CONCISE STATEMENT OF FACTS. RELATIVE TO THE TREATMENT EXPERIENCED BT SIR HOME POPHAM, SINCE HIS RETURN FROM THE RED SEA : TO WHICH IS ADDED, THE CORRESPONDENCE, NAVAL, MILITARY, AND COMMERCIAL, TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE MOST NOBLE THE MARQUIS WELLESLEY, fee, FROM SIR HOME POPHAM, 25JJRING HIS COMMAND IN THE RED SEA, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT EMBASSY TO THE STATES OF ARABIA. lonDon ; 1S05. Price two Shillings and Sixpence. 'T)M* • % V *?. ** T. Giilet, Printer, Salisbury-Square. January 1805 ADVERTISEMENT. TN August 1803, I thought it necessary to •^ print several copies of this " Concise State- ment of Facts," for the perusal of such of his Majesty's Ministers, and other distin- guished personages, whose friendship and pro- tection, I am proud to boast, have not, in the slightest degree, been diminished, by the cruel and vindictive attacks on my character, honour, and reputation, which were then made, and afterwards pursued with unabated malignancy, by certain creatures and advisers, who had, un- fortunately for the country, but too much influence with the late Naval Administration. While their efforts were confined to an official inquiry into my proceedings, conducted as that inquiry seems to me to have been, in a manner a 2 contrary IV contrary to every established precedent in the service, and to that strict regard to candour which every public administration ought to entertain, I forbore to obtrude my case upon a liberal and enlightened Public, to which I ' should not now have appealed, but for a low and scurrilous publication, which has lately made its appearance, under the title of " Ob- " servations on the Concise Statement of Facts, " said to be privately circulated by Sir Home " POPHAM." I must here remark, that I gave to these facts every necessary publicity, freely trans- mitting copies of the pamphlet, without any, injunction to secrecy ', to all those who knew and felt the oppression under which I labour- ed, and who were pleased to take an interest; in whatever regarded my justification. On the ; other hand, what has been the conduct of the, very candid Observer by whom I have beeii attacked? His garbled sheets v ,still reeking from the press, which had groaned under the slanders they they contain, were sent under cover to the sea- ports, on board of the squadron I command- ed, and to every quarter where I was best known, with a view to ruin me in the esteem of those with whom I acted, or who were su- bordinate to my orders. I will ask of any one, who reflects, for a moment, on the importance of the service with which I was then entrusted by the Commander in Chief in the North Sea, whether, granting that I had merited all the obloquy heaped on me by the writer of the pamphlet in question, such an act, which led to the destruction of all discipline and subor- dination, would not still have betrayed in him a thorough want of principle and patriotism? He sets out by an assertion, to which quite as miich credit is due as to the other parts of his production, namely, that not any one of the late. Admiralty Lords had obtained a sight of my "Concise Statement of Facts/* until the ]Qth of November last, a very few days before tO si Q i i 1 B his pamphlet made its appearance. They all knew from the beginning that it was in private - • circulation, circulation. This he grants ; and I shall take the liberty to add, that they also knew some of the individuals who possessed copies. But, strange to tell, their curiosity to hear how I had undertaken to defend myself, was not excited till November last, fifteen months after the publication in question. The fol- lowing is the true solution of the enigma, at least according to my simple apprehension ; that is, that in spite of the most malignant persistance, in the distortion of facts, not a single charge could be substantiated against me ; and that I could be best assailed by the publicity of the report made by the Navy Board on my case, at a time when I was employed on the enemy's coast, on a service to which the Public looked with some degree of earnestness. In this point of view, the purposed procrastination of my enemies, in noticing my publication, can alone be seen.* In the continuation of the * If there wanted any proof of the fell malignancy of the author of the pamphlet alluded to, it would be found in his having printed the reports in question, and circulat- e d them with uncommon industry, unaccompanied by their only Yll " Concise Statement of Facts/' which is now in the press, and will appear in a few days, I shall reply to that Report, every charge con- tained in which, I must here observe, is, in a great measure, invalidated by the last sentence, in which the Commissioners of the Navy ac- knowledge, that they departed from every of- ficial precedent, and acted in direct violation of their established usage, in making an ex parte statement, to please the Lords Commissioners. More of this hereafter. In the interim, I must express my surprise, that the writer of the Ob- servations, who is so well versed in garbling and disguising facts, was not careful to omit in his pamphlet this concluding sentence of the Report. He must be a sad bungler in politics, not to have perceived, that he could not have fallen on so effectual a mode of libel- ling his patrons as by its promulgation. But for only possible antidote my Answers, What would be said of the real objeft, or of the heart of a man, who should pub- lish an indictment with the most resentful annotations, in the absence of the person accused, and before he is put upon his trial, or has time to make his defence ! ! ! him vm bim, it would still have remained in the ar- chives of office. That those who signed this official Report of the Navy Board were not its framers, I can with confidence assert ; they could not, circumstanced as they were, deny it the sanction of their names; but' they qua- lified their act by the declaration to which I have alluded, namely, that, on this occasion, they had departed from their established usage. Whether the writer of the Observations is, or is not the individual who drew up the Report, and who, for that purpose, caused him- self to be shifted from Committee to Com- mittee at Somerset House, is of little im- portance. On the one supposition, he must have violated the trust reposed in his public and official character, since he was bound to keep every transaction secret; and, in the other, he must have obtained surreptitiously, and for sinister purposes, a copy of the Report, drawn from the hitherto sacred security of office. In either case, his moral turpitude is the same, and covers him with eternal shame and disho- nour. hour. He states that his pamphlet is an answer to mine ; I trust that the Public will at once jfee that mine is but a remonstrance, and his a direct attack, by publishing a Report (un- accompanied by my reply to it) with various strictures, as unworthy as they are unjust It is impossible, therefore, in my opinion, for any person to form a proper judgment till he has seen the matter which is contained in my official answer to that Report ; and here I beg to observe, that although I am accused of pri- vately circulating my pamphlet, the great fea- ture of its contents is my correspondence with the noble Earl, who lately presided at the Board of Admiralty, and surely this must be considered public enough. I have also to re- mark, in illustrating this, that my Agent came to me the beginning of November, 1803, in some degree of alarm, from a confidential inti- mation he had received that the opinion of counsel had been taken " whether my book did not contain libellous matter?" It was then in two parts, and I lost no time in trans- b mittin£ fcnitting it to Mr. Randle Jackson foi bis opinion on the subject, which I subjoin. I state this to shew that, however the anony- mous waiter may have asserted that it only eame to the knowledge of the Admiralty last November, an impression to the contrary, and I may say, a very strong one, existed twelve months before that period. " I have read over the whole of Sir Home Pop- " ham's papers, with due attention. Of the policy " of the proposed publication it is not my province " to judge. I can only say, that the language in " which Sir Home's Case is stated, does not seem " to me likely to subject him to legal animadver- '" sion. I have suggested some alterations to sof- " ten the phraseology, where it inclines to asperity. " If Sir Home publishes the papers in question, <* I should recommend him not to divide them ; " his whole Case will then present itself at one " view, and exhibit to the Reader such a connected " narrative of zeal, talent, a&ivity, and feeling "consideration for the public purse, during a " command XI " command of great trust and importance, as per- ** haps has rarely been exceeded, It is extremely ** to be regretted, that his exertions should have " been apparently regarded in so different a way " by persons filling very high stations in the public * 6 service, Sir, with profound respect, your most obedient and most humble Servant, Home Popham. CONCISE STATEMENT OF FACTS^ 8fc. 8fc. TT has hitherto been the proud characteristic of -**- the Administration of this country, to inspire Officers with a confidence tantamount to the exi- gency of the service, whether applying to the strict letter of an order, or the more extensive conception of its spirit. Under such impressions, the Romney sailed in December, 1800, with a body of troops for the Red Sea, to join the Indian Army on the Expedi- tion to Egypt. It is not my intention to discuss how far this Army was accessary to, or auxiliary in, the final expulsion of the French from that coun- try ; but to shew how far the influence of per- sonal prejudice will operate in pursuing a system of extraordinary illiberality, without the smallest shadow of public expedience ; by which alone every Officer of the Crown ought to be actuated. Daily instances of outrage have come to my knowledge, almost bordering on a conspiracy to b debase debase the character of an individual, fh a manner as clandestine as it is disgraceful. From the conversation of one of the present Lords of the Admiralty * with a friend of mine, before I had sailed three months, and when he had scarcely been seated in his place at the Board, I had everything to apprehend, and no chance of that impartial consideration which it is his bounden duty to exercise on all occasions. Since my return to England, I have heard, from various Gentlemen of respectability, that ca- lumnious reports w r ere circulated, in whispers and conversations, with the greatest industry, by those very persons who ought to have checked them ; and this manifestly with a view of making a public impression against me. After such conduct on the part of the Admi- ralty, it is natural to suppose that a specific letter of disapprobation would have been written to me immediately upon my arrival in England. On the contrary, I have not had one line from the Board on the subject of this Statement ; and I submit it to the consideration of any impartial man, Whe- ther it has been usual, or whether it be decorous for so high a power (a power looked up to for protection from injustice) to imbibe prejudices- without real cause, — to force a degree of con- demnation of my conducl, without being heard, upon the minds of persons with whom any inter- * This was penned in the month of August, 1803. course course has been held, — and frequently to intro- duce the subject, when it could answer no other purpose than that of injuring my reputation ? On the return of the Romney from the Red Sea, the political situation of the country ren- dered it necessary that she should be detained some time in the Downs, on the Impress Ser- vice ; and she then proceeded to Sheerness, where her ship's company was employed in fitting out ships newly commissioned, under a promise of having tickets of leave for fourteen days. This assurance probably induced the men to exert themselves in an extraordinary degree, as can be testified by the Captains of different ships they fitted ; but, on the issuing of letters of marque, about the 14th of May, 1803, it was generally rumoured that no leave would be grant- ed ; and at that moment it could not reasonably be expected. On the 15th (Sunday) some of the ships at Chatham, junior to the Romney, for she had been the senior ship there since her arrival, re- ceived letters to be communicated to the ship's company, stating, That, from the peculiar cir- cumstances of the times, it was impossible to grant leave of absence; and therefore trusting that the men would display their wonted zeal, and enter for some ship in the harbour ; or otherwise that they would be drafted. Such a letter was not delivered to the Romney b 2 till till late in the evening of the 17th*; and then it was too late to be read on that evening ; but it was done the following morning, Wednesday the 18th, On an occasion of this kind, it is perfectly well known, that the first impression on a ship's com- pany is against their Captain, for not exerting himself to state their case ; as many of the men had been seven or eight years in the ship; and some had nine years pay due. Just as this degree of irritation was at its height, — when every seaman seemed almost to wish my instant destruction,-^-and before reason could repossess their minds, I received a note from Commissioner Hope, desiring me to call at his house ; where I found Sir William Rule, the Surveyor of the Navy, who, I apprehend, had travelled to Chatham in the night. They shewed me a warrant from the Navy Board, under Admiralty orders, commanding them to proceed on board the Romney, and examine into her state, as well as into the repairs done, and to make a variety of other inquiries, which I do not at this moment recollect. The Surveyor, Commissioner, Builder, Store- keeper, Master-Attendant, and other Officers, assembled on board, where they remained some * This must certainly have happened from a mistake, or the i egleft of some clerk. I am perfectly satisfied in this respect > and I rejoice it occurred at such a moment. time; time ; and then took on shore, to the Commis- sioner's Office, the Officers, Warrant-Officers, and other people belonging to the ship, for the purpose of answering the intention of the war- rant just received. These Gentlemen immediately established a Committee or Court, and proceeded to prepare affidavits ; but before they began, I thought it necessary to state, that I considered their having been on board the Romney with a public warrant, although no notification * had been made to me, in the nature of a public examination, instituted with a view of answering some end ; and that, as probably some charges arising from this exa- mination, might be brought forward at a time when it would be impossible for me to repel them, I hoped they would allow me to be present during the inquiry. At first some difficulty was started ; but it was at length got over, and I re- mained in the Committee or Court, till such Offi^ cers as the Admiralty deemed it expedient to have examined, were sworn, and gave their depo- sitions accordingly. The most material questions put in direct terms were, " What was the state of the ship when she left England ?" — What was it when she reached Calcutta ?" — " Was it necessary to make any re- * I gloried in this surprize; but I believe it is not justifiable on any ground of law or common usage of the service. pairs ?" pairs ?" — and, "Were any made but such as were absolutely necessary ?" The answers on oath wer& delivered in the most pointed manner: — That she made much water in the British Channel, and that the evil daily in- creased : — That her bends were found very de- fective on caulking at the Cape :; — That she made from six to eight feet water in an hour, during her passage to Calcutta ? — That her wales on the larboard side were found quite rotten : — That they were forced to make many shifts of planks on the starboard side, &c. — and that no work was done to the ship but what was absolutely ne- cessary to enable her to undertake any service whatever. This was the principal inquiry the Committee made on the subject of repair. I then requested to put one question, namely, " Whe- ther, if the Romney had not received the repairs in question, considering the weather we expe- rienced, she would not, in all probability, have gone to the bottom ?" This question was not allowed to be answered, as the Surveyor considered it fully sufficient to know, that the repairs which had been done were absolutely necessary ; and that no repairs were done but what were really wanted. The next object of their inquiry was, " Whe- ther I had given proper attention to the stores in the different departments?" and, "Whether there there had been any wasteful or wanton expendi- ture of them ?" To the first part, the persons examined answered in the affirmative ; and to the latter, in the negative ; and to both, in the most explicit and unequivocal manner. The Lieutenants and Master of the ship having attended in the outer room, I submitted the pro- priety of examining them, as being men of higher rank, better informed, clearer in their recollection, and more respectable in their characters, than War- rant Officers ; but my proposition was not at- tended to, as it appeared that the authority from the Admiralty only went to the depositions of the Warrant Officers. I shall not make any comment on this mode of procedure, but leave those who instituted the in- quiry to reflect on the possible consequences of measures so partial, so uncandid, and so uncon- stitutional ; and beg leave to refer the transaction in toto to the opinion of the Judges, or of Gen- tlemen possessed of a knowledge of the basis of our glorious constitution, and particularly con- versant in maritime laws. In civil courts, the defendant is heard as well as the plaintiff; and he is publicly acquainted with the ground on which the prosecution is taken up. In charges of high treason, the accused is fur- nished with a copy of his indictment, is assisted by able advocates; and the Judge, instead of pro- pagating 8 pagating reports injurious to his character, feels himself bound to resist the most distant conver- sation on the subject, and leans in every instance to the most favourable construction of the case ; exclusively of which, an objection may always be taken to any one of the jury originally. How diametrically opposite to the construction of our sacred laws has the Captain of the Rom- ney been treated ! he could scarcely obtain per- mission to be present at the partial examination of witnesses in this Court, in which the evidence of Warrant Officers was taken, and that of Com- missioned Officers refused. Can such conduct tend in any manner to the maintenance of discipline and subordination, those proud pillars of our naval pre-eminence ? and can any thing conduce so much to its total anni- hilation, as calling on Officers to criminate their Captain, and debase him in the presence of the very people who ought to look on him with the highest respect ? Nay, here is an instance of a ship being thrown almost into a state of mutiny, and then an indirect appeal is made to the lower Officers, and men, to come forward and accuse their Commander. Although it is almost two years since the re- pairs, so much exaggerated, were done to the Rornney, no letter or notice of disapprobation has ever been sent to me on the subject ; nor during during nearly three months # that I have arrived in England, have I received any communication from the Admiralty respecting either the neces- sity or extent of those repairs : notwithstanding which, insinuations, unjust, cruel, and ungene- rous, have been- propagated, apparently by # the Admiralty or its subordinate agents, tending to make an unfavourable impression against my con- duct, without my having any other means of re- dress, than by giving a statement of the reports which have reached me, and such fadls and cir- cumstances as I am in possession of, to remove prejudice, and enable those who are so disposed, to form a judgment on the unprecedented treat- ment I have received since my return from the- Red Sea. It may be asked, Why have I not seen the First Lord of the Admiralty ? To this I can, conscientiously answer, that I have used every exertion to obtain that honour. I have repeatedly called ; I have pressed my claim, through his private Secretary, and supported it by letters, in the strongest language I could use. As such testimonies exist of the propriety of repairing the ship, and that no work was done but what was absolutely necessary, and those tes- * It is now five months ago 5 and all I can learn at the offices is, that they have Mr. Louis's and Mr. Spearman's accounts under consideration : — with the former I can have nothing to do j but as me latter was appointed by me, I may be con- sidered responsible for his conduct. c timonies 10 timonies drawn from the very channels of the Admiralty, would it not have manifested a clear and generous conduct to. have transmitted, a copy of them to me ? which I was originally promised from the Committee, but afterwards refused. With regard to the hull of the ship, nothing can be more conclusive, except the depositions of the Warrant Officers, as to my care of the stores : and were it necessary, I would call on every Offi- cer-in the- King's service, who has done me the honour of visiting the Romney, to state whether they ever wished to see more system, order, or regulation, in any ship, than appeared on board of that which I commanded : and I know, from public conversation at Chatham, that professional men were of opinion that it was impossible for more care to be taken of the preservation of any ship, than was taken of the Romney. I felt a pride in keeping her always in an efficient state ; and she was ever ready for any service, at a mo- ment's warning. After the reports circulated about this ship's repairs, I cannot avoid quoting the three different heads of them, though that is a matter with which I have no concern. The Naval Officer established at Calcutta by Admiral Rainier, who is to all intents and purposes, ex officio, a resident Commissioner of the Navy, paid the bills, I con- clude, on vouchers being produced. To him I applied for every article of stores, which it was my 11 my duty to have done under every circa instance, but more particularly on that occasion, as the Admiral sent a letter to me at Calcutta, stating the official situation of that Gentleman, and speaking of him in such high terms of pane- gyric, that I subjoin a copy of it. EXTBACT FROM VICE-ADMIRAL RAINIER's LETTER TO SIR HOME POPHAM, K. M. Cf I shall be greatly obliged to you for a copy of your ingenious telegraph -signals, when op- portunity offers of sending them to me. The late Rear-Admiral Blanket (whose death I .sin- cerely deplore) was an excellent judge of such inventions and improvements. 6C Mr. Matthew Louis, Deputy Naval Officer at Calcutta, is brother to Captain Thomas Louis, one of the Heroes of the Nile, and every way a deserving character, which was my sole motive for procuring that situation for him ; and he really appears to be an active, well-informed person." The following is theEx tract from the Carpenter's bill for repairs, alluded to in the preceding page. The head for planks, timber, wood of different descriptions, iron, copper bolts, copper for three sheets round the ship, &c. &c. &c. Rupees. Sterling, about 30,000 - 3750 Labour of Europeans and Black workmen, caulking inside and out, and all the repair- ing abaft - - 15,000 - 1825 The hire of vessels to receive the people, of budgerows and boats to carry all the stores, and bring anchors and cables over, &rc. &c. 15,000 • 1823 C2 To 12 To this the builders always add a per centage, as is the custom of the place, and generally known. In short, the whole was 7l 3 000 rupees, scarce 90001. sterling. These were the repairs which have been stated to be so enormous ; but in doing which, as I al- ready observed, I was in nowise personally in- terested, further than as every Officer should be for the benefit of the ship he commands, and for the preservation of the lives of His Majesty's useful subjects committed to his care. Were it not from an apprehension of calling in question the acts of my brother Officers, it would be highly satisfactory to me that a con- trast should be made with other ships ; by the result of which, I have no doubt, it would be found that those repaired at Calcutta exceed by one-foiirth to one- half what the Romney cost, without being in so serviceable a state as that ship was, on her arrival in England. — Vide Oiseau, Heroine, La Forte, &c. Although I was confident that any Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary, or Commissioner of the Navy, might administer oaths on subjecls relating to the King's treasures or stores, yet I considered the whole con duel: of the Admiralty, in this affair, to be so ungracious, and so unconstitutional, tak- ing that word in its liberal construction, that I determined to solicit the opinion of Counsel on the best mode of bringing the points at issue to an immediate and impartial discussion ; for, after what 13 what I have heard, and from a letter which I have received, and which I may possibly be in- duced to subjoin, it appears to me that every action has been chelated by a spirit of personal prejudice. It would certainly have been equally decorous, and have manifested a due regard for the cha- racter of an individual, had the Admiralty di- rected the following, or similar questions, to have been asked of the Captains and Lieutenants of the ships which served in the Red Sea : What was the general conduct of Sir Home Popham in the Red Sea ? Did he appear to you to keep his ship in so perfect a state, as to be ready for service of any description at a moment's warning ? Did he ever appear to you to make any wan- ton or unnecessary expenditure of the stores ? Did he appear to you to make any repairs, at any one time, that were not absolutely necessary ? Did you ever hear, see, or understand, that any one act of his, either in the interior discipline of the ship he commanded, or in his general con- duct as Commanding Officer in the Red Sea, was, in the most trifling degree, impeachable ? If I might be allowed to put any question, I should ask, Whether they ever saw a ship, in every point of view, better answering the description of a man of war, than the Romney, as to her in- terior 14 terior discipline, regularity, healthiness, and sub- ordination both of Officers and men ? The preceding Narrative is submitted to the con- sideration of Mr. , ivho is requested to state j in the most unreserved manner, ivhat the Captain of the Romney ought to do. He is very anxious, if it be possible and consistent, to bring this treatment to an open discussion in some Court — especially if an aclion for con- spiracy will lie. OPINION. " I have perused, with all the attention I am master of, the foregoing very interesting nar- rative, or statement of facts ; and although they can leave no doubt on my mind, as to there having been much undue, unworthy, and a most unprofessional spirit of personal oppression, by men to whom the Crown has coniided power; yet I feel considerable difficulty in advising the measures which ought to be adopted by the op- pressed party ; because to act, and not with effect, would only expose him to further aggres- sion. At present, the aggressors must feel them- selves hurt and disappointed to the utmost, upon finding their scheme of malevolence injured, and their expectations disappointed, by the integrity, the judgment, and Officer-like conduct of the party against whom their arrows were directed ; and 15 and if they cannot be attacked with effect, we should consider, Whether it may not be more prudent to leave them in their present state of disappointment and chagrin, rather than, by making a fruitless attempt, expose our feeble efforts to their derision. " Our laws, notwithstanding their boasted ex^ cellence, are nevertheless grievously defective in many most essential points ; great oppression and injustice may be practised ; a man's peace of mind may be destroyed, his character blasted, his fortune ruined, — and yet, unless the conduct of the aggressor be of such a peculiar nature as to bring it within some statute, and be against some positive rule of common law, it would be in vain for the injured party to apply for protection to the tribunal of his country. " lam clearly of opinion, that no. action at law would lie against Sir William Rule, and the rest who degraded themselves in the disgraceful scene mentioned in the foregoing narrative, on the ground of forming a conspiracy against the Captain of the Romney. w I understand, these Gentlemen are not any of them Commissioners acting under the late Naval Abuse Act ; and therefore I have not sent for that Act : and I am not exactly advised as to the nature of the constitution of the Navy Board, and their powers ; but by 1 Geo. I. cap. 25, sect. 9, I find, that not only the Lords Commis* 16 Commissioners of the Admiralty, but the Com- missioners of the Navy, have the power to act as Magistrates, and to administer oaths in cases re- lating to the receiving, keeping, and issuing any victuals, stores, or provisions of His Majesty's Navy, or in any other matter relating to the Navy : and by the 10th sect, the Treasurer, Comptroller, Surveyor, Clerk of the A6is, or any one or more of them, are empowered to exercise the powers of that Act in all places. " Under the circumstances of the case, though a case of considerable hardship, I am not pre- pared to say, that the ungracious acts done under the direction of the Admiralty, in this case, are such as can be termed wholly illegal ; or that their informality is so material and tangible as to furnish the Captain of the Komney any remedy at law ; and therefore I would confine the use of the narrative to removing the prejudices which the acts in question are calculated to produce, by putting it into the hands of such friends in power, as by their influence, and from their zeal for the injured party, may be disposed to prevent the further evil effects of the latent discussions and insidious insinuations so justly complained of throughout the narrative.'* After this Opinion, I do not hesitate to annex the Letter already quoted : it will shew that, from the moment of my sailing from England., I took 17 took every possible pains to instruct a numerous Quarter-deck of very fine young men ; and on reporting their progress, I received this ungraci- ous Letter, which could only be dictated by per- sonal enmity, and highly unbecoming a Public Board. TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN", BART. SECRETARY OP THE ADMIRALTY, &C. &C. &C. SIR, I have the honour to inclose you, for the in- spection of their Lordships, my Journals from Bombay to St. Helena, and afterwards to Eng- land, with a convoy of Indiamen. The diary of my chronometers, with some additional re- marks, are inserted in each Journal; and I hope their Lordships will observe, particularly after our leaving Bombay, when the weather was clear, the number of latitudes taken by the transit of the stars during the nights, almost entirely by the Midshipmen of the several watches. On our entering the Channel, the greatest benefit was also obtained by this practice ; which I hope will appear so evidently useful in their Lordships' opinion, as to induce their interference for its general adoption in the Service. The altitudes of the stars are taken by a glass, which I had affixed to a quadrant in 1787 ; as I had previously much difficulty in getting a good horizon, and which, under a general order in d 1800, 18 1800, on my first commanding the Romney, I obliged all the Lieutenants and Midshipmen to furnish themselves with ; and they now, in gene- ral, know as much of pra6tical astronomy as is necessary for the purposes of navigation : in- deed, some of the Midshipmen are perfect mas- ters of chronometers, and every sort of obser- vation ; and well qualified to teach others ; and should their Lordships deem it expedient to en- force this practice in the Navy, by dividing them, I shall be very happy to send my forms of star- boards, for facilitating this useful practice ; and give any other assistance in my power, personally or otherwise. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant, (Signed) H. Pop ham. TO CAPT. SIP, H. POPHAM, ROMNEY, DOWNS. SIR, I have received and communicated to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, your let- ter to me of the 17th instant, inclosing your Journals from Bombay, and recommending the practice of taking latitudes by the stars during the night ; and I am commanded by their Lord- ships to acquaint you, that the practice is a com- mon one ; and for which every Midshipman ought to qualify himself before he presents him- self to the Navy Board, to be examined touching his his qualification to serve as a Lieutenant; and that their Lordships do not think it necessary to trouble you for the forms of star-boards, to which you allude. I am, Sir, Your very humble Servant, (Signed) Evan Nepean. I question whether either of the Marine Lords ever saw the latitude determined by the transit of a star over the meridian ; and I will stake my existence, that all the latitudes in all the log- books since the first establishment of the Navy- Board, even including those of the circumnaviga- tors, who had astronomers with them, do not in the aggregate amount to so many as were taken by the Midshipmen of the Romney, in her pas- sage from Bombay to England. As I knew I was to go over a great tract of unexplored sea, I took with me, at my own expence, a Drafts- man ; whom I taught Hydrography, on my pas- sage out. My chronometers and other instru- ments, cost me upwards of twelve hundred pounds; and although the Admiralty were offi- cially acquainted that I had completed charts of the Red Sea, they neither thanked me for my labours, nor had they the curiosity to request a sight of them. After a recital of such facts, I leave every per- son to their own conclusions on the conduct of d 2 the 20 the Admiralty towards me. I certainly should not have quoted the preceding reply to my letter, if the assertion contained in it was founded on fact, and if it did not appear obvious to every body, that their personality has been carried to such an extent, as to refuse an essential improve- ment — because it came from me. On my arrival in town from Chatham, I called on Lord St. Vincent ; and did so every day till the 8th of June, when I requested to see his Private Secretary, whom I told that I solicited an audience with his Lordship, as havkig returned from a command on a station which at this mo- ment was a very important one, and respecting which he must not only naturally wish to have every information, but might possibly like to see the charts of the Red Sea. 1 also informed this Secretary, that considerations of a private nature urged me to press for an interview, as liberties had been taken with my name, which were sup- posed to have originated from the tenor of Lord St. Vincent's conversation ; and that I was anxious to bring a high and respectable character before his Lordship, that I might have an eclair- cissement on this subject ; for if Lord St. Vin- cent had not authorized the insinuation, I should take the proper steps to satisfy my feelings. If 3 however, his Lordship had taken up false pre- judices, I had no doubt, on my convincing him they were so, that he would be most ready to make 21 make me ample amends on such an occasion. I at the same time wrote the following note, which I desired Mr. Parker to deliver with the above message : No. I. TO THE RIGHT HON. THE EAEL ST. VINCENT, K.B. &c. &c. &c. MY LORD, I very much regret that your Lordship's indis- position still continues to prevent my having the honour of seeing you : I deplore it on many con- siderations, both public and private ; and I am induced to think, from circumstances which have come to my knowledge since my return, that you will take a different view of many subjects after I have the advantage of a few moments conversa- tion with your Lordship. I can venture to affirm, not only from my con- ception, but from the most unequivocal testimo- mies, that I have used every exertion to advance in totality the public service, on a thorough con- viction that such conduct would entitle me to your Lordship's protection. I have the honour to be, London, &c. &c. &c. June 8, 1803. (Signed) Home Popham* I waited till the end of the month, expecting some notice would be taken either of my message or my note ; but as this was not the case, and mj 22 my anxiety to see Lord St. Vincent was very much increased, I addressed the following Letter ; and nearly at this moment I received Letters from the Navy and Victualling Boards, desiring I would send to the offices my accounts of disburse- ments in the Red Sea, that they might be con- sidered as speedily as possible. As I had neither made any disbursements, nor had any accounts whatever, I transmitted these Letters to Mr. Spearman, who acted as Naval Officer, that he might comply with their contents. No. II. TO THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL ST. VINCENT, K. B. &C. &C. &C MY LORD, In making another effort for the honour of an interview with your Lordship, I trust I shall not be accused of pressing improperly a claim that is highly increased by the peculiarity of my situa- tion. The most unfounded aspersions have been circulated*, with such an extraordinary degree of success, that they now amount almost to an * It has been said, as originating from the Admiralty, that I went to Calcutta contrary to orders; and that I had a positive order not to repair the Romney. I deny both these assertions; and I declare I only received two Letters after I sailed : one, expressive of their Lordships' approbation at my getting on so fast towards ray destination j and the other, directing me to embark the Indian Army at Suez, and send it to its destination. impeach- impeachment, removable only by an appeal to your Lordship, whose protection I have considered it my right to look up to on this occasion. I am satisfied, my Lord, that in a few minutes I shall be enabled to convince your Lordship of the regularity and propriety of my conduct in. every instance ; and my importunity at this mo- ment, arises from the possibility of a variety of services presenting themselves, in which my local knowledge and practical information may recom- mend me to your Lordship's notice. I can make no doubt but your Lordship is aware that, on a former threat of invasion, I submitted the plan for raising Sea Fencibles, as a measure of auxiliary defence ; which was suc- cessfully adopted in England. The military ad- vantages arising from this, are applicable in a stronger degree to Ireland, with the addition of political ones of the utmost consideration. I should not have presumed to offer an opinion to your Lordship on any other subject ; but as this originated with me, I trust I shall receive your Lordship's pardon. I have the honour to remain, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) H> Popham. To the foregoing I received the following an- swer, and immediately sent No. III. Lord St. Vincent presents his Compliments to Sir 24 Sir Home Fopham, and acquaints him, that the Admiralty Board have directed the Commissioners of the Navy to report on the subject of the ex- pences incurred by the ships late under his orders in the East Indies ; and when that Report is re- ceived, a copy of it will be transmitted to Sir Home Popham, with such remarks as the Board may think fit to make. Admiralty, July 3, 1803. No. III. TO THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL ST. VINCENT, K.B. &c. he. &C. MY LORD, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's Note of the 3d instant, which, in addition to the public Letters I have already received from the Commissioners of the Navy and Victualling Boards, informs me those Boards are directed to report on the subject of the ex- pences incurred by the ships lately uuder my com- mand in the Red Sea. As the acceleration of every report on my con- duct is an object I sincerely wish, I presume to submit to your Lordship's consideration, and I press on your feelings to allow it, that I should be called on by the separate Boards to attend in person their Committees of Investigation ; by which I may be enabled to explain many circum- stances, 25 stances, that when led into references would oc- casion considerable delay. I have no view in offering this mode of pro- cedure to your Lordship's consideration, but that of obviating difficulties and removing embarrass- ments, of which I feel I have had so much rea- son to complain. I have the honour to remain, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) H. Popham. As no notice whatever was taken of this Let- ter, I determined, on the 25th of July, to ad- dress No. IV. TO THE RIGHT HON. EARL ST. VINCENT^ K. B. &C. &C. &C. York Place, July 15, 1803. (Sent the 26th.) MY LORD, I feel considerable reluctance in again address- ing your Lordship, after my former importunities for the honour of an interview ; but there is an innate principle, which suspends every repugnant sentiment on this occasion, and urges me to per- severe in the attainment of that point, which I trust I may, without being deemed presumptuous, have a claim to aspire to, after the situation I have lately had the honour to hold. The object of my command in the Red Sea was fully answered by the expulsion of the French e from 26 from Egypt; and your Lordship is apprized of my zealous co-operation with the Indian Army, and the exertions I made to serve it, from the pub- lic reports of General Baird and Lord Welles - ley. His Excellency, I understand, has officially signified to His Majesty's Ministers, his highest approbation of my conduct ; but as I received this intimation also, I shall take the liberty of inclosing some Extracts of the Letters to which I allude (No. I.