Duplicate
Sir.

The last Opportunity I had of conveying to you the occurrences arising in these parts, necessary for their Lordships’ Information was by the Alert Sloop,¹ which left this place the 11^th of April; since which I have received their Lordships Orders by the Proserpine, Captain Sutton² who arrived here the 27^th of April She having in her passage from England washed away a considerable part of the doubling on her Waals³ which it was necessary to have repaired, to prevent the Copper Sheathing from being carried away, the same was done with all possible expedition and she was dispatched the 29^th of April to perform the Service pointed out to me by being stationed to Cruize between Europa Point⁴ and Ceuta,⁵ to prevent the French Squadron expected from Toulon, getting through the Strait undiscovered, and to watch their motions in order to come at a knowledge of their destination, which Intention I should hope was been fully answered and that their Lordships have by this time gained every particular relative to the said French Squadron, which was seen from the Signal House on Gibraltar Hill at 2 and passed by this Bay at 9 PM, the 18^th of May.—Captain Sutton was so well situated as to be enabled to reconnoitre and to take an Account of their Strength, with which he came forward towards this Bay, when I sent an Officer to learn the particulars thereof. He then proceeded on, keeping the said Squadron a Stern of him, in order to give Intelligence of what he had come to a knowledge of to Sir Thomas Rich in His Majestys ship Enterprize, stationed to cooperate in the same Service with him, in the Entrance of the Straits, between Capes Spartel and Traflagar⁶ and as the Enterprize had not left this Place, from recruiting her Water and Provisions, but a few Hours before, I am led to believe they soon joined, and took such measures as were the most likely to effectuate the Service required of them. Captain Sutton’s Intelligence gave me to understand that the French Squadron consisted of Fourteen Sail of the Line and Three Frigates accompanied by three ships which he conceived to be Victuallars or Store Ships and this account tolerably well corroborated by the Information I have gained from different Merchant Ships who were in company with the French Squadron down the Mediterranean, and from what I saw of them from Europa Point; but I have obtained nothing that can be depended on respecting the Course the said Squadron steered after passing the Straits, as the Levant⁷ at the time this Circumstance happened was but just return’d from her Cruize, as soon as she could be got ready, by replacing a set of rigging for her Fore Mast, repairing other defects, and recruiting her Water and provisions she was dispatched off Cape S^t. Vincent to discover if the above Squadron should be Cruizing there in which Event she was to endeavour to get at a proper distance, to the North-West of the same in the Track of the Ships from England bound this way for whom she was to Cruize, in order to Give advice of that matter, that proper steps might be taken in order to avoid the said Squadron. She saild the 20^th last month and is now in execution of that Service

You will be pleased to inform their Lordships that as soon as I was advised of the extraordinary preparations of the Spaniards in the equipment of a Naval Force respecting which you have a particular account in my Letter of the 10^th of April (by the Alert) I thought it necessary to give the direction which you will see on perusal of the enclosed Copy of my Letter to Captain Murray of the Levant previous to his leaving this place to proceed on his late Cruize, but the conduct of the Spainiards since that time has been much altered; and M^r Consul Hardy⁸ writes me (and I have it also from other hands) that they have not only relaxed in their preparations but have actually began in some measure to dismantle their Ships; by unbending their sails and striking their Yards and Top mast.