,948 |
13,970 |
9,022 |