* and II,*) ; and I do not hesitate to promise myself an equal share of your Lord- ship's approbation, when I can obtain the advan- tage of a personal conference ; and till then J presume to state some circumstances, of which, however, your Lordship may not be totally igno- rant. Almost immediately after my arrival in the Red Sea, I took the entire command of all the Com- pany's chartered ships, and as I observed a num- ber to be engaged beyond the exigency of the service, I discharged as many as exceeded two lacks of rupees a month. As I knew I was to traverse a tract of unex- plored seas, I procured a Draughtsman in England at my own expence, and taught him, as well as a numerous Quarter-deck, Hydrography and Prac- tical Astronomy, which enabled me, with the as* sistance of eight chronometers, and some very expensive instruments, to form a Chart of the Red Sea, where I also established by practice, the possibility 27 possibility of beating up against the Monsoon^ which was never before attempted ; and I hope I possess every other information relative to this most important station. Colonel Harness's Letter (No. III.) published by order of Lord Wellesley, will shew your Lordship that, from the particular excellence of the Romney's boats, and her well-trained boats' crews, 400 troops were saved from the wreck of the Calcutta, which no other boat * could ap- proach with safety. I mention this, to prove to your Lordship, that if any deviation was made from the prescribed dimensions, it was crowned with the most pleasing sort of success — the sal- vation of our fellow-creatures. I need scarce mention to your Lordship that, while I was at Calcutta, I never suffered a bill (nor does one exist in any part of India with my * I quoted this Letter, as I heard that it was in agitation to make me pay for the boat, because she was not conformable to the establishment of the Navy. If she had been so, the greater part of this fine regiment would have been lost. The same advantage is to be taken of me for whatever improvement I have presumed to make in the sails or rigging of the ship. I however feel some pleasure in knowing, that a very excellent Officer who succeeded me in the command of the Romney, not only applied, for the ship being in every respect fitted in the manner she was by me, but very publicly expressed his extreme pleasure and satisfaction at the utility of all my innovations. I declare I have not had any communication with him myself on this subject j and I am certain he does not know that I have taken this liberty with his name. E 2 appro- 28 approbation) to be drawn at a higher exchange than 2s. 6d. I wrote to the Government on this subject, and waited on the Vice-President ; to whom I said, " If he did not supply the Naval Officer with money, to repair the Romney, from the Company's treasury, she might swamp in the river, and their interests, as far as regarded her, might go unprotected, as T never could sanction a bill to be drawn at a higher rate than the Com- pany's exchange." I am aware I was a very un T popular character at Calcutta, because I ordered all the provisions shipped for the Army in Egypt to be surveyed ; and some was relanded, and con- demned on the quays : — nor was it my good for- tune to be on the best terms w T ith Mr. Louis, although Admiral Rainier spoke of him in the highest terms, when he officially announced to me his appointment. I mention jihese circum- stances, because I know many people, from mo- tives of jealousy and envy, have, in the most in- sidious manner, presumed to arraign my general conduct ; but I should rejoice to hear, in addi- tion to the honourable testimonies which resulted from the inquiries made at Chatham, that the following questions could be put to the Captains and Officers of the ships in the Red Sea, in In- dia, or any other in His Majesty's fleet, who had ever been in -company with the Romney : Whether they ever saw a ship, in every point of view, more answering the description of a man 29 man of war, than the Romney, as to her in- terior discipline, regularity, healthiness, and sub- ordination both of Officers and men ? What was the general conduct of Sir Home Popham in the Red Sea- ? Did he appear to you to keep his ship in so perfect a state, as to be ready for service of any description at a moment's warning ? Did he appear to you to make any wanton or unnecessary expenditure of stores ? Did he appear to you to direct any repairs to be made, at any one time, that were not absolutely necessary ? Did you ever hear, see, or understand, that any one act of his, either in the interior discipline of the ship he commanded, or in his general con- duct as Commanding Officer in the Red Sea. was, in the most trifling degree, impeachable ? In short, my Lord, if any other more pointed question could be put, I should be very happy to meet the answer, being conscious of having de- voted all my exertions to advance in totality the Public Service ; and that I never considered any separate interest between the Company and the Crown : nor would it have been decorous to have done so in my situation. I have intruded myself very much on your Lordship's leisure, with a view of convincing you I am not unworthy of active employment at this moment ; and of having an opportunity of pro- posing 30 posing some enterprise to your Lordship which you might think expedient to be undertaken at so critical a moment, when it is incumbent on every Officer possessing local knowledge, and the experience of making observations, to submit his ideas and plans to Government. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. Signed) Home Popham. No. L* EXTRACTS OF A LETTER FROM LORD WELLESLEY TO SIR HOME -POPHAM, K.M. [Quoted in the foregoing Letter.] I trust that it will be satisfactory to you on this occasion to receive the repetition of my highest approbation, and the expressions of my grateful sense of the meritorious spirit of alacrity and public zeal which I have experienced from you, in applying the means within your power to the security of the important interests entrusted to my charge. I shall discharge a most satisfactory part of my duty, by communicating to His Majesty's Minis- ters my sense of your conduct, on every occa- sion wherein the national interests could derive any benefit or assistance from your exertions ; and I entertain no doubt that you will receive their approbation. No. SI No. II.* FROM MAJOR-GENERAL THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF CAVAN. I have received a Letter from Major-General Baird, of the 4th inst. from Suez ; wherein he very handsomely (and I am certain justly) ac- knowledges your zealous exertions, not only re- cently in embarking the troops there, but also on every other occasion, when he was so fortunate as to serve with you. The satisfaction his report, rela- tive to yourself, gives me, is considerably in- creased by my private acquaintance and know- ledge of your character ; and I shall not omit the first and every opportunity of expressing to His Majesty's Ministers, Major-General Baird's senti- ments, together with my own, of the great assist- ance the public service has received from your abilities. In the mean time, I beg of you to ac- cept my humble thanks, for your conduct since I have had the honour of officially communicating with you. TO SIR HOME POPHAM, K. M. COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS AND VES- SELS, &C. IN THE RED SEA. The object of the Expedition on which we have mutually been employed, being now so hap- pily brought to a conclusion, and as we are soon to 32 to separate, I deem the present, therefore, a fit occasion publicly to express how much I have at all times been sensible, and felt the value of your zealous exertions and cordial co-operation in for- warding the Service. It has been a duty no less just towards you, than a pleasing tribute to my own feelings, to convey these my sincere and perfect sentiments of your meritorious conduct and able assistance to his Royal Highness the Commander in Chief ; and to his Excellency the Marquis of Welles- ley, Governor General of India. Should it be my lot, on any future occasion, to be on active service, and where the Navy and Army may be required to act together, I can only add, it will be to me the source of real satisfaction, again to co-operate with you ; and if not, I shall but wish it may be my good for- tune to meet with an Officer possessed of your zeal, ability, and military experience. I beg you to accept of my best thanks for your polite attention in ordering the Victor, for my accommodation, to Bengal ; and which, I do assure you, I consider a very particular favour. I have the honour to be, with great truth and regard, Sir, your much obliged faithful Servant, (Signed) D. Baird, Major-General. COPY 33 COPY OP A LETTER FROM LIEUT. COL. W. HAR- NESS TO MAJOR-GENERAL BAIRD, DATED JUNE 15, J 802. [Published by order of the Most Noble the Marquis Weilesley.] SIR, I have much concern in acquainting you, that, the Calcutta transport, with 331 of His Ma- jesty's 80th Regiment^ including Officers (agree- able to the accompanying return) and 7g native Indian followers, was wrecked at three o'clock, A.M. on the 13th inst. on the Egyptian shore, in 28 deg. 38 rnin. The distance from the shore^ when she first struck, did not appear more than half a mile. It was blowing fresh, the sea ran high, and the surf beat with so much violence against her stern, that the planks of her cabin were al- most instantaneously stove in ; her upper masts were cut away ; and, in attempting to get out the boats, one of them was swamped. As her situation was deemed critical, I ordered an Officer and 30 men into the long-boat, hoping they would make the shore ; but, with the most lively pain, I saw her swamp from the wreck. A serjeant and six privates were drowned ; the rest fortunately swam ashore. We had now no boat remaining; — the gale in- creased. She was reported to have made six feet water ; and her Officers were not without appre- f hensions 34 hensions of her going to pieces. At seven o'clock three ships appeared in sight; but so much to the leeward, that with the sea and wind, with which they had to contend, little hope was enter- tained of their affording any assistance. How- ever, we soon discovered one of the vessels to be His Majesty's ship Romney ; which, about ten o'clock, anchored at about two miles and a half from the Calcutta, when Sir Home Popham di- rected the Duchess of York to anchor at a mid- dle distance from us ; and at twelve, the Rom- ney's lauch came on board. By nine in the even- ing, every man of the 80th, except the seven drowned in the long-boat, was taken on board the Romney. It is to the skilful position Sir Home Popham took up, so as to enable his boats to sail to and from the wreck ; — to the excellence of the boats (for although two transports came up in the course of the day, not a boat could they venture out) — -and to the dexterity and perseverance of his well-trained boats' crews, we are eminently indebted for the salvation of so many lives. The humane personal attention of Sir Home Popham to the comforts of the troops, many of whom reached the Romney in a very weakly state, will long be remembered with the warmest gratitude. On the morning of the 14th, the Romney having dragged from her anchorage, Sir Home cut 35 cut his cable, and ran for this bay ; leaving the Duchess of York to take on board any bag- gage that might be accidentally saved from the wreck : the sea had reached her main-deck be- fore the last division of the detachment left her. At this place we found shelter, from the sun and weather, in a few buildings inhabited by fishermen : we therefore landed the whole of the detachment on the evening of the J 4th, waiting the arrival of His Majesty's ship Wilhelmina, from Suez ; whither Sir Home Popham has dis- patched directions for her to hasten to this place, to take the detachment to Madras *. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) W. Harness, Lieut. Col. Just as I closed this Letter, which I sent, I re- ceived the subjoined Note from Earl St. Vin- cent ; and being solicitous to ascertain whether the delivery of my Letter of the 4th was delayed till the 22d, as specified in his Lordship's Note, I lost no time in making the necessary inquiry, when I found it was given in at the Admiralty the mo- ment it was written, by a confidential person from * General Lake has very lately transmitted the above Let- ter officially to the Duke of York, with a very handsome ac- knowledgment from himself; and his Royal Highness was pleased to inclose it to the Admiralty, where, with many other testimonies of my services, it remains a Dead Letter. p 2 my 36 my agent, who lives in Whitehall, where I wrote it. I immediately afterwards addressed a Note to Lord St. Vincent, thanking him for his advice ; and assuring him I should lose no time in pursuing a line of conduct laid down by so re- spectable an authority. — On the same day, I wrote to Sir Evan Nepean the Letter No. V, lord st. Vincent's note, " Lord St. Vincent presents his Compliments to Sir Home Popham, and, in reply to his Letter of the 4th inst. received at the Admiralty yester- day, begs to observe, that it will be proper he should apply to the Board, through their Lord- ships' Secretary, respecting any steps which he may be desirous of having pursued with regard to the subject therein mentioned." Rochetts, July 23, 1803. No.V. TO SIR EVAN NEPEAN, BART. &C. &C. &C. ADMIRALTY. London, July 26, 1803. SIR, The Commissioners of the Navy and Victual- ling Boards having desired me, in pursuance of their Lordships' directions, to send to their re- spective Boards any accounts I might have relat- ing to the ships lately under my command in the Red Sea, I lost no time in ordering Mr. T. R. Spearman, 37 Spearman, who conducted the duty of Naval Officer on that station, in conformity to the pre- cedent established by Admiral Blanket, to trans- mit, with the least possible delay, an account of all his disbursements to the several Officers ; and I, at the same time, submitted to Lord St. Vin- cent's consideration, the expediency of directing the several Boards to call for my personal attend- ance before their Committees of Investigation, as offering the most expeditious mode of giving them such explanations as they might require, and of bringing every point to immediate issue. I last night had the honour to receive Lord St. Vincent's Answer to my Letter of the 4th fust* directing me to apply to their Lordships through you, respecting any steps which I might be desirous of having pursued with re- gard to the subject mentioned in that Note; and as the acceleration of every report on my conducl is an object I sincerely wish, I request you will move their Lordships to direct the Com- missioners of the Navy and Victualling Boards to take any accounts which can be considered as re- lating to me, into immediate investigation ; and to call for my personal attendance* whenever it * No notice whatever has been taken of my Letter to the Navy Board. I have frequently called, and offered any per- sonal explanation which I possessed ; bat I have as regularly been given to understand, that the accounts of Mr. Louis were at some of the Yards, — and my presence was not necessary. may 38 may be thought I can forward an object which cannot receive too early an examination. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) Home Popham. As the Admiralty sent a copy of the above Let- ter to the Navy Board, I thought it would save much time by addressing that Board myself, and transmitting such papers as I conceived would forward the objects in question, without waiting for any references from it. TO THE PRINCIPAL OFFICERS AND COMMISSIONERS OF HIS MAJESTY'S NAVY, LONDON. York Place, Aug. 3, 1803. GENTLEMEN, As I have reason to suppose the copy of my Letter to the Lords Commissioners of the Ad- miralty, under date the 26th ult. has been trans- mitted to you, requesting that Mr. Spearman's accounts, who acted as Naval Officer in the Red Sea for the squadron I commanded, under the precedent established by the late Admiral Blanket, — -as well as any accounts that can be considered as relating to me, may be taken into immediate consideration ; and as I am anxious for an acceleration of your Report, I think it may not altogether be supererogating on my part, to transmit 39 transmit some documents, which may satisfy your minds that I took even more than common precautions to guard the public interest. The particular examination at Chatham, of some Officers and people chosen for that purpose from the Romney ; the difficulty I had in obtaining per- mission to be present ; the objection to put one question from me,< — to know Whether, if the re- pairs which were done, had not been done, and re- collecting the weather we experienced afterwards, the Romney would not have foundered ? — have induced me, as the Court was formed by your order, and composed of Members of your Board, to trouble you on this occasion. The result of the examination, while I was present, went, in a few words, to these points : " That the repairs which were done to the Rom- ney were alsolutely necessary; and none were done but what were so ;— That I took every care of the King's stores ; and never made any wanton expenditure of them." This I consider to be conclusive in* regard to the Romney ; and I have some satisfaction in knowing that no ship, under such circumstances, ever had so little repairs ; and if it was necessary to make references, it would be found that the repairs of other ships was nearly double ; and the justice that was done the Romney in such repairs, has been publicly evinced, by her having been re- commissioned within a few days after my pendant was 40 was ordered to be hauled down ; and I am not aware that a precedent of such a circumstance exists. My case, in regard to the exchange, is mani- fested by the bills drawn when I was at Calcutta, which never exceeded 2s. 6d. The same restric- tion I observed in the Red Sea, which was not the case before. The Naval Officer's Letter (A) will prove this assertion ; and when there was a demur about granting more money from the Treasury, I abso- lutely told the Vice-President, that the Romney might swamp at her moorings, and the Company's interest go unprotected, if it was not issued at 2s. 6d. for her repairs. The Letter (B) will shew that I did not omit reproving Mr. Louis when it was necessary. The order to Capt. Sause (C) must be satis- factory as to the precautions I took, with regard to the Sensible, before I sailed from Calcutta. I believe no bills were drawn by me after No- vember, 1801 ; which can be ascertained by refe- rence, and a comparative statement made between the exchange of the bills drawn under my appro- bation in the Red Sea and those of other Officers. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) Home Popham. TO 41 (A) TO SIR HOME POPHAM, K. M. CAPTAIN OP HIS MA- JESTY'S SHIP ROMNEY, AND COMMANDING HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS AND VESSELS IN THE RED SEA. &C. &C. &C Calcutta, 0^.29,1801. Not having been able to obtain cash for bills on the Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy on the terms offered to the public, and as you have po- sitively directed that I should not deviate from those proposed by the Honourable Company, under a conviction of its being attended with consequences equally injurious to both Govern- ments, I request you will be pleased to apply to the Honourable the Vice-President in Council for an advance of a lack of rupees, in Treasury Bills, for His Majesty's Naval Service at this port ; viz. fifty thousand towards providing the stores and supplies ordered for the use of His Majesty's ships Sheerness, Wilhelmina, and Victor, in the Red Sea ; and fifty thousand more on account of His Majesty's ships repairing and fitting at this port. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant, (Signed) Matthew Louis, Deputy Naval Officer. TO A1 (B) TO SIR HOME POPHAM, K. M. CAPTAIN OF HIS MA- JESTY'S SHIP ROMNEY, AND COMMANDING A SQUADRON OP HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS AND VESSELS IN THE RED SEA, &C. &C. &C. Kedgeree, Nov. 20, 1801. SIR, I conclude, my reply to the Letter I had the honour to receive of the 17th inst. could not have reached you when you left town ; and I there- fore embrace the opportunity your arrival now affords me, of replying to it, with a view to re- move those impressions which the representations mentioned in your Letter appear to have excited, so much to my disadvantage. I am not aware that His Majesty's Service has suffered the smallest disgrace from my conduct in the discharge of my duty as the Naval Officer at the port of Calcutta. On the contrary, I am conscious of having exercised every exertion in my power for the good of the Service. No demands were ever brought me, bearing your signature, that I did not direclly accept for payment ; and in the particular instance to which your Letter im- mediately applies, the required advance for the tow-boats for His Majesty's ship Romney, was made many days before she left Mayapour. The day I left town, Mr. Shore informed me a further 43 further advance was necessary ; and I told him the money should be paid the moment a receipt was sent for the required amount ; but no such receipt had been sent when I left town : prior to which I had accepted all the bills for pilotage, assuring Mr. Law they should be discharged on the dispatch of the ship, until when his bills had never been discharged by me on any former oc- casion ; and which assurance he was perfectly sa- tisfied with. I trust, therefore, you will do me the justice to make me acquainted with the name of the author of this malicious representation, as well as with the names of that variety of other complainants who have caused this general impression against me in your opinion, — that I might be enabled to remove it, as fully to your satisfaction as I feel myself bound to do in support of the situation I have the honour to fill, and in justification of my own innocence : and I beg you to be perfectly assured, Sir, that His Majesty's Service shall never incur the least impediment or disgrace by any tardiness whatever on my part, in satisfying the just claims of individuals, in my province to discharge, by your order. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) Matthew Louis, Deputy Naval Officer. G 2 ORDER 44 (C) ORDER TO CAPTAIN SAUSE FROM SI* H. POPkAM. From the Report of the Builders, respecting the worthiness of the Sensible to be repaired and new coppered ; from the opinion of Mr. Stol- id art, the Naval Architect now in Calcutta, that she has the finest bottom he ever saw ; — and from my own judgment, after a minute examination of her timbers in dock, I have determined that she shall be repaired and coppered accordingly. You will therefore use your utmost exertions to for- ward the repairs of the said ship, seeing that the Black Carpenters, who are naturally indolent, work the whole time they are on board ; and give every other superintendency in your power to forward this work. You will also return all stores that are unserviceable, and likely to be so in the course of a short time, as it will be very difficult to replace them on our arrival in the Red Sea ; and indent for every thing necessary to complete her with six months stores. You will see that the proper Officers take the requisite re- ceipts from the Naval Officer ; and that they are particular in the examination of all stores deli- vered, rejecting such as are not in every respect fit for His Majesty's Service. Your exertion to get His Majesty's ship under your command fitted with every possible dispatch, is at this moment verv 45 very much desired, as she is wanted to return to the Red Sea, with a convoy of vicl nailers and transports. After she is out of dock, you will take the earliest opportunity of reporting to me when, in your judgment, she will be ready for sea, that I may make my arrangements accord- ingly. (Signed) H. Popham. TO THE COMMISSIONERS FOR VICTUALLING HIS majesty's NAVY. No. 12, York Place, August II, 1803. GENTLEMEN^ As I have every reason to believe that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty may call for the account of the bills drawn under my ap- probation by Mr. T. R. Spearman, who acled as Agent Victualler to the squadron I commanded in the Red Sea, and that it may be their Lord- ships' wish to know the purpose for which such bills were drawn, I take the liberty of calling your attention to some points which will establish my care and attention to the public interest. Before I quitted the Red Sea for Calcutta, I could not but notice the enormous premiums on bills at Mocha and Juddah ; and I therefore, to avoid incurring so great a loss, clirecled Mr. Spearman to furnish himself with what cash he might want for the purchase of cattle before he left Calcutta ; and the advantage which he de- rived 46 rived from this negotiation, is carried, by my order, in his account current, to the credit of Government. I also took care that the same conduct should be pursued in the Red Sea which I established at Calcutta ; and I would not sanction the issue of any Bill on your Board at a higher exchange than 2s. 6d. which, I am confident, is much lower than customary, and certainly the lowest rate ever drawn from that country. I have the honour to be, With every respect, Your most obedient humble Servant, Home Popham. I trust it will appear from the preceding Cor- respondence and plain Statement of Facts, that I have courted every possible channel from which information could be expected, in the hope of obtaining some Public Document, by which I might be enabled to meet such objections as the Admiralty have thought proper to urge against me. The silence with which my applications have been treated, does not manifest a desire of rendering justice to an injured individual. It was presumed, as a basis of the complaint exhibited against me, that I had appointed Mr. Louis Naval Officer at Calcutta ; but although every conviction was offered to the contrary, I cannot learn that any steps have been taken to remove so 47 so unjust an impression. I never knew Mr. Louis until he came down the river to meet me with Admiral Rainier's appointment ; a Copy of which I immediately transmitted to the Navy Board. I have submitted evident proofs of my atten- tion to the rule of exchange ; that I resisted all advance, while I was in Calcutta, beyond the maximum established by the Company ; and that no bill, on a similar occasion, was ever drawn at a lower rate than was authorized by my signa- ture. My extreme precaution, in directing that money should be taken to the Red Sea from Cal- cutta, to provide for exigencies, is evinced in my last letter to the Victualling Office ; and the sub- stance of all I have said may thus be briefly stated : — That on my arrival at Calcutta, I applied to the proper office for every thing I wanted : — That the repairs of the Romney amounted only to 71,000 rupees, instead of the enormous sums re- ported : — That no ship which ever underwent a re- pair in Calcutta cost so little ; many, double that sum :- — That the repairs done, were absolutely necessary ; for the affidavits taken by the Board assert, That she was so leaky as not to be kept clear with two pumps ; and that justice had been done in the repairs, was manifest from her having been put in commission a few days after my pen- dant was ordered to be- hauled down. J gave < 48 I gave Captain Sause very particular orders with respect to the attention he was to pay to the equipment of the Sensible, before I sailed from Calcutta ; previous to which Mr. Louis had scarcely drawn for a sufficient sum to answer the expences incurred by the Romney. I trust that, to justify every part of my conduct in the eyes of all disinterested and impartial men, it is unnecessary for me to enter much more in detail on this subject ; and my only motive in going so far, is to establish beyond the reach of envy and suspicion, an irreproachable character, such as ought to distinguish every Officer hold- ing His Majesty's Commission. In effecting this, it is far from my intention to ascribe blame un- deservedly to others ; but when I have been denied every means of removing partial misrepresenta- tions ; when that excellent maxim of our laws (audi alteram partem) has been in my case to- tally disregarded, it is possible that I may have, on some occasions, expressed myself with the warmth of wounded and insulted honour. In the course of this Narration I have occasi- onally introduced some Letters from the Gover- nor General of India, and the Commander in Chief of the Indian Army serving in Egypt ; and I flatter myself that every Officer in that Army will do me the justice, to say, that no op- portunity was neglected by me of forwarding the service to the utmost of my ability; of establishing the 49 the most perfect unanimity, or of contributing' ta the accommodation and comfort of the Soldiers. The Governor General's Letters go far beyond this ; and I shall therefore annex such parts of my Correspondence with him as unequivocally establish my attention to every branch of the Public Service, in the various duties which were entrusted to my charge. York Place, Sept. 2, 1803. As I have reason to believe that it was never thoroughly understood in what situation I went to the Red Sea; and many invidious asser- tions having been circulated — that I arrogated power unbecoming my station — that I had no command — and was merely "dispatched with a convoy of troops intended to co-operate with the Indian Army : I am impelled to state, with- out quoting any part of my instructions, that I was entrusted with the command of that part of the Expedition to Egypt which went up the Red Sea ; that much Mas left to my discretion : and that I had no reference, except to the Governor General of India, and the Commander in Chief of the Indian Army. Exclusive of this, I had a Political Mission from the Secret Committee ; and was afterwards regularly appointed Ambas- sador to the States of Arabia. I overtook General Baird, and carried him to Cosier, where. the Indian Army was disembarked; h and 50 and after that was effected, Admiral Blanket anchored there for a few days, on his return to India ; but declined any interference in that Bay, by public order *. My Letters to Lord Wellesley will shew how I was occupied in the Red Sea ; and his Excel- lency's Answers, which I submit with pride, will testify his opinion of the effecls of my industry and zeal to promote the interests of the Company on all occasions, which were too much blended with those of the Crown, to consider them in a distinct point of view, TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE MOST NOBLE THE MAR- QUIS WELLESLEY, K. P. GOVERNOR AND CAPTAIN GENERAL OVER ALL THE BRITISH POSSESSIONS IN THE EAST, &C, &C. &C, MY LORD, I took advantage of the occasion which Mr. Stokes offered me at Mocha, on the 7th of May, to announce to your Excellency that three of the ships of my squadron were then in the * « GENERAL ORDERS. *' Leopard, Cosier Bay, June 1 6. " The Admiral desires Sir Home Popham would continue to direct the ships and transports at this anchorage, the same as before the Admiral's arrival, as it cannot be better done ; and directs that every attention be given to the orders issued by Sir Home Popham, (Signed) « tj. Surridge." Roads i 51 Roads ; and of my intention to proceed the fol- lowing day to Juddah, with the Victor, although the Sensible could not accompany me, from the time it would take to complete her with water adequate to the consumption of the troops em- barked on board. The passage was made with tolerable expedi- tion ; and I felt great pleasure in seeing, when I was off the harbour of Juddah, that General Baird's division was there, completing its water as fast as the disposition and activity of the na- tives would allow. The General's presence at Cosier being of much more consequence than the attainment of additional water, I proposed to him, the instant he came on board, to allow of my dispatching a proportion of the ships the next day, followed each successive one by a similar numbe^ till the whole had quitted the port ; and for the same urgent reason^ to accept the accommodation of the Romney for himself and Staff, as promising a quicker mode for reaching that place. His readi- ness in acceding to my first proposition, and the pleasure he expressed on meeting some person to direct the Naval Operations, could not but enhance the satisfaction I anticipated, by conferring with him, during the passage, on the objects of our expedition, and the various methods which sug- gested themselves of bringing each to a proper and honourable conclusion. h ^ On 52 On Sunday the 7th of June we made Cosier. The Victor was then so far a-head, as to have intercourse with the Roads ; and communicated, by telegraph *, Colonel Murray's intention to march that evening across the Desert. This was immediately stopped ; although it was afterwards proved, from the state of the mussacks, that moving a body of troops was totally out of the question. General Baird landed the day after our arrival ; and measures were soon taken for disembarking the troops and stores, ready to embrace any cir- cumspecl: arrangement which information and a more perfect knowledge of the country, the situa- tion of the European Army, and a variety of other circumstances might point out, as the most proper for accomplishing the combined or partial views of your Excellency's instructions to General Baird. As the General's Dispatches will accompany this Letter, your Excellency will thereby be ac- quainted with every minute particular attaching to the situation of the Army, its resources, and its disposition for advance, which was necessarily altered by different reports from the interior, and the observations of those Officers who were the * Alluding to the Telegraphic Signals, or Marine Vocabulary, which was used for all communications between the Army and Navy by General Baird ; and since my return to England I have printed a Second Edition. first 53 first to encounter the hazards and fatigues of this. dreary Desert, so manifest, that I cannot resist assuring your Excellency, under the fairest cir- cumstances, and with every advantage which you promised yourself should attend the Army, the undertaking would have been an arduous one ; and consequently rendered more so from a va- riety of disappointments which the General de- termined should be made subservient to the im- perious call of an early junction with General Hutchinson before Cairo. When every expedient had been offered, to re- move the difficulties under which the Army la- boured, and to facilitate its march across the De- sert, it became necessary to consider of its sub- sequent arrangement, and provide the means of putting it into immediate action on the secondary services pointed out by your Excellency, or pre- serving the transports in an effective state for its re-embarkation when the campaign in Egypt should be concluded ; and with a view to both these objects, dependent equally on the intelli- gence we might receive from General Hutchin- son by the Nile, or Admiral Blanket at Suez, I was induced to write the accompanying Paper, No. I. for General Baird's consideration ; and as we had, from a variety of reports, some reason to hope that General Hutchinson would be en- abled to assure himself of the conquest of Cairo, without the assistance of the Indian Army, I had also 54 also proposed a rendezvous^ to General Baird, for all the armament, equally a porte to the point of your Lordship's wishes, — that more time might be given for an ultimate decision on the most proper mode of attack. Admiral Blanket's arrival, however* on the l6th of Jane, with Letters from General Hut- chinson, decided General Baird to accelerate his junction by every practical means ; as much on account of relieving the European Army from its distress for want of money, as any other con- sideration. Indeed, I am astonished that an ap- plication had not been made to your Excellency from home ; for it must be evident, that no ne- gotiation by bills, could support so extensive an Army as will necessarily be kept in Egypt till its fate is decided. I have omitted stating that it was my intention, at the particular instance of General Baird, to have accompanied the Army with a body of seamen across the Desert, and to Cairo ; but Admiral Blanket was so averse to the measure, that on his quitting Cosier, he put every discretion out of the question, by ordering me to Mocha before he would make his dispositions to leave me in command of the Red Sea : he, nevertheless, left thirty seamen and an Officer, which I intended to complete to any number the General might require ; but on the eve of his departure, he declined their services, for the reasons assigned in his Letter, No. II. I, was 55 I was so well aware of the hardships with which the Army had to contend in the undertaking of the Desert, that I desired General Baird to have no delicacy in applying to the resources of the ships under my command, but to use me on all occasions without reserve ; and I very much re- joice that the expedient I originally proposed, of small casks in lieu of the mussacks, was at last attended to with success. It is unnecessary to trouble you w T ith the several acknowledgments in this respect, as I am satisfied he has already an- ticipated my anxiety to prove to your Lordship how seriously and sincerely I have at heart the well-doing of the Army, that it may be enabled finally to accomplish all the objects of your Ex- cellency's commands. In the various returns that were given to me, I could not but observe the liberality which was shewn on the part of Government, in its very nice and scrupulous attention to every comfort that a soldier could require, or an Officer wish to have in his power to bestow ; but I fear, Sir, that the detail of these very laudable intentions has not been managed with that degree of circum- spection and caution which a subject of such mag- nitude required ; owing, probably, to your Ex- cellency's not having attached to you a person used to embarkation, and qualified, from expe- rience and professional knowledge, to afford your Excel- 56 Excellency some assistance in this and other highly essential parts of so extensive an armament. Without entering into any very detailed re- marks on the different points which are subject to stricture, I cannot omit stating to your Excel- lency, that the person or persons who had the charge or contract for supplying the mussacks and superintendance of the tanks, particularly those fitted at Bombay, are highly reprehensible : to the sad state of the greater part of the mussacks, has been owing the detention of General Baird so long at Cosier : he tried every experiment to remedy the evil so radically bad, that after much labour and perseverance, it was scarce sufficiently overcome to enable the Army's moving, even by small detachments ; and this could not have been well attempted without recourse to casks, and some pocaully bags,, purchased from the natives as they brought them in. From the irregularity and confusion which ap- peared generally to prevail in loading the ships, it was impossible to obtain the quantity of stores and provisions on board of each ; I therefore, to make the investigation as public as possible, in this and other instances where the interest of the Company and individuals, as well as the conduct and character of the latter, was concerned, ap- pointed general and partial Committees, to survey and report the state and condition of these ar^ tides, *7 tides, and the cause of failure in the water-tanks, which might eventually have been attended with the most serious consequences ; and in these ap- pointments, a Committee was named for auditing accounts, and taxing all bills for stores spared to the Army, or work done on its account. The formation of these Committees will be seen in No. Ill : to which is added, the Report on the Sarah's tanks ; those in other ships were exactly similar. One very material and truly charitable esta- blishment has, I fear, escaped the notice of Go- vernment : — A Surgeon, specially nominated to take charge of the sick Lascars belonging to the transports, as your Lordship must be aware that, in a fleet of from twenty to twenty-five sail, with a complement of 100 men on an average, casual- ties will arise beyond the care of a simple medi- cine-chest, and a few common-place instructions. To remedy this, however, for the present, I di- rected the Surgeon of the Romney to attend on board ; and attached the Mate to the sick of the Milford (the worst ship) in tents on shore, and any others that might be occasionally sent, under the proposition No. IV. until your Excellency's pleasure should be known. My next object was to see how far a reduction in the enormous expence of tonnage could be effected, by making some arrangement to dis- charge those ships which appeared extravagantly i freighted ; v 58 freighted ; and to dispense with others of little use, and certainly very incompetent either to the service in question, or what ought to be expected from the high price given. The Paper, No. V. explains this alteration * ; and your Excellency will observe, in addition to the ships which I have recommended to be dis- charged, and sent to India on that account, there are two ordered to Bombay, and two to Calcutta, for the purpose of returning with stores and pro- visions. I did this, under the conviction that they could not be wanted for some months in the Red Sea ; and thereby the freightage of four ships will be saved to the Company, and the commerce of the country consequently less cramped in its regular and very laudable enter- prise. A copy of all these propositions was given to' General Baied ; and, in the course of our various conversations, we appeared decidedly of opinion \ * DISPOSITION OF THE SHIPS FOR INDIA. The Cornwallis, Ardacier, Minerva, Miiford, Warren Hast- ings, and Gunneh Persaud, to proceed immediately to Bombay, as they are expensive vessels, and their services can be dis- pensed with in the Red Sea 3 they are recommended to be dis- charged from the service, unless wanted by Government in some other purpose. Eliza, Friendship, Ganges, and Hope, to proceed to Cal- cutta, for the same purpose j and arrangements will