Sir,

Camel at Spithead 4th October 1777 I beg, you will acquaint my Lords Comm^rs. of the Admiralty, that on the 5^th. of September, the Fleet under Convoy of His Majesty's Ship under my command, was attack'd by two Rebel Privateers.¹ We had shortened Sail, the preceding Evening, for the Sternmost Ships & Vessells to come up with us, & carried that Night a very easy Sail, which gave an opportunity, to about thirty of our Convoy, to run a considerable distance a Head of us. I fir'd some Shott at them to bring them too, which they not attending to, I made the Signal, for the Weazle, to make Sail a Head, and collect the Convoy; which occasioned her to be near five mile a Head of me. The Druid at the same time hauling to the Northward, to make the Weathermost Ships, Bear down, might be about the same distance upon our Weather quarter. It blew, so fresh then; that we were under our close Reef'd Fore & Main Topsails, without any other Sail sett. In the afternoon we had some heavy Squalls, accompanied with so thick Weather (during the Squalls) that we could not perceive any thing at a greater distance, than a Mile. In the heigth of one of these Squalls, we heard the report of many Guns, where the Druid was stationed. Concluding it to be an Engagement we immediately Wore, & stood after the reports, with the Ship prepar'd for action, having previously made the Signal for the Merchant Ships &c to lye by. As the Squall soon Blew over, we perceiv'd His Majestys Sloop Druid, engag'd with a very large Rebel Frigate, who, (upon perceiving us, Wore, & stood from her, to join another Rebel Ship which lay to Leeward. We continued in Chace of them, till past 7, when, we were within random Shott of the two, who by that time had join'd, & were crouding all the Sail they possibly could from us. As it was then dark & we had lost sight of the Convoy; I judg'd it imprudent to stand after them any longer, & Wore, to join the Fleet. At ½ past 8 we join'd the Weazel, who inform’d me that the Fleet, had all, Bro^t. too, to answer the Signal that I had made; that the Druid had received considerable damage, & untill she got assistance, was not in a situation to proceed with the Convoy. I therefore, Bros. too: and continued, Laying too, untill 4 a Clock, the next Evening.

At day light we spoke the Druid, & sent the Carpenters from the Men of War, & a party of Seamen, to refitt her.

[As the Druids action, cannot derive any additional credit, from my description of it, I shall refer their Lordships to the accounts, sent to me by Lieu^t. Bourchicr the only surviving Officer.² Whose exemplary behaviour & noble conduct, during the whole Action, was what alone could enable him, to beat off, so superior a force. I beg leave, likewise to observe to their Lordships that his activity did not cease there, for the Ships Company observing their Officer, to exert himself with so much Spirit, behav'd with such uncommon alertness, that they got the Ship new Rigg'd, & the Top Gallant Yards across, by 4 a Clock that Evening

Their Lordships will perceive (by M^r. Bourchiers Account) ³ the damages she sustain’d; that there was not any part of her Sails, or Rigging serviceable & her lower Masts, required being almost totally stripp'd, to enable the Carpenters to fish them.

Their Lordships, will likewise perceive, in the List of Kill'd & Wounded,⁴ that Captain Carteret rece'da Mortal Wound, the first broadside, which was likewise fatal to the Master. During the whole time we were employed refitting the Druid, the two Rebel Privateers were, Bearing down upon us.]

As soon as the Druid was refitted, I sent one of the Merchant Ships (that I had previously appointed to carry the lights) a Head, to lead the Fleet, & the Men of War continued in the Rear of the Convoy to receive the Rebels, the Ships Companies, being under Arms during the Night, expecting every Hour to come to action. But at day light we perceived that they had Hauld up to the Southward, at as great a distance as we could well perceive them from the Mast Head. They continued dodging the Fleet, for three days, during which time the Men of War, kept their Station in the Rear of the Fleet, & by occasionally altering the Course, kept the Rebels in our Wake, which we were the better enabled to perform, from the distance they took care to be every Morning, apprehending (as we supposed) that had we an opportunity of Chacing them the whole day, (at any reasonable distance) we might force them to engage us; [which as I saw there was no prospect of, I sent some of the best going Merchant Ships round the Fleet, to order them, to put out their Lights, & at an appointed time to alter their Course, which] the Rebels [not being aware of,] were out of sight in the Morning at day light, & have not been seen by us since. I flatter myself I can assure their Lordships, they did not take any of our Convoy; as such of the Ships as made Sail from the Fleet, the night, & day after the attack, must have been far out of their reach before we lost sight of them. I am [&c.]