(No 1:)
Sir

The 12th February last I wrote You by the Killingsworth Hired Transport: Thomas Bowditch Master, who put into this Island in distress, and being Refitted I ordered her to proceed without loss of time to Deptford. I now transmit a Duplicate of the same, and in addition thereto, am also to desire You will be pleased to lay before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty the accompanying Inclosures Numbered from No I to [blank] which will more fully explain to them the Nature and Extent of the Complaint I then made, "Of Sundry Armed Vessels without any Commission, having been fitted out from these Islands to Cruize and make Capture of American Vessels &ca on the High Seas." and I cannot avoid representing to their Lordships that this practice of fitting out private Cruizers has occasiond very great Confusion, and done much hurt and Damage to His Majesty's Service: The Seamen belonging to the Hired Victualling Transports (from Cork to New Yark that had put into this Island, many of them, indeed without any apparent Necessity) almost to a Man left them, and when I wanted to hasten the Masters to proceed on their Voyage, they made Complaint to me, their Men had been decoyed on board the aforegoing Armed

Vessels by great Bounties paid in Advance and large Promises of Prize Money hereafter: nay one of them called the Tryal, had the Audacity forcibly to enter the Benjamin Hired Victualling Transport and carried away part of her Seamen, with their Cloaths &ca as their Lordship will perceive by the Deposition of James Clark and John Hannah inclosed herewith and marked No [blank] and I must farther add it has likewise greatly encouraged Desertion from His Majesty's Ships.

I plainly perceived the Mischievous tendency of these unauthoriz[ed] (and in my opinion illegal) proceedings in the beginning and strongly represented the Consequences to the Attorney General and to the Commander in Chief (for the time being) but without any Success or remedy, as their Lordships will perceive by the Correspondence between them and me: Copies of which are inclosed and marked No 2: 3: 4 & 5. a few days afterwards I received a formal Complaint from the Comte D'argout Governor of Martinique that one of the Armed Vessels without Commission had taken [a] French Vessel belonging to Martinique and carried her into Dominica: I then thought it became my Duty to use my utmost Endeavours to put an immediate Stop to such proceedings and if possible prevent the like in future: or it was plainly evident they would soon draw Government into very alarming and serious Disputes. In order to effect this, I put an Advertisement into the Publick News Paper Setting forth the Complaint I had received: and that I thought it necessary to put an immediate Stop thereto, and had ordered the Shark round to St John['s] Road, to prevent any of the Armed Vessels called Privateers to sail from Thence; and that I should order the King's Ships under my Command, to make Capture of all such Armed Vessels, having no Commission; as they may find Cruizing on the High Seas for the purpose of taking Prizes. the Papers marked No 6: are Copies of the Advertisement. Ordered to Captain [John] Chapman and orders to the respective Captains of His Majesty's Ships under my Command; I likewise wrote to the Governors of Barbadoes, Dominica, St Vincents and Grenada, on the same Subject the Papers marked No 7: 8: 9: 10. are Copies of my Letters and their Answers thereto: and my Lords Commissioners will perceive on perusal of those Answers, that His Majesty's Governors are all of opinion, that the practice I complained of is illegal, piratical, and highly Derogatory to the King's Authority.

In consequence of the aforegoing Orders and Directions Captain [HenryJ Bryne of His Majesty's Ship Hind Seized and sent into English Harbour, three of the aforedescribed Armed Vessels, Vizt Two fitted out from Antigua and one from St Kitts: however I immediately gave back to their former Owners the Vessels with their Registers, some Negroes and as many of the People, as are usual to Navigate such kind of Vessels to enable them to proceed again on any lawful Trade: there were Eight or Nine Deserters from His Majesty's Ships amongst them; and the rest of the People mostly Entered for some one of His Majesty's Ships belonging to the Squadron under my Command; confessing they had been inticed onboard the Privateers by considerable Advance Money given them at entering and large promises of Prize Money hereafter. When I had taken these Measures I flattered myself no Person could be hardy enough to persist in a Practice so apparently wrong; and pregnant with Mischief: and I am very much concerned to have occasion to inform their Lordships, They not only yet continue the same practices but likewise threaten they will enter Actions of Trespass against me and the Officers of the Kings Ships, for Seizing and sending into Port the Armed Vessels employed by them, to Cruize and take Prizes on the High Seas and have for that purpose retained most of the Law Gentlemen at the different Islands. I can not entertain a doubt but my Lords Commissioners will be of opinion it was absolutely necessary for me to act on this occasion; in the manner I have represented; and that they will readily give all necessary support and protection to me and the Officers of His Majesty's Ships under my Command. I have therefore repeated the orders of His Majesty's Ships to Seize and send into Port such private Armed Vessels as they may meet with at Sea, Cruizing to take Prizes; and Captn [Charles] Phipps in the Perseus has sent into English Harbour two of them; one fitted out from St Kitts and the other from Tortola; Captain [Thomas] Dumaresq of the Portland has also sent in one fitted out from Antigua which with the one from St Kitts; are two of the three sent in before by the Hind, and were given back by me to their Owners in expectation they would desist from their former Enterprize, and only go out again on Lawful Tra[de.] I am now at a loss to know what further Steps to take with these Vessels unle[ss] to detain them in English Harbour 'till I can receive their Lordships directions concerning them; for it can answer no purpose whatever to bring them to Tryal in the Court of Vice Admiralty at this Island: The opinion of the Judge on the Lawfulness of their Cruizing to take Prizes being evident from the Sentences He has already pronounced in their favour, by condemning the Prizes sent in by them and so very Liberally rewarding the Owners &ca for taking them; which their Lordships will perceive by the Paper marked No 11: being a Copy of His Sentence of Condemnation of such Prizes as have been taken by these Privateers as they here call them. The Papers marked No 12: are the Custom House papers, Instructions to their Commanders, and Agreements between the Owners and Mariners onboard for the distribution of Prize Money, found on Board these Vessels when taken by His Majesty's Ships, by which their Lordships will perceive the ultimate tendency of their Scheme.

P:S: I must now request You will further acquaint their Lordships since writing the aforegoing Letter, the Owners of the private Armed Sloop called the Hamond have arrested me on an Action of Trespass, for ordering their Vessel to be Seized; and laid their Damages at £1100 Antigua Currency: have given in Bail to defend said Action, and doubt not their Lordships will give me all possible Support and protection therein, which m;:iy hereafter effectually prevent any Commanding Officer being publickly Insulted for what He may be obliged to Order in his particular line of Duty. J Y

[Enclosed] 8 Mar 1777 V. Adml Young R[d] 26 Apl