be made to dispense with the service of others, according to circum- stances. that 59 Ui at I should sail for Calcutta, to offer any further explanation which your Excellency might require. In my own mind, the necessity of such a measure was so obvious, that I did not hesitate a moment to promise acceding to it provisionally when the command devolved upon me. The General's de- pendence on this resolution is fully set forth in his Letter, No. VI. ; and I shall be happy in pay- ing attention to his wishes, whenever your Ex- cellency may do me the honour of calling on me. General Baird marched for the Nile on the 30th of June ; and I left Cosier on the 2d of July, giving Captain Sause/ of His Majesty's ship Sensible, the instructions, No. VII. for the disposition of the men of war and transports ; and I hope they left that Bay by the l6th, as the General assured me he would write to Captain Sause to do so the moment there was a moral certainty of his reaching Cairo without any serious interruption. On my return to Juddah, I found Admiral Blanket so unwell, that he could not enter minutely into business. I explained every thing to. him : he was satisfied with what I had done ; and desired me to continue my arrange- ments, and make out the necessary instructions (No. VIII.) for the Wilhelmina, and he would sign them ; to which I added a second order (No. IX.) from Mocha, originally inserted, but disapproved by him ; as we never did agree on i 2 the 6o the time proper for a ship to attempt a passage up the Red Sea. The Admiral suffered excessively from the heat of the weather, and died the 14th inst. the day before we reached Mocha : he was buried at sea (by his own previous request) with all the honours due to his rank. I intended to have convoyed the Bengal ships, and sent the Sensible to Bombay ; but as I found the Leopard was likely to remain at Mocha some time, to settle all her accounts ; and the Fox ordered to Juddah, where the Bom- bay frigate was attending the Rockingham whilst she was heaving down, and consequently could not finally quit the Red Sea for six weeks or two months, I thought it advisable to change the disposition, and sail immediately for Calcutta ; by which means your Excellency would become earlier acquainted with every transaction, and I should have the chance of returning to Mocha very soon after the departure of the Fox and Bombay. The Sensible was then ordered to take the Calcutta ships, and the Fox the Bombay ships, unless they arrived in time for the Leopard ; and in the event of the Fox being detained beyond a fixed day, then the Cornwallis was to give them the protection of her appearance ; which is all I can expect; from the state and establishment of that very fine ship. I directed 61 I directed her Commander and the Commander of the Bombay to spare a proportion of their eighteen-pounder iron ordnance to mount on the lower deck of the Sheerness ; which ship your Excellency will see, on reference to Captain Car- din's instructions, is ordered to remain in Mocha Roads as a guardship, until the return of the Romney. I wrote to your Excellency, by the Mornington Packet, on the subject of my Political Appoint- ment, and interference on that head with Me- hendy Ally Khawn, at Juddah ; and for the reasons assigned in the same Dispatch, I desired Mr. Stokes to direct the Company's Broker not to answer any Bills drawn by him (Meer Ally Khawn) subsequent to the 8th of July, or ad- vance any money, except for his personal ex- pences. I learned, in the course of conversation with Mr. Stokes,, that he had chartered several^ dows, and was continuing to do so, for the purpose of sending to the Army what he conceived neces- sary articles of provision, principally rice, wheat, sugar, and coffee. These dows would not go to the northward of Juddah, where the articles, even if they were of any use, tirmt be kept at a great expence, or other vessels hired to carry them up to Cosier. It is to be regretted, that those who have been in the habits of intercourse with the Gulf of Arabia 02 Arabia since the establishment of the Company in India, had not possessed some information on the resources of that country, whereby the conduct of the Executive Departments might have been re- gulated, and enormous sums saved in many details of this Expedition. However, to check in some de- gree, the evil complained of, I desired Mr. Stokes to give me a list of the ten dows he had sent on ; and I ordered Captain Lind, by Letter, No. IX. to put their cargoes into empty transports, and send the vessels back again, as soon as possible, to be discharged ; and I recommended Mr. Stokes. not to purchase any more rice, wheat, or sugar, beyond the immediate consumption of Mocha, until he received further orders. The Army was cloyed with sugar ; so much so, that the General offered me for the men of war, any portion I chose to accept of, from a large quantity already sent from Mocha. The ships at Cosier had a great proportion of rice, exclusive of the quantity with which many of them were provisionally ballasted ; and the Bazar was stocked with wheat and flour in such abundance, that I di reeled one of the transports, taken up at the Cape and discharged since her arrival, to be immediately loaded for that settle-r ment : the second taken up there, was also to be discharged the moment she delivered her stores. With the magazine of corn jso . immediately under 63 under our command, I thought it advisable to write to the Bombay Government, and recom- mend it to stop the shipment of the 10,000 bags already demanded by Mr. Stokes. Mr. Stokes had built some ovens in the fac- tory : on which subject he wrote to me, as you will observe by my Letter (P. No. II.) inclosing a copy of one I sent to Mr. Peingle. The ovens there, and the sort of bread of which I had a muster, might do for present expence ; but the place, my Lord, for a bakery, is Cosier, the granary of Egypt, and the depot from whence all Arabia is supplied. There a few regular bred Bakers, a few thousand bricks, and some Masons, might be of essential service, and pro- duce biscuit as cheap as at Calcutta, and thereby save the freight to the Red Sea. Other expe- dients might be devised for applying the re- sources of Egypt to our benefit ; but I shah re- serve myself on those several subjects until I have the pleasure of seeing your Excellency in Cal- cutta, where, I trust, you will do me the honour of applying to me, in proportion as you con- ceive any benefit may arise from the Remarks I have made during my short stay in the Red Sea. Your Excellency will have the goodness to no- tice, that this is the first letter I have addressed to you from personal observation : to which any pa- ragraphs 64 ragraphs in my former letters materially differing, must certainly yield. Although I desired Mr. Stokes not to charter or send up any more vessels laden with rice and wheat, yet I advised him to hold a survey on the provisions of all the ships expected from India* to re-bake the damaged bread, which I had reason to expect would be very great, from what I saw in the Bengal ships at Cosier ; and to load the one reported the fastest sailer, with beef, pork, bis- cuit, and spirits, and send her to Suez as early aa the season would admit. As a variety of circumstances may have arisen since the last communications of your Excellency to the Red Sea, on which all future operations may depend, though regulated in some respects by the latest information from Egypt, I shall only be taking up your Excellency's time, in offering any thing about that country, in its relation to Europe and India, until I am competent to do so from a knowledge of the different points applica- ble to the subject, and which must form the basis of a thorough discussion. It is nevertheless right, in any case, to adopt some measure for recruiting the ships left in Co- sier and Juddah with Lascars, or it will be impos- sible for them to quit the Red Sea in safety, as they were originally but indifferently manned, and their ships' companies have been very much re- duced 65 duced by sickness, probably brought on from ex- traordinary fatigue in doing duty on shore as Coo- lies, — besides the loss of many who have accom- panied the army as Dooly Bearers. The owners must also provide stores for their ships, according to the different demands which will be brought forward by Mr. Lowe, on the arrival of the Cuvera in Calcutta. I have omitted in my different Letters to inform your Excellency, that I judged it expedient, on my arrival in the Red Sea, to take all the ships belong- ing to and chartered by the Company under ir.y command, without suffering any interference what- ever, except through me : I did this because I saw a strange and very undisciplined usage had obtain- ed, of placing ships under the orders of different Officers, to the manifest prejudice of the public service ; and in the most friendly discussion with Genera! Baird on the subject, I persisted in my principles, supporting them with a positive assur- ance, that any ship moving without my sanction, must expect to be sunk ; and I cannot doubt, but from the high and very proper notions he has of the service, he agreed with me in opinion, how- ever reluctant he might appear to yield in toto to the position. I trust that your Excellency will see the pro- priety of making Commanding Officers absolute, if they were even not inclined to be so ; for the mo- k ment 66 jnent the executive power is divided, different in- terests are pursued, and responsibility, which is the very soul of energy and zeal, is so lessened, that apathy supersedes ambition, and every plan is ren- dered abortive, from reversing that system by which Great Britain has so long maintained its superiority in all combined operations and insular attacks. Although, my Lord, I have on this head express- ed myself in strong terms, from a sense of duty to my country, I hope your Excellency will be fully persuaded that no man has more sincerely at heart the comfort of the Army, or shall study to meet a General's wishes with more alacrity than myself; and I trust my conduct in the course of the war, in some diffic; 11 '. nnd trying cases, will be a voucher to this effect ; &nd the argument consequently has no other view, but to direct every thing through the proper channel ; which, in my opinion, is the only mode of really and essentially serving the country, and carrying the request of the Commander in Chief into immediate and prompt execution. I have now to beg that your Excellency will not consider one iota of this Letter, which is written without reserve, as dictating in any degree to the supreme government. On the contrary, it is but the opinion of a zealous Officer, submitted to your "Excellency, and who will be happy on all occa- sions to prove himself worthy of your protection, and 67 and testify the deference and respect with which he has the honour of being, . My Lord, your Excellency's most obedient and most devoted humb 1 Servant, Red Sea, May 12 to (Signed) Home Popham. July 20, 1803. It may be considered as too prolix to subjoin all the papers alluded to ; but as this makes an instan- taneous alteration to the interest of the Company, it is noticed in concise terms, without entering into a general review of the Transport Tonnage. POLITICAL. No. I. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE MOST NOBLE THE MAR- QUIS WELLESLEY, K. P. GOVERNOR AND CAPTAIN GENERAL OVER ALL THE BRITISH POSSESSIONS IN INDIA, &C. &C. &C. Opportunities so seldom offer to allow of my writing to your Excellency on each subject as it occurs, that I deem a concise journal to be the best mode of offering you the course of my proceedings on this subject. My anxiety to join General Baird with every practical dispatch, forced me to leave Mocha so suddenly, that I had no time to write, or have any intercourse with the Imaum of Sennah ; but as the service appeared to be carried on^ in respect to sup- k 2 plies 6s plies and assistance from the natives, with some degree of system, though without much alacrity, I had no particular regret at quitting the road on more material duty 5 and leave the subject of refe- rence to a moment of less urgency than the present. Previous to my arrival at Juddah I was acquaint-, ed with the Sheriffe of Mecca's conduct in regard to the Porte, his connection with the French, and his decided antipathy to the English. I learned from General Baird, that although the Transports were watering and provisioning, still there was something very equivocal in his behaviour ; and this was equally observed by Mirza Mehendy Ally Khawn ; who I understood to be in the si- tuation of Political Native Resident, specially ap- pointed by the Bombay Government, with the su- perintendance of the dows bringing cattle from Bombay, and such purchases of camels and horses as General Baird might think proper to order. I lost no time in addressing a Note to the She- riffe, by Mehendy Ally Khawn, asking the ho- nour of an audience, which his Holiness granted. The result of this interview 7 , and my ideas respect- ing the Sheriffe, will be fully explained to your Excellency in my Letter to Lord Elgin on that subject ; and I declare, not to have written from prejudice, but from the consideration of every thing I had heard and seen of this man's principles and conduct since the first invasion of Egypt. Cosier, 30th June. — A few days after I had closed Lord 69 Lord Elgin's Letter, General Baird received No. III.* from Mehendy Ally Khawn, a dupli- cate of which also came to me ; and in my conver- sation with the General on this very extraordinary subject, I persisted, if possible, on the propriety of a reference to your Excellency before the adoption of any strong measure, unless the life of the Com- pany's Resident was absolutely at stake, and that means were taken to cut off the necessary supplies for the Army, which, in fact, would have amount- ed to a direct act of hostility on the part of the Sheriffe. As I was on the eve of quitting Cosier, I request- ed the General to write me his sentiments on the subject, that I might have the advantage of his opi- nion in a case where the interests of the Company and the views of Great Britain, in its relation and alliance with the Ottoman Porte, were so intimately blended. I am highly flattered in the confidence placed in me by the General, in his Letter, No. IV., and I trust to your Excellency's approbation of my con- duct, so far as I have related it, that I may antici- * This Letter, No. III., complained of the conduct of the Jaddah Government to him ; and proposed to depose the present SherirFe, who was an usurper, and place the right heir on the throne; and Mehendy represented he had obtained his con- currence to this project. — Various reasons, however, decided that I should not interfere in this proposition, but remove Me- hendy Ally Khavvn from Arabia, with every possible dis- patch. pate 70 pate your future protection in the situation which Mr. Dundas directed me to be appointed to, by the Secret Committee. Juddah, 7th July. — On my passage to this place, I had sufficient leisure to consider of, and I assure you I gave all my attention to, Mehendy Ally Khawn's Letter ; and I am not without my sus- picions that the greater part is a fiction, to facilitate the operation of some intrigue, calculated only to benefit the Nabob and his partizans, and ultimately involve the Company in all the consequences from which their advantages may be derived. I question the possibility of obtaining sufficient intercourse with Afd a.llah, the deposed Sheriffe, and the Beniharb Shaik, to carry on the great spe- culation of an absolute deposition, without creating strong suspicion on the part of the existing Go- vernment ; and I also doubt, that any person so high in the Sheriffe's confidence as to have access to such Letters of secrecy as those must be that propose poisoning the Nabob, would venture, at the time of his disgrace, to convey any intelligence to him, personally or otherwise. If, however, I am mistaken in both these points, I cannot but accuse the Nabob of a want of caution in managing a bu- siness so delicate in itself, and so highly important, as the one he offers for consideration. His propo- sitions appear to have gone through many copies, probably some editions, when, in my mind, to per- sons only, not to paper, communications of this nature tt nature ought to be made ; and if ever the expedi- ency of the proposed measure should be determined on, I hope your Excellency, however you may ap- preciate the assistance of the Nabob, v/ill not suffer him to be the principal in carrying such views into effect. In this subject many considerations are involved, some probably of too great magnitude and too in- tricate policy for me to discuss ; and I feel less equal to it just now, as not having been honoured with any communication from your Excellency, or the Presidencies in India, since my arrival in the Red Sea ; but as I propose, if I am not prevented by any extraordinary circumstance, to proceed to Calcutta for provisions and stores, instead of Bom- bay, I shall have the honour of stating personally to your Excellency, in a detailed and unreserved manner, not only the situation of the Army, but the probable advantages and disadvantages of its further co-operation with General Hutchinson, and every idea that has suggested itself to me on the policy and expediency of reducing the SherifFe, and subjugating and concentrating every govern- ment in the Red Sea under its former authority, the Porte. When I was off the shoals of Juddah, I received a note from Admiral Blankett, desiring me to anchor in the outer Gatway ; and signifying his intention of proceeding to Mocha the following morning, where he was anxious to give me up the Command 72 Command of this station. I requested he would either leave me at Juddah, or remain one day, as I had some business of importance in my political situation, to settle for the Company. He acceded to the latter ; and I lost no time in sending for Mehendy Ally Khawn to come on board the Romney, and personally inform me of his situa- tion in regard to the Government, and his motives for remaining, after General Baird had directed him to dispose of the camels he had already pur- chased, and not to purchase any more cattle for the Army. I received the Letter, No. V. the morning after my Message was delivered ; and the ambiguity of the style gave me no plea for altering my first opi- nion ; I therefore determined to send to the Vizier, to ask his reasons for keeping centinels at the door of the English Resident ; to know, Whether he had any charges to prefer against him for violating the laws and customs of Juddah ? and, Why he objected to his coming to me ? I also told the Vizier, If the dispute was of a commercial nature, and that it appeared the Nabob owed any such sum to the Sheriffe, on account of the Company, I was ready to discharge it, if it did not exceed the means with which I was provided ; and I conceived tile best mode to adjust every point in an amicable manner was, for the Vizier to accompany the Nabob on board the Romney ; and if he was not satisfied with my arbitration, I gave him my ho- nour 73 nour I would send the Nabob on shore again. The Vizier agreed to this proposition, excusing himself on account of ill health ; bu< sending his brother to act for him. From the observations I had made, I was satis- fied of the propriety of settling, in a friendly man- ner, all the differences between the Nabob and the Vizier ; and, if possible, to remove the former from Juddah, without giving him the least suspicion of my motives for doing so; and whatever your Ex- cellency's future conduct may be towards the Court of Juddah, I trust to your approbation of mine in this instance and at this moment. My interview with these people, after some trifl- ing altercations, terminated in satisfying the Vi- zier's demand, by paying a note of hand for 9,250 dollars from Mehendy Ally Khawn to the She- riffe. The Vizier's brother promised that all his things should be delivered up on my sending an Officer on shore ; and after recommending an ami~ cable parting, 1 sent the Nabob on board the Warren Hastings (a ship chartered by the Bombay Presidency for his accommodation) and begged he would remain there until I called on him in the evening ; which I did, for the purpose of knowing what further views he had by staying at Juddah, — - what dows he had under his direction, — and what other expences it was possible to relieve the Com* pany of, i I learned s 74 I learned, on seeing him, that he had several dows here with bullocks, which were dying very fast ; and the Noceadahs of the dows refused to go further to the northward : their expence was from ten to twelve thousand rupees a month *, and the Warren Hastings upwards of seven thousand. I took upon me to order all the dows immedi- ately to be discharged ; and as Mocha was the place agreed on for that purpose, to deliver up their bullocks to Mr. Stokes, for the use of the Army. My next point was, to remove Mehendy Ally Khawn from Juddah, to prevent the effect of any further intercourse with that Government, and to relieve, as soon as possible, the Company from the expence of the Warren Hastings ; and I was very sorry to find he shewed some reluctance to quit that place, in which, a few hours before, he had positively asked my protection to save his life. He told me he was anxious to wait the answer of a Letter to General Baird, which he bad sent a few days before my arrival. I explained to him the impossibility of its reaching Juddah in less than two, probably three months ; before which time his services might be required in other quarters ; and at all events, I thought he w T ould do right to make * By a subsequent statement, it appears that the expence of the dows was from 20 to 25,000 rupees a month. the 7o the best of his way to Calcutta or Bombay, and render an account of his Mission : if he chose the former place, I would give him a passage in the Romney ; and he might immediately discharge the Warren Hastings. He then talked of a fortnight; which time even I explained to him might deprive me of the pleasure of seeing him at Mocha, where X- might have occasion for his assistance. He pro- mised to quit Juddah in a week ; and on this I took my leave, giving him to understand, in the most delicate manner, that if he went on shore again, it must be at his own private risk, as there could be no further public interference in his be- half. I hope your Excellency will excuse my entering so minutely into the latter part of my transactions, as I could not altogether divest myself of the im- pression that there was an unnecessary alarm and ill-managed intrigue, or an improper representation on the part of Mehendy Ally Khawn ; either of which might, in the course of time, mislead the Company, or embarrass the Commanding Officer in forming a judgment which was the proper line to pursue. In the whole of this transaction, I can assure your Excellency, I have acted with every delicacy to the Nabob, from the report that he had been of much service to the Bombay Government in his Secret Missions from that Presidencv ; and I dare venture to affirm, he considers my anxiety l 2 to 76 to remove him, as originating from personal re- gard, and not from public duty. I have the honour to be, My Lord, your Excellency's most obedient and most devoted humble Servant, Romney, at Sea, (signed) Home Popham. proceeding towards Juddah, May 1], 1801. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF ELGIN, HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S AMBASSADOR EX* TRAORDINARY AT CONSTANTINOPLE. Romney, Cosier Bay, June 2,6, 1801. MY LORD, I have no doubt but your Lordship is already apprized of my being sent to this country with a military force from Europe, to act in conjunction with that from India, in a general co-operation with the Mediterranean Army, for the expulsion of the French from Egypt. My passage from the Cape was very dilatory ; but I had the satisfaction of overtaking General Baird, and bringing him to this place ; from whence he is moving, in small detachments, to Ghenne, to proceed down the Nile, and join General Hutchinson ; but under such difficulties and obstacles, as would almost make any man but himself, and even him in a case less urgent, shudder at the very perilous prospect in crossing the Desart, and resist the most absolute orders 77 orders to undertake the march; but he sees the ne- cessity of his junction with General Hutchinson in so stron it a point of view, that he has determined to risk every thing in the attempt; in which I have rendered him my humble assistance since Admiral Blankett quitted Cosier, on his way down the Red Sea, and ultimately to Europe; but probably first to India. I have thought it neces- sary to say thus much before I come to the more direct object of my Correspondence with your Lordship, which originates in a Political Appoint- ment to the Sheriffe of Mecca, and all the Arabian Princes, that I received from the Secret Committee of the India Company, by order of Mr. Secretary Dundas, previous to my quitting England. From the general character of the Sheriffe, who, I suppose, you know is an usurper, and the right heir a prisoner, I had little to expect in any inter- course with him, especially while the French pro- mised to remain masters of Egypt ; but the success of General Abercrombie held out, I thought, a favourable moment to write and ask an interview. My Note is more directed to give him an opening of recantation in his principles towards the Grand Seignior than any other point ; which being gained, would pave the way to all I am instructed to re- quire. He, however, was not satisfied that the French would be driven from Egypt ; and he gave such evasive answers to all I proposed, that I was con- vinced 78 vlnced he only wanted to gain time, and not risk any conclusion until he saw the event of this cam- paign, He asked me, If the Grand Seignior had given his sanction to my appointment, and knew the nature of my instructions? I could only answer, That, from the intimacy of the connection betweeu the Grand Seignior and his Majesty, I had no doubt hut his Ministers acquainted those of his Imperial Majesty with every circumstance that had reference to any part of his dominions. He said, That was not a direct answer; and that he must now ask me, If I ever saw any Letters from the Grand Seignior au- thorizing me to come to Juddah, to propose terms of negociation to him ? As I could not answer this question to my own satisfaction, I was obliged to ask, If he would implicitly attend to any negocia- tion made by your Lordship at Constantinople, on the basis of my instructions, which could easily be conveyed to you ? He said, Certainly, it was his duty; and he must obey any orders from the Grand Seignior, as well as abide by any agreement made between him and the English. I transmit to your Lordship some extracts from my instructions ; and I hope you will either be able to obtain a firmaun to the SherifFe to enter into such negociations with me, and to admit, as was the case for many years, a Factory House to be established at Juddah ; or, if your Lordship could enter into a direct Negociation at Constantinople, it would be still better, particularly for the Porte : in 79 in the event of which, however, I have my doubt of the SherifFe's conformation. It will be neces- sary to assert the right of sovereignty in the Grand Seignior; which he will never do while there is a barrier between him and any executive force be- longing to the Porte. The conduct of this man has been avowedly ini- mical to the general cause, and pointedly so to every English interest: and I really think, if a pro- visional application could be made from the Porte to Lord Wellesley to remove this usurper, and place the proper heir upon the throne, whilst we have such a force in the Red Sea, — instead of its being an unpopular act, as interfering with the head of the Mahometan religion, it would give great and general satisfaction, as he is universally detested, from his tyrannical and rapacious conduct. I shall be very happy to hear from your Lordship on this subject as early as possible ; and I congra- tulate myself on the occasion which my present Mission has afforded me, of paying my compli- ments to your Lordship, and assuring you of the deference and respect with which I have the honour of being, My Lord, your Lordship's most obedient and very humble Servant, (signed) Home Poi'ham* Aft et 80 After a passage of seventeen days from the Red Sea, the Romney arrived in Balasore Roads ; and in proceeding up the river, I received the annexed from Lord Wellesley. No. I. TO SIR HOME P0PHAM, K. M. &C &C. &c. Fort William, Aug. II, 1801. Half past Four, P.M. SIR, I have received your several Dispatches, for- warded with your Letter of the 9th inst. and I take the earliest opportunity of expressing my warmest acknowledgements for your various, able, and com- prehensive communications. Your arrival at this port affords me the highest satisfaction, and cannot fail to promote the public service. You will find me zealously disposed to employ every effort for the accomplishment of the great object now in contemplation, and ready to receive your advice and assistance with the utmost degree of gratitude and cordiality. 1 have issued all the orders which you have suggested, with a view to facilitate the arrival of the Romney at Mayapour, and her re- pairs in this port. I shall hope to have the pleasure of seeing you immediately after your landing. Mr. Louis, the Naval Agent, informs me that he has provided a house for you, otherwise I would have taken that duty upon myself; and if you should not find your- self 81 self conveniently lodged, I hope you will allow mc to remedy that inconvenience. I have the honour to be, Sir, with great esteem and respect, your faithful Servant, (signed) Wellesley. I lost no time in obeying so flattering a sum- mons, and had the good fortune to reach Calcutta before his Excellency set off for Oude ; but he being then on the eve of his departure, he re- quested me to accompany him, as he was very anxious to discuss many points relating to Egypt, the Red Sea, and other objects of equal conse- quence. I took the liberty, before my return to Calcutta, of delivering several papers to Lord Wellesley, on different subjects, though it may be necessary only to notice the following : — MEMORANDUM FOR LORD WELLESLEY's CONSI- DERATION. Off Chensurah, Jug. 20, 1801. The political situation of Arabia in regard to the Porte, Great Britain, and India, requires Lord Wellesley's serious consideration ; and as the presence of so great a Military and Naval Force will very sensibly operate on the minds of the dif- ferent Chiefs, and probably induce them to accede M to 82 to Lord Wlllesley's wishes, he may conceive this the most favourable moment to carry all his views into effect. The Secret Committee, in the instructions which they gave me on this head, seem anxious to enter into some system of permanent commercial negotiation with the Imaum of Sennah and the SherifFe of Mecca, as promising vast advantages to the Company. In regard to the Imaum ot Sennah, I apprehend no difficulty. On the contrary, if he is wise, he ought to court the most intimate connection with the Company, and even intreat them to keep up a small Military Establishment, as the most certain means of check- ing the incursions of the Bedouins, who are daily threatening Mocha. The Bedouins may however be of such service to us, that their Chiefs ought to be courted, and managed by courtesy instead of force. In regard to the Commercial Intercourse be- tween India and Sennah, I am satisfied the whole exports of that country might be made subservient to the Company, and the trade in general brought under their controul ; which, in fact, though without the appearance, would be making a mono- poly of some very valuable branches of Commerce and Revenue ; and one, which the luxury of the times has made a necessary article of existence in Northern Europe, particularly in France, where, I believe, the preference to Mocha Coffee has more generally 83 generally obtained than in the lower parts of Ger- many. It however may, by proper management, be vested in the Company ; and whether the coffee emporium is in London, or in the Company's godowns at Mocha, is a question of no moment for the present, though it may be on a future day. The extraordinary occurrences of the war have made it necessary to increase the British tonnage to a degree of unexampled extent ; it therefore is an act of wisdom in all Governments, in their mo- ments of relaxation from the operations of war, to turn their thoughts to the probable events of Peace, and to cherish and encourage every source that promises the most distant employment for ships on such an event taking place. Having stated my opinion on the expediency of an intimate connection with the Coffee country, as promising an absolute monopoly of that valuable commerce, I take the liberty, in the same unre- served manner, to submit to Lord Wellesley the mode of carrying this suggestion into effect. There may however be objections to the whole proposi- tion, though I doubt their existing, as Mr. Scott, the present Chairman (and on my quitting Eng- land, one of the Secret Committee) most parti- cularly urged this point ; and I understand, no person formerly was better acquainted with the Red Sea than himself, or profited more from the result of his frequent intercourse. A Commercial Resident should be fixed on, of M 2 probity, 84 probity, ability, and resource, with one or two As- sistants of equal competency, and such articles of Indian manufacture as seem best calculated for the markets, should be consigned annually, and powers vested to contract with the Coffee Planters ; and to attend the great fair for. coffee, and other pro- ductions of Arabia, at Bet il Fakeih, held, I think, twice a year. The extent to which this commerce may be likely to be carried, ought to be kept a profound secret; and a knowledge of it only become public in proportion to its increased operations. At present, the Company have a Native Banyan, who has for many years transacted their business ; and the advantages he has thereby derived has, by report, given him the credit of possessing twenty lacks of dollars. Independent of a liberal salary, some considera- tion Ought to be promised on the profit of the com- mercial transactions, to the Resident, in lieu of a commission on the gross expenditure; and I rather think a small duty might be imposed on the ships trading to the Red Sea, to defray the expence of this establishment. The effect of French intrigue, particularly on the Sheriffe of Mecca, shows the wisdom of having Residents in that country, if not to check, at least to give information of the progress of the enemy on all its future negociations, whether of a public or secret nature. I cannot altogether bring myself to decide the question 85 question about the Sheriffe of Mecca ; yet I am fully persuaded, he will never be brought to any sincere negociation with us, not so much from his affection to the French as our intimate alliance with the Porte, from whose yoke he wants to be completely emancipated ; but this must, I think, be firmly resisted, not only in respect to the sub- sisting connection with the Grand Seignior, but our own immediate interest, which must suffer from the arrogation of extraordinary power by any Resident Individual in Arabia. A reference to my Public Letters will more fully explain every circum- stance relative to the Court of Mecca. Cosier is fortunately the port for supply of grain to Arabia, consequently that country may be starved by one of the insignificant cruisers of the Bombay establish- ment ; and the Sheriffe of Mecca should be given to understand this in the most unequivocal manner. Two ships of easy draft of water, mounting each twenty twenty-four pounders, battering guns, and one mortar, should be built exclusively for the Red Sea service ; which, as commanding the destruction of the towns, would keep the whole country in a state of subjection ; and instructions of a particular nature should be given the Officers commanding them ; which I can hereafter submit to Lord Wellesley's consideration. It would be an advantage if the Officers in the ships were acquainted with Marine Surveying; and I see no objection, 80 objection, when these ships quit Bombay or return, to their being alternately loaded with the produc- tions of each place, which would, in some degree, lessen the expence of their establishment. I cannot say any thing at present on the pro- priety of a Commercial Resident being stationed at Suez, or whether it would be allowed ; but a question arises in my mind, on the Policy of en- couraging the Exportations of India to the Red Sea, beyond the consumption of Egypt and Arabia, though I am convinced it would be wise to con- centrate all the productions of these two last coun- tries in our magazines at Mocha. After I have been at Suez, I shall be enabled to speak more decidedly as to these points; and I will certainly omit no occasion of communicating to Lord Wellesley the result of my observa- tions on every subject that may appear interesting to his Excellency, and tend to promote the welfare of the Company. (Signed) Home Popham. His Excellency had proposed an expedition (as a coup de main) hy the troops which were to be embarked for the Red Sea, on their voyage there, and had been pleased to give me the direction of it, and the arrangement of every thing relating to the transports and supplies for the Army in Egypt. The expedition, for reasons assigned in his Excel- lency's 87 lency's Letter, No. II. was suspended; and of course all my attention was directed to the other objects which were placed under my controul. TO SIR HOME POPHAM, K. M. Sec. &c. &c. Berhampore, Sept. 1, 180L SIR, The Dispatches which I have received from Egypt since your departure, combined with the most recent advices from Fort St. George, have induced me to determine to recal my orders, for equipping an additional armament from India in the present moment : I have therefore dispatched a Letter to the Vice President in Council to that ef- fect ; and I take the earliest opportunity of inform- ing you, that our preparations from India must now be limited to the provision of such articles of supply as may be required for the Army in Egypt. I cannot however relinquish the armament which I had proposed to equip under your directions and with your assistance, without assuring you of the high sense which I retain of the zeal, talents, and knowledge which you manifested in the communi- cations which have passed between us, and of the confidence which I should have reposed in the suc- cess of any operation conducted by an Officer of such acknowledged enterprize and skill. I shall take an early occasion to record these sentiments for the information of the Court of Directors, and to 88 to submit them to his Majesty's Ministers, with whom I correspond officially on all subjects of Mi- litary Detail. By Mr. Udny I shall communicate to you a fur- ther view of the state of supplies dispatched, or under dispatch, from Fort St, George; and I shall request you to favour me with your opinion on the whole question of supplies for Egypt. In the mean time, the Vice President in Council has received my instructions to forward the preparation of such articles as you may require. I shall also solicit the advantage of your senti- ments with respect to a system of general rules for the improvement of future embarkations of men or stores from India. With respect to your Political Mission to the Arab States, I shall immediately transmit a Letter to you through the Political Department. I have directed the necessary orders to be sent to Fort William, for providing you with tents and equipage for your journey from Mocha to Sennah. Under all the circumstances of the present crisis, it appears to me, that your most adviseable course would be to return to the Red Sea as soon as the season will admit. I shall hereafter enter fully into the subject of all the Memoranda which I have had the honour to receive from you. Notwithstanding that the result of your pro- ceeding to this port does not now appear likely to be precisely answerable to your expectations of active service 89 service, or to my wish of availing myself of your exertions against Batavia, I must repeat my most sincere thanks to you, for having, with so much promptitude, taken a measure which has enabled me to obtain a more accurate view of the state of our Army in Egypt, as well as of the affairs of Arabia., than I could possibly have acquired in any other mode. You may be assured, that I shall offer to you the tribute of my public acknowledgment of the judgment, alacrity, and zeal for the service which dictated a proceeding, not only expedient under any circumstances, but highly proper and prudent in the crisis which existed at the time of your departure from the Red Sea. I have the honour to be. with great respect and esteem, Sir, your most faithful Servant, (Signed) Wellesley, EXTRACT FROM MAJOR MALCOLM, PRIVATE SECRE- TARY TO LORD WELLESLEY. Buxar,No The exports from Surat to Juddah varies very considerably, and has been lately from terr to eigh- teen lacks of dollars,* including the Malabar and Guzurat goods; and from Bengal to Juddah, the exports have been from one and a half to three lacks of dollars. Consequently, taking the mean of all the estimated exports from India, h will amount to twenty- seven lacks of dollars; and 1 understand that in time of peace the exports from Bengal will be considerably increased, though pro- jbably not in such a proportion from the coast of Malabar, 105 Malabar, for that was in 3 greater ratio during the war, as the risk was much less from that coast to the Gulph of Arabia than from Bengal. The articles that go to Judd,ah are for the mar- kets of Mecca and Medina during the Hadge ; but, as I before observed, it is rational to suppose, when the Pilgrims, on their collecting at Cairo, find they can procure the goods they want at a cheaper rate there than at Mecca, they will natu- rally avoid the trouble, risk, and extraordinary ex- pence of carriage from Mecca to Cairo, and