No 11.
My Lord

I have not had the honour of writing to your Lordship since the 10th past.

Since the departure of the last packet, various depredations have been committed near this coast, by the American privateer Civil Usage, Andrew Gidding master. On the 10th instant she took the Brig Beckford, Samuel Pashley master; but finding her in ballast, dismissed her, after plundering her stores, books & mathematical instruments. On the same day, within 10 leagues of Oporto, the same vessel took the merchant ship Dover, John Walsby master. The Civil Usage had already taken six prizes; of which one was a Frenchman; The La Fortune, Bertrand Canger master; bound from London for Cadis, with bale goods.²

This last capture is attended with a circumstance of apparent treachery, which seems worthy of the consideration, both of those of his majesty's subjects, who, on the faith of presumed neutrality, entrust their property in French bottoms & of those who insure it; A Seaman on board the La Fortune having declared, that the captain of that vessel surrendered it voluntarily, induced by the promise of receiving on his arrival in America, double freight, with the release of his ship, & a Freight back for France or Spain.

These mischiefs (anticipated in some measure in my letter to your Lordship of July 20) together with the continuance on these coasts of the same privateer, & another, both amply refreshed at Bilboa; appeared to me sufficiently urgent, to require a farther application to Vice Admiral Mann; To whom, at Gibraltar, I dispatched an express messenger on the18th instant; as well to acquaint that officer with the facts above mentioned; as to remind him, that the well known & already begun season for the arrival of the Newfoundland ships, as well as the recent exclusion of the American privateers from the ports of the other principal powers of Europe, were likely more than ever to expose the trade to their depredations.

Time has hardly allowed me to expect hitherto any answer from the Admiral: Yet the post of yesterday brings me new apprehensions on the part of the British merchants at Oporto; especially on the preparing de­parture of fifteen sail of ships loading at that place with wines for Great Britain, without any distinct expectation of convoy.

I take the liberty to suggest to your Lordship, on this pressing occasion, how convenient & satisfactory it would be; if it suited the distribution to the other great objects of his majesty's force; to direct as well the lords of the Admiralty, as the commanders in chief in the Mediterranean; to send as early notice as the nature of the respective opportunities should permit of the probable time of arrival at Lisbon & Oporto, of any ships of war intended for homeward convoy: Such hope, held out; would generally enable the merchants to prepare their departures nearly at the same time; and prevent the over sanguine from precipitating themselves into evident peril.                                                          ·

I think it necessary to acquaint your Lordship, that I am well in­formed, that the French Court have sent to this kingdom an order for conveying to France forthwith, every French sailor who can be laid hold of. I have the honour to be My Lord [&c.]