Cadiz 3d. July 1778
No. 19 My Lord,
In my letter No. 18 I informed Your Lordship of the arrival in this Bay of a French Frigate and a Sloop of War they are directly from Brest.1 the Frigate is called the Andromache commanded by the Chevr. de Buor of 34 guns and 300 Men2 the other the Ecureiuil of 14 guns and 90 Men commanded by the Chevr de Brugnon3 their business here is not only to protect and Serve as Convoys for their own Trade but they are to convoy the Ships belonging to the Rebellious Americans, which may be loading here for America. these Ships have not been admitted to Prattick here; only the Captain of the Frigate has been permitted to come on Shoar on a pretence of delivering a Message to the Governor.4
The Squadron commanded by the Marquis de Casa Tilly is daily expected to arrive from South America, with some money from Buenos Ayres.5
The Fleet under the command of Dn Luis de Cordova are at their Moorings at the Puntales, they shew no appearance of fitting out for Service.6
The Convoy from England for Gibraltar and some Ships for this Place are in Sight I am [&c.]
Josh Hardy
L, UkLPR, S.P. (Foreign) 94/206. Addressed at foot of first page: “The Right Honble. Lord Visct. Weymouth.” Docketed: “Cadiz 3 July 1778/Consul Hardy/(No 19)/R, 3 August via Lisbon.”
1. Hardy’s letter “No. 18” to Weymouth was dated 30 June. UkLPR, S.P. (Foreign) 94/206.
2. Frigate Andromaque, Louis-François-Jean-Benoit, Chevalier Buor de La Chenallière, commander.
3. Corvette Ecureuil, Joseph-Florían-Célestín Thepault, Chevalier du Breignon, commander.
4. Pratique was a license given to a ship entering port on assurance from the captain that it was free of contagious diseases. In a letter of 16 July, the British ambassador to Spain, Lord Grantham, reported to Weymouth that “The two french Ships . . . have left Cadiz without being admitted to Prattick.” UkLPR, S.P. (foreign) 94/206.
5. Hardy reported on 31 July that two ships of the line, a frigate, and several transports under the command of Vice Adm. Marqués de Casa-Tilly had arrived from Buenos Aires with about three million dollars. Ibid.
6. That is, Lieutenant-General Don Luis de Córdova y Córdova. Puntales was the name of a castle/ fort, which, with Ft. Matagorda, protected the inner bay of Cadiz.
