[Extract]
Monseigneur

j'ay eu L'honneur de vous rendre compte de la baye de quiberon de ma Sortie pour rejoindre Les fregattes angloises et de toutes Les particularités de ma navigation avec elles, jusqu'au moment ou Les vents forcés et contraires Les ont obligés de Relacher et mouiller sous belle-isle.

Dans La nuitte du 25 au 26 Les vents venus de la partie du nord elles ont appareillées et des que Le jour me La permis j'ay mis aussi sous voile et Les ai Suivi en dehors de belle isle. Les vents favorables, ces batiments se Sont bientot eloignés de la vue de nos côtes et Les ayant moi meme perdu de vue, je Suis Revenus Sur mes pas et ay passé Le jours dehors, pendant ces 24 heures Les vents n'ayants Eprouver aucun changement on peut etre assuré que ces fregattes ont Continuées Leur Route.

En me Raprochant de belle-isle, j'ay Eu connaissance d'un batiment grecié En Lougre que je prenois pour un des notres. Sa maneuvre Lorsque j'ay voulu me ralier a lui ma prouvé qu'il etoit corsaire etranger. La nuitte se faisoit et je n'ay pu continuer à le chasser, j'ay même Lieu de penser qu'il marchoit aussi bien que ma fregatte. Dans La nuitte je Suis venu mouiller aux cardinaux et au jours reverant vien En dehors de belle-isle j’ay fait Route pour La riviere de nantes ou j'ay Entré Le Soir. je me flattois y trouver vos ordres concernans Les matelots francois que j'ay Retiré du Corsaire insurgent L'indépendance;¹ M^r. de Rozily qui a ma priere, tenoit de depuis mon depart La Station de St nazaire m'a dit n'avoir rien reçu de vous, Monseigneur, n'y a son adresse n'y a la mienne concernant notre mission.

je Reçois des ordres du M^r. Le Comte d'orvilliers pour que j'aye a me joindre a La Corvette La curieuse sous belle-isle, m'y Etablir En croisiere pour En Eloingner plusieurs corsaires anglois dont on y a eu connoissance. Le tems me permettant de sortir aujourdhuy je profiteray de la marée pour mettre sous

voile par Le Raport de l'officier commendant a belle-isle, qu'on menoire il me paroit quil Sert pretté genereusement aux besoins des corsaires et que c'est leur donner bien des facilités pour tenir Leur croisiere Sur nos côtes, Si on Leury Refusoit ces secours et même La Relache En mauvais tems, ce Seul ordre Les contraindroient de Sen Ecarter, je vais tacher de Les joindre et Leur notifiray de S'eloigner conformement a vos ordres.

Les frégattes angloises venues prendres Les deux batiments du commerce S'appellent L'une La Minerve commandée par C_e. Stot et l'autre La'thetis cap^e gell, ces deux frégattes portent 26 canons de 12 En batterie et 6 canons de gaillard.² La fregatte La danaé pouvoit porter une pareille artillerie Si nous avions des canons des mêmes proportions que Les anglois, plus courts que Les canons de 8 que j'ay abord, Leur batterie par ce moien Est plus aisée a Servir, ces fregattes n'etant cependant plus Larges que Les notres.

La frégatte La minerve avoit une marche Superieure et le Capitaine L'attribue a son doublage de Cuivre, La'thetis qui netest pas ainsi doublée marchait mal et javois autant davantage sur elle que l'autre En avait sur moi. ces officiers anglois avec Lesquels j'ay vecu, comme je vous L'ai mandé, Recherchant dans Les procedés d'honneteté, des moiens de Les suivre sans affectation, tel que me Le prescrivait mes instructions, m'ont dits avec une Espece daffectation quils avaient 15 vaisseaux ou frégattes En croisiere du cap finistere aux sorlaingues et point dans L'interieur du golphe. dailleurs ils m'ont parus S'attendre a la perte totale de L'amerique dapres Les nouvelles quils En avoient Recus.

je vais Encore prier M^r. de Rozily de tenir En Station dans La Riviere et je lui Remet Les 7 francais qui se sont Reclamés du Corsaire insurgent, ne Sachant ou ma croisier me conduira et la destination que vous En ordonnerer, ainsi M^r. de Rozily sera a même de faire Executer vos ordres a leur Egard. ... je Suis [&c.]

abord de la danaé ce 29 X^bre 1777
a St nazaire par guerande.

[Translation]

My Lord

I had the honor of reporting to you, from Quiberon Bay, about my departure to join up with the English frigates and about all the details regarding my sailing with them, until the time when contrary and high winds forced them to put into port and to lie at anchor in the lee of Belle Île. . During the night of the 25th to the 26th, the wind blowing from the north quarter, the English frigates weighed anchor, and as soon as daybreak allowed me to do it, I set sail and followed them away from Belle Ile. Sailing under favorable winds, these ships were soon out of sight of our coast; having myself lost sight of them, I retraced my course and spent the day outside; during these 24 hours, the winds having under gone no change in direction, it is certain these frigates had continued on their course.

While again approaching Belle Ile, I observed a ship, rigged like a lugger, which I took to be one of ours. Its able maneuvering when I tried to catch up with it proved to me that it was a foreign privateer. Since it was getting dark, I could not continue after the ship, and I even had reason to believe that the ship was sailing as well as my frigate. During the night I came to anchor at the Cardinaux; at daybreak, seeing nothing outside Belle Ile, I set a course for the Nantes River where I arrived in the evening. I was pleased to find there your orders concerning the French sailors I had taken off the enemy privateer Independence. M. de Rozily, who, at my request, was since my departure manning the St. Nazaire station, told me he had received nothing from you, my Lord, either addressed to him or to me regarding our mission.

I received orders from Comte d'Orvilliers to join up with the corvette La Curieuse to the leeward of Belle Ile, and to establish myself cruising about in order to rid it of several English privateers that we knew were there. Since the weather makes it pos sible for me to leave today, I shall take advantage of the tide to set sail. .

It appeared from the report of Belle Ile's commanding officer, which was brought to me, he had generously responded to the needs of the privateers and had made available to them many accommodations to keep them on our coasts. If help were to be refused them, or even refusing to allow them to enter a harbor during bad weather, this order alone would force them to move away. I shall try to catch up with them to tell them to move away in accordance with your orders. The two English frigates came to take the two merchantships, one was called the Minerva, commanded by Captain Stot, and the other the Thetis, commanded by Captain Gell.2 The two frigates carry 26 12-pounders and 6 guns on the quarter-deck. The frigate Danaecould carry a similar amount of armament, if we were to have guns of the same size as the English, shorter than the 8-pounders I have on board. Their guns are much easier to handle in action. These frigates are no longer than ours. The frigate Minerva was faster, which the captain attributed to his copper sheathing. The Thetis, which was not so sheathed, sailed badly and I had as much an advantage over the frigate as the other had over me. The English officers among whom I came, as I reported to you, as I was trying in a straightforward manner to find ways to follow them without pretence, as my instructions stipulated, told me with great affectation that they had 15 ships of the line or frigates cruising from Cape Finistere to the Scilly Islands and stationed within the gulf. In addition, they appeared to me to expect the total loss of America, according to the news they had received about it.

I shall ask M. Rozily to remain on station in the river and I have turned over to him the seven Frenchmen who were reclaimed from the insurgent privateer, not knowing where my cruizing will take me, nor the destination you will order for it, thus M. de Rozily will be in a position to have your orders carried out concerning them. ... I am [&c.]

On board the Danaé, 29 December 1777
at St. Nazaire-par-Guérande.

​Kergariou