supply themselves on their return. The profit which the Arabs calculate on their Indian merchandize is from thirty to eighty per cent. : — last year they got more. As I am desirous to increase the trade by annual progression till it arrive at the limits of our wishes^ I would recommend that only eight lacks of rupees in goods should be sent here the first year, and twelve lacks to Cairo, beside the coffee purchased at Mocha : After which the Commercial Resident will be enabled to give your Lordship such a com- plete estimate of the consumption of Indian manu* factures, and the productions of coffee and drugs 7 that a most accurate calculation can be made of the probable profits which the Company may derive, and the expediency of increasing or diminishing their commercial concerns with this Gulph. Whatever coffee is purchased beyond the sale of the Indian investment at Mocha must be paid for in J 66 in dollars out of the produce of the Company's sales at Cairo, as the returns of the investment to Egypt will principally be made in gold and silver ; for the articles which that market may offer for India will be of very inconsiderable value compara- tively with the investments sent there ; and it will be extreme policy to make every return in bullion to the Presidencies in India. That I may the better be enabled to make my general estimate of the establishment proposed, I must take a specific quantity of coffee (say 14,000 bahars) for the first year's purchase, which may be increased according to the discretion of the Com- mercial Resident, or the more direct orders from India ; 2000 bahars may probably be ordered to India, and the remainder sent to Egypt. This is the only article of export which I shall mention at present ; for although I am satisfied that a great profit will arise from the judicious purchase of drugs, yet I shall confine myself to the staple com- modities, as affording a more certain price, by which alone it is possible to form any just calculations. The next and last place to which my attention is called, is to the port of Aden ; and I feel a con- siderable embarrassment in the discussion of this subject, after the conclusive manner in which Ad- miral Blankett gave his opinion to the Govern- ment of Bombay against the place as a naval station. I must, however, differ in some points from that respectable authority, in his comparative statements of 167 of Aden and Mocha, in giving the last such a de- cided preference as a roadstead ; which he says is so open, that it can be entered at all times of the night. That you may do so coming from the northward is very certain., especially in the north- erly monsoon ; but it is impossible in the southerly monsoon, which blows, without scarcely any inter- mission, from the middle of October to the middle of May ; and so violent, that in hauling round the west bank, which can only be done by seeing the great mosque (the leading mark) with any certainty of fetching into the road, ships are frequently re- duced to their courses ; and there is so great a sea, that the communication with the shore is often cut off for several days ; and when the wind comes to the northward during this monsoon, it is in general attended with a violent gale :-^-as was the case this year, when an Arab ship foundered at her anchors, and every person but two perished : and the Nep- tune parted three cables ; and on bringing up with the fourth anchor, she tailed on the southern reef, knocked off her rudder, and was obliged to throw overboard part of her cargo, to save the ship. I have been at Aden in both monsoons ; but never experienced such blowing weather as I have in Mocha roads. The water at Aden is far prefer- able,-— it is really good; and the Mocha water is the worst in the Red Sea. in regard to other sup- plies, Dr. Pringle has no doubt of the advantages at Aden, both for an army and navy; particularly in 168 in the articles of vegetables and fish. He was some months at Aden., and many more at Mocha. The Back Bay has been described to -me very different from the view which Admiral Blankett had of it. The Jehangier, a ship of near 1000 tons, lay there several months; and the Comman- der assured me he never was in a safer place. But that this point may be completely ascertained, I have sent an Officer to survey it ; and I intend, when I go out of the Red Sea, to anchor there in the Romney, for the purpose of giving a final opinion to your Lordship from my own personal observa- tions on the spot. At present, what I offer is prin* ci pally from the information of others ; and, pro- bably, to a greater extent than was obtained by Ad. miral Blankett, otherwise I am inclined to think he would not have given so decided a negative to the use of this port. In the various papers on the subject of this place, which were transmitted to me by the Government of Bombay, I had the honour to read your Lord- ship's Letter in Council, fully describing the offer of the Sultan of Aden in its severel commercial, military, and political relations; but as I observe that offer went almost to the complete abdication of the place in favour of the English, accompanied, according to my conception of his meaning, by an offensive and defensive alliance, I trust I shall be excused, if I submit the expediency of a modified Treaty, not on the remotest presumption of dif. fere nee In- ference with Vour Lordship in sentiment, under circumstances of that moment,- — but on the grounds that our views have been materially altered, and our game highly improved by the succession of for- tunate events, since the date of that Letter. Aden was formerly the niost opulent town ia Arabia, and particularly countenanced by the Turk- ish Government ; but after the Turks were driven out of the country by the Imaum's forces, he very properly saw the advantage which that port derived from its exclusive enjoyment of the Indian trade ; and managed, by much address, to persuade the principal Sheik of the Bedouins, in amity with the Sultan, to visit him at Sauna, where he was imme- diately put to death, and his adherents dispersed, who plundered so indiscriminately^ that the plan- ters could not send any more coffee by that route, and established the port of Hodeida ; and its suc- cess induced them to build Mocha, which has ultimately become the first port in Yemen. The revenues of the Sultan of Aden have gra- dually declined since that period ; and now prin- cipally rest on what is collected on the jouarry and other grain which is produced within his ter- ritory. He resides about twenty-five miles from Aden, in a retired manner, waiting, as it is very na- tural, the first favourable opportunity to improve his wrecked fortune. No moment ever occurred so suitable to his views as that which obliged the Ferim detachment z ta 17 (y to place itself under his protection : and he seized it in the most sanguine manner, to form an inti- mate connection with the British Government. His hospitality is certainly unparalleled in this country ; but as self-interest is the leading principle of every Arab, I am always aware of a quid pro quo in any extraordinary instance of attention. His motives were, however, too obvious- to- doubt of his ultimate views in this connection ; but as I have always looked upon Aden as likely to lead to some permanent advantage, I have paid the strictest at- tention to it whenever I have had an opportunity ; and the question now is not, What are the motives of the Sultan in proposing a connection ? but ? What use can we make of his favourable disposi- tion ? and how can it be applied in our commercial and political views, as far as they relate to Arabia, Egypt, Abyssinia, and Africa ? With respect to his former concession to the Sublime Porte, I imagine it was dictated, on the principle of being congenial to our feelings in the intimate alliance which then existed : and I dare say he will have no difficulty in furnishing argu- ments to prove the contrary, if it were possible that a discussion of the subject of our connection could ever be entered into at Constantinople, which might be equally extended to every engagement with the Princes and Chieftains in both Gulphs-. I hope your Lordship will consider the topic of sovereignty and right to be so far removed from any m any apprehension on our part, that it will become unnecessary to trouble you with any researches on the subject, but to confine myself to the reasons which have induced me to dwell so long on the proposition of the Sultan of Aden ; which, I hope, will improve in your Lordship's opinion on a revi- sion of the subject under the present change of circumstances, and the addition of such informa- tion as I am enabled to lay before you at present, and which may probably be increased after my visit to that port. I will now take the liberty of stating my reasons in favour of Aden, both in a commercial and poli- tical point of view, but not to the prejudice of our objects of intercourse Gf Mocha : on the contrary, to improve them, though at the expence of the Government of Yemen. As a commercial port, it has manifest advantages over Mocha: it is accessible at all seasons of the year; and experience has shewn that ships, after having made a southern passage from India, have been from three weeks to six reaching Mocha; and one, after every attempt, was obliged to return to India. This happen.? from the middle of June to the end of August ; and it is equally difficult to obtain Aden from Mocha in November, December, January, February, and March. It has been found necessary to send our dispatch-vessels to lie in the back bay of Aden in the last-mentioned months, to receive the Packets from Egypt, which can be z 2 conveyed 172 conveyed in four clays overland ; and those vessels have been twenty-four in reaching it. By the, Streights of Babelmandel, its intercourse with the coast of Africa can be kept up at all sea- sons; and consequently there would be a con- tinued trade, if any protection was given to the Sultan by the Company, for he has not capital to re-establish his commerce ; and I am satisfied that the assistance which I shall submit as necessary to this unfortunate Prince, will ultimately prove of the greatest advantage to our settlements in India ; and although I have asserted that self-interest is the predominant passion of an Arab, I am inclined to think that his conduct on every occasion de- serves more than common notice. I have con- versed with several people in the most cautious manner, and I find every body anxious for the port of Aden, in preference to Mocha ; and there is no Prince of Arabia whose character stands so high with the independent Arabs of the coast as the Sultan of Aden. The exports and imports of Aden will be nearly the same as at the port of Mocha, though I imagine gum-arabic, and the other drugs which are brought from the opposite coast, owing to its contiguity, may be procured at a cheaper rate, exclusive of the difference in the duties. There are some few Merchants already settled there, who, although they have but little trade, en- joy a mild government; and, on that account, they do 173 do not move to Mocha : and I know others, of some consequence, who are watching the progress of our negociations, to settle there immediately, with all their families. Indeed, there appears a ge- neral conviction in the minds of the Arabs, that the natural advantages of Aden will make it a measure highly expedient in us to form an establishment there. The Sultan's Son has been some time with me; and I have just now sent him with the outlines of a treaty for his father's consideration. It goes, in a few words, to say, That the port of Aden shall be open to all British subjects, and every person trading under the British flag, on paying the fol- lowing duties on all goods imported or exported by them: viz. For the first five years after the signing of the Treaty, one per cent.; the second five years, two percent.; the third five years, three per cent.; and never to be raised higher, on pain of forfeiting the friendship and interest of the British Govern- ment. If these terms are accepted, I do not think it possible to advance any arguments which will render the advantages of the trade of the port of Aden at all problematical ; and I shall now take the liberty of stating a few political considerations, which may induce your Lordship to think conclu- sively in favour of cherishing the offers of amity and alliance which have been proposed in so san- guine a manner. I have already had the honour of informing your Lordship, 174 ' Lordship, that the Nawab of Sural has endeavoured to persuade the Court of Sunna, that our views, in wishing to improve the present connection, are di- rected to the entire possession of Mocha ; and this, on the first impression, may probably induce the Imaum to attend to our propositions with ex- treme jealousy and caution ; though really, except a modification of some of the duties, little else is wanted, more than we enjoy, to carry in its fullest extent the proposed plan into execution; but when the Imaum sees we have entered into a treaty with the Sultan of Aden, and have given him counte- nance and protection, he will court our good-will with as much anxiety and interest as the Sultan has done ; and offer almost any terms to keep the ba- lance of connection in his favour. From the luxury and extravagance of the Imaum's court, he is continually in arrears to the Bedouin Sheiks, who inhabit the country about Sunna ; and they frequently threaten his capita!, which obliges him to have recourse to the most ar- bitrary exactions on the different towns in his do- minions ; and this conduct has occasioned a gene- ral discontent ; and very serious consequences are expected to arise from it. The Dola of Udden, which is the centre of all the coffee districts, has absolutely refused to repair to Sunna, under the most positive orders, from a conviction that his property will be confiscated the moment he arrives there. Such a defection in the richest part Gf his country 175 country will he more sensibly felt, when it is pub- licly known that a Treaty has been concluded with the Sultan of Aden, as Tais is not more than four days' journey from thence, and Udden five. The country bordering on the territories of Aden is still nearer that port ; and consequently many of the Coffee Planters will take that point of exporta- tion instead of Mocha. If I thought it necessary to advance any thing more which would induce your Lordship's atten- tion to decide on the enjoyment of this great com- mercial preponderance, I should submit the possibi- lity, though at a distant period, of some exertion on the part of the French Government to establish itself in this favourable situation, under the know- ledge that we have not accepted the Sultanas pro- position ; and while I intimate such an idea, I feel myself called upon to assert, in the most positive manner, That Aden is the strongest military posi- tion I have seen in Arabia ; and if possessed by the French during a war, they would have the means of blocking up the Red Sea till the arrival of a supe- rior force ; and at all times to annoy not only the trade there, but that of the whole Malabar coast, with more advantages than they have done from the Mauritius ; and if they were fixed for any time* and chose to improve their situation, I very much doubt, whether they could be displaced without a considerable force and an enormous expence. Under the presumption that the reasons I have offered. ];5 offered for an Establishment at Aden may satiifj you of the propriety of making it, I take the liberty of bringing forward the expence of such an esta- blishment ; which may be estimated for two civil servants at 50,000 rupees a year, including all charges ; and I should recommend, that about three lacks of investment be sent there the first year, till a more accurate judgment can be formed of its commercial capacity. I now come to the most formidable expence, which is the Marine Establishment for this service; but as it is intended not only for the purposes of commerce, but with the view of commanding re- spect here in time of peace, and as a preparative armament in case of war, I hope the loan of the Company to this undertaking, in its earliest in- fancy, for it really is but a loan, will not at all ope- rate against the plan, so as to turn the balance against the execution, if there is no political ob-* jeetion arising from circumstances with which 1 am not acquainted. Ten vessels, from (250 to 400 tons, built entirely as cruisers, with the greatest attention to their con* struction for sailing, as an essential quality in the Red Sea ; the larger ones to have only their gun- deck and a slight spar-deck laid : to have constantly mounted two long eighteen*pounder guns, and four or six thirty-two pound carronades, as the most certain mode of preventing any violation of Treaty or insult in this Gulph, and as a means of keep- ing 177 ing the crews in constant exercise in case of a war; and to provide against such a calamity, all the ves- sels might have in their hold half, or two-thirds, of the proportion of the guns they are to carry ; and by dismantling some, would enable us to command a certain number of efficient cruisers in a very few days, to meet any sudden exigency that might arise: and altl >i gh these vessels are in the first instance for commercial purposes, they might be officered in every respect as armed vessels ; and in- dependent of their Commissioned and Petty Offi- cers of every description, to have four European sailors for every 100 tons, and a sufficient number of Lascars, for the purpose of navigation. The larger vessels to have three Lieutenants and a Sur- geon ; and the smaller ones, two Lieutenants and a Surgeon's Mate. If it was possible to offer any terms of advantage for volunteers of a certain edu- cation, to act as Midshipmen, I think it would even- tually prove of much service to the Establishment. I cannot ascertain what the exact expence would be of these vessels, but, on a rude estimate, and taking them one with another, I should imagine 80,000 rupees might complete them for sea : to this add 2,500 rupees a month, wages and provi- sions, and thirty per cent, on the block, and it will give the annual expence five lacks and 40,000. These vessels should sail in regular succession from India, from the beginning of October to the be- ginning of April, with such investments as may be a a pointed 178 pointed oat by the different Presidencies, to keep a succession of fresh supplies proportionate to the demands of the market after the intercourse has be- come perfectly established ; and they should sail for India from the middle of April to the end of August. During these months, one vessel should always be held in readiness at Suez, to carry any dispatches from England to India ; and the cer- tainty of the letters being delivered in India in three months at this season, and often in a much shorter time, should be strongly impressed on the Court of Directors, who might keep two fast sail- ing cutters ready in England, from April to July, to go direct to Alexandria ; by which means Let- ters may be delivered in Calcutta in two months, if the cutter has an expeditious passage ; for I am confident, particularly in May and June, that the average of the run from Suez to Bengal, with one of the vessels proposed, may be fairly estimated from twenty-eight to thirty- six days. This inter- course may also be extended to other objects, which at present it is unnecessary to notice : nor do I recommend this, in general terms, as a con- veyance from India to Europe, owing to the delays from the uncertainty of quarantine, but it may oc- casionally be used ; and in the months prescribed for sailing from India, it offers a fair chance for letters, — as they are only subject to being smoked, and not to the delay of quarantine. It is my intention that a portion of the vessels should should be kept in the Red Sea, for the internal na- vigation and commerce between Aden, Mocha, and Suez ; and by this arrangement they will go every other year to India, though I think half will not be able to bring all the gruff goods from India ; but when it is necessary to send a cargo of coffee from Mocha direct to England, there is nothing to prevent one of the Bengal ships sailing from thence with rice and sugar the beginning of October, and being dispatched from here by the middle of Ja- nuary; presuming that previous notice will be given to the Residents to prepare the cargo, that no de- lay may arise on that account. It may be necessary to have two or three large luggage-boats of from twenty to thirty tons, with grating-decks, and well-fitted with tarpaulins, to go off with cargoes from Mocha at all times in the southern monsoon ; and I believe this is the last item I shall have occasion to add to the Marine Establishment. In submitting the present plan to your Lordship, I have conceived it an incumbent duty to compre- hend in this letter every point connected with the question ; and I trust to your consideration, if my disinterested zeal for the prosperity of the Company has induced me to enter into too minute a discus- sion of the subject. I may have ill conceived our political and com- mercial interests ; but I derive much satisfaction in knowing that I convey to your Lordship every a a 2 information 180 information at all applicable to either of those points; and 1 trust it will be sufficient to enable you, on the event of my misconception of the sub- ject, to form a. project more consistent with the views of India, in its several relations to Egypt and this country. I have the honour of being, with the most sincere respect, My Lord, your Excellency's most obedient and devoted humble Servant, (Signed) Home Popham. A CON- 181 H H o 52; o o w o w o s H CO W CO u o 182 LIST OP GOODS PROPER FOR THE MOCHA MARKET, [SUCH AS THE BORAH MERCHANTS BRING FOR SALE. Surat G Selah Berwy (red) Suttaras Bendery Moorawadee (ist sort) Ditto (2d do.) Blue Beraw Alatchas Meercawny Alatchas Kham Codea Baftaes Nowsarry Chintz Menea Palampores Suraty Baftaes Mavirungah Soosey Toolthein Ditto Nobaty Pattah Selety Romal Selana Muccarmas of all sorts, viz. Muccarraa Saloonah lamba - Ditto, ditto toonka Ditto, Koomtina, Catwa and Kumry Ditto, Koomtinah Catwa and Kumry Khassana Ditto Koomtinah Uzruky - Mulmull Uzruky Maocurmah Toorrah Cusseedy Ditto, Kham Aboojawrah Dooty Musfurdah Kham Col- lachairanny Dooty Musfurdah Niccaroo ooas. Mocha Dollars. from 22 to 21 and 20 per corge 39 33 37 23 22 21 20 19 18 22 21 20 21 20 19 85 80 45 43 40 24 23 22 14 r 3 Q 60 55 O 55 50 48 33 30 O 12 11 IO 30 28 26 8 7i * 6 si O 8 7 H 10 9 O H 8 • 7| 12 16 O O 5 35 per piece O 26 23 per corge O 18 H O 5° 44 O 30 26 O 40 35 Roomaul 183 Mocha Dollars. Roomaul Sarcaffbolah . - from i\ 1 :o 3 \ per piece Ditto, Motapoolah - - IO 8 Ditto, Jealeenah - - l 3 10 Meesrooh Teredar - - 6 4 Mahawey - > 20 1 7 per corge Sonah fudlah - - 21 19 Pottah Lakycorrah - - 18 16 Soosey Suttarah (different patterns) - 7 \o\ per piece Soosey Suttarah Meyell - - 18 2 3 Kinkhobs (various) - - • 12 70 Camlat Goods, Dewany Koojaby - - 115 no per corge Ditto, Wustawny - - 85 80 Ditto, Murboh - - 60 s> Pottah Zeebeedy - - 7 5i Sonah Cumbaeety - - 16 1$ Matoor - - 65 50 Terentaca - . 65 64 Loalvey Ambry - - 85 75 Chockreea Loalvey Kb aum - 85 75 "Muddaneah Kussabee - - 8 7 per piece Chawdur Saadee - 22- 19 per corge Ditto, Chavvrpalaoney - 37 32 C x 4 J 3 ) Pottah Doalkey (blue ; Hid red bordei ) ) Blue. Red. C ( <5 14 3 Dotteea Sunnary - - 40 45 double do. Bengal Goods. About Ttvo Lacks in cne Hand. Cubits, length, breadth. Cossaes Aleebad 40 2^ Ditto, Warrah 40 3 Sahan Hummum Hurrial Hummum Lackypore Mocha Dollars. 105 110 per corge - 120 125 - 85 90 - 6 5 72 Sahan 184 Mocha Dollars. from 50 to 65 per corge - 75 80 - 55 65 Sahan Baftaes (three sorts) Beerbonsgarah Rasta Elaeesah (silk) Charconnah Soosey (various) -J 9 ^ > Soosey H-jrramsaye - Imaumah (plain) - - Ditto, (! . i- :.-z'\ h •■/■■• der of silk) Soft Banares sugar (little) Radanagore sugar-candy (ditto) Rice (tabic) - ... Mo on gey Rice - Small Quantity of new-fashioned silk Cloths and Jermelly - as per quality. 70 40 25 Q it 4 5 3 3 75 45 double do, 30 per corge o per frazil o o per bag si Gruff Goods, Turin erick Jenjoo, or Ginger Pepper Cardamums (different qualities) Cloves Cinnamon Churr (from Surat) Bannyjurr A r ermilion in Cakes (thirty ounces) Betel-Nuts Tutanag Tin in bars Iron Benjamin (first sort) Ditto (second do.) Ditto (third do.) . - Lead Steel 22r 36 82 5° 5° *5 5 6 35 Si 5 45 13 10 6 23 perbahar 78 70 per frazil 56 o 18 4 per corge 5^ permaund 40 per bahar ^ per frazil 50 perbahar 14J per frazil il German Crowns „3 2- SrS 58 perbahar Guzurat 185 Guzurat Cotton Cotton Thread, as per quality HaroofE* from 48 to 50 per bahar T i7 per frazil LIST OF GOODS PROPER FOR THE JUDDAH MARKET, AS IMPOKTEB BY THE MERCHANTS. Swat Goods. \ German Crown?. Dooty Borodey - from 40 to 60 per corge Mahav/ey - 40 56 Moosaufee - - 10 H Beraw - *5 18 Jmaumah Guzurat.iy (yellow borders) 40 5° Gungajemna (border) and Putchrungee Musnuffee Waheedar - 50 Go Sahan Nowsawree - - 80 90 Shagree Cloths - 90 "5 Shagree Cloths (fine quality) - 30 40 per piece Soosy Suttarah Elateha Savoy - 7 8 Alatchas Hamdy - 5 6 Hurnroo - 7 9 Alatches Parrybosah - 10 J 5 Ditto Kanknyah - 9 11 Gurmasoot Mahamed Shawy - 12 15 Kinkhobs, of different prices - 20 200 Bengal Goods. Humraum Hurrea - - 200 per corge Ditto Lackypoor - 70 80 Baftaes, Lackypoor, and Jugdeah - 5° Cossaes Aleebad (first sort) - - 100 **5 Ditto Jalampoor Mahmoody - 100 110 Mulmulls Tanjebs (fine sort) - 120 140 * Imaginary coin : nine of them are equal ta eleven and a half Mocha dollars. b s Mulmull JS£) German Crowns. Mulmull Bahar - fro) tn 50 to 60 per corge Terrendams - - 120 i 140 Santipoor - - 160 ] 170 Cassajoorahs - - 100 Agabanoo (small quantity) - no price Doreas ditto _ - ditto Sugar - - ** per frazil Rice Mungy - - 4* per bag Cossaes Aleebad (second sort) - 85 per corge Ditto, Mulmull 40 3 - 170 Ditto, 22 if - 170 Ditto, Gudjenah 22 l\ 70 x> Black Pepper - - 3*1 per bahar Turmerick - - 9l Ginger - - *3 Simmilhoot - 1 8 Frankincense - - - - i§ per frazil Gum-arabic - - if Sugar-candy ' - - si Cardamums - - 35 FOR THE CAIRO MARKET. Sural Goods. All sorts of Guzurat Cootneys Baftaes Barochy Muchterchauny Eiatches Cassmere shawls Dopputtah SafTat Pagree Shagree Jfengal Goods, Hammums (different sorts) Mulmulls (ditto) Cossaes (ditto) - » Agabanoo (ditto) 500 700 800 1000 500 600 per corge Imams 187 Imama (line silk borders) All sorts of white cotton cloths Doreas (various) Chintz, Madras (fine) Pepper, Cardamums, Cinnamon, Benjamin, Gum-Arabic, Frankincense, Aloes, Musk, Camphire, China-ware, Sandal- wood, Simmilhoot, Cocoa-Nuts, Agala-wood, Turmerick, Ginger, Coffee, Persian Tobacco, Ambergrease, Zeerurnboo, Caphoor Catcherry, Pved-wood. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE MOST NOBLE THE MAR- aUIS WELLESLEY, K. P. GOVERNOR AND CAP- TAIN GENERAL OVER ALL THE BRITISH POSSESSIONS IN THE EAST, &C. &C. TORT WILLIAM. Mocha, Aug. 24-, 25, 1802. MY LORD, I have derived so little information from my pre- decessors in the Red Sea, on the manners and cus- toms of the people, the interior laws or regulations, the stability of the existing Government, or the likelihood of any rising faction, and its probable suc- cess, — that what I have already submitted to your Lordship has been founded principally on my own observations, and the conception I had of the ex- tent to which it may be proper to yield for the monopoly of this trade, and the formation of per- manent establishments in the Guiph, that our inter- course with Egypt may be increased, and one of the collateral defences to India thereby highly im- proved. Subsequent, however, to my last letter, w 7 hich conveyed my ideas on this subject for your Lord- b 3 2 ship's 188 ship's consideration, circumstances have occurred which may partially operate on some point of my proposition, without affecting the general outline or spirit of the plan. In the first instance, the arrival of Mr. Melville from Cairo, with a report, founded on the corre- spondence from different parts of Europe, that Egypt was to be ceded to Great Britain, a secret treaty will certainly make it necessary, if it should he realized, to take another view of the position and consequence of the port of Mocha ; and the events which have arisen in my late journey to Tais, will furnish ample reasons for applying them to such purpose as your Lordship may think most expe- dient, on the final issue of any negociation, either pending or likely to take place at the Court of Constantinople. My motives for undertaking this journey have been already fully explained to your Lordship; and I feel much satisfaction that Mr. Melville is im- mediately returning to Calcutta, as he will be able to satisfy you on every subject and every point at all connected with my Mission ; for I felt it a duty, under these considerations, and the respon- sible character of Mr. Melville, to talk to him in the most unreserved manner, and court a dis- cussion on any difference of opinion, which he was fully qualified to enter upon, from his knowledge and general observations on Egypt and Arabia, in their relative positions to each other, and to India, The 189 The inclosed Papers, No. I and II, to the Dola of Mocha and the Imaum's First Vizier, will give your Lordship some idea of the internal state of this country, and of its lawless and uncontrouled inhabitants. The greater part through which we passed is divided into small districts, inhabited by different Sheiks and their tribes, who cultivate the ground, and are subject to toe higher class of Sheiks or Dolas appointed by the Imaum ; but unless some very decided measures are taken by him, I am apprehensive that his power will decline very fast; and that Mahomed Ally Sayed, the Dola of Udden, as I have observed in my former letters, is the most likely person to usurp the go- vernment of the Coffee country. The attachment of the people to him is very obvious; and in all our intercourse, they appeared to hold him in higher respect than even the Imaum, whose name they seldom mentioned. The treatment I experienced on the Dorebat road furnished a very sufficient excuse for my re- turning by Udden ; and that no suspicions might arise at the Court of Sunna of my ultimate object in visiting that place, I directed Mr* Elliott to explain the cause which induced me to change my route ; but when the camels were ordered to be laden at Tais, the camel-drivers, on account of the badness of the roads, absolutely demanded 300 ad- ditional camels; and described such obstacles in crossing the mountains, that I determined to re- turn I.-ftO tarn the way I already came, I stated every cir- cumstance to the Doia of Udden, in a complimen- tary letter, who I invited to meet me at Musa, for the purpose of forming a commercial connection with so respectable a character, and entering into a contract to supply the Company with coffee the ensuing season at Mocha. I considered it politically right to court the ris- ing power; but in such a way, that no objection could be taken at Sunna, even by the most scru- pulous Officer of the Imaum's Court : and I am very happy that Mahomed Ally Sayed appeared equally desirous to improve this connection, as he lost no time in sending Abdaliah Ismael, his confidential friend, and one of his family, to meet me at Musa ; and who followed me to Mocha, as he arrived a few hours after I left the former place. In ray first interview with Abdaliah, I found him prepared to enter into a contract in form, for any quantity of coffee to be delivered in Mocha, free of every charge, at fifty-six dollars the Mocha bahar (of 484 lbs. net) ; but as I wished to gain some time for consideration, and to attend to my other busi- ness, I told him, that " I thought the price too high ; and that I could not exceed fifty dollars : on which terms I had no objection to contract." He replied, his master was very desirous to be con- sidered a friend of the English; but that the dif- ference of price was so great, that he could not conclude 39* ^ conclude without further instructions, for which he would immediately send an express. He made many apologies for the insults which had been offered me ; and assured me, that Ally Sayed was very much hurt that the Dola of Mocha should have neglected to take the necessary pre- caution for the protection of my person. He ap- peared to be dissatisfied with the government of Mocha; and expressed some astonishment that the English should not use the port of Aden in pre- ference : as he said it was a better harbour, and the country was inhabited by a better race of people. I found there was a regular intercourse of camels between Udden and Aden ; and I took an oppor- tunity of asking, "Whether, as he seemed to prefer Aden, there was any objection to his delivering the coffee there? He said, "Not in the least, unless the camel-hire should be more : in which case you must pay it." This voluntary proposition on his part, is cer- tainly in favour of Aden ; and it shews that he does not apprehend, or probably fear, any objec- tion on the part of the Imaum to the Udden cof- fee being shipped at a port out of his territories. Just after Abdallah Ismael left me, I received a dispatch from Sunna; by which I understood that the Imaum was much concerned when he heard Mr. Elliott's representation of Sheik Aklan's con- duct; and as I supposed the Dola of Mocha would receive a reprimand. I sent the Protest No. I. without 19'2 without a moment's loss of time, to the DoIa 9 Second Dola, and Cadi, who form the Council of the town of Mocha. It was not my intention to have delivered it until I was on my way to the quay, for the purpose of embarking ; but 1 thought it would at this period increase their alarm, convince them of their errors, and satisfy them they ought to have paid more attention to the character of a British Ambassador. A public message was soon after delivered me from the Dola, that Sheik Aklan had been ordered to return all the presents and the money which* he plundered us of at Dorebat ; but as he had divided the money amongst his troops, he had sent a most valuable mare and mule, with which he hoped I would be satisfied. I answered, cc that the value of the presents given to the Sheik, or the money of which he plundered us, was of no consideration ; it was the insult to the English nation that must be atoned for; and the price could only be fixed by the Governor General, to \v 7 hom the case was refer- ring for his Excellency's decision." The Dola sent a relation of Sayed Mahomed Akeil, as he conceived he would have some in- fluence, to endeavour to pacify me, assuring me that he was convinced of the impropriety of his former conduct, and that. he now knew what at- tention should have been paid to my person, I satisfied this mediator that I could receive no apo- logies from the Dola ; and that I should make no references 1Q3 references to him, except in cases of absolute ne- cessity. Every hour some new offer of concilia- tion was made ; and at last the government had recourse to the true Arab expedient of offering bribes to the people about me ; for their interces- sion in behalf of the Dola. This moment of extreme alarm presented the best opportunity for saying it was my intention to take Verjee, the Company's Broker, to Bombay, to settle his accounts : — in fact, they are too com- plex and voluminous for me to adjust ; and as he is a man worth nearer thirty lacks of rupees than any other given sum, it is an object to have a per- son commanding such a capital in one of the Pre- sidencies, ready to turn it into any channel of Arabian commerce that might seem most con- sistent with the Company's views. I was aware that every objection would be offered ; and I at first had an absolute refusal, until a reference could be made to the Imaum ; to which I replied, " That Verjee was not only a subject of the British possessions in India, but a servant of the Company, who had accounts of great magnitude to settle ; and that if he did not embark when I did, which would be in forty-eight hours, I should take him by force, and consider him a prisoner until he arrived in Bombay." This absolute and defined menace, in point of time, brought the Council to its proper senses ; and their mediator called on me in the evening, to say that the Government wished c c very 194 very much to convince me of their respect and esteem, by allowing Verjee to accompany me to Bombay, although it was against the law of the country to suffer a Banyan to quit the kingdom without the sanction of the Imaum. It is proper to inform your Lordship, that since the first arrival of a British force in the Red Sea, the Captains of his Majesty's ships have had a variety of occasions to complain of the conduct of the Dola of Mocha, and as regularly threatened to fire into the town, though, from motives of huma* nity, they never carried their threats into execu- tion ; but the Dola, like an ignorant slave, attri- buted this forbearance to a very different cause; and has presumed that the destruction of Mocha could not be effected by our ships, although he has on record the abject submission which the Govern- ment was obliged to make to a French frigate, on her firing three shots into the town. I am satisfied, my Lord, .that nothing but strong language, supported by decided measures, will bring the Mocha Government to a rational con- duct ; and on that account I forbore, even at the risk of my life, to make any defence, when we could have destroyed all the people who attacked Xis, that you might be furnished with grounds to justify your taking possession of Mocha, if you conceive it for the interests of the Company to do so; or, as a reparation for such insults, demand privileges and concessions equal to the extent of your igs your most sanguine views in any establishment you may deem expedient to make, after I have trans- mitted to you all the information I have been able to collect, and my ideas on the various points of service which you have entrusted to my care. The communication from Sunna, and the state of the Imaum's disposition, which is as favourable as possible, will form another dispatch ; and I have written to Mr. Elliott about the mode of de- livering the Protest No. II. to the Vizier ; the par- ticulars of which I shall have the honour of trans- mitting to you on my arrival at Aden, where I shall go in the course of two days ; and I intend to em- bark to-morrow, and take Abdallah Ismael on board the Romney, with a very intelligent Arab from Sunna, for the purpose of satisfying them by experiment with shot, that all the Imaum's sea- coast towns can be destroyed in a few hours, when- ever your Lordship may think proper to issue or* ders for that purpose. I have the honour to be, with every respect, My Lord, your Excellency's most obedient and faithful humble Servant, (Signed) Home Popham. C C 2 TG igQ TO THE DOLA OF MOCHA. Mocha, August 23, 1802* The undersigned Ambassador from the Most Noble the Governor General of India to the States of Arabia, supposing it possible that the Dola of Mocha might not be acquainted with the respect due to such a character, sent notice to him previ- ously to his going to Tais, by Sayed Mahomed Akeil, that in every country, and all civilized na- tions in particular, the person and suite of an Am- bassador were sacred ; and any insults offered to him were offered to the Government which he re- presented ; and such insults, if attached to his person, would in all probability be revenged by his Majesty's squadron in the Red Sea. After this ex- planation, he put himself entirely under the pro- tection of the Dola ; and when the Dola sent to know how many Seapoys the Ambassador wished to have, he answered by the above-named Sayed Mahomed, either one or one thousand, as the Dola might judge proper in his wisdom, founded upon a knowledge of the country through which the Ambassador was to pass, — and the thorough explanations which he had received of the dange- rous consequences which might result from any in- dignity offered to him or his suite. The Ambassador is, notwithstanding all these precautions on his part, very sorry to observe to the Dola, 197 Dola, that he has been plundered in ever}'' part of the country, more particularly in that under the controul of Mocha ; and that he never received any assistance from the Seapoys ; and never was plundered until the Dola sent a person, by the name of Saghlly Nakkass, to take charge of the Sea- poys and Camel-drivers, who joined the Ambassa- dor at Dorebat ; from which moment every impo- sition was practised, and every insult offered to the person of the Ambassador ; and those of so serious a nature, that they must be enquired into in a very detailed manner in the course of a few days, and exhibited in the form of a Protest, which the un- dersigned will have the honour of transmitting to the Dola, for the information of the Imaum, from whom redress will be claimed. (Signed) Home Pop ham, TO THE VIZIER, &C. &CC. &C. Mocha, August 25, 18C2, With all compliments to the Viziee. You have been long acquainted that the Gover- nor General of India, desirous of cultivating the" most sincere friendship with the Imaum of Sunna, and extending his commercial intercourses, took the first opportunity, after the British forces had driven the French from Egypt, to send an Ambas- sador, fully authorized, to enter into a Treaty of Commerce equally advantageous to him and to the British 1QS British Government ; and the undersigned Am* bassador, after many communications with you on the subject of his journey to Sunna, which hewas^ however, prevented from undertaking, by the ab- solute necessity of his being near the port of Mocha, where he expected to receive letters of consequence from England, lost no time in carrying into efTeet the Governor General's sincere wish to make a new and lasting Treaty of Commerce with the Imaum, as he sent the Secretary of the Embassy to Sunna, with instructions to lay before the Imaum the Plan of the proposed new Treaty between him and the British Government; and at the same time signi- fied to you his intention of proceeding by the way of Tais to D'jobla, or Yb, that he might be nearer