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My Lord, I am honored with your Lordships Letter bearinz date the 21st of October, accompanied with a representation from Mr Alexander Brown, late Master of the Dinah Victualling Brig ² which Sailed from Spithead, under Convoy of the Perseus, and desiring my observations relative to his assertions.

In consequence, I need only refer your Lordship to my Journal for a full vindication of my conduct with regard to the Dinah, and the Convoy in general put under my protection. Or if your Lordship is of opinion that from the concise manner of keeping a Journal, the circumstances might appear more clearly from my Log-Book, where the observations are noted hourly, I will have the honor of transmitting a Copy: and it may perhaps convince your Lordship that had the Masters been as attentive to my Signals, as I was to the protection of their Vessels, the King's Service would have suffered less.

I will now beg your Lordships permission to enter into a few Circumstances which I flatter myself will remain unanswerable.

First; with regard to Mr Brown's observations on his Vessel, I do perfectly agree with him, and will venture to add she was unfit for any purpose except that of burning. Secondly — "he mentions, I kept company with the Fleet until the 16th of August:" from the time of my leaving St Helens to the time I joined the Lark which was the 12th of August, I placed the Ship on the Dinah's Leebeam, distance a Cable's length; and my orders to the Officers were most positive to keep that position during the Night; this circumstance will lessen Mr Brown's merit in keeping company with the Fleet. Your Lordship will see the reason of my requesting Captain [Richard] Smith to take charge of the Convoy by the Letter I enclose.³ It is also plain that the Dinah and Burstwick were never seen after eight o'clock in the Evening of the 13th of August; and that on the 14th, the Weather was foggy 'till Noon, at which time there were only 18 Ships in Company, which I with much difficulty collected; on the 15th I made the Signal to speak with the Lark evidently to concert measures for the protection of the Convoy; and on the 16th (which is the day mentioned by Mr Brown for his having parted Company) it is beyond a doubt that I chased different Ships of the Convoy the whole day, fired a great many Shot at the offenders, rebuked the Masters &c. and with difficulty once more collected them. On the 18th I parted from the Lark and the Snow under her Convoy, consequently 17 remained under charge of the Perseus, not one of which was lost before our being driven on the Banks of Newfoundland, where we were dispersed by Gales of Wind and thick fogs.

I beg leave to conclude this tedious narrative by observing that it will ever be impossible for a single Ship to govern a Convoy, except where the Owners and Masters interests are concerned, which has not been the present case; and to assure your Lordship, that no one could have undertaken that Service with more zeal, and as far as my capacity permitted, I used every means for the preservation of the Fleet. I have the honor to be My Lord [&c.]

[Endorsed] No 2 In Lord Howe's No 25.