[Extract]
No. 5
My Lord

. . . On the 28^th. past, the American sloop Heart of Oak of eighty tons burthen, Joseph Sheete late master, was wrecked on this coast near Figueria: She was on her voyage of Newbern in North Carolina to Cadis, with a cargo of tobacco, pitch, tar, staves, & sheathing: Before she broke to pieces, the people saved twenty hhds of tobacco, and something of each of the other commodities. Her crew consisted of sixteen men, seven Americans the rest of different foreign nations.

As this vessel had been mounted with six carriage guns, and she was reported to have been provided with a letter of mark from the American congress; the British deputy consul at Figueira wrote to me for instructions, whether he should give the people any assistance: I have answered that as their disaster had disabled them from doing mischief I thought he might exercise the common offices of humanity in their behalf. I have the honour to be [&c.]