to Sunna, to answer such objections as should be made to any Articles of the proposed Treaty, and to alter them to his Majesty's satisfaction. The accompanying paper to the Dola of Mocha. will inform you, that the undersigned took every measure in his power 1 to explain to the Dola how the character of an Ambassador ought to be esteem- ed, and how sacred it was held in every part of the world ; and his motive for doing so arose from an anxious desire to avoid any kind of insult that might ultimately lead to a quarrel between the British Government and the Imaum of Sunna • and he certainly would have overlooked any trifling ill-treatment, from a knowledge that the Most Noble the Governor General would have approved of 109 of such conduct, as his sole desire in sending a per- son of the rank of an Ambassador to the Imaum's Court, and submitting to the enormous expence which such a character must occasion, was to con- vince the Imaum that he was seriously inclined to enter into the sincerest treaty of amity and com- merce, offensive and defensive, as far as it related to the Imaum's external enemies ; and it was ex- pected that as the Imaum must be acquainted with the power of Great Britain all over the world, par- ticularly in India, of which she has entire posses- sion, — the Imaum would have marked his pride in the acquisition of such an ally, by a due respect to his representative character and his suite : but the Ambassador is really unhappy that his duty obliges him to represent to the Vizier, that from the mo- ment he left the gates of Mocha he was daily in- sulted and plundered until he returned again to that city ; and some of the insults were so gross and enormous, that he is obliged to state them spe- cifically for the information of the Imaum. On his arrival at Mansurah, Sheik Aklan, of Dorebat, wrote him a letter, a copy of which is an- nexed, that he was ordered by the Imaum to look upon the Ambassador as his guest, — to treat him with every respect, — and escort him through his country. The name of the Imaum, used by the Sheik of so great a district, was sufficient to hurry the Ambassador to his protection ; but, instead of protection, he received the greatest of all insults which 200 which could be offered to him in his official capa- city : he was surrounded by armed men; and al- though he made the Sheik the most ample presents, he was told he should not move from Dorebat un- less he paid him 500 dollars now, and gave him one of his tents : and the Sheik continued the same insulting conduct to some gentlemen of his suite, who followed him ; and because they had not a sufficient sum to satisfy his demands, obliged them to leave an hostage, whose throat he threaten- ed to cut in two days, if the sum he ordered them to pay (500 dollars) was not sent in that space of time. When the Ambassador arrived at Tais, he ex- pected, from the promises of the Dola, that he should have experienced a more friendly treat- ment ; but apprehending, from a variety of cir- cumstances, that this barbarous usage would be continued all through the country, he determined to return, although he was obliged to submit a se- cond time to the unprecedented conduct of Sheik Aklan. The Ambassador was permitted by the Dola of Tais to make his first journey to Kerrah : where the Dola, in the night, sent an armed force, and surrounded his camp, saying, he could not permit him to move until he heard from his master: and the sentinels threatened to fire on any person who went the least distance from the tents. The Embassy was detained at Kerrah four days ; and 20i and at last purchased permission to proceed on its* return to Mocha. At Orasb, which is in the dis- trict of the Dola of Mocha, and the country con- tiguous to it, the Ambassador and his suite received insults more gross than any which had been already represented : One of the Sheiks levelled his piece twice at the Ambassador, within ten yards ; and de- clared he would shoot him, because he had no money about him to give the Sheik : — and at Orash, a party seized on the dromedary of one of his suite, struck him, took away his sword, and tore his coat (the uniform of his Majesty) from his back. These insults continued daily, and are too nume- rous to mention more in detail, but it must be no- ticed, that they increased as we approached Mocha, and must have originated from a want of exertion on the part of the Dola of Mocha, who encourages his people to offer every insult to the English, and practises every imposition that he can posssibly in- vent. The Ambassador takes the. liberty of observing to the Vizier, that he would have repelled some of these insults with his body-guard of Seapoys, and probably put most of the Imaum's subjects to death, who were concerned in such atrocious acts ; — but as his character is supported by that all-powerful nation to which he belongs, he considers it beneath his dignity to command so contemptible an atone- ment ; nor does he even look upon the destruction of Mocha, Lobeia, and Hodeida., which he could d d accomplish 202 accomplish in a few hours., by his Majesty's squa- dron in the Red Sea, a sufficient reparation to his Government for the insolence and contempt with which he has been treated throughout the Imaum*s dominions. The Vizier, who must be an enlightened man, will be perfectly satisfied, that such conduct to- wards an Ambassador is contrary to the common usage of all nations, even the most barbarous sa- vages on the coast of i\frica ; and that the atone-., inent for such enormities must rest with the Go- vernor General, who may demand military posses-? sion of Mocha, — the entire possession of it,— ^-a tine of one or two lacks of dollars,— the dismissal and punishment of the different Governors of the coun-* try between Tais and Mocha ; or order the towns of Loheia, Hodeida, and Mocha to be burnt ; stop the exportation of any goods from India ; and pre-* vent the Imauro, by his cruisers, from sending any coffee out of his territories. The undersigned, from the high respect and con- sideration which he bears for the character of the Vizier, has taken the trouble of entering into a va-.. riety of explanations, which the remote position of Sunna may have prevented bim from being ac- quainted with : — he feels no hesitation in having been thus explicit on the probable line of conduct which the Governor General may adopt, when he hears of the result of that Embassy from which he promised himself the most happy connection with, the, 203 the Imaum of Surma; because all the power of Arabia could not prevent the Governor General from destroying the towns belonging to the Imaum which lie on the sea-coast. This the Vizier must be thoroughly acquainted with, as he knows the Navy of England has conquered all the navies of Europe ; and the Army has beaten Tippoo Saib, taken possession of all his country; and performed wonders, even nearer the Imaum's territories, by driving the French out of Egypt, whose intention was to plunder all that country, and then to plun- der Arabia. The Ambassador repeats again to the Vizier his extreme concern that these various and most degrading insults oblige him to refer the whole case to the Governor General, although he is cer- tain that the Imaum will be sensibly affected in hearing that his governors and subjects are so lost to his interest and the common ties of hospitality, as to induce a quarrel with that nation which has exerted itself so much for the protection of Arabia, — and now that a peace is concluded, wishes to extend its commerce in the territories of the Imaum, which will so increase his consequence and revenue, that he will be able to keep all the wandering tribes who infest his towns in the completest state of subjection. The undersigned cannot conclude this remon- strance without noticing another act of aggression s d 2 on '204 .on the part of the Imaum's government, — That of enticing his Majesty's subjects to desert from their ships, and embrace the Mahometan religion. As a protection to their persons, notice was very early given to the Dola of Mocha, that the present squa- dron in the Red Sea would fire upon the town if such practices were continued; and Captain Car* bin ought not to have been contented with the Imaum's reasoning on this subject, when he threat- ened to bombard Mocha if his people, who had been received and protected by the Dola, were not given up* One man, within these few days, was received by the Dola ; and the undersigned would certainly have destroyed the town of Mocha if he had not been restored : but as he has grievances of a much more serious nature to complain of, he has refrain- ed from revenging this proceeding, which is con- trary to the laws of nations, and refers, as he already mentioned, every point to the decision of the Go- vernor General of India ; to whom he shall imme- diately transmit a copy of this representation. The Ambassador fears he will not be able to re- main at Mocha until he has the honour of receiv- ing an answer from the Imaum ; but as he is con- vinced that the Imaum will adopt some conciliating measures, he has directed his Secretary to report to the Governor General the steps which the Imaum may think proper tatake ; he leaves a vessel in the Red 203 lied Sea, for the purpose of conveying the intelli- gence to India ; and he requests the Vizier will make all his communications on this subject to him, (Signed) Home Popham. TO SIR HOME POPHAM, K. M. CAPTAIN OP HIS MA- JESTY^ SHIP ROMNEY, COMMANDED IN CHIEF OF A SQUADRON OF HIS MA- JESTY'S SHIPS AND VESSELS IN THE RED SEA, at Cal iff ■ p- 3 ^ § *- ^-: n " 3 *H J 5 3 « » 2. ce of fh the Cou as in £ Scr » ip-build ntry, ai ngland. Er~ ; ^ S 3'<~*> n> 7 ►-s p p- 3 ^ 5: - B *»*§• 3- 0- ,J" « jo d^ 3 a 2 « &- -5 SO ~g^ O W H £>1 M ^ sv*» ^ * ii 0- 3 3 3» 3 3 P-vT^ 3^5- «3 * 3 C P- 3 3 *"* ^.- P- £ 3 S ft -s ft E si * i ^o C/3 C P- ID 3 3 O 00 w « ^ GO o H a o 38 SENSIBLE. K The bills for the purchafe of the ftores for refitting, prefent ufe, in lieu, and lea ftore for this fhip, have alfo been referred to Deptford Officers to report their opinion thereon, and to ftate wherein the quantities of the refpeclive articles have exceeded the proper proportion for the feveral purpofes for which they were de- manded, and by their report it appears as fol- lows, viz. " The rope, &c. expended in the outfit, exceed the allowed proportion for a 32 gun fhip, the quantities ftated in account No. 1*. " The excejs in her fails, as well in the efta- blifhed number as in the quantity of canvas for making them, as ftated in No. 2t. " The feveral coils of rope and articles of Boat- fwain's (lores exceed a proportion for twelve months foreign fervice, notwithstanding the order from Sir Home Popham, directs only fix months ftores to be taken on board, as ftated in No. 3 J. " And the feveral articles of Carpenter's ftores exceed a proportion for tzvelve month s, as ftated in No. 4§. " In addition to which the Officers have re- marked, that it appears to them extraordinary that all her bower anchors, as well as five cables, fhould have been exchanged at one time; which is, however, explained by Captain Saufe, (No. 5,) but it does not appear whether any of thefe anchors * Value 13,779 rupees, or £.1,837 4-f- + Value 5610 rupees, or £.748 % Value 4390 rupees, or £.585 6s. %d. \ Value 5255 rupees, or £-700 13s, 4^* 39 anchors were received by the acting naval officer, no account having been yet received from him with respect to them. " With respecl: to the demands made by Cap- tain Saufe on the acling naval officer for ftores, we have to obferve, that the Senfible, when fhe failed from the Downs, on 28th November, 1800, was completed to a 32 gun fhip's proportion of ftores for for eignfervice, and received at the Cape of Good Hope, in February, 1801, the Boat- fwain and Carpenter's ftores ftated in No. 6 *. " On examining the papers received from Captain Saufe, and the account of ftores purchafed at Calcutta, we have been forcibly (truck with the following circumftances, in addition to what- has been pointed out by Deptford Officers : notwith- ftanding the fhip was completely refitted in every article of ftanding and running rigging, and fup- plied with five cables, and confequenfly, the cables and rigging which were enumerated in the account of fales, No. 13, and 14 t, remained for D 3 conver- * Canvas . , . 622 yards. Rope . . . 1,400 fathoms. Main -top -fail . . i ■ Gallant-ilay-lail i Middle-ftay-faii . x Fore -top maft . 1 Main-top-gal]ant-maft . i And a variety of other articles. f Among other items therein ilated to haverbeen fold, were Jour cables, viz. Fathoms. inches. ,ewt. qrs. lbs., 1 of 81 of i7| 39 3 5 -j 1 100 ioj- 1.6 1 10 ! which averaged under 1 100 16J 45 1 20 J ten rupees per cwt. 1 100 17J 47 3 17J Alfo 41 lots of Handing and running rigging. By thefe accounts of fales, it moreover appears, that, as well as jier fails and rigging, the guns alfo were fold, as follows :^~ iron 40 converfion before they were fent to Mr. Louis % there is dated to have been pur chafed thirty hundred weight of junk for the Boatfwain, two hundred weight of junk, and two hundred weight o f oak u m, for the Carpenter, one hundred and twenty-one coils of spun YARN 5 andsiX HUNDRED FATHOMS OF OLD ROPEj as (rated in No. 7*. " Independently of which it appears, the fails were purchafed complete with points and robins , and a price paid for them accordingly, notwith- standing there was purchafed for her more than the extra portion of fails allowed for the Eaft In- dia Ration (as ftated in No. 2), and confequently all her old fails remained to be difpofed of, as appears by Mr. Louis's account of the fale thereof, after they were fent to him, Nos. 13 and 14 1, we find 18 bolts of new country canvas were purchafed FOR PARCELLING THE RIG- GING, and new European canvas, for making 480 hammocks, 1 1 hammock-cloths, 1 1 cots, a com* plete fuit of awnings for the fhip, with curtains, 6 awnings and jive coverings for boats ; fore, main^ and mizen wind fails, bag 'for colours, and a smoke sail, as well as 30 yards of half worn canvas for the Carpenter, and 40 yards of old canvas for the Boatfwain, as Rated in No. 7, the total iron guns, with carriages, 1 6 nine-pounders, weighingeach about 2 7 cvvt. at 100 rupees each, or ,£13. 6s. %d. for each gun and carriage; and 4 fix-pounders for 100 rupees each ; at the fame time, s° tons °f * ron ballaft tuere purchafed for her, at 100 rupees per ton, and the carriages alone for 28 twelve- pounders, taken on board in lieu, are charged at 120 rupees each, being 20 rupees more than the nine -pounders 779 14 9 2 . . . . 5,610 10 3 . • . . 4>39° 10 5 . . . . 5> 2 55 6 7 • erling : • • 8,858 Total 37)894 8 9 Pr ft £'5>°5* 12s. if* 42 Nervations we have only to add, that the order from Sir Home Popham to Captain Saufe, (No. g,) for the repair and equipment ofthefhip*, ftates it to have been undertaken in confequence of 6 the re- * port of the Builder, No. 10, refpecting thewor- 6 thinefs of the Senfible to be repaired and new cop- 6 pered, from the opinion of Mr. Stoddart, the 6 Naval Architect, then at Calcutta, that jhe had 6 the fine jl bottom he ever f aw, and his, (Sir Home 6 Pop ham's) own judgment, after a minute 6 examination of her timbers in dock;* whilft by Capt. Saufe's letter, No. n, and the Builder's letter therein mentionedt (No. 12), it ap- pears that the alteration in her eftablifhment was not only determined on, before that examination took place, but that the mafts zndyards, and twofuits of fails, were aclually completed for he? , by order of Sir Home Popham, as a 3 2-gunJhip, BEFORE SHE HAD ARRIVED AT CALCUTTA!!! " MelTrs. Hudfon and Bacon have charged a com- mifiion of 20/. per cent, on the fum of 173,580 rupees, or 21,697/. 10St tne amount of their bill for repairs, Sec. of the two mips ; and Mr. Louis has charged a commiffion of 5 /.per cent, on the amount of all his difburfements. The former appeared to us, on the firft view of it, to be a moft extra- vagant charge ) but we deem it proper to obferve, that * The order to Captain Saufe is dated the nth of O5lober 9 2801, the furvey having been held the preceding day. f " Robert Saufe, Efq. Commanding H. M. S* Senfible : " Sir, 4t We beg to inform you that, agreeable to Sir Rome Popham* 's orderly prior to your arrival, we have completed a fet of majls, jardSf and t his general conducl, as Commanding Cfdcer of the Rt?d Sea. was in the moft trifling degree impeachable 1 46 the Antelope, no doubt, with a view of having the Boulogne blockading fquadron under his orders. London, 24th November, 1864. P. &—> Since thefe meets have been in the prefs, it has been reported, that the accounts of Mr. Spearman, the Acting Naval Officer, for all the purchafes therein flated to have been made for the fhips in the Red Sea, have been paffed by the Navy Board, which, if true, will no doubt be confidered as a gracious fet-ojf 'to the former Report, when it is remembered, that Sir Home has admitted himfelf to be T in a certain degree, refponfible for Mr. Spearman's ads, from having given l)im the appointment; and it is known, that fo far from Mr. Spearman having purchafed, he never Jaw one of the stores enu- merated in fome of tint formerly rejecled vouchers, which, in faQ, were deficient of the proofs to {lamp their authenticity, or the necejjity of the pur chafes * 5 that are indifpenfable, to draw fupplies of ftores from even the King's yards, where there is a refi- dent Commiflioner of the Navy; however, it mult be confeifed, that this accommodation forms a very piclurefque contrail with the ungracious and uncon- * The approbation of the Officer commanding the fquadron> 47 nnconliltutional conduct of the late Board of Ad- miralty, in dire&ing that thefe expenditures fhould be minutely inveftigated. Ex i rafts m Extractsfrom the Boatsxcains Expciice Boole, the Shifs Log, and Sir Time when 1800. Aug. 16 Sept. 1, 24 Stores expended, as per Boatswain's Expence Book. Blown away in a squall, ") Studding-sail by the boom's being > foregone in carried away, 3 number. Ditto, at the same time } Studding-sail by the boom and > fore-top, one haulyards breaking j in number. Blown away in a squall, by the boom's breaking : Fore-studding-sail, one in number Main ditto . . one Fore-top ditto . one Main-top ditto . one Blown away in squall, by the boom's breaking : Main-top-mast*studding-5ail ; one number By whose orders. By order of the Captain Ditto Ditto 49 • Home Pophdm's Journals, referred to in the Navy Board Report, REMARK S. 15th August, by the log, blew away one signal-flag, No. 4, not noticed or expended in the Boatswain's expence book. " The log says, on the 14th, at 12 h. 5 m. P. M. set th* lower, top-mast, and top-gallant studding-sails ; out all reefs, carried away the fore,, and fore top-mast studding-sail, by the boom's breaking. Lieut. Henry Davis's journal does not mention any thing of the above accident." — Portsmouth Officers? " The Carpenter expends a jib-boom on this day , springs the fore- top-gallant-mast, and carries away one studding-sail-boom, and three studding-sail-yards. The Captains journal does not mention any accident whatever having happened on this day." — Navy Board. '* We beg to remark, that the log, on the lrith of August, between 12 and 4 P. M. * blowed away the main-top-gal- lant royal, by the pole breaking, and at 5 P. M. carried away the fore and mizen royals, by the poles breaking; it blowing fresh, was obliged to cut away the wreck/ Lieu- tenant Davis's journal does not notice these circumstances, nor does the Boatswain make any expence on the above ac- cidents. On the same day the log blows away a red en- sign, which is not noticed in the Boatswain's expence/' — Portsmouth Officers. u The Captain's Journal does not mention the loss of any article of stores whatever, or any accident ; it states the weather to be light airs and hazy. At 8. 45. P. M. up anchor and made sail up the Cattegat ; made and shortened sail occasionally, got down top- gallant-yards', at 8. 45. saw the Anholt Light."— -Navy Board. " By the log it appears to he fine weather, and the shipott a wind." — Portsmouth Officers. " But the Carpenter expends two top-masts studding-sail-yards, blown away only, and says nothing of booms. The Captain's journal does 7\ot mention any accident whatever, the ship at an- chor in Yarmouth Roads, light breezes and clear, weighed at 5 P. M. of the l6th, made sail, and tacked occasionally/' — Navy Board. " We observe the ship is on a wind, and tacking occasionally" — Portsmouth Officers. " The Carpenter expends two lower studding-sail-yards blown away with the sails, but says nothing of booms. He, however, returns four booms, (perhaps the heels) at Sheerness, 8th October. The Sheer ness Officers report, that the booms returned were two top- mast and two top-gallant studding-sail booms /'—Navy Board, E 50 Time when. 1 800. Kov. 10 Stores expended, as per Boatswain's Expence Book. By whose orders. In a gale, eut away the main and mizen- masts, lost overboard in clearing the wreck : Hammocks, . „ 100 in number Tar, .... 4 barrels Scrapers ... 72 in number By order of the Captain 1801. Jan. 16 17 Lost by the fore-top-mast and mam topgallant-mast being carried away: Fore- top-sail, one in number. gallant-sail, one. gallant-royal, one„ Ditto Main-top- gallant- sail, one : gallant-royal, one. Reeved new main and fore- top- vieh.faih. gallant clew-li; es, rope . 2 128 Ftsre and main-top-gallant braces, ditto , . . . » 2 140 Fore and main-top-gaiiant- royal stay, and b^ck-stay, do. Fore and main royal sheets . ;Signal haulyards. .... Foretop-sail-clew-lines, ditto To reefing new fore -top-sail bunt-lines, ditto . . - Outer jib haul-yards, ditto . Fore and main- top-gallant- royal haul-yards, ditto lop-burton falls, ditto . . Lanyards for topmast rigging, do.3 Cut and lost clearing the w^eck, rope, white, d.tto , n 14 6 i| 1GS i 300 3 76" oi 56 2^ 6'0 2A 108 2 50 3 50 4 36< ►Ditto 51 REMARKS. " We suppose the hundred hammocks said to be lost had the people's bedding in them, and should have been mentioned in the log ; and we think it very strange, that four barrels of tar and 72 scrapers should be thrown overboard to clear the wreck, as well as the three compasses" — Portsmouth Officers. " The Carpenter does not expend gangway or quarter-deck stanchions for hammocks, but throws overboard 4 barrels of pitch ; he also loses 4 davits from the quarters with the boats, but the boatswain does not expend any boat. The Captain's journal states two cutters to have been lost off' the quarters. By the Captain's? as well as Lieut. Davis's journals, it appears, that the top-gallant masts WERE <50T down on the booms, A. M. of the 9th, the defects delivered at Sheerness, state the fore, main and mizen- top-gallant-masts, top-gallant and royal yards, as having been lost with the other wreck." — Navy Board. " On the 18th, at 7 h. 45 m. the log carries away the fore-top- mast, fore and main-top-gallant-masts, and loses all the sails, the Boatswain expends, on the l6th, except the main- top-gallant sail ; the log does not mention any rigging being lost or cut in clearing the wreck. We observe the Boat- swain makes a distinction in the expending of rope, by reeving, eight hundred and ninety-eight fathoms, by order of the Captain ; 324 fathoms are expended by not any person's order, and the remainder, with the blocks, cut and lost in clearing the wreck. We beg leave to remark, that we con- sider it very fortunate sundry articles being saved, when com- pared with those said to be lost." — Portsmouth Officers. " The Carpenter expends the fore-top-mast, fyc. on the 18M, on which day it is also mentioned in the Captain's journal" — Navy Board. E 2 62 Time when. Store* expended, as per Boatswain's Expence Book. By whose Orders. 1801. Jan. l6 n Ditto signal blocks, with brass shivers, 4-inch, 8 in number. Ditto fore-top-sail braces, of 3-inch, 82 fathoms. Used throat and end seizings top-mast, rigging, 1-inch, 100 fathoms. Lost of sorts, blocks, double, 12 in number. Ditto, single, 40 By order of the Captaiti •March 29 Lost, taking the Sensible in tow: Hawser, . 9 inches, 50 fathoms Ditto May 4 Cut and converted into nippers and swabs : Hawser, . 9 iuches, 30 fathoms Ditto July 25 Blown away in a squall, by carrying away the boom : Top-mast studding- sail, .... one in number Lower ditto . . one Ditto 53 REMARKS. "By log, the Sensible was taken in tow at 9 A.M. and cast off at 2. 30. A.M. ; during 17| hours in tow it was fine wea- ther, and the ship never exceeded three miles per hour. Not any mention made of the loss of the tow-rope in the log, and we suppose this to be part of the lower shroud hawser, being al- lowed not any other hawser of that size." — Portsmouth Officers* " The Captain's Journal also states the Sensible to have been taken in tow at 9 A.M. of the 29th, and cast oft at 2 30. A.M. of the 30th. Weather, moderate breezes." — Navy Board. " This must be part of the lower shroud hawser." — Ports- mouth Officers. " Of which the other part is stated to have been lost on 29th March." — Navy Board. " On the same morning at 2 A. M. the wind shifted from West to S. E. at 3 to South, the course steered E. N. E. dozen studding-sails, set jib, spanker, and main sail at \ past 5; altered the course to E. N.E. and then East, set the fore-top-mast-studdtng-sail; at 7 took in the top-gallant-sails, and fore-top-mast-studding-sail ; 8, strong gales; at 1 1 in 3d reef top-sails ; at noon strong gales ; at 1 P. M. course E. b. S. wind S. S. W. close reefed the top-sails ; and at 3 struck top-gallant-masts. The Log is as particular this day as any we have examined, in taking in sail, shifting of winds, and altering of the course as far as 3 P. M. and then is inserted, and which evidently has been written at some otlier period, and by different ink, viz. carried away fore lower (then the log is erased T. MV) steering-sails, with their yards, &c. Lieutenant Davis's Journal does not notice any thing of this transaction, but of the day's log he is particular as above. If these sails were made, the canvas expended is a surplus of 241 yard? more than allowed, a proportion for 54 Time when. Stores expended, as per Boatswain's Expence Book. By whose orders. 1801. - By order of the Captain Aug. 24 Lost by accident, by a coir cable parting': Coir cable, 20 inches, 8 fathoms Anchor of 28 cwt. one in number Nun buoy, . . one Buoy rope, 6J 24 fathoms Ditto Sept. 22 Lost, in getting the ship to her moor- ings : Kedge anchor, . one in number Hawser, 7 inches, one Cut per Captain's order for buoy rope: Hawser, 6 inches, one Ditto , 65 REMARKS. the two studding-sails, and rope of 2j-inch, 5 fathoms mere." — Portsmouth Officers. " The Captains Journal states the weather to be strong gales, and thudy ; at 3 P. M. struck top-gallant-masts ; ditto, carried away a fore lower and top-mast-steering-sails, with their yards, fyc. ; at 10 handed the fore and mi zen-t op-sai ls, at 3 A. M. down jib and brailed up the spanker, being split" — Navy Board, M 25th August, by Log, (and Captain's Journal — Navy Board") 7 A. M. parted the larboard mooring; at 4 P.M. 'moored the ship with the best and small bower. " 27th August, by log, received an European cable of 20 inches ; and 2 anchors of 2S cwt. f^ach, sait the same anchors to the Nor ge hulk to be puddened. We beg to observe, that the Boatswain expends an anchor of 28 cwt. three days be- fore it is received, by the Log, and sent to the Hulk topuddex; neither can we discover when these anchors of 28 cwt. (said to be received on the 27 th), are made use of. 2Sth, per Log, received an European cable of 20 inches, and an anchor, weighing ( ). September 3d, Log, received a cable, 11 inches, 9° fathoms, for 2 messengers, and an European cable of 20 inches, and 2 anchors of 35 cwt. each." — Ports- mouth Officers. ** Not any mention made in ihe Log of using the kedge anchor, and 7-inch hawser. — Portsmouth Officers. "Nor in the Captain's Journal ; on ihe contrary, it appears, that the ship was moored with 5 anchors ; o?i the IQtk and 20th, wea- ther he Unable to calms; on the 2?/ fresh breezes, employed getting up a)id rigging the main-top-ma^^ — Navy Board. 56 APPENDIX. Particulars of Repairs done to H. M. Ship Romney, Capt. Sir Home Popham^ K. E. in the River Hoogblj, per BilL EXTERIOR. Great part of the wales and top fides fhifted, be- ing much decayed, and part of the bulwark. Two ftrakes of copper ftripped off below the wales, to caulk, as the fhip had been fo leaky; and alfo the Wooden ends forward and aft down to light water mark, and the iron work fhifted, being nail fick; frefh caulked, and coppered again a ftreak higher, to prevent the worms getting hold of the plank. The head, round houfe,and channel repaired ; two new quarter galleries, the old ones being quite rotten, except the lower (tools. INTERIOR. Great part of the quarter, main, and gun-decks fhifted, and alfo feveral parts of the water ways on the main and gun-decks; altering the fky-light on the quarter deck ; new bulwark entirely on the forecaftle, the old quite ufelefs ; part of the bul- wark on the quarter-deck fhifted. Two 57 Two new bitts on the quarter deck, and mizen- lop-fail fheet bitts. Two new fife rails on the forecaftle ; the coam- ings of hatches raifed fix inches higher fore and aft on the gun deck, and feveral new gratings made. The fhot-lockers on both decks made new, and the carronade chocks on the main and quarter- decks unbolted, as the lower gun-deck was con- tinually wet from their leaking, and fearnought and lead put underneath them, and bolted again. The moots of the deck-fcuppers made new fore and aft, and feveral new large fcuppers fitted on both fides. The ports repaired, and feveral new fcuttles made in them; bulk-head of the great cabin made new; fafhes for the great cabin and gun-room. Major part of the half-ports repaired, and fome new ones made ; new hawfe bucklers fitted in the manger, and rollers for the meflenger ; new pump and ciftern; the pump-well and mot-lockers re- paired; new cants round the riders on the main and gun decks, and many of the bolts fhifted. The fheep pen, hen-coops, arm-chefts, and co« lour-cheft repaired. New frames for the cabins in the gun room, and canvas fcreens ; a new fick bay 3 with cradles. New fteps on the fide ; repairing table and hog- ilyes for the cabin and ward-room. New cheeks to the fore-malt; main truffel trees; new cheeks and rollers for the bowfprit; new main, fore, and bowfprit caps, and a new main- top; the fore-yard fifhed. The fhip caulked all over and painted twice, and white wafhed below, and feveral other fmall jobs. F Thefe 58 Thefe are to certify to the Hon. the Princi- pal Officers and Commiffioners of H. M.'s Navy, that the foregoing particulars of repairs and work done to H. M.'s fhip Romney, while refitting in the river Hooghly, together with the veflels and cooly hire, materials, &c. for performing the fame, were actually furnifhed as herein fpecified. (Signed) " Home Popham, Captain. € D. E. Bartholomew, Acting Maften * John White, Carpenter." Amount for materials, &c. 46,Q59 11 9 Add 20percent. commission 9^9^- 14 1 56,351 9 10 Deduct for old copper,") ^ „ _ iron, and lead . j y 55,435 1 I European carpenters, caulkers, sail-makers, and painters, employ- I g65 6 4 ed from the Com- ' pany's ships and the Romney .... Boat hire, &c. .... 14,611 12 Rupees 71,020 3 5 or £.9,469 7 3 Particulars of Repairs done to H. M. Ship Sen- sible, per foregoing Bill. exterior. A new falfe keel, her bottom frefh nailed throughout; caulked, fheathed, and coppered, with gulgul between the bottom and iheathing, and Hkewife between the fheathing and copper, and ihree pair of additional pintles and gudgeons. Part 59 Part of the wales fhifted, and alfo the entire ftrake in which the (cuttles were, and new (cutties cut. Part of the top fide fhifted; a new fet of fore, main, and mizen channels and chain-plates. . A new cut-water, billet-head, rails, and bum- kin ; netting and waift flantions all repaired ; new hammock boards for ditto. A new (tern and counter, with new galleries and half-ports. INTERIOR. The bolts of the riders in the hold drifted ; new pillars in the hold and lower-deck. The whole of the lower-deck fhifted with teak and fir, and a number of new carlines and ledges laid ; a fet of iron ftandards fitted fore and aft on this deck. A fet of new after cable-bitts, and a crofs-bitt pin for the cable bitts ; new main-top-fail meet- bitts, and jeer bitts; new fcuppers fore and aft, a new bread hook under the hawfe holes, two round- houfes under the forecaflle, and the galley tinned. Several of the quarter-deck and forecaflle beams fhifted ; new coamings and hatches fore and aft on both decks, as alfo on the quarter-deck. A new iky-light. Great part of the quarter deck and forecaflle fhifted. The poop and main- decks taken away; new bulwark on the quarter-deck and forecaflle ; new taffrail davits of the flern and gun-wales fore and aft. New ring and eye-bolts for the ports on the gun, quarter-deck, and forecaflle ; alfo new stop- per bolts. New fhot-lockers ; feveral iron knees to the quarter-deck beams; new forked beams abreast the main-mast on the gun-deck and lower- deck. One 60 One new main crofs-tree, and top-mast crofs- trees; the mairi-maft opened and rebuilt, and one of the fide-trees fhifted, fifhed, and checked; one new lower cap, and three top-malt ditto. A new bowfprit, and mafts and yards complete, excepting the lower mails. New cabin bulk heads, port and ftern fafties, two new binnacles, and a new ciftern. Hatches, gratings, ftore rooms, . cabins, hen- coops, arm-chefts, (hip's coppers and tops re- paired. And many other neceffary external and internal repairs. " We do hereby certify, that the repairs, as mentioned in this bill, were executed under our infpeclion, mentioned in the following particulars of repairs : — " Rt. Sause, Captain. " Jas. O'Conner, Matter. " Wm. Russell, Carpenter." Amount of bill for repairs 122,915 13 6 Add 20 per cent, commission .... 24,5S3 2 ' 6" 147,499 o o Dock hire . . 1550") , Store and boat hire 120 j " * ' ' ' 1 '° 7 ° ° ° 149,169 Deduct for old copper, lead, iron, &c. &c. 7,735 11 141,433 5 European artificers 811 13 O Hire of vessels 18,851 8 Repair of boats . 2,237 4 H Bill for masts and yards, and ship's furniture 18^520 Rupees 181,853 14 11 Repairs of the ship, &c. £.23,948 17 8 Ditto of the boats . . . 298 6 1 FINIS. yrtftted by I. aj»d I. Walter, Printing-houfeyard, Blaekfriars* w A FEW BRIEF REMARKS ON A PAMPHLET, PUBLISHED BY SOME INDIVIDUALS, SUPPOSED TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE LATE BOARD OF ADMIRALTY, ENTITLED, " Observations on the Concise Statement of Facts? privately circulated by Sir Home Popham" $c. IN WHICH THE CALUMNIES OF THOSE WRITERS ARE EXAMINED AND EXPOSED; Together with, Strictures on the Reports of the Navy and Victualling Boards; on some proceedings of the late Admiralty, not generally promulgated ; Hints on the Effects of late the Experiments against the Enemy's Flotilla, Sec. &c= By JESCHINES. **• His innocence Shall stand triumphant, and your malice serve But for a trumpet, to proclaim his merit !" MASSINGER. " Those things which now seem frivolous and slight, Will be of serious consequence to you, When they have made you once ridiculous." ROSCOMMON. LONDON : Printed by J. Swan, 76, Pleet Street, LND SOLD BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS IN PICCADILLY, PALL-MALL, AND ELSEWHERE, IT MAY LIKEWISE BE HAD BY ORDER, OF ANY OF THE DEALERS IN NEWSPAPERS. 1805. . Price Twa Shillings. A $\AM 3 I 30 ADVERTISEMENT. The contents of the following pages were put together almost immediately after I had perused the Pamphlet, entitled ft Ob- servations." It is, I believe, usual with writers of temporary effusions to make some apology for the want of logical arrange- ment, or other imperfections in their literary efforts; but* as I had neither the inducement of fame or emolument, ia pending this tract before the public, I shall not trouble my readers with any excuse for my want of ability. As, however, some of the passages will appear faulty and unconnected, it is necessary to inform them to what circumstances such faults owe their origin. — I am not, I must confess, so well acquainted with modern illustrations of the Law of Libels, as to know the precise point at which a political writer may carry his opinions, without fear of the pillory or imprisonment ; but, thanks to the abilities of Mr. Erskine, and his late application of them, all Printers and Publishers have now become their own Counsellors; and the former will tell you at once, that if a pamphlet tc con- tains any thing strong, they must decline printing it, unless they know who and what the author is !"