Sir

In my last Letter of the 30th past; I acquainted their Lordships with my intention to remove the Troops from the Clibborn into the Friendship, and to send the former to Plymouth, since which time the weather has not been proper for it, and on Thursday last, at two o'Clock in the afternoon a violent Tempest arose, and veer'd in Gusts from the S S E to the W S W, and continued 'till midnight. The Lord North Transport is the only Ship that has suffer'd, the Friendship Arm'd Ship having drove foul of her & carried away her Bowsprit, with part of the Knee of the Head, & damaged her Catt-Heads, the particulars their Lordships will see in the Report I now transmit you, from the Carpenters of the Actaeon, Bristol & Carcass Bomb, whom I ordered on the Survey, and as they are of opinion that it will take twelve men for one Week to repair the damages, 2 and as it may require some time to procure the materials, I have in consequence stopped the removal of the Troops from the Clibborn, and have directed Lieut Knowles to move the Troops this Day from the Lord North (instead of the Clibborn) into the Friendship; and to Order the Master of the Lord North to proceed as soon as possible to Plymouth, acquainting the Navy Board with his arrival.

I have received your Letter of the 23d past directed to the Captain of any of His majesty's Ships at Corke, of Commodore Sir Peter Parker's Squadron, signifying their Lordships commands that he should proceed with the Convoy I have given him charge of, and not wait for the Levant Victualler ー If all the Ships under my Orders had been here for these three Weeks past, the weather would not have permitted us to have sail'd, so that no time has been lost; and as Lord Cornwallis is satisfied to go without the Pigat Hospital Ship, I shall proceed the instant the Wind & Weather favour us, with the Squadron, Transports, &ca now here, and not wait for the Ships in the Ports to the westward of us ー (Viz) The Sphynx, Thunder Bomb, her Tender, and the Pigat Hospital Ship ー It is likel) that the Sphynx will be with us, as soon as the wind moderates. I propose to leave her here, to wait only for the Thunder Bomb, her Tender, and the Hospital Ship, and as Captain [Anthony] Hunt, will be fully inform'd of the Tract I mean to follow, he may either overtake us, or be at the Cape nearly as soon ー The Deal Castle and Sybella Storeship, are I suppose many leagues to the westward, I shall leave Orders for them, with Genl Cunninghame at Corke, who will hear immediately of their arrival, and desire the favor of the General in case those Ships should not arrive, within six Weeks after my departure, to transmit them to you. The Captain of the Deal Castle, I shall Order to follow me directly, taking under his Convoy such Ships as may be intended to join me; and the Master of the Sybella Storeship to wait here for Convoy, giving their Lordships an account of his arrival. ー The Squadron that I shall sail with (supposing the Deal Castle & the Ships in the Western Ports do not arrive before) will consist of the Bristol, Active, Actaeon, Solebay & Carcass Bomb. Inclos'd is the State & Condition of His Majts Squadron under my Command. I am [&c.]

P: Parker