By &c^a

Whereas you will receive herewith a Packet for Vice Admiral Duff, Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s Ships and Vessels on the Mediterranean or, in his absence for the Senior officer of the time being for His Majesty’s Ships in Gibraltar, you are hereby required and directed to proceed without a moments loss of time to Gibraltar, and having delivered the said Packet to the said Vice Admiral or to said Senior officer find yourself under his command and follow his orders for your further proceedings. But in case it shall happen that you shall be the Senior officer there, you are in that case to open the abovementioned Packet and carry into immediate Execution the orders you will find therein contained for your further proceedings.

And whereas there is reason to believe that the French Squadron at Toulon may shortly sail from thence and pass through the straits of Gibraltar and that it may probably be joined by a Spanish Squadron from Cadiz, you are in case of falling in with said squadrons either jointly or separately before you get the Length of Gibraltar, not to proceed to that place but to follow, and watch their motions until you can ascertain the route they take, and (if they should proceed to the westward) until they shall get to the westward of Cape St. Vincent and you can discover the course they steer whether towards the west Indies, America, or Brest, or whether they appear to be destined to cruise off the abovementioned Cape or elsewhere in the Track of Ships bound to Gibraltar, where they may be likely to fall in with, and intercept the Reinforcement of Troops which will be shortly sent out from hence to that Garrison and then you are to make the best of your way to the first Port you can reach in England and to send an account thereof and of your proceedings, by express to our Secretary, diligently looking out, in your way, for the Transport which may have on board the abovementioned Re-inforcement, and upon falling in with them to inform the Commanding Officer of His Majesty’s Ships under whose Convoy they may be with what you may have observed or been informed of respecting the Squadrons above-mentioned; and you are to endeavour to pass the Latitude of Ushant, between Ten and Twenty Leagues distance from it, to look out for the English Squadron under the command of Admiral Keppel, and upon falling in with it to give the said Admiral or the Commanding Officer of it for the time being similar information, and all the Intelligence proper for his knowledge which you may have gained.

Given & C^a. 17^th April 1778.

By &c J.¹