— A friend, however, pro- cured for me a Printer who undertook to print it upon the ex- press condition of leaving out every thing that might be ob- noxious to any person concerned in the subject of controversy; and I was suffered to remain in the private and unknown station in which providence has placed me; and he, very laudably, induced my friend, who superintended the publi- cation, to erase every passage which, in my ardour for justice, I had penned with too great a degree of spirit to be consistent with the Liberty of the Press ! All personalities have, therefore, been omitted, all names have been filled up with dashes, and my tract appears with all that inanity and tame- ness, so safe for the persons of industrious, and so agreeable to the feelings of honourable men. The few strong paragraphs which the MS. may have contained, have been omitted entirely; and many passages which expressed my ideas with too great a degree of freedom, have been filled up by asterisks. — If, there- fore, my pamphlet is not what it might have been, or ought to be, to those laws, to which I have ever given my feeble sup- port, must the circumstance be attributed; and, I thank Heaven, they are now so well understood, and so ju^ly administered, that it is impossible for a man to be betrayed by the ardour of pa- triotism into a situation dangerous to his personal security. Feb. 4, 1805, iESCHINES, A FEW BRIEF REMARKS^ SfC. Of all the subjects of political contention which have arisen since the time of the celebrated Junius, perhaps there has never been one which has excited more general interest, or has been more remarkable, either for the variety, the brilliancy, or the mediocrity of the talents of those writers who have engaged in it, than that which was in- debted for its origin to the supercilious conduct and arbitrary proceedings of the late Board of Admiralty. The vindictive spirit which that Board has likewise displayed in its attempts to check the inquiries which were made relative to its administration, and to attack, in every possible way, those individuals, who, from motives of pa- triotism, had thought proper to lay their opinions on this subject before the public, has likewise been so apparent, as not only to excite surprise and indignation, but to affix an irrevocable stigma upon every person who has had the effrontery to defend the errors and vices of that amalgamation of weakness, flippancy, and pride, which at one period threatened to involve us in general ruin. But it is not now a question, what benefits have been derived by the nation from the econo- mical system adopted by the noble Earl who lately presided at the head of our Naval De- partment, aided by the vindictive insinuations of his upstart coadjutors; what were the exertions of that redoubtable phalanx, during the first year of the present war, to meet the threats of the enemy; or what comparison our naval force in 1803 bore to that which was produced in an equal time, after the breaking out of the former hostilities, by the vigorous and extraordinary ef- forts of the administration of that period. These questions have not only for some time been de- cided, as well in Parliament as by the more mi- nute statements of different patriotic writers ; but the country feels itself relieved from the impedi- ments of those inert, conceited, and individuals, who lately clogged its operations, and, grateful for the change, looks forward with con- fidence to the moments when, from the probable results of the projects formed by its present wise and liberal directors, its ancient character will be retrieved. It is a trait, however, in the private dispo- sition of Englishmen, that though they immedi- ately forgive injuries, they cannot easily forget them ; and thus we may account for the late ap- pearance of several publications, some of which are intended as an exposure of facts which confer no credit upon those with whom they originated; others, as a justification of the public and private proceedings of individuals, and some as an anti- dote to the venomous saliva ejected by those an- fractuous beings, who, since their expulsion from the focus in which they were protected, have in- cessantly laboured to wound the feelings of such as were enabled to resist their malignant efforts while in prosperity, and whose constant exertions, for the advantage of their country, cannot fail to raise them to the highest point of public consi- deration ; while their calumniators are sunk to the lowest depths of disgrace and infamy. But, however plausible such attacks may, at first sight, appear, they are utterly incapable of imposing upon the most superficial observer. The pamphlet, which was generally consi- dered as the expiring effort of the late Admiralty coalition, entitled, an " Answer to Mr. Pitt's At- tack," was properly " dissected," and ably re- plied to, by the writer of " Audi Alteram Par- tem ;" but that illiberal and unfortunate party, unwilling, perhaps, to pass their tedious hours, forgotten and despised, have again/ had recourse to the press, for the purpose of vilifying a highly re- spectable officer; a man whose life and fortune have been indisputably, and importantly, devoted to the promotion of his country's interests, and whose reward, for his meritorious services, ap- pears to have been a series of the most outrage- ous insults that ever disgraced a branch of admi- nistration, in the most corrupt sera of any nation upon earth — I allude to the whole of their con- duct towards Sir Home Popham. Not content with their contemptuous treat- ment of this gentleman while they were in office*, * The private friends of different members of the late Board of Admiralty, who did not approve of their austerity, while in office, and, we are convinced, that it could be approved of by none but their immediate creatures, may probably justify them, upon the opinion of Machiavel, who asserts, that "hatred maybe obtained in two ways; by good works, and by bad; and that a man, who is willing to retain his authority, is often com- pelled to be bad, by the conduct of the people about him j for, it the chief party, which you think most useful^ and of most a publication has just appeared from some of the minions of the late Admiralty, entitled, "Observa- tions on a Pamphlet which has been privately circulated; said to be a Concise Statement of Facts," 8$c. the ludicrous composition of which and the malicious intent of the writers, are so evident, that any systematic refutation, from the object of the attack, though, I am convinced that nothing could be more easily effected, is pro- bably considered as needless, or perhaps, degra- ding. A man, however, who has performed im- portant public services, never fails to gain the de- sirable esteem of many patriotic individuals, who know him only by the public report of those ser- vices ; and such persons take so great an interest in his character, that any attempt which is made against it by the hand of malevolence, becomes in some degree a general concern, and excites the in- dignation of ail who are sufficiently independent in their principles, to view the effusions of party- writers with calmness and impartiality. I am happy to class myself amongst those unprejudiced persons to whom I allude; and, without pos- sessing the slightest knowledge of Sir Home Pop- ham*, I will endeavour, in the first instance, to consequence to you, for the preservation of your dignity, be cor- rupt, you must follow their humour, and indulge them; and, in that case, honesty and virtue are pernicious." This is a kind of doctrine which, it must be admitted, can be wonderfully im- proved upon, where a head man is inclined to be tyrannical, in order to conform to the wishes of his creatures. * That the independency of my motives and conduct may be properly understood, I declare, in the most positive and un- equivocal manner, on the honour of a gentleman, that I know nothing of that officer, except what I have learnt by public re- port and actual observation j that, to my knowledge, I never saw him in my life, nor ever conversed with any person, in any way related to him, about his public services. My intentions are, therefore, " independent as the wind/' and, I have taken an vindicate him from this foul attack ; flattering my- self, that my trivial remarks will so far operate upon the mind of every candid reader, as to in- duce him to rescind any prejudice he may have im- bibed against that respectable officer, from the per- usal of the miserable publication to which I have alluded : I shall afterwards call the attention of the public to a few striking facts, with which they have not hitherto been made acquainted, and which relate to the effects of those novel experi- ments*, that seem to have excited so much chagrin and inveteracy amongst those who formed the late naval administration. I am aware of the small degree of credit which is usually attached to the asseverations of anonymous writers; yet I have no doubt that the majority of readers, into whose hands these pages may fall, will not question my veracity, with re- spect to the assertion, that I am totally unac- quainted with Sir Home Popham. It is, however, necessary to premise, that, in the course of my ex- ertions to acquire extensive political information, interest in his cause, merely from my conviction, that in the at- tacks which have been made against him, no kind of persecution has been left untried, which could tend to lower him in the es- timation of the public ; for jealousy, which is peculiar to little minds, might well be supposed to operate upon men of such extraordinary abilities, as the writers of the pamphlet I am about to examine 5 neither of whom, I am well informed, can lay more claim to seamanship than appertains to a man before the mast. Horace says : " Est modus in rebus sunt certi denique fines , Quos ultra citraque nequit consistere rectum;" and the medium of propriety has been so completely outstripped by them, in their last attempt, that their scurrility is alike desti- tute of consistency or limitation. * The Catamarans. I was favoured with, a copy of an interesting publication entitled, " A Concise Statement of Facts" which was printed by the direction of Sir Home, in the autumn of 1803, for the sole pur- pose of distribution amongst his private connec- tions, and the object of which was to show the ex- ertions he had made, and the perils he had en- countered, to promote the glory and prosperity of his country. I may also add, that I have been fortunate enough to obtain, for perusal, a copy of every other tract which has appeared on the subject of the existing naval controversy; — a cir- cumstance of no small consequence to any person who wished to acquire a correct idea of the de- gree to which the system of the creatures of the late Board of Admiralty was extended. Had the public at large possessed equal means of information, the "Observations" lately mentioned would require no further refutation; because, the mutilated extracts from the " Con- cise Statement of Facts," which form the bulk of the pamphlet intitled " Observations," would at once show the motives of the writer to have been those of private resentment, at tbe exposure of the conduct of his connatural partizans. But as the " Concise Statement," which is an ex- tensive work, has never been before the public, I shall, perhaps, render an acceptable service, by making known, in the course of these Remarks, the nature of its' contents, and thus enable my readers to perceive to what paltry artifices this anonymous writer has been reduced. It is by no means my wish that these pages should be considered as a complete answer to the candid pamphlet already mentioned; yet before I proceed to make a few general remarks upon the services of Sir Home Popham, I shall briefly notice the manner in which the literary champion of the late Board has taken up the sub- ject of their defence against the charges of this injured officer, as contained in his " Concise Statement," by beginning with those notable "Observations," so abundant in obtrectative em- bellishments for the purpose of distorting facts, and giving to truth itself the semblance of false- hood. " He who writes upon matters of politics," says a celebrated author who figured at the be- ginning of the last century, " should use his ut- most endeavours to divest himself of all kind of passion, not only because it obscures his judg- ment, and renders the faculties of the mind less free in their operation; but by reason, that it leads him to mingle with the interests of the public, his own inclinations, which often grow so prevalent as to make him forget the duty he owes to that commonwealth, of which he is a member, and guided by hatred, he at last comes to forsake truth." The conclusion of this passage is strikingly verified by the contents of a few modern pam- phlets which owe their origin to private malignity and disappointed ambition, but by none more than those of the " Observations" to which I have alluded. Isocrates, in one of his orations, observes, that it is more easy to maintain a wrong cause and to support paradoxical opinions, to the sa- tisfaction of a common auditory, than to esta- blish an unknown truth by solid and conclusive arguments; on the ground, that, when men find that something can be said in favour of what, pri- ma-faci<£, they thought utterly indefensible, they grow doubtful of their own reason, and are se- duced by the ingenuity which can establish an hy- pothesis, where every thing seemed wanting for its formation. — There is a sort of gloss upon in- genious falsehoods that dazzles the imagination, but which neither belongs to, nor becomes the dignity of truth. I cannot, I admit, accuse the pamphlet under my review with ingenuity of con- struction; yet there is throughout it an affron- tery of falsehood, which may impose upon such as are unacquainted with the truth, and which, advantaged by the unfortunate propensity of mankind to indulge in calumny, may wound a character which does honour to our country, if not stripped of its assumed colouring, and exposed in its native baseness. It appears that Sir Home Popham had scarcely left the Channel on his important mission to the Indian Seas, when that system of persecu- tion, which has since been so vindictively pur- sued against him, first betrayed itself, and the minions of the cabal were employed "ambiguas in mdgam spargere voces." An injury unan- swered in ordinary minds grows weary of itself, and dies away in voluntary remorse ; but in bad dispositions it has a different effect. The silent digestion of one wrong provokes a second; they hate because they have injured, and injure be- cause they hate, while falsehood, the ready mini- ster of injustice, creates at once the pretext and the weapons of aggression. Falsehood, we are told, was the progeny of Folly, impregnated by the Wind: — it matters not whether the feverish Sirocco, the noisome Euro- clydon, or the hollow pestilential blast of St. Vin- cent was the father — the puny blustering offspring before me bears all the features of its mother, deformed as is the malice and black as is the heart which has ushered it into notice! This pamphlet commences by saying that the " Concise Statement of Facts," privately cir- culated by Sir Home Popham in August 1803, did not fall into the hands of any member of the late Board of Admiralty until the 19th of November, or that it would have been sooner answered. This assertion I know to be untrue: — they possessed it within a few days after its publication; but, conscious of the weakness of any answer they could offer to it, they waited, after their dismis- sion, in the hope that some casualty might arise to give weight to the currency of their charges; and this occasion they idly supposed to be af- forded by what they conceived to be a partial fail- ure of the late experiment on the enemy's coast. They thought, with Sterne, that a shaft flying with the wind might inflict a wound, while, by its own natural force it would not reach the object aimed at; and they accordingly fulminated their long- projected accusation; but borne down by its own intrinsic baseness, it falls short of its intent* while its obvious malice, like the rust of Achilles's spear, serves as an antidote to the wound it inflicts. The first charge is, that Sir Home Popham equipped the ships under his command at Cal- cutta instead of Bombay, where it is stated, he should have gone, and the author observes, that " to those who are acquainted with the geography of the East Indies, the motive of his going to Calcutta will not be very apparent, more espe- cially when they are informed that Bombay is the depot of stores for the King's ships, &c. whilst at Calcutta every thing is in the hands of the private merchants;" and he adds, " it is to be seen whether these motives are not explained by facts," thus in- sinuating, that this gallant officer was influenced c 10 by considerations of personal advantage in a con- tract with the merchants of Calcutta, to prefer that mode of repair to the more regular one at Bombay. The disgrace and infamy which would justly involve Sir Home, had he been guilty of such conduct, attach themselves, in a peculiar degree, to those who preferred such a charge against him, knowing it to be false. They were fully informed that Admiral Rainier had ap- pointed Mr. Louis, a merchant of high respecta- bility at Calcutta, to act there as Deputy Naval Commissioner, in whom all sales and purchases were necessarily vested; and they farther knew (a copy of the Admiral's letter having been sent to the Admiralty Board,) that Admiral Rainier wrote from Trincomalee on the 9th of August, 1801 to Sir Home Popham as follows: " Mr, Mathew Louis, of Calcutta, who is Deputy at that place for the Naval Officer at Madras, has lately informed me that there is a great glut of Naval Stores there, which have been of- fered to him at prime cost and freight. I should therefore recommend your directing such articles to be purchased there, as his Majesty's ships un- der your orders may require, as otherwise our magazines at Madras and Bombay may be too much reduced, and oblige the naval officers to purchase stores, when they will, in all probability, have become very dear, particularly if the war with the Northern Powers should continue." It was, therefore, in obedience to the recom- mendation of his superior officer, but particularly because the depdt at Bombay could not furnish the requisite stores, that Sir Home Popham caused the ships under his orders to proceed to the Ganges to repair. The next paragraph is a laboured panegyric 11 on the late First Lord of the Admiralty ; but it per- haps required a more creative fancy than this puerile writer possesses, to say much in his Lordship's commendation; for, happily for the service, this man, lately canonized by his own pride, and made a deity of by his parasites, has, like an empty vapour, disappeared from our po- litical horizon, and, I trust, will never again rise to darken it. The author accuses Sir Home Popham of calumniating Lord St. Vincent in order to prepare the public mind for the open attack that was meditated against him. — Little did he know the state of the public opinion, who could suppose much pains necessary for such a purpose. — The state of the navy, and the general conduct of those who presided over it, appealed irresistibly to the feelings of every man, and showed the im- potence of censure, by so far exceeding its powers. Calumniate Lord St. Vincent! — I know the man, *••• > * I have heard that a certain character lately en- deavoured to intimidate patriotic writers by an intimation, that, if their punishment rested with him t the pillory, at least, should be their sentence ! If such reports of the prejudicative sentiments of those who administer our laws be well founded, I can no longer fancy myself in the happy regions of Britain, where my father and grandfather have told me 1 had nothing to fear on the score of justice ! I must rather suppose myself to be at Athens, in its most corrupt and venal ages, and that I am liable to suffer the persecution sustained by iEschylus ; but this idea will not diminish my patriotic ardour. — I will, " unknowing and unknown," assert the rights of the defenders of that country which gave me birth, and of which my greatest pride is, that I am a member: — but I would advise those who are invested with temporary and fleeting authority, to reflect on the fate of the partial judge mentioned by Herodotus and Justinian, who wasjlead alive, by order of Cambyses, and his skin nailed on the bench, as a memento for those who should succeed him ! n or, through the polluted organs of mercenary babblers, (a fitting medium), proclaim his virtues and his services, but •— : " vitas posfscenia celant ;" and I may exclaim with Persius — " ad populum phaleras, ego te intus, et in cutenovi'' The writer next proceeds, to disclaim, on the part of the late Sea-Lords, the jealousy imputed to them: in this, however, there is more zeal than discretion, for he deprives them of the only apo- logy that can be urged for their conduct, and re- duces them to the condition of Steele's Lying Lovers :— Of you I am not jealous, 'Tis my oivn indesert that gives me fears." If by the term Sea-Lords the author mean those Sea- Bears that lately had their paws upon the naval administration, I can readily concede to him that they are destitute of that spirit of emulation which broke the slumbers of The- mistocles. — The trophies of a Meltiades might awaken their hatred without rousing them to a generous desire of rivalry; but, considering envy, with Fenelon, as a sorry confession of one's own worthlessness, which cannot hide from herself the criminal malignity that induces her to grieve at the attainments of others, I must require some better evidence for their acquittal than that which has been offered by their apologist. Johnson, in one of his Essays, strongly repro- bates those who exalt trifles by immoderate praise, or instigate needless emulation- by invi- dious incitements. I entirely concur in the sen- timent, and am certain that I shall not be consi- dered as violating it when I observe that Sir 13 Home Popham is one of the most scientific officers in the service ; that the zeal with which he has devoted his time to the instruction of the young officers of his ship, both in lunar and astral ob- servations, is an honourable excitement to emu- lation; and I think it would be fortunate for the country, if this line of study were more generally followed, for then it would become less liable to ridicule. The author next demands, " Was it not in- decent, was it not outrageous, whilst that investi- gation was going forward, to his knowledge, to press the First Lord of the Admiralty to grant him personal interviews for the purpose of dis- cussion?" I will hereafter show how T that in- vestigation was conducted, and I will ask the shameless vindicator of it, was it not the business of a Public Board, engaged in an enquiry on a public question, to resort to every medium of information? Was it consistent with honour or justice to proceed to judgment on an ex-parte statement? Was it candid to violate the usual forms of office, in order to exclude unwished-for evidence? Was it not "indecent" to refuse to hear the defence of a man who had been wan- tonly accused? Was it not "outrageous" to shut out the voice of truth, and sacrifice the feelings of innocence, to the momentary triumph of false- hood and malevolence? I have thus far followed the course of the pamphlet before me, and I shall now enter into an examination of the charges contained in the report of the Commissioners of the Navy Board. The warrant officers of the Romney have sworn, that there was no improper expenditure of stores:— their positive testimony is far superior to narrow prejudices — conclusions drawn from n false premises, and unsupported by the shadow of plausibility. It is stated, that there was an improper ex- expenditure of stores, because such expenditure exceeded the allowed proportions or estimated ratio under ordinary circumstances, without re- ference to the nature of the service, or of those emergencies which called for increased supplies; and a flimsy theory, reared on the calculations of the Clerks of the Navy Office is opposed to the evi- dence of experience and the positive testimony of every officer in the ship, Sir Home Popham in my mind is entitled to public thanks for having de- viated from that penury of arrangement, which if persisted in, must have been fatal to the ser- vice on which he was employed. To prove that repairs were necessary, we need only refer to the state of the Romney when she arrived at a foreign station, charged with the execution of an object of high importance. It is established, on oath, that she made much water in the British Channel, (though this event was merely casual, and might have happened to any other ship) ; that her bends were found very defective, oncaulking, attheCape; that she made from sir to eight feet water in an hour during her passage to Calcutta; and that her wales on one side were quite rotten, and near- ly so on the other. The appointment of such a vessel, to such service as that on which she was employed, necessarily created the expenditure complained of. That the repairs which she re- ceived were efficient, is proved by the condition of the vessel on her return from India. She was re-commissioned a few days after she had been paid off) and sent again to a foreign station — a circumstance seldom equalled in the annals of our navy. v 15 The Commissioners of the Navy Board, in their report on the expences of repairing the Romney and Sensible, at Calcutta, observe, that although at first view the charge appeared extra- vagant, yet, on referring to the accounts furnish- ed by the East India Company, they found that it is the usual charge made by the merchant builders in Calcutta, for similar repairs and sup- plies to the Company's, or private ships; and that it is approved by the Marine Board at Calcutta. Had Sir Home Popham been in any degree whatever implicated in any question which could arise as to the propriety of these charges, this con- fession, reluctantly wrung from the reporters, would, it is reasonable to suppose, have fully exonerated him; but, instead of that, an imprest was charged, by order of the Admiralty, not only against Mr. Louis, the naval officer at Calcutta, to the amount of the bills drawn by him, but likewise against Sir Home Popham, by whom, in defiance of official documents, then in the Ad- miralty office, he was falsely stated to have been appointed to act as naval officer, and authorised to draw the bills in question. The pay of the First Lieutenant and the Boatswain was likewise stopped; and the latter afterwards declared to Mr. Bartholomew, that he had been obliged to write a letter against Sir Home Popham, as the only means of obtaining his wages!!! How these iniquitous circumstances came to light will be explained in the sequel. Those who have read the "Concise State- ment," must have observed how completely Sir Homejustifies himself with respect to the extrava- gance of the accounts in question, by proving, de- monstrably, that the charges for the repairs of the Romney were not so great by one half as those / of many ships which went to Calcutta, under eicumstances of a similar nature. It is likewise clearly proved, that Mr. Louis, alone, as the acting naval commissioner, was the only person who could be deemed responsible for these charges; and, as he was subjected to the most rigid examination by the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry, we cannot but be shocked at the impro- priety and indecency of that malicious perversion of facts, which was made for the sole purpose of criminating an innocent and meritorious officer. But the motives from which this malice ori- ginated are so completely exposed in a quarto publication, with which I have also been favour- ed, entitled a "Continuation of the Concise Statement of Facts " that I am utterly at a loss to comprehend why, instead of a private circula- tion amongst the friends of this injured officer, h has not been published to the world. Those who are honoured with his friendship and acquaint- ance surely could not want any printed defence of his conduct; but the narrow prejudices of the uninformed mass of the public might, by its perusal, receive such an antidote to any un- favourable opinion they may have formed of him from the contemptible insinuations in the scur- rilous party pamphlet, as would ever incline them to suspend their future judgment upon the ex-parte statements of such unprincipled and profligate calumniators. As the first thirteen quarto pages of Sir Home's statement have been literally quoted, by the modern pamphlet-maker, in order to fill up a space which his own weak intellects were inca- pable of supplying; I shall pass over them with the simple intimation that several justificatory notes, at the bottom of the quarto pages, have 17 been omitted, for what purpose it is easy to per- ceive ; particularly when it is known that all the letters of congratulation and thanks for the im- portant services he had rendered, which Sir Home received from the Marquis Wellesley, General Baird, and other distinguished characters in India, are totally suppressed in the " Observa- tions." It appears from the "Concise Statement* : ," that Sir Home inclosed, for the inspection of the Admiralty, his journals from Bombay to St. He- lena, and afterwards to England, with a convoy of Indiamen, with remarks on the number of latitudes taken bv the transit of the stars, during the night watches. These were taken by a pecu- liar instrument with which he obliged all his of- ficers to furnish themselves, and by the use of which they acquired a considerable insight into practical astronomy. — He offered to send his star-boards to the Admiralty, for facilitating this useful practice; but he received a letter from Sir E. Nepean, stating that their Lordships had com- manded him to say, " that the practice of ma- king astral observations was a common one, for which every midshipman ought to qualify himself before he appears at the navy board for exami- nation.'' — I shall make no remark on this asser- tion, the falacy of which must be evident to ail nautical men; and I fullv agree with Sir Home that such a fact obviously proves that spirit of personality which the Admiralty Board carried to such an extent. Sir Home unequivo- cally intimates that they refused an essential im- provement, because it came from him! — Besides, from a conviction of the falsehood of this remark, * Page 13, D IS they not only compromised the dignity of their official situation, but subjected themselves to the contempt of all naval men, by insinuating that Sir Home wished to make a merit of introducing a branch of study on board his ship, with which the lowest officer in his Majesty's navy ought to be completely acquainted. But, considering this spirit of personality upon a more general ground, can there, I ask, be any doubt that Sir Home was not the only officer against whom it was indulged ? — I have no hesi- tation in declaring my opinion to be in the nega- tive, It is, I fear, but too true, that the late Board carried their personality and enmity against naval officers to a shameful extent; and, as it is clear, that in most cases this enmity originated with the Board themselves, from that contempti- ble spirit of hatred, by which they appear to have been governed in most of their proceedings, it is Well worthy of consideration, what has been the effect of such conduct upon the service ? My own opinion, I must declare, I think it would be dan- gerous to state. I will, however, say, that it is with me a question, whether many of our brave and celebrated officers have not, in consequence of such treatment, retired from the service in disgust, and whether by such a retirement, at this important crisis, the country has not, in all probability, sustained a very material injury ? I am aware, that no direct logical proof can be ad- duced of the nature or the extent of this injury; but the subject, nevertheless, gives rise to many and serious reflexions on the consequences of the abuse of power. Another direct proof of the haughty and su- percilious conduct of the late Board towards naval officers, is contained in a letter from Sir Home 19 Popham to Earl St. Vincent, dated June 8, 1 S03* ? in which he remonstrates with his lordship, on his refusal to see him, after repeated solicitations: to this he received no answer, and soon afterwards wrote another, in which he modestly reminded his lordship, that //e was the person who suggest- ed the plan for raising the Sea Fencibles, as a mea- sure of auxiliary defence ; and intimated the ad- vantage which was likely to result from them, particularly with respect to Ireland. I have introduced this circumstance, merely because it is my opinion, that such an important suggestion, which has since been productive of so many advantages with respect to the defence of our coast, ought to be made known to the public at large ; for my own part, although I may have heard it before, it had entirely escaped my "memory; and it is my opinion, that I do a ser- vice, by bringing it into notice ; because the name of the proposer of a new tax or other scheme, of trivial and temporary advantage, is not unfrequently transmitted to posterity ; while the author of a proposition that may tend to the sal- vation of a country, is suffered to pass neglected into the vale of obscurity. At length, it appears, he obtained an answer of a J'ezv lines from his lordship, which stated, that the Admiralty had directed the Commis- sioners of the Navy to report on the expences of the ships under his orders in the East Indies! I have privately heard the nature of the directions given to the Commissioners, w r hich were of so pe- culiar a kind, that I cannot feel justified in re- peating them upon indirect evidence; but the last paragraph of that report, to which I have already * tf Concise Statement/' p. 16 and IS, 20 alluded, appears still more extraordinary to those who, like myself, have had an opportunity of in- specting the " Concise Statement of Facts :' J) for there, in page 19, they must have observed, that Sir Home, alter expressing his pleasure at the pro- posed investigation, solicits the permission to be called on by the Board, and to attend their Com- mittees, for the purpose of explaining many cir- cumstances, which might be more clearly under- stood by his observations. The Board, however, as I have already shown, were afraid to grant his request, though it was " coivformable to their usual mode:" they conceived it to be their lordships intention, that they should pro- ceed in this ex-parie and prejudiced manner; and they dared not to use their own discretion, or to act upon such a basis as they must have thought to be founded upon policy and justice ! The neglect and contempt with which this injured officer was treated, did not prevent him from continuing his solicitations for justice, and accordingly, in a spirited letter to Lord St. Vin- cent*, he states the claims which he has upon him for an interview, by referring to his services in the Red Sea. These operations, I am inclined to think, have never been properly known or appre- ciated; and I cannot but regret, that my limits will not allow me to record them more in detail ; par- ticularly as it appears in the clearest manner, that the object of his command was completely answer- ed, and, that General Baird and Marquis Welles- ley had testified to the ministry their high appro- bation of his conduct. It also appears, that imme- diately after his arrival in the Red Sea, he took the command of all the Company's chartered ships, * " Concise Statement/' p. 20. 2| and observing a number to be engaged, beyond what the service required, he immediately dis- charged as many as exceeded in their hire, the sum of txvo lacks of rupees per month. He also procured a draftsman in England, at his own ex- pence, taught him hydrography and practical as- tronomy ; as he likewise did to the whole of his quarter-deck; and thus, by the assistance of eight chronometers and other valuable and expen- sive instruments, succeeded in forming a chart of the Red Sea, and proved the possibility of beating up against the Monsoon ; a practice which had never before been attempted, and the advantages of which, though they are doubtless lost upon the " Sea Lords" of the late Admiralty, as they are affectedly called, by the scribbler of the " Observations," are sufficiently known to the Company, and to every naval commander em- ployed by them, in that distant and dangerous region. It likewise appears, by a letter from Colonel Harness, published by order of Marquis Welles- ley, that, from the excellent state of the Romney's boats, and the spirited assistance of her crew, upwards of four hundred troops were saved from the Calcutta, which was wrecked in the Red Sea; but how must the feelings of the British public be shocked, when they learn that it was the in- tention of the late Board, to make this gallant of- ficer pay for the boat, by which these brave fel- lows were preserved, because she was not con- formable to the establishment of the navy ! and the same advantage was intended to be taken of him, with respect to any improvements he had made in the sails and rigging! While Sir Home was at Calcutta, we learn that he never suffered a bill to be drawn at higher 22 exchange than 2s, 6d. ; and on some objection^ being made to this economical and principled or- der, he informed the Vice President, that if lie did not supply the naval officer with money from the Company's treasury, for the repair of the Rom- ney, their interests should remain unprotected ; as he would never sanction a bill to be drawn at a higher rate than the Company's exchange. The importance of this measure must be appreciated at first view, by the public at large ; but its ef- fects are more completely understood by those who are conversant with Indian affairs. The man who performed such a service was, on this ground alone, entitled to general commendation ; and the late Board, we should think were bound to acknowledge his exertions with gratitude and sincerity, instead of preventing him from that op- portunity of vindicating his character, which is allowed to the most insignificant offender of the most trivial law. Such, at least, is the opinion of an impartial individual, totally unattached to any party, totally unconnected with any member of any admini- stration ; but Who, actuated by the genuine prin- ciples of honour and integrity, would have be- come the anonymous vindicator of Lord St. Vin- cent, or of any other person, had he conceived his general conduct to have been calculated to promote, the in- terests of his country. It is, on many accounts, much to be regret- ted, that the " Continuation of the Concise State- ment of Facts " to which I have already often alluded, has not been published to the world, in- stead of being privately circulated ; but particu- larly, because, although the " Observations" bear with them their own refutation, yet it is probable, 23 that such a glaring mass of scurrility and impos- ture would never have been brought before the public, had their authors been in possession of so simple a collection of candid and honourable de- tails as those which constitute this Statement. Amongst much interesting matter, the letters from Marquis Weliesley, the Earl of Cavan, and Major- General Baird, ought to claim the attention of every person who has seen the " Observations;" as they clearly show the high opinion which those officers entertained of the services of Sir Home; and in my opinion, their general publication is a duty which that gentleman owes to himself. Having, however, no reason to suppose that he will take my advice, I shall, for the information of the public, briefly mention a few striking points, contained in the " Concise Statement" which will enable them to appreciate the nature of his arduous services in a foreign clime. It is worthy of notice, notwithstanding the brief intimation I have already given of this cir- cumstance, that at a private examination of some officers and men, selected from the Romney for that purpose, and at which Sir Home, with great difficulty, obtained leave to be present; the result of the examination was, " that the repairs which were to be done to the Romney were absolutely necessary ; and that the Commander took every care of the King's stores, and never expended them in a wanton manner." But, not satisfied with making every kind of unfounded accusation against Sir Home, as com- mander of the Romney, it also appears from his " Statement," that a principal subject of com- plaint was, that he had appointed Mr. Louis to the situation of naval officer at Calcutta, though he offered the most unequivocal documents, to prove that he received his appointment from Ad- miral Rainier. It also appears, that the enormous sum, which Sir Home was accused of having expended upon the Romney, was no more than 7J,O0O rupees, which is far less than was paid for any ship that ever underwent a repair at Calcutta* ; though at the time she was taken into dock there, she was so leaky as to require the constant working of pumps. We find that Sir Home had the command of the Egyptian expedition, which went up the Red Sea, that he likewise had an exclusive political mission from the Secret Com- mittee, and was afterwards appointed ambassador to the Arabian States. Having overtaken Ge- neral Baird, he carried him to Cosseir, and dis- embarked there what was called the Indian army, under the command of that able and experienced general. In a few days after the disembarkation, Admiral Blanket anchored there, and was so well satisfied w T ith Home's judicious conduct, that he, by public order, desired him " to continue his ar- rangements, as better could not be made ;" and commanded all the persons under him to pay every attention to his orders. How grateful such a compliment must have been to the feelings of a respected officer, cannot but occur to every reader, who has experienced the pleasing ideas which arise from the sense of a just execution of a public duty, and the gene- rous attachment of a spirited band of Britons, who look up to a good commander, not merely as the director of their actions, but as their patron, friend, and father. * The navy books will show that, the repairs of L'Oiseau, La Forte, and L' Heroine, exceeded ^15,000 each: — those, of the Romney amounted scarcely to a^GOCO! 25 By a letter, addressed to Marquis Wellesley, Sir Home gives a plain and interesting account of his proceedings, from which it appears, that he rendered the most effectual assistance to General Baird's forces, particularly by supplying them with small casks, instead of the mussacks, which were intolerably bad ; and, without this expedient, it seems that the army would not have been able to march, even in small detachments. His next object was, to reduce the enormous expence of tonnage, by discharging such ships as appeared to be extravagantly freighted, and to dispense with others which were incompetent to the ser- vice. A subsequent paper explains the result of this judicious measure, and proves the advantage gained from it by government, to be the enormous amount which I have already mentioned*. But it would not have answered the purpose of this candid observer, to have noticed this sa- ving. — No, he knew it to be one of the prominent "•feathers" in the "cap" of the man he chose to revile, and his livid propensity for detraction and envy prevailed over those compunctions of con- science, with which, judging from the operations of that power upon men of integrity, I should think he must have been affected in the progress of his lucubrations. Yet, why should I wonder at the prevalence of this infernal propensity in such a mind ? — Milton has asserted, " that it was the cause of Lucifer's expulsion from the celestial regions, and of his being hurled into the bottom- less abyss," and, as this doctrine is not likely to be exploded, we may reasonably conclude that it is very plausible; and, though it maybe laid down * Sir Home has given it in a table, affixed to the " Con- tinuation of the Statement of Facts" — It is also mentioned in page 103 of the " Statement." 