(No 2:)
Sir
I have received your (Secret and Confidential) Letter of the 4th December last. And in pursuance of their Lordships, directions to give them the earliest information of what I may observe or learn concerning any Preparations making at the French Islands &ca I have thought it necessary to send home express His Majesty's Sloop Hawke.
At present the French have only three Frigates in these Seas, and I do not hear they have a greater force at St Domingo. But their Conduct in respect to the American Rebels, is now much more open and avowed than it was, as they not only suffer the American Privateers to refit at their Ports, but also to bring in their Prizes and dispose of them; which their Lordships will perceive (by the Correspondence between me and the Governors of Martinique and Guadalupe inclosed herewith and marked No 1 & 6.) 2 is done; altho the French Governors assert to me; that they force them away from their Ports, this, however is only true, at the Principal Port at each Island; and they are suffered afterwards to go to other out Ports and Bays, at all their Islands where they Act as they please, and soon dispose of their Plunder; this the Governors say is done by Stealth and that they cannot prevent.
I have repeatedly acquainted their Lordships, that the American Armed Vessels and Privateers were received with every mark of Friendship, at all the French, Dutch and Danish Islands in these Seas, and are openly Cleaned, Refitted, and Supplied with every thing they can have occasion for: even to Men: it being matter of great notoriety that the American Privateers have not one third part of the Crews; their own Country Men; but are made up from all Nations; which they enter mostly at the Neutral Islands. I have every reason to beleive, that great Supplies of Naval Stores, Cloathing; Necessarys &ca are daily sent from the French Islands to the Rebellious Colonies in America; by Vessels having French Papers; Navigated by French Men, and cleared out for St Pierres Miquelon Captain Hamond in the Roebuck, in his passage from the Delawar, on the 12th January last, stopped one of them from Guadalupe (so cleared and Navigated and brought her with him to this Island to be tryed, and notwithstanding it appeared, she was taken at no great distance from the American Coast, more than 11 Degrees of Longitude out of her Route, at a Season of the Year when it was impossible she could get to the Island Miquelon, and her Cargo consisting of no .one Article, suitable to that place, but such as the American Rebels are in the greatest want of Vizt Salt, Molasses; Cordage, Canvass, coarse and fine Linnens Woolens &ca:) yet has this Vessel under all these Suspicious Circumstances been acquitted by the Judge of the Admiralty of this Island as not being within the Limited distance of the American Coast! The Governor of Guadalupe wrote to me about this Vessel before she was tryed; formally demanding restitution of her and Cargo: the inclosed Papers marked No 3 & 4 3 are his Letter and Copy of my Answer. There are two other Vessels (one a Frenchman the other a Qualified Dane) now for Tryal at this place; which were taken by Captain Elphinstone of the Perseus just going into Charles Town River, So Carolina: these I presume cannot escape Condemnation, as the plea of limited distance from the Coast cannot be set up in this case.
I must likewise acquaint their Lordships that the French do undoubtedly fit out Privateers for the American Rebels in Europe, as Cap[tain] Elphinstone of the Perseus has brought into Antigua a Retaken Ship c[alled] the Mackarel (a Hired Victualling Transport carrying Provisions to the King's Troops at New York.) that had been taken by a Privateer from Nantz called the Notre Dame; and the People found on board the Mackarel when she was Retaken by the Perseus were Nine French Men; and one American put on board as Prize Master, this being represented to me by the inclosed Letter, marked No 7: from Captain Elphinstone 4 it appeared so very extraordinary that I have sent them all to England in the Hawk, to be examined and dealt with as their Lordships may think proper. I am Sir [&c.]
[Endorsed) 9 March 1777 Antigua Vice Adml Young (No 2) Rd 26 Apl 1777. (7 Inclosures)