Sir

I shall enclose by the next Post another Copy of the Trade that left Jamaica under Convoy of his Majesty's Ship Pallas under my Command wherein I have set off the time of their parting against the Names of such as we knew, but they chiefly parted in the Night; I hope their Lordships will be pleased to_ consider that it was totally impossible for the Officers of a Man of War to tell the Names of all the Merchant Ships, particularly as there were not above Eight or Ten out of above a hundred Sail that kept in their Stations or behaved tolerably well.

During the time the Maidstone was in Company, I wrote to Capt. [Alan] Gardner to beg that he would oblige the Ships in the Rear to pay attention to my Signals, notwithstanding which when we were off Cape Antonio, between Twenty and Thirty Sail brought too to buy Turtle, the Maidstone being at that time in Chace; when she came up the Masters of the Merchant Ships acquainted Capt. Gardner that their Passengers were on shore purchasing Turtle, and they could not make sail, this Capt. Gardner informed me of before he parted Company and that many of them gave him impertinent answers when he hailed them, and that it was impossible for him to make them attend their duty.

After we got through the Gulf and the Maidstone had parted Company, in the Evening it was Squally with Thunder and lightning, we close reeft our Topsails and they were lowered down, so that the worst sailing Ship in the Convoy might have kept her Station as the Pallas sailed very ill, we steered during the Night the same Course that we had done several hours before it was dark with the Wind aft, in the Morning there were not above Fifty Sail to be counted from the Mast-head, and not above ten in their Stations the rest being an amasing distance to the Eastward of us, and upon our Starboard Beam and Bow, upon which as I had a great desire to preserve the Convoy I altered my Course and steered after them, though I apprehend it to be the duty of the Convoy to steer after the Man of War, not she after the Convoy. Many of the Masters of the Merchant ships acquainted the Officers of the Pallas that they thought it intirely owing to our steering so much to the Eastward after those Ships that we met with the Calms which occasioned the long passage.

From this time to the 24th of Septr the Weather was such that any Ship might have kept Company that chose it, that Morning there were orily nineteen Sail in Company, during the day it blew very hard and we brought too under a reeft Mainsail, the next morning there were only six Sail in sight, which joined us, the Suffolk parted Company the 27th by request, the Anne, Northside Planter, Hereford and London hoisted their Colours in the Morning of the 30th, and parted Company steering a different course; the Alexander kept Company 'till the Evening when we retook the Anne, she then hailed us and desired to part Company, I told them we had just retaken a Ship, and that there were a number of American Privateers about, upon which he said he would keep Company, but left us in the Night. I believe the Masters of the Ships thought their only danger was in going through the Gulf, and that if we had not altered our Course and steered after them, none of those that were at a distance would have joined us again, I was informd by one of the Masters of the Ships, that the Sarah and Elizabeth, Foote, one of the Ships that parted as soon as we were through the Gulf, hoisted his Colours which occasioned some of the other Ships to go away with him, but he was at such a distance I could not see him. I have already in two letters explained to their Lordships why I put into Newfoundland, therefore shall not trouble them again upon that head.

I see they have got it in the Papers that the Pallas has brought a great Freight from Jamaica, I beg leave to inform their Lordships that although her sailing was advertised in the Kingston Papers a considerable time before she sailed, the Merchants chose to send their Remittances home in their own Ships. I am Sir [&c.]

[Endorsed] Recd & Read 22d & Ansd do