26 as an established rule, that we are all more or less approximated to our spiritual adversary, yet we may consider, that those who are totally made up of that epitome of every ill-natured pas- sion, must bear the nearest affinity to the devil himself! The saving I have alluded to, evidently ex- ceeded, in three months, all the bills drawn by Sir Home's squadron in three years ; and yet, the malignant scribbler attacks that officer for having a canvas awning, to keep him from a "coup de soldi*!" Had I conceived this illiberal reviler to be affected by a coup de tune, I should have spared my animadversions ; but, unfortunately, the proportion of knaves and fools is much greater than that of madmen. The first advantage derived from Sir Home's political mission to Arabia, was the discovery that great abuses were committed by Meer-Ally Cawn at Juddah, who had chartered a variety of dows at an exorbitant rate, for the purpose of conveying provisions to the army. Sir Home immediately gave directions to put the cargoes of these vessels into empty transports, and, to stop the purchase of provisions, such as wheat, rice, and sugar, with which the army was then overstocked : he also prevented the shipment of 10,000 bags of corn r * This saving was fully sufficient to excite the spleen of an envious mind. Sir Francis Bacon says, " that, from strict ob- servation, it has appeared, that envy is most predominant when the person envied has been in any circumstance of glory or triumph, and that the objects which administer the highest sa- tisfaction to those who are exempt from this passion, give the quickest pangs to those who are subject to it." And Addison somewhere remarks, " that the condition of an envious man is most emphatically miserable, because he is not only incapable of rejoicing in another's merit, but lives in a world, where all mankind are in a plot against his quiet, by studying the general happiness/' V which were ordered from Bombay. — A variety of subordinate points are noticed in the letter alluded to, which show, that the advantages derived by the Company and the Government, in consequence of the economical investigations of this meritori- ous officer, were very considerable, and were such as fully to entitle him to the unequivocal thanks, which he received from the Governor-General. In another letter to Marquis Wellesley, Sir Home Popham gives a detail of his operations in Arabia, in the form of journal, through which I shall decline to follow him ; my wish being mere- ly to show, by a few detached and incontrovertible passages, the general tenor of his conduct, whe- ther in his capacity of commander of his Majesty 's ships, employed in the expedition, or as a commer- cial ambassador to promote the interests of the Company ; in the latter of which, his cautious fore- sight, commercial intelligence, and diplomatic inge- nuity were too conspicuous to need any comment. On his arrival at Juddah, he found that court almost in open hostility against the Company, and keep- ing sentinels at the door of the English resident. He immediately demanded an interview with the chiefs, settled the difference, by paying a note of hand for 9250 dollars, and discharged all the clows employed in conveying bullocks to Mocha, for the use of the army ; by which an instanta- neous saving was made of 23,000 rupees a month ! This account of his conduct at Juddah, and his remarks on the means of promoting the English interests in Arabia, were so gratifying to the Go- vernor-General, that, the moment he had perused his dispatches, he sent him a congratulatory let- ter, approving of his whole conduct, in the most unqualified terms. After his arrival at Calcutta, it appears that ■■■HH 28 Sir Home presented several memorials to the Go- vernor-General, all of which are replete with im- portant suggestions, relative not only to the pro- motion or every branch of the Company's in- terests, but also that of the power and fame of the nation at large ; and, to each of these papers, which form the great mass of the " Concise State- ment ," his Excellency has returned an answer so highly flattering, as to prove, in the clearest man- ner, that the Government of India considered his advice as invaluable. Indeed, the very dates of his letters alone show his incessant activity, while his remarks exhibit such a degree of political and general knowledge, as reflect the highest credit upon his talents and judgment. One letter in particular, which he sent to Marquis Wellesley, and which contained suggestions relative to turn- ing the whole of the exports from Sennaar into the Company's factories, was thought of so much importance by the Marquis, that he immediately returned an answer, assuring Sir Home of the high stmse he retained of his zeal, talents, and knowledge, and of the confidence which he should repose in the success of any operation, conducted by an officer of such acknowledged enterprise and skill; and he repeats his sincere thanks to Sir Home, for the promptitude with which he had enabled him to obtain a more accurate view of the state of our army in Egypt, as well as of the affairs of Arabia, than he could possibly have ac- quired by any other mode. From this cursory view of the important commissions on which Sir Home has been engaged, (and his successful execution of which, formed, in my opinion, the primary cause of all that con- catenation of enmity and malevolence with which he has been surrounded) , I shall revert to a more 29 detailed examination of the report of the Naval Commissioners, relative to the ships under his command ; a report which has already been brought before the public in every possible shape which could contribute to give weight and colour to the (in my opinion unwarrantable) charges, of which it is made the vehicle. The avowal of these reporters, (amongst whom, however, I observe individuals of high re- spectability, though connected w r ith others of a more equivocal character), very candidly admits, that truth was not the object of their investiga- tion; and they palliate this deviation from pro- priety, by expressing their obedience to the wishes of those by whom it was ordered. Why Sir Home Popham should have been fixed upon as the point of attack, I cannot imagine, unless from the idea I have already intimated, that his talents and ser- vices had excited in certain narrow-minded in- dividuals the spirit of malevolence, instead of ap- plause ; for, " Men who make Envy and crooked malice nourishment, Dare bite the best.'' Shakespeare. I will endeavour to unfold their proceedings to general view, in order that the merited portion of disgrace may attach to those unprincipled beings who are considered as their promoters ; for, il Cur omnium jit culpa paucorum scelus ?" — The per- sons who made the report had a defined task to perform ; they, as I have already shown, received peculiar instructions, from which they confess they could not deviate; and those who, under the mask of patriotism, employed them on such an occasion, are alone responsible for its results. The 30 learned writer of the " Observations" quotes a line to show how the injured object of attack will, in his opinion, be "put down" by the " plain tale'* yclep'd the Commissioners' Report— -It is a ques- tion with me whether the analysis I shall give of Sir Home's Continuation of his Statement will not point out to every unbiassed reader to what a degree, " de jure humano" this stupid libeller ought to be exalted. "It might reasonably have been expected," says Sir Home, "that the very flattering testi- monials which I laid before the Lords Commis- sioners of the Admiralty would at least have sof- tened their asperity, if they had not been deemed sufficient to remove the impressions which had originated in an entire misconception of my cha- racter and conduct." — And so it would in ho- nest and honourable minds; but in the present in- stance the number and respectability of those testimonials of his virtue gave asperity to envy, activity to detraction, and malice to inquiry "Envy is blind," said Livy, "and has no other quality than that of detractingfrom Virtue." — The candid Observer may perhaps establish, that she has other, although corresponding labours. Enlightened mechanicians, in the first in- stance, generally propose a principle to every fa- bric; but in this report we see a fabrication, void of principle, even by the confession of that Board itself. This is completely proved by their own concluding paragraph, which I shall adopt, by way of a text, and proceed in my refutation on a ground which I think will be conformable not only to the intention of the present Lords of the Admiralty, but of a greater body, the public at large; for, when any board or public body pro- fesses to act upon principles contrary to those to 31 which it owes its formation, I think it must be admitted to forfeit ail claim to public opinion and support. The paragraph of the Board to which I allude is so singular and extraordinary, that some of the members who belonged to that institution have, I am well assured, declared it to be in their opinion nothing less than a libel upon the Admiralty in its official capacity. It is as follows: "We deem it necessary to state farther, to their lordships, that the report has been formed from the documents in office, without our having called on Sir Home Popham, agreeably to our usual mode, for an explanation of any of the circumstances referred to therein, con- ceiving- IT TO HAVE BEEN THEIR LORD- SHIP'S INTENTION THAT WE SHOULD PRO- CEED IN THIS manner!!!" When we consider the spirit of animosity which appears to have prevailed against Sir Home, there is indeed some reason to suspect that their lordships' intentions were far different from what must have been dictated by views of propriety and For example, Sir Home positively assures his friends, in his " Continuation" that although he repaired to the Admiralty with all the documents in his favour, which he had re- ceived from the Marquis of Wellesley, and other distinguished characters, it was nevertheless of no avail that he pressed the late Admiralty to bring to an immediate issue all the accusations preferred against him. — But Lord St. Vincent in- timated, that he would not be troubled on the subject*, and at length Sir Home received a let- ter from Mr. Marsden, which stated that the Re- * e< Continuation of the Concise Statement," p. 3. ports of the Commissioners of the Navy and Vic- tualling, relative to the expenditure and supplies for the ships under Sir H's orders, were to be laid before the Commissioners of Inquiry into Na- val abuses! — and farther, that, on receiving the report from the Navy Board, their lordships were pleased to direct that all the bills drawn on ac- count of the said ships, should be charged as an imprest against him ; and that his pay and half- pay, as well as that of Captain Sause of the Sen- sible, and Lieutenant Davies, should be stoptl / / Is this ingratitude surpassed by the infamous conduct of the Government of Justinian towards the gallant veteran Belisarius, to whom they were indebted for the renewal of their ancient glory ? Addison, in one of his essays, observes that " a man is unfit for a place of trust, who is of a sour, untractable nature, or who has any other passion that makes him uneasy to those who approach him ;V but the difficulty of access to the Sea- Lords would have been a trifling subject of com- plaint, had those who demanded justice at their hands Why were not these gentlemen permitted to speak in their justification, before the sentence, involving both their character and their property, was passed against them ? — Our laws direct, that no man shall be a judge in his own cause*, that the accused shall be confronted with his accusers ; and that he shall be deemed innocent, until he is proved otherwise. The forms of law, some one has observed, (I believe Junius), are essential to our constitution, but much more so to its principle and equity. Why, I must demand, have these been departed from in this investigation ? Has it * « Aliquis non debet esse judex in propria causa.' 33 not been because justice would not suit the pur- pose of persecution? — Or has it proceeded from a modest admission of the truism, that a corrupt judge is not qualified to inquire into the truth* ? From a subsequent part of the correspond- ence, however, it appears as if their lordships had been visited by some transitory compunctions of conscience; and they in consequence directed Mr. Marsden to write to Sir Home, and inform him that he might be furnished with copies of the Reports; and also, that the papers which were referred to the Commissioners, related merely to the expenditure and purchase of stores for his ships, and the sale of the articles sent on shore ; thus, indirectly insinuating, that the whole blame, if any should appear, rested with Mr. Louis, and that the Captain of the Romney would be thereby exonerated from any charges which the Report might contain. Mr. Marsden's letter added, that their lordships had desired him to say, that "they had neither time nor powers fully to investigate the circumstances alluded to." — They had, how- ever, leisure to anticipate conviction ; they had time to calumniate, and, unfortunately, they had powers to punish. By this latter faculty, they estimated the merits of the casef. Perish, I say, that power, which has been obtained by evil means, retained by similar practices, and which was administered as badly as it was acquired ; and, thank heaven, I have seen it so overthrown, that the memory of its abuses alone reminds me that it ever had existence! Well might those who thus abused their power, endeavour to retain it. They applied to themselves the remark of the devil, * " Male ven.vm examinat omnls coiruptus judex'* Hok. t " Measuraque juris vis erat." Lucan. F when admonishing his angels — " Descent and fall to us is adverse." — They may now be convinced of its applicability; for they have fallen, (possibly) never to rise again ! No exertions, it is evident, were omitted by Sir Home, to procure the official documents, in order to refute the allegations they might contain ; but it appears, that the dignified Sea-Lords, with consistent propriety, wished to retract their pro- mise, for the Commissioners of the Navy Board informed Sir Home, in April last, that they could not send him a copy of the Reports, having re- ceived no orders for that purpose, but that he might be allowed a copy of the papers which ac- companied it. In August, however, he was in- formed, that the papers could not be found; and therefore, that he could not be supplied with any copies at all! How the copies were lost is not explained ; but this may, perhaps, be an instance, in which they (the Commissioners), " departed from their customary mode of proceeding," con- ceiving that they acted conformably to the inten- tion of the Admiralty Board. At length Sir Home received the Report of the Navy Board, relative to the works performed on the Romney, but without any of the papers on which it was founded ; and, to each article of this Report, he has replied in terms the most decided and con- clusive. His arguments are the emblems of his mind, " Mild, but not faint; and forcing, though serene/* the honest, unsophisticated language of inno- cence, appealing irresistibly to the head and heart of every man who can be said to possess either. Had the candid and disinterested author of 35 the " Observations" condescended to favour his readers with this reply of Sir Home to the Report, which latter he calls an answer to Sir Home's first " Statement" the controversy would have been at an end; for the public, with materials of both parties before them, might at once have seen the absurdity of the accusations, and the magnanimity of the defence ; but this would not have answered the purpose of his partizans : — their object was ob- viously to traduce, and so rigid has been their constancy in opposing conviction, that through- out the entire mass, 1 cannot discover the mostinad- vertent disposition to tell the truth. Indeed, so eager do they appear to have been in their ...... career, te That each man stand to do his best, To damn and slander all the rest*." With the nature of the charges contained in the Report, the public are well acquainted. Of the refutation, they as yet know nothing more than what they may have acquired from my pre- ceding remarks on Sir Home's private publica- tion. Let us then observe some of the answers to the most pointed passages in that Report, which I will give as briefly as possible, and accompanied with but few observations, from a conviction, that any comment of mine will but extenuate their im- portance. Sir Home Popham is accused of having per- * My poetical readers will doubtless perceive that I have made a trivial alteration in my quotation from Hudibras. In fact, a political writer of the present day, must not venture to adopt that liberty of speech which prevailed in the time of But- ler, .lest, in the opinion of Mr. Erskine, the once-famed vin- dicator of the liberty of the press, he should " stand in the situ- ation of a malignant libeller!" 36 mitted an unnecessary expenditure of stores, and thk charge is attempted to be supported by the calculations of the Navy Office, of the propor- tionate allowances requisite under the current duty of ordinary service, without taking into ac- count the numerous and novel situations in which the Romney was engaged. No allowance is made for the destructive influence of an ardent vertical sun, beyond the general consumption in our own climate, and it is expected that the com- mon number of anchors and cables which would be deemed necessary in our own safe and defined anchorages, would suffice in the exposed road- steads, on the eastern coasts of Hindostan, or the previously almost unknown navigation of the Red Sea. This carries such absurdity on the face of it, that I will not weary the patience of my readers, by any attempt at its refutation. When, however, I hear of the innumerable vessels lost by parting from their anchors, owing to the gene- rally admitted defective quality of their cables; when I reflect on the loss of the York, and some other calamities, originating in similar causes, I am powerfully impelled to praise the honesty and independence of Sir Home Popham, in making adequate provision for the safety of his vessel, in opposition to the narrow and parsi- mony of the late Naval Government. Sir Home Popham has, however, by positive evidence, confuted the flimsy assertions drawn from the fallacious estimates to which I ha ,r e al- luded; and he has proved, that, instead of con- niving at the waste of the public stores, he has conscientiously and successfully laboured to cor- rect several points of public expence. By one arrangement, in regard to transports, it is "a fact capable of demonstration," that he saved to the 37 country, no less a sum than from 17 to 26,000L per month, while the service was better performed, in consequence of his having unencumbered it of vessels of no essential advantage ; and by substi- tuting a liberal and active system of operation throughout the fleet. The honourable discharge of another duty, to which I have also before alluded, or that relative to the exchange, was highly creditable for this officer. I have shown that, when the advance was likely to be infinitely higher than the fair rate, Sir Home established an equitable standard ; and Mr. Spearman, the purser of the Romney, who was, by Sir Home's appointment, the acting Naval Officer in the Red Sea*, observes, "that when the Comparative Statement was making out at the Victualling Office, no notice was taken of the difference of exchange between bills drawn by order of Sir Home and those of any other com- manding officer in the Red Sea, though those drawn by others were from 2s. 8d. the rupee up- wards, to a great extent, w 7 hile those drawn by order of Sir H. were never allowed to be at a higher exchange than 2s. 6d. the rupee. The Report made by the Victualling Board relates evidently and entirely to the purser of the ship, instead of to the Commanding Officer; and to him Sir Home very properly referred it. The other charges are likewise of the most contemptible description ; some relate to empty- casks, which Sir Home, under the urgency of his orders, was obliged to leave behind at Weymouth ; and of which circumstance he apprised the Vic- tualling Board, in order that they might be recovered. Another alludes to the purchase of * " Continuation of the Concise Statement," p. 30. 38 wine at Madeira, by order of Sir Home, who is asserted, by these impartial examiners, to have given an exorbitant price fbr it to Mr. Pringle, the British Consul. But they must have known the fallacy of this charge at the time that they made it — They must have known that the fact was diametrically the reverse of what they had stated it to be ; for, at that very period, there subsisted a contract between them and that gen- tleman, under which he was then furnishing, for our troops in the West Indies, wine of the same quality, and at a considerably higher price than that at which it was procured for the Romney, at what they are pleased to call exorbitant terms*. There is a similar charge with respect to vinegar, purchased from Mr. Louisf, and the price at which vinegar might have been purchased, is ex- ultingly contrasted with that at which it was bought; but, with consistent candour they with- hold a fact, which must indisputably have been known to them, namely, that the common vine- gar made in India, and which is usually suppiled by the contractors, is of such a miserable kind, as to destroy the health of those who use it, while that furnished by Mr. Louis was white-wine vinegar, brought from Europe, and which is sold in India nearly as dear as the wine itself. It was doubtless to this humane foresight and attention of the Captain of the Romney, that the health of his crew was so well maintained throughout their arduous service ; for at Suez, where an army of 20,000 men were to be sup- * The reason why a good price was given for this wine, is explained by Sir Home, in p. 16, of the " Continuation of the Concise Statement," in a way which, by indisputably proving his praiseworthy motives, confers upon him the highest credit. | Ibid, p. 48. 39 plied, and where there were no provisions, but what were sent on speculation by the merchants in India ; Sir Home never suffered any to be shipped that were not of the best quality, though inferior articles, purchased by the Victualling Board, in different parts of India, cost the contractors much more than those which were purchased at Suez by the purser of the Romney, It is service like this, that has subjected Sir Home Popham to the hostility he has experienced ; it is for this he has been held forth as an object of suspicion ; it is for this a pecuniary penalty has been inflicted on him, in the stoppage of his pay; yet, if this be the public delinquency, what ge- nerous mind does not emulate his guilt, does not participate in his sufferings, and would not vin- dicate his wrongs ? What man, having the in- terest of the service at heart, would not act as he. has done, and, like him, triumph in the enmity which such conduct has provoked ? All the remarks made by Sir Home Popham, in refutation of the charges alledged against him, are fully confirmed by Mr. Spearman, in a long string of observations, amongst which, I could not help particularly noticing those which relate to some futile insinuations, about the log not cor- responding with the different accounts. "The live cattle account not agreeing with the log," says he, " may be owing to the mate being incor- rect in his entries : the only difference is, that I debit myself with 9Slb. of fresh beef more than the log gives ; consequently, this trifling irregu- larity bears in favour of Government, and against my own interest. And," he continues, " as to the log not corresponding with the respective ac- counts, I do not in the least wonder at it, when I recollect the general inaccuracy with which logs 40 are kept. The apparent surplus of wine, and other articles noticed therein, were in all probability, private stock." Every man conversant with na- val affairs, is aware how little attention is paid to the general nature of log-keeping ; it is intrusted to the mate of the watch, and unless some object arises to fix his attention, he fills up his log with the same characteristic indifference with which he rubs through the other current duties of his vocation. I recollect an anecdote, illustrative of this observation, although the officer's name has escaped my memory — Wearied of the dull repeti- tion of courses, winds, and bearings, and, either ambitious to give a new feature to his log, or per- suaded that it mattered not what was inserted in it, had the 20th chapter of Exodus copied in it, a verse for every day of his cruise ! The errors which were detected in the logs of the Romney appear to have taken place while Sir Home was absent from the ship, attending upon Lord Granville, by Admiralty orders ; and it is curious, that though the Commissioners appear to have taken unusual pains to detect the most in- significant mistakes, they never make the slightest mention of any merits which the logs might pos- sess ; such as, the succession of important astro- nomical observations, and many other minutiae, which, it must occur to the most prejudiced ob- server, the logs must have contained. But com- mendation was, doubtless, contrary to their in- structions, " and not conformable to the intention of their lordships !" I cannot find room in these Brief Remarks, nor do I think it all necessary, to mention every point contained in the " Continuation of the Concise Statement of Facts" which goes to refute the many absurd and contemptible charges alledg- 41 ed in the Reports ; but there are, on the other hand, certain passages so deeply interwoven with the vindication of that honourable officer, that it would be an act of injustice to pass over them in silence. The principal of these are the follow- ing: In page 68 of the "Continuation," already alluded to,, is an affidavit from Mr. D. E. Bartho- lomew, formerly master's mate of the Romney, which states, that in June 1803, being unemploy- ed, he applied to Earl St. Vincent for promotion, and, after several applications, he was, on the 13th of December, ordered up from Chatham for exa- mination. On the 17th, he was again ordered to attend, in hopes that he would receive a commis- sion ; but, as soon as he announced his name, he was seized by a press-gang ', by, as he understood, the particular order of ; that he was kept on board the tender for three days, and afterwards sent on board the Zealand, at the Nore, where he was immediately tampered with, relative to the cutting of the cable of the Romney, &c. with a view, as he supposes, to obtain some information, on which Sir Home Popham might be impeached! &c. &c. Mr. Bartholomew adds, that he is convinced in his opinion, that this was their object, and that Captain , of the , had his pri- vate instructions ; because, although he was sent on board that ship as an impressed man, the Captain invited him into the cabin, and endeavour- ed to extract from him, in writing, any observa- tions respecting the supposed misapplication of the cable of the Romney ; and because Mr. For- syth, a lieutenant of the Zealand, told him, that Mr. Davies, formerly first lieutenant of the Rom- ney, was under arrest, in consequence of Nixon, G ; 42 the boatswain of the Romney, and who was then boatswain of the Zealand, having written a letter to the Board on the subject of the cable. The officers of the Zealand, it appears, did not hesitate to tell him, that they considered his impressment to be for the purpose of keeping him as a witness against his late commander. He soon after asked Nixon what was the purport of his letter to the Board, when he told him, "that he was deterr mined not to lose his wages, (which, I have al- ready observed, was stopt, as well as that of all the other officers, by order of the Admiralty), and therefore, he said, that the cable cut in Bal- lasore roads was short a peake when cut; that the remaining part was cut up by Mr. Davies, and converted into oakum ; and that he had said, Mr. Davies would not allow him to get a receipt for it from Mr. Hudson*," &c. Nixon added, that all letters sent to and from him, were inspect- ed by Captain Mitchell, agreeably to q?i order of the Board. From these, and other circumstances, Mr. Bartholomew, in his affidavit, again declares, in the most positive manner, his entire conviction, that his impressment, by order of ■ ■ ■ was not for the purpose of securing his ser- vices, because he had previously offered them, but with the sole view of extorting some evidence against Sir Home's conduct ; though he declares, that he never could alledge any thing against him ; and that he never sailed with any captain who paid more attention to the health, comfort, and discipline of his ship's company, or who was more economical with respect to the stores ! On reading the detail of these transactions, my mind revolts with disgust and indignation, * €< Continuation of the Concise Statement," p. 70. 43 and I can, with no small difficulty persuade my- self, that I live in a country, where any upstart individuals dare, with impunity, to commit an out- rage of such magnitude, against the personal liberty of the subject, and the well being of the service. I had before heard of this kidnapping expe- dient ; but I am unable to decide whether the ac- count which reached me, was an imperfect report of the daring violation committed upon Mr. Bar- tholomew ; or whether the late , in the plenitude of their uncontroled authority, may not have extended the same system to other indi- viduals, whose less fortunate situation than that of the gentleman just mentioned, may have left them the abandoned victims of the most uncon- stitutional oppression ? But I have been informed that one individual concerned in this scandalous event, (though knowing, as I do, the character of those by whom he was surrounded, I cannot bring myself to believe that it originated with him) is fast approaching to his hour of retribution; and though I feel the full force of that beautiful sentiment of Ovid, " Res est sacra Miser," and have such a hallowed respect for the afflicted, as to turn with disgust from those who would insult or depress them ; yet, when reflecting on the anecdote I have just described, I feel strongly in- clined to ask that simple question proposed by Mother Cole to the Minor, " Mercy on us, where do you expect to go when you die!" While I am upon the subject of the affida- vits, I shall, in justice, advert to certain points contained in those of the other officers of the Romney, who voluntarily came forward to vindi- cate the character of their commander. Mr. Davis, whom I have already mentioned, declares 44 that no captain could pay more attention to the health and discipline of the crew ; and that he was in the constant habit of causing the stores to be got up and aired, whenever the weather would permit, in order to contribute to their preserva- tion. He adds, that no unnecessary expence ever took place in the ship; and that none of the rigging was ever unrove, or the sails unbent, ex- cept when absolutely necessary; that, on the con- trary, the running rigging was deemed not trust- worthy long before it was replaced; that Sir Home, in the most benevolent manner, supplied all the men who were sick with provisions and wine from his own table ; and that one man, who was ill, was supplied with a pint of wine per day at Sir Home's expence, for upwards of twelve months, at a cost to him of £60. Another lieu- tenant of the Romney, Mr. R. W. Clarke, de- poses, that he has been twenty-four years in the navy, and that he never knew an officer whp con- ducted himself with more strict propriety, or who was more attentive to the health and comforts of the crew, and economy in the use of the stores. Mr. Shoveller, the surgeon of the Romney, makes oath, that during nearly three years, while he was on board, the ship was uncommonly healthy, which he attributes to the great care taken of the sick, and the humane treatment of the crew by Sir Home Popham, who paid the greatest atten- tion to their general cleanliness, and issued them, from his own private stock, wine and porter in- stead of grog ; he adds, that the life of the pa- tient lately alluded to was, in all probability, saved by the humanity and liberality of that gen- tleman. In the three years that this deponent was on board, only eleven men died of disease. There are many trivial passages in the Re- 45 port which I do not deem worthy of particular notice, though they are all fully and ably an- swered by Sir Home in his Continuation, such as the remark, that "the boatswain's and carpen- ter's stores appear to exceed the allowed pro- portion; the articles relative to the junk, the old canvas, the attempts that are made to esta- blish an inaccuracy of dates, &c. &c. With respect to the anchor lost in Ballasore Roads, the accounts of Mr. Halliday, the naval officer at Bombay, prove that he paid for an anchor which had been hooked and weighed in the Red Sea ; but with respect to the weight of the anchor lost by the Romney, " it is impossible to guess," says Sir Home, "what is meant to be insinuated by this part of the Report, seeing that the an- chor expended in Ballasore Roads was too heavy to be brought on board in any one's pocket; and it must therefore have been supplied some- where. Great stress is laid by the Reporters upon of the total amount of the charges for the repairs the Romney; but though they often express their surprise at the demands of the different agents, particularly those of Hudson and Bacon, which, for aught I know, may, though usual, be ex- orbitant, yet they obstinately endeavour to im- plicate Sir Home in these charges, as if it were possible for him to compel the agents or builders to furnish the stores and repairs at any rate which he might propose. The writer of the Ob- servations, as if, exulting in the confusion in which the Commissioners appear to have been occa- sionally involved, declares that " it is notorious that the price of ship building, both as to work- manship and materials, including such as are im- ported from Europe, is as cheap at Calcutta a$ 46 in England!" — It is sufficiently notorious, that the vapid corruscations of this author's genius have again given way to the all-devouring flame of envy: — he could find here no point which would admit of perversion, and he has brought forward what every man, who has the least knowledge of foreign trade, must know to be a gross and direct falsehood. — But such contemptible malig- nity carries with it its own exposure.; — The Com- missioners themselves, notwithstanding their sur- prise at some of the charges, would never have thought of making an assertion so absurd and ridiculous. It appears that Mr. Louis, who is, accord- ing to every account, a gentleman of strict inte- grity and the highest respectability, is yet to be examined with regard to his expenditures on the Romney and Sensible, and particularly because he did not give a receipt for the two anchors which were returned to him at Calcutta, though it has been clearly shown that he was absent at the time they were delivered. The investi- gation, however, was ordered to be carried on against him with equal rigour, because the Ad- miralty was so infatuated as to persist, in spite of conviction, that he must have owed his ap- pointment to Sir Home Popham, though he had held his situation long before the arrival of the latter in India. I am strongly inclined to think that economy was considered, by the late — • , pretty much in the light that conscience is repre- sented by Cibber's Richard, " A bug-bear hung forth to scare your shallow hungry daws, but not set up to fright themselves." The following anec- dote will, however, show that some people in the secret "know it to be rags." When those of- 47 ficers, by the immoderate sale of almost all the small vessels of war in the navy, were obliged to hire a number of gun-boats for the defence of the coast, &c. one called the E e was tendered by Mr. , of Plymouth, brother-in-law of Mr. , the then private secretary of . The offer was referred to the master builder, (also brother-in-law of Mr. ) and he re- porting that the vessel was efficient, and in all respects eligible, she was taken into the service. Shortly after, a lieutenant, whose name I be- lieve was H , was appointed to command her. Her general appearance was so strongly indicative of decay, that he reported his appre- hension of putting to sea in her; and, not im- mediately impressing the master builder with his opinion, he lifted up some of the scantlings, and filled his hat with the rotten dust of her timbers. On this exposition, farther complaints were sup- pressed, by a promise that every thing should be done, and accordingly this vessel of Mr. , which had been pronounced efficient by his re- lative, the master builder, was repaired at the public expence, and cost the country, as I have heard, nearly £2000 to place her in a con- dition to put to sea. At length she sailed to Guernsey, and on Lieutenant H reporting himself, to the Admiral, Sir , that excellent and intelligent officer, expressed his surprise that the Admiralty should send him, as an addition to his force, a vessel which was only fit to be broken up: — he could not trust her to sea, and she was stationed as a guard-ship in Gran- ville Bay; but, latterly, for her better protection, she was hauled within the pier, and there remain- ed until Sir could send her to Portsmouth. I have given this anecdote as it reached me, "no- 48 thing extenuating, or setting down aught in ma- lice;" if it be essentially erroneous, I do a kind- ness to the parties, by affording them an oppor- tunity to refute a report already in very extended circulation; if it be true, I trust the matter will be investigated. I am not, thank Heaven, yet so corrupted, as to pronounce a verdict upon an ex-part e statement — there is strong presumptive evidence of guilt on the face of the charge. I cannot anticipate the defence, but it is possible one may be made out, and I will not prejudice it by any opinion. I must, however, observe, that it is probable we should not have heard complaints of exorbitant charges for the repairs of the Romney, had they been made by one of the confraternity. It will be interesting to see what share the author of the pamphlet, under my review, has had in this transaction. I am strongly of opinion that he has, to use the words of Plutarch, pre- tended to be the physician of others, whilst he himself teemed with ulcers. That he should pretend to be an author, I must ascribe to his zeal. Johnson, on a like occasion, observed, " the man takes much pains to prove himself an ass ; he is not a genius by nature, he is only a blockhead by art. Without quarreling with the modern physiologists, or disputing their system of craniology, in its general application, I am, in the present instance, disposed to be of the opinion of Helvetius, and to think that nature ushered this man into the world a mere blank, for any knave to set his mark on. — A laborious probation through life has given him a tolerable insight into its vices, and he has profited by this knowledge, to feed the malice and indulge the rancour of his patron. I hope he may continue to eulogize 49 this man, until he place him in his proper colour, since it is admitted that " nothing blackens like the ink of fools." I have only one more remark to offer, and that relates to the method adopted for the circu- lation of the contemptible jumble of folly and falsehood, called " Observations on a Pam- phlet WHICH HAS 1 BEEN PRIVATELY CTRCU- LateDj" &c. Now, in the name of candour and liberality, who would not regard with strong sus- picion the motives of a man who publishes a book to the world with a view to refute reports which have been privately circulated amongst the friends of its author, and of the contents of which the public at large can know nothing? By such a mode, if his abilities prove equal to the task, he may easily attract general attention, and his calumnies may pass for facts, because the public do not possess the means of counteracting them by the truth. But against such' an antago- nist as the scribbler in question, the integrity of Sir Home must prove invulnerable; for, not pos- sessing the ability to write a pamphet, he has recourse to making one out of the labours of his partizans. It just now occurs to my memory, that, in one of the affidavits that were read on a late trial instituted by the Sea-Lords, Mr. — ■ asserts, that he could with ease write, in half an hour, a tract which should refute all the state- ments contained in the suppressed Pamphlet! Are we to consider the " Observations" as a specimen of the tract-making talents of this gen- tleman, or of some one of his coadjutors, equally gifted with the currente calamo ? Let us examine of what their pamphet consists. — No less than six whole paragraphs, or five pages of print ! Then 3 H 50 by way of filling out, are quoted, literally, the first thirteen quarto pages of Sir Home's " Con- cise Statement of Facts," with the omis- sion, as I have before observed, of all the justifi- catory notes and letters ; and, lastly, these no- table " Observations" are extended to sixty pages, by the addition of the Commissioners' Report, which had previously been published by its promoters in every possible way, and for which republication, under a new title, we are now modestly charged two shillings. The pam- phlet is then blazoned forth as being a most wonderful thing; curiosity is excited, the pam- phlet is sold, and its purchasers become the dupes of I should not have presumed to act the critic, a task for which so few are qualified, had not the following very admirable mode of puffing at- tracted my notice, for which I have in vain endeavoured to recollect a parallel, even in what is reported of the annals of Grub-street. From the Times (the Moniteur of the cabal) of Jan. % 1805. SIR HOME POPHAM. " A Publication is "very much the object of general conversation in the Ministerial and Naval Circles, which has lately appeared in an- swer to a Pamphlet privately distributed by Sir Home Popham. This officer, having conceived himself to be very much aggrieved by an enquiry which the late Board of Admiralty had ordered to be made into the propriety and justness of certain repairs, (and the charges made on that account,) as well as the purchase, price, and ap- plication of the stores, &c. made and delivered on board the Romney, and another ship under 51 his command, thought proper to circulate a re- presentation, to which was affixed the anonymous opinion of Counsel at the bar, &c. The present publication, entitled " Observa- tions upon a Pamphlet privately circulated, &c. is evidently intended to vindicate the propriety of the conduct of that Board in directing the en- quiry; for which purpose the Report of the Navy Board is affixed, as the most complete an- swer, upon the one hand, to the complaints of Sir Home Popham; and the best justification, on the other, of the Admiralty, for ordering the enquiry. It is impossible for an issue to be more fairly stated; and as the point is argued with great ability, we feel that we shall gratify our readers, as well as acquit ourselves of a public duty, in giving some account of the Pamphlet, and some extracts both from it and the Report." Then follow a few lines on what is called Sir Home's resentment, after which the writer modestly adds, " It is impossible to present such an epitome of this interesting Pamphlet as should entirely satisfy the curiosity of the public : (im- possible to present an epitome of six paragraphs] However they will try what can be done). The following extracts, however, will suffice to shew the nature of the contest, and upon what side the truth and advantage are to be found." As it is impossible to present an epitome, they judiciously resolve to give nearly the whole I but, without letting the reader into this secret, they quote, verbatim, three paragraphs out of the six, and follow them up with a column of such ex- tracts from the Navy Board Reports as are best suited to their purpose. This is giving some ac- count of the Pamphlet with a vengeance ! 5% However odious the task, I would sift through the remaining absurdities and falsehoods to which the " Observations" 1 give publicity, could any farther advantage arise from their exposure ; but I cannot hope " extrapere aurum e stercore," whatever might have been effected by the skill of the ancients, nor by any purification within my reach, to educe truth from a publication substan- tively and intrinsically false. I must content myself, therefore, with the hope that the task I have performed will at least destroy the veil of prejudice and faction with which the merits of this case have been so artfully obscured. Sir Home Popham is, however, in my mind, imperi- ously called upon to bring forward a complete reply to all the malevolent charges which have been made against him ; while, by the production of every fact and document connected with this interesting subject, his motives and his services would be left to the just arbitrament of a generous nation. But as to you, ye wretched progeny of Poly- phemus*, I have condescended to employ a few minutes of leisure time to hold the mirror of truth before your faces, in order that you may see the ridiculousness of your own deformity. I consider ye as a band of disappointed -Dissentious rogues, That, rubbing ihe poor itch of your opinions, Make yourselves scabs. Who deserves greatness, * Deserves your hate. Your affections are A sick man's appetite, who desires that most Which would increase his evilf." And as you have given me a smqll specimen that you understand something of Latin, I will give * I mean, the scribblers of the "Observations," f Shakspeare's Coriolanus. 53 * you another, which is, "Nesutor ultra crepidam" Ye cobblers in literature, be contented to enjoy your " otium sine dignitatef but if you are determined to use offensive weapons, for your credit's sake, adopt any instrument rather than the pen; and do not throw any more of your rubbish m the way of men of common perception, unless you chuse to scatter it gratis; for then you Blight possess the reflection which sometimes consoles the author of a damned play — that what is unfit for the stage becomes useful in the closet ! Before I conclude this hasty effusion, I shall call the attention of my readers to a subject that may shortly prove of great national in- terest. The writers of the " Observations" seem particularly concerned lest the public should suppose that they are " envious' 3 or (i jealous' of Sir Home's abilities. They assure us that they are not so, no less than three times in one page*; but Credat Judteus? their jealousy in- disputably betrays itself before they can finish the paragraph in which they disclaim its influence; and they attempt to be witty by deprecating the project of the Catamarans! But, in judging of the merit of these novel expedients, they are not to be regarded abstractedly, although they would well admit of such a test: — -the circumstances under which they were resorted to must also be taken into consideration. The par- simony of the late de- prived the country of the means to prevent the assemblement of the enemy's flotilla, and left us destitute of any adequate force to annoy it when collected. The present , too loyal to adopt either the false economy, or the procrasti- * " Observations," p. 4, 54 nation of their predecessors, came into office under every disadvantage, excepting that support which resulted from the public opinion and the universal suffrage of the service; and it was in the absolute want of every other agency for offensive operations that the catamarans were resorted to. — Of the extraordinary effect of the recent experi- ments with these machines the public are but briefly informed. I can, however, from certain knowledge, declare them competent to the most important service; and I confidently anticipate, that, in their future operations, they will lay the question of invasion at rest for ever. When Archimedes destroyed the fleets of the Romans by the effects of his burning mirror, he protracted the fall of Syracuse, and was justly hailed as the preserver of his country ; and many other examples in history will prove to us that an armament once defeated by a sudden and un- expected manoeuvre, can never regain sufficient fortitude to surmount the consequences. Hap- pily for Britain, her fleets have long been the ter- ror and the envy of her united enemies; to them we owe our greatness, our glory, our salvation; and that would be a woeful day for France in which she should trust to the event of a general engagement, on an element, where, in the face of the world, we reign triumphant. Our enemy is well aware of this, arid has given us sufficient proofs that he w\\\ never risk an action as long as his fleets can remain under the protection of the armies and the batteries which line his shores. But his incessant exertions to prepare a new kind of force, avowedly intend- ed for our destruction, and the impossibility of our preventing, by ordinary means, the accumula- tion of that force, in positions from which it might 55 most easily be drawn for our annoyance, ren- dered the suggestion of new expedients to coun- teract his artifices not only judicious, but highly laudable, and even necessary; for, as Montesquieu justly observes, " La vertu politique est la vir- tu morale, dans le sens qiCelle se dirige au bien general* " And what, I ask, can be a greater moral and political virtue, or one more calculated for the general good, than an attempt to effect our own preservation, by destroying that multi- tude of machines destined to convey to our shores the myriads of banditti, who, deluded by the prospect of plunder, have taken the oath of eternal enmity against the British name? There is no necessity here to discuss a topic which has been so often brought before the pub- lic, and on which there is now but one opinion— I mean the certainty of destruction to the invad- ing armament, should it be intercepted by any of our blockading squadrons. But those who may either condemn, or think lightly of the late expe- riments, should recollect that were there any hopes that the hydra-headed enemy would give us the chance of deciding this protracted contest single handed, there would be no occassion to resort to novel experiments, the utility of which would only be acknowledged by the people at large s if they were to be attended with complete success, while the smallest "failure that might happen, or even partial effect which they might produce, would of course diminish their importance in the minds of such as are unacquainted with their nature and extent On the other hand, such men as the wri- ters of the Observations, being admittedly better informed as to their object, anticipate with ap- prehension their ultimate success, from the dis- grace which such an event would reflect upon * Esprit des Loix. lib. iii. ch. 5, 6, 7. 66 their own inertness, at a period when they pos- sessed equal means of annoyance; and thus we may justly question their veracity, when we see them so anxious to disclaim all jealousy with re- gard to the Catamarans, in the management of which Sir Home Popham took so active a part, and to whose judicious exertions the success with which they have already been attended is, in a great degree, attribu table. From the motives I have mentioned, it might well be supposed, that those who had neither energy nor ability to suggest or undertake such experiments, should feel themselves unable to retain in secret that envenomed rancour which is always engendered in weak and malignant minds, towards men, superior in their genius, and amiable in their character. Juvenal tells us, that the Sicilians never invented a more acute punishment than that of envy*, and the page of the " Observations^ which I lately quoted, af- fords perhaps as complete a specimen of its ope- ration and effects as can be furnished by the mo- dern or ancient history of any country, where the malice of individuals is restrained by the strong arm of the law. The "services," at which those peurile writers affect to sneer, are, in my opinion, services of which every individual of patriotic in- tentions may well " be jealous;" they are the traits which bespeak the real character of a man devoted to the public interests, and though his calumniators assert, they "would not stoop to the ground to take up the brightest feather in his CApf," (a 'most delightful attempt at rheto- ric!) I think they are sufficiently degraded, to de- * Jnvidia Siculi non invenere tyranni tormentum majus." + It would have been well it they had informed us how the cap of a brave man could come to the -ground, but perhaps, at the moment of writing this figure they had before their eyes their own crest-fallen predicament, 57 corate themselves with the feathers of celebrity, if it were possible for them to possess such orna- ments, even as the highwayman procures his cash; and they have very clearly informed all candid persons, who have perused their lucubrations, what kind of "sensations" have arisen in their breasts," without requiring a " moment's reflec- tion" to add to their conviction ! Asa patriot, I feel convinced, that a successful experiment against the enemy's flotilla would not only allay the fears of many who consider even the threat of invasion as a calamity; but it would enable us either to have a greater disposable ma- ritime force, by withdrawing the numerous vessels employed in the blockade of the enemy's harbours, or by diminishing the amount of our naval esta- blishment, produce a considerable saving in our national disbursements. These, however, are but trivial and hypothetical considerations; but the terror which the late experiments have pro- duced on the enemy's shores, though not gene- rally known, is, nevertheless, undeniable and ex- tensive*. On the authority of private informa- tion, which I have received from a few persons, at present employed in actual observation on board some of our cruizers— on their authority, I will appeal to every officer on that station, whether I am stating any thing more than is founded on fact, when I aver, that enemy, ever * A good idea, however, has been formed of it by the pub- lic, since they perused the French official account of the attack on the boats off Boulogne: — that account so evidently proves the alarm, the horror, and consternation, which have been the result of the attempt, that it would surely be judicious and praiseworthy to repeat the experiment, upon the most extensive scale which our means will admit of ; for, under the prevalence of that terror with which the enemy has been struck, the advan- tage might be great, beyond example: while the loss could be but trivial^ and even a partial failure, of no general impor- tance* 68 since the attack on their boats, outside the har- bour of Boulogne, have been incessantly employ- ed in erecting additional works on every appro- priate spot of their coast, from Boulogne to Brest, doubtless, with a view to repel any future attempt of a similar kind ? But this is not all, I have been assured by a gentleman, who escaped from France only a few days ago, that the Catamaran expedition is the incessant subject of conversation, throughout the French empire; and that it has tended more to intimidate the soldiery, and depress the ardour of the seamen, than could have been effected by an ordinary defeat. All the inhabitants of Boulogne, whose circumstances would permit them to remove, have actually left that town; and the alarms of the military have been so great, that it has been found necessary to replace a number of regiments, by others from the interior. The sailors openly observe, that the protection they contrived to afford to their vessels, at one period of the last war, by chaining them to the shore, will no longer prove effectual, since they may be destroyed without the possibility of prevention, even in their very docks. On the other hand, it is well known, that the troops seriously confer, as to the probability of their general destruction, in the event of their embarking for the invasion, by a complicated scheme of this nature carried into effect upon our own shores ! These are not the reve- ries of an ardent imagination ; the exaggerations of party, or interested politics — they may be re- lied on as facts, and as such, must prove, in the most forcible manner, the consequences which have already resulted from those singular experiments to which I have alluded. How great, then, must be our admiration of, and gratitude towards the pre- sent First Lord of the Admiralty, under whose au= 59 spices this extraordinary project was planned and carried into execution ; a project well worthy of a man, whose whole political career has afforded the most striking proofs of his ability as a statesman, and his ardour as a patriot; whose mind, capable of embracing the boldest conceptions, unites also the energy of enterprise with the discretion and ability necessary to successful execution. Un- der his congenial auspices, complacency has su- perseded insolence at our Board of Admiralty, while justice has replaced . He does not seek to excite respect through the agency of fear, or to provoke hatred, as the medium of obe- dience. — In short, he is in every essential quality, the reverse of that man, whose errors he has, happily for the country, been called into power to correct. As the result of his vigorous exertions, we now see our coasts protected in every direc- tion; our dock-yards will, in a short time, be re- plenished with abundance of those valuable ma- erials, of which, through the late parsimonious system, they were suffered to approximate to a state of exhaustion; while, to check the abuses which actually exist, a new Board of Inquiry has been instituted, whose motives, and the result of whose exertions may surely be as little questionable as those of the coadjutors of Mr. O— - M— -; and, whose future proceedings will doubtless, bear the scrutiny even of his pri- vate annotations and red-book ?nemoranda* ! ! But I am advancing beyond the limits I had prescribed to my remarks; and I have already said enough to show, that my object is neither * A consolatory note, quoted for the benefit of those whom it may concern, from the comic entertainment of II Bondo- eani. " I can crack my jokes, Like other great folks, And though fairly turn'd out, call it only resigning /" 6c personality nor eulogium, but simply, a fair and candid investigation, with a view to public jus- tice, by the exposure of malevolence and detrac- tion. It was, what I considered, as a most illi- beral, and unjustifiable attack upon Sir Home Popham, that induced me to take up the pen; and, I trust, I shall be admitted to have pursued the subject with firmness and moderation. In- deed, after what has passed of late in our Courts of Justice, a man who discusses subjects of a po- litical nature, must have more than common for- titude, to adopt that strength of language, which was formerly the licence of general disquisition. A prosecution, for investigations of this kind, I understand, is still pending, and the promoters of it, from the casual success which has al- ready attended their career, may, perhaps, sup- pose that they have the law in their own hands — that they are, de-facto, the masters of the persons and property of those who dare to question the propriety of their public conduct. But, if this doctrine be admitted, there is an end to our boast- ed liberty of the press, that grand palladium of the rights of Britons. Public delinquency, shel- tered behind the imposing terrors of the law, will then grow bold with impunity, and the voice of the nation, which should restrain a vicious ad- ministration, or influence a weak one to the ho- nest discharge of its duties, can no longer be heard. "While the liberty of the press exists," says De Lolme, " there can be no fear for the li- berty of the subject." — Let us then prose, and maintain that essential blessing; while we receive, from the condition of France, this important truth, that the slavery of the press is THE FIRMEST SUPPORT OF CIVIL TYRANNY \ THE END. J. Swin, printer, 76, Fleet Street. SEQUEL TO THE BRIEF REMARKS ON THE « OBSERVATIONS ON THE CONCISE STATE- MENT OF FACTS;" BEING A FARTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE INQUIRY RELATIVE TO THE CONDUCT OF SIR HOME POP HAM, Burin* his Command in the Red Sea, in which that Proceeding is traced to its proper Origin. TO WHICH ARE ADDED, A COMPLETE COPY OF THE AMENDED REPORT OP THE NAVAL COMMISSIONERS, WITH VARIOUS COMMENTS, EXTRACTS FROM THE OFFICIAL PAPERS BEFORE THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, AND NOTES, CRITICAL, SATYRICAL, AND ILLUSTRATIVE. By JESCHINES. - D4s«fci Justitiam Moniti, /S. VlRGIt, To be a dog and dead, Were Paradise to such a state as his ROWEr LONDON : racters to whom the nation looks up with anxiety and expectation, will endeavour to reconcile, rather than to inflame; will consign to oblivion 11 ADVERTISEMENT. all former animosities ; and will rather think well of, than reprobate a zealous partisan. I address myself in the most serious manner to the individual who has long been the idol of the populace, and whose patriotism has not unfre- quently excited my admiration : I entreat him to give this important matter a due consideration, previous to its dis- cussion, and to prove by his powerful eloquence that he is the enemy of persecution in whomsoever that spirit may be detected. As to the polar-star of our political hemis- phere ; the protector of our liberties; the saviour of our country, I anticipate from his talents on this and every other occasion, the most glorious result ; and look forward with sanguine expectation to the period when his just exertions in behalf of those whose upright conduct and principles have drawn upon them the iron hand of oppres- sion and malice, will cause them to be restored to the favour of the public and its consequent advantage. A SEQUEL FEW BRIEF REMARKS, $c. u Take notice of that Man — see what falsehood, intriguing and shift- " ing he is content to go through, to impose upon the world a " momentary opinion of his integrity.— Three grains of honesty " would save him all that trouble ; but, alas, he has them not." Sterne. JL O hold up this Man to general condemnation, or rather to expose the arts to which he has resorted for the indulgence of personal ran- cour — to shew the criminal industry with which he has laboured to excite popular odium against those Officers whose virtues rendered them ob- jects of hatred to his employers, or whose res- pectability and services alarmed their jealousy, are the reasons which have induced me again to offer myself to public consideration. It is an admitted axiom, that it is not enough that a man should himself act upright : — his duty to his country demands that, to the extent of his pow- er, what is right should not only be made known, but made prevalent; and that what is evil should not only be detected, but defeated. Through the powerful agency of a venal press, the conduct of the late Board of Admiralty has, amongst a certain class, acquired a character fo- reign to its quality. Its tyranny has been deno- minated independence ; its oppression has been 2 representee! as energy and diligence ; the fabri- cation of charges has been received as evidence of its integrity ; and a partial vindictive inquisi- tion has been concealed under the usurped name of candid investigation. How these charges have been foiged, and how the inquiries have been conducted, will be shewn in the following pages. The majority of my readers, I am con- fident, will feel the same honest indignation which I experienced, on perusing the Navy Board's Amended Report. They will see with horror, with what facility the fences of the Con- stitution, which had environed innocence, can be beaten down ; and they must feel this obvious truth, that unless some striking example be made of the present criminal, to deter others from like delinquency, the reputation and for- tune of every man are held by most precarious tenure. It has been mentioned to me, that Mr. Tucker was preparing a reply to the third or amended Report of the Navy Board, and I have, inconse- quence, for some days delayed the present publi- cation. I entertained an idea of the possibility of his writing, not from an opinion that he would be able to advance any thing in his defence, but from observing the power of self-delusion, which often leads men, whatever be their characters with the rest of the world, to find reason for es- teeming themselves ; so that censure, contempt, or conviction of crimes, will fail to deprive them of their own favour. Upon this principle he may attempt his exculpation ; and I will farther concede, that he may have admirers; for, as Mr, Burke says, " there never was a mean and abject mind that did not admire an intrepid and dexte- rous In the bottom of their hearts they 3 believe sueh hardy miscreants to be tire only men qualified for great affairs." I hope, however, that he has done with ma- nufacturing public Reports; for it is now ascer- tained, that the charges which were brought against Sir Home Popham by the late Board of Admiralty, at a time when that Officer returned from a most ardent service in a distant climate, formed only a link of that concatenation of ca- lumny and persecution which was so liberally aspersed as a reward for toil and danger, and of which those received the greatest portion who were most entitled to the approbation and grati- tude of their country. The accounts relative to the repairs of the Romney and Sensible were considered as a favourable subject for the fabri- cation of charges, and the fulmination of reite- rated reports of fraud, peculation, and public rob- bery. But the bungling manner in which such unfounded charges were brought forward, added to the tyrannical proceedings with which they \vere accompanied, carried with them their own refutation, at least amongst such as were capable of reflection, and were not led away by the ima- ginary virtues of the late Board of Admiralty, propagated, as they were in every shape, by themselves and their parasites. Thus some ad- ditional means became expedient to give curren- cy to their fabrications ; they found that an impeachment begun in fraud, could only be maintained by similar exertions: and finding that their calumnies did not operate so effectually as they could wish, in the place where, of all others, they were anxious to have them dissenv minated,* their own characters became involved^ f The Senate. u And forcM them, as it were in spite * Of nature and their stars, to write." Butler. Whether their literary exertions have created any addition to their fame, or whether, to use the words of Waller, they have not fairly contributed " To make the wretch the mostdespis'd, " Where most he wishes to be priz'd," is a question which I shall leave to the decision of my impartial readers, after they have perused the important documents which I am about to lay before them. When commenting- in my Brief Remarks* on the charges contained in the second Report of the Navy Board, relative to Sir Home Popham, I considered the positive testimony of the Warrant Officers of the Romney, who swore, in the most direct terms, f that there was no improper ex- penditure of stores — to be farsuperior to specula- tive conclusions, unsupported as they were even by plausibility. The manner, also, in which these conclusions were worded, and the malig-.. nant triumph expressed on them, in the pamphlet, called "Observations" &c. strongly impressed me with an idea that all was not fair ; but when I reflected, that the Report in question had been drawn up by individuals, whom I had every rea- son to think were " honourable men," I fully ac- quitted them of all blame. My knowledge of some of the facts naturally suggested tome that they must have been imposed upon, and I cor- dially lamented that the author of the fraud was likely to escape that punishment which his de- linquency deserved. Thank Heaven my fears * Page 13. f Vide Papers before Parliament, p, 97. were unfounded — I see the culprit trembling at the bar of public justice — and I anticipate, with satisfaction, a heavy retribution. Sir Hone, taken, as he was, by surprise, cer- tainly brought forward the most complete refu- tation of the charges preferred against him,* but with this the world was unacquainted ; while the libeller of his character presuming upon his si- lence, and being himself totally ignorant of that moral attribute, modesty, the certain indication of a great mind, had the impudence, under the mask of patriotism, to produce an accumulation of falsehoods, with a view to gain over the public opinion to what is now proved to be the most in- famous and barefaced transaction that has, per- haps, ever occurred in the political history of this kingdom. But their iniquitous artifices are exploded ; justice has at length " burst over their heads, like a celestial carcass ;" and has ruined their characters forever. The paper which was laid before the House of Commons on the 4th instant, entitled, the " Amended Report of the Navy Board," has covered with lasting shame the faction which first caused them to proceed, by shewing to what a length men inclined to ty- rannize, even over the most eminent characters, can carry their encroachments on the constitu- tion of the country, in defiance of its established customs and laws. Before the production of this documentj could it, I will ask, be believed, * It was contained in the " Concise Statement of Facts" and the " Continuation," which this respectable Oihcer printed only for pri- vate circulation, amongst his particular friends, but which, I believe, he has since published, perhaps, in consequence of the strenuous man- ner in which I urged him to adopt that means of vindication; — ^it is needless to add, that the scribbler of the " Observations" took advan- tage of the se pamphlets, while in private circulation, having obtained them by the aid of treachery, and gained the prepossession of the pub- lic, by answering them in a way that served his own purposes. that a single member of the Navy Board would have undertaken (no doubt under the di- rection of a superior authority) to draw up fal- lacious STATEMENTS, to DISTORT FACTS, tO REFUSE EVIDENCE, and tO ALTER CALCULA- TIONS, made on the long established principles of the department to which he belonged ? Such, however, was the fact; but what was the inten- tion ? Nothing less, it is clear, than to ruin per fas et nefas, by every possible expedient which malice and iniquity coujd suggest, the good fame, character and fortune of an individual. But from the information now before the world, it will not require much trouble to trace these most scandalous proceedings to their proper origin. The main charge against Sir Home Popham was the total amount of the sums for the re- pairs of the ships under his command in the In- dian Seas ; and the object of the pamphlet en- titled " Observations," was most shamefully to persuade the public by an ex parte statement, that this respectable Officer had pocketed a con- siderable part of the sum ; or, to use the words of its author,* that the public purse had been thrown open to an interested individual. This amount was stated at 71,0981. and when Sir Home, indignant at the insinuations which had been levelled against him, detailed, in his "Con- cise Statement" the items of the repairs done to the Romney, shewing that the whole, notwith- standing the increased value of materials in In- dia, and the per- cent age always added there, amounted to scarcely 90001. sterling, the ob- server alluded to made this Commander's just * Vide Note in \\ Observations/ 1st Editiop,p. 17V remark a subject for what he conceived to be satire, by the most ridiculous inference, that, at this rate, (the usual charge made in India) the repairs and stores of the British Navy would cost 20,000,0001. per annum ; though the im- portant fact was before his eyes that the charges for L'Oiseau, Heroine, La Forte, &c. which had likewise been repaired at Calcutta, amounted to nearly one half more than the expences of the Romney for similar assistance. This unequivo- cal spirit of personality could not fail to make a deep impression upon those who were acquainted with the general conduct of the late Admiralty. Sir Home, overwhelmed with surprise and indig- nation, was the first to suspect the motives of his accusers, and intimated, in his " Concise State- ment,'" that the proceedings of the late Board were u oppressive and unconstitutional." But the party ridiculed the just feelings of this in- jured individual, and triumphing in their fancied success, made the following comment on the last mentioned remark : — " It was very ungra- cious, certainly, in presuming to inquire into vour conduct; but what will you say, Sir Home, to that VILE REPORT* of the Navy Board which fully justifies all these ungracious proceedings. We learn, in the same pamphlet, that at that time Sir Home's Counsel said he had no doubt that much undue, unworthy, and a ?nost unprofessional spirit of personal oppression had been exercised by men to whom the Crown had confided power, and that the aggressors must * Vide " Observations" p. 20. — It was, indeed, a vile report ; and I congratulate its framers upon their discovery of the odium with which they were enveloped. To be virtuous requires an effort; for, as Juve- nal says, we are all easily taught to imitate that which is base and de- praved. — " Turpihus et previs omnes sumus." — They have made this effort, and the thanks of their country await their fortitude and independence. feel themselves fyiirt and disappointed to thtuU most, upon finding their schemes of malevolence" injured, and their expectations disappointed." Instead, however, of this anticipated effect, we find them like hardened criminals at the mo- ment of suffering the extreme sentence of the law, in a state of desperation, boldly triumphing in the anxiety they had occasioned, and regard- less of the thunderbolt which was about to crush them, exulting to the last moment of their poli- tical existence in that system which they had so long digested, and at length brought to the very acme of moral turpitude. Although the primary and only object of these remarks was to congratulate the public, on the detection of that iniquitous influence which has covered its agents with eternal disgrace, yet I cannot avoid touching briefly upon the princi- pal points of the controversy, partly with a view to refresh the memory of my readers with what is past, and partly from motives of self-congra- tulaticn, from the vanity of imagining that my former strictures may have alarmed the respecta- ble individuals who framed the first Report, and induced them to amend it* in order to rescue their character from the stigma which has till now been attached to it. But whatever may have been the cause, the public will soon have reason to be proud of the result: the myrmidons of oppression, after the punishment which I foresee awaits them, will furnish an imposing lesson, that " Raro antecedentem scelestum Deseruit pede prena olaudo. Horace. Had the puerile petulance of the author of the " Observations" originated in, or ceased with his literary phillipic, it would have been compara- tively of little importance to the public, who are^ in general, tolerably able to judge of men's mo- tives by their actions, and who, from the puerili- ty of manner and of matter, the distortion of facts, and the prevalence of prejudices, in the tract alluded to, would have considered it as the emanating influence of a narrow mind. The most uninformed reader, without taking any interest in the controversy, must have known that duty in the Red Sea, and duty off Cape St. Vincent^ are two different things ; and that from the in- creased burthen of taxes, price of materials, and value of labour, no parallel ought to be drawn between 1767, the time when the Romney was built, and 1805. In what terms then ought we to stigmatize the indecent attempt to prejudice the public mind, by the assertion already alluded to,* " That the Romney cost, when built, scarce 2£,000l."t This despicable scribbler, had he sta- ted the general estimate of the London builders, would have found that a two decked ship could not be built for less than 321. a ton ; and that the Romney's age rendered her almost in- competent to the duty she had to undergo; that although she might be turned complete from the carpenter's hands, such a voyage as she had per- formed would necessarily render her in a state to require very considerable repairs on her arrival at Calcutta : indeed, on reference to the papers before Parliament, we find she was almost sink- ing in the channel before she sailed ; but even this information to the public would have been * In page 18 of the " Observations," 1st edition. t Probably timber was then 21. 10s. a load, it is now 71. a load, w inconsistent with the object of the author, who throughout has laboured " To gloss the wrong, pervert the right, And change the face of reason qoite ;" and hitherto, it is to be lamented, with no smalt success : — his re-iterated charges gained credit with the populace, amongst whom, as Dryden most justly observes, " -He that lies most loud is most believed." His remarks on the waste of cordage, &c, shew the littleness of the man's mind, and that he is only qualified to keep a junk-shop at Wap- ping. — Indeed he plays so well on this article, that the strings of his lyre should be rope- yarns /* I cannot refrain from making a slight obser- vation on his comment on vinegar ; the Victual- ling Board being referred to for the price of that article, which, as I will make it appear, is by no means a proper medium of information. That Board contracts here for large supplies of every article for the consumption of the navy, and the contractor finds his account in the quantity of the whole of his supplies ; but if a merchant has a solitary article to dispose of, it is reasonable to suppose a larger profit is but adequate to such a sale. But the miserable writer of the " Obser- vations" pretends not to know that general adver- tisements produce two effects, diametrically oppo- site to each other. By explaining, therefore, these effects, I shall, perhaps, render him a seiv vice in his future contracts, and, at the same time, afford some information to the public. The Victualling Board, for example, in a time * It will be seen by the papers before Parliament that no stores were ever improperly expended, and that she never had more than was deemed necessary. 11 'of real or imaginary scarcity, will advertise for provisions, &c. which will produce competition amongst the few individuals who may tender, but it will assuredly raise the article on the public; and though I do not mean to contend that open contracts are not less liable to abuse than private agreements, yet I think it might be easily made to appear, that the numerous advertisements, which have of late been issued from that Board, have been the means of taking from the pockets of the nation several hundred thousand pounds, by the way in which the contracts were entered into ; a trifle, to be sure, in the opinion of these magnanimous econo- misers of the public property; but which has, in my mind, infinitely more injured the country than the 32cwt. of junk, for the Sensible, on which such stress is laid in p. 40 of the " Ob- servations. " But this pitiful writer is again to be told, that the system of his patrons, the " Sea Lords," was parsimony : that they went into of- fice with ample stores in all the yards ; that there has been a time when they were so short, that workmen could not proceed : and that while he was attending to the expenditure of junk and oakum, the imperious want of the most important supplies for the navy Avas notorious. * The arbi- * A proof in point. " Our dock-yards have not only been f deprived of those sinews of war, which the late upright and u provident Board of Admiralty had collected, but they have been iC (probably by way of "drawing closer the bonds of peace and amity") " made the means of supplying the arsenals of France!" Cobbett's Ann. Reg. vol. 3, p. 60. " Of the artificers discharged from the dock-yards, Captain " Markham observes — " Oh ! a plan is now in great forwardness for " the relief of those men, and will be got ready as soon as the pressure " of other business will admit/' " Query. — What was, in the mean time, to become of men with " their families, without any other subsistence but their daily labour? " They had no alternative but to starve or emigrate." Cobbett's Ann. Reg. vol. 3, p. 361. [The public will recollect that some of them have been restored ; n fcrary manner that had been adopted to displace persons old in the service, and to put others, crea- tures of the reforming gang, into tlwir places, is also notorious # ; and hence it is not a matter of surprise that any person over whom they could exercise their authority of investigation, should, instead of a fair, open, and honourable examination, be subjected to a narrow, partial, and secret inquisition : but I will, in charity, inform this dastardly writer, previous to his coming before the bar of the public, that re- spectable mercantile individuals are not to be attacked with impunity, for they have to lose what he never possessed — an unsullied reputa- tion ! and I would advise him to be a little more cautious of libelling their certificates ; for they have money to sport in legal discussions, which Officers probably cannot afford to risk. While I am on this subject, I will direct the attention of my readers to the great stress which, in page 5, of these remarkable Observa- tions, is laid on the five per cent, commission ; but it is found, in page 43, to be regular, A similar malicious observation is made on the builder's profits of 201. per cent, and with equal propriety. I will here beg leave to ask this disinterested writer what his " Sea Lords''' can expect the frigates now repairing in the River will be done for? and also, if builders and mer- chants incur no risk — take no trouble—- are at no expense— ^have no Income Tax to pay— -no capital employed-—" no wear and tear" of and that tills re-employment ha» To allow no one to be stiled a gentleman, whose father was not so A before him, &c. ike. V When a person is found, who possesses these requisites, I would ad- w > vise cathechising him with the following queries : \& How came you to be broke ? NyJf How came you to be reinstated ? £ How came you to leave your ship in the West Indies, and was not ^ this desertion ? . \ How came you to leave all your papers behind you ? ^^ How came your Purser to be made Store-keeper, and for what ^\ services ? ^ ^ Why is a man's moral character affected by deserting from a ser- \ vice into which he was forced ? v^ Unless he can answer these questions he must not be allowed the W^ title of a gentleman. * The man who was most active in this proceeding, has often been heard to use the very words which I have quoted, and to triumph in the ultimate consequences which he anticipated would result from his at- tempts. The crest of Sir Home, it appears, is a stag's head with branching antlers. * Vide Cobbett and ethera From an'inspection of the Papers laid before Parliament it is evident that all the officers exa- mined by the newly instituted Court at Chat- ham, swore, in the most positive manner, that there never had been the smallest improper ex- penditure of any of the stores; and that all the Captains belonging to the squadron, who were in England, besides many other individuals of the highest respectability, have sent affidavits of the most explicit nature, all coinciding as to the regular conduct of the officer in question, of his regard for the public interest, his un- wearied zeal and incessant exertions for the good of the service, as well as for the uncommon dis- cipline and high state of health of his ship's company. Many of these documents have al- ready been read in the House of Commons ; hut the whole of the scrutiny only proves the expenditure of a few yards of canvas, a few fathoms of rope, or the bending of a new sail, which, according to the economising ideas of those who caused the inquiry, may have been done too soon. But such conduct in a com- mander is a mere matter of opinion, and con- fers upon him credit rather than blame, provided this discretion is not wantonly exercised :— One man may choose to wear a coat till it be threadbare, while another will have a new one every month ; and for many reasons I think, were the question as to which is the most judicious conduct put to the vote, the majority of the public would be in favour of the latter, because the former by his negli- gence might bring disease and destruction upon his whole frame. The comparison and infer- ence are easy and natural. But supposing we admit that such an expenditure of sails and d 2 rigging bordered upon extravagance, is this a proof that the whole conduct of the officer in question is liable to the charge? On the con- trary, his great and important reforms in the transport service will shew, that where a saving of any extent could be made for the public, he was the first to project and carry it into exe- cution. If gentlemen will examine Captain Lowe's affidavit, the agent for transports*; they will find that he declares the activity and zeal of this officer in hastening the expedition to Egypt was, in the opinion of every man who bore witness to it, absolutely unprecedented. " I can safely and solemnly swear," says he, " that I never knew him to stoop or to con- desend to any thing improper; and I think he would have spurned at any consideration offer- ed from any commander, or agent of ships, em- ployed on that service ; that as far as I could observe, Sir Home Popham acted most indepen- dently in the duties of his command, and I have been assured that many of the vessels which he discharged belonged to his most intimate friends, and to whom he owed great obligations,'" &c. &c. It also goes on to shew, that the saving to the country, by his retrenchments in the transport service alluded to, amounted, not as I stated in my former Remarks, to about J 6,000/. but to the enormous sum of nearly thirty thousand pounds sterling per MONTut! Hence I cannot but think that the patriotic mover of the business against this Officer (Mr, Kin- naird) must have been most egregiously de- ceived and imposed upon with respect to the information he received; and when he dis- * Official Papers, page 121, f Vide Official Papers, pageli5t 21 covers the shameful error into which he has ^ been led, he will, like the Commissioners Qi^-^^7' -h^ftflty, feel it his duty to make the most com- plete amende honorable to the object^of his cen- sure. Indeed every man who has stood forward as an accuser on this occasion, must, I should think, feel awkward at his predicament. Any kind of recantation is certainly more creditable than the tacit resolve to pursue the same course, after the discovery that, as Otway says, he " Has been by fools misled, to knaves a prey." Before I touch upon the amended Report, I will advert to another circumstance of very ma- terial importance. It will be remembered that the principal charge against Sir Home is the " enormous expence" for the repairs of the Romney at Calcutta. There are few individuals who do not know that a certain sum is allowed by Par- liament for the ordinaries of the navy, calcu- lated for each ship, according to the number of hands, in the following proportions : — Wages - - L. 1 17"\ Victualling - - 1 18 f per month per man, in which is in- Wear and tear - 3 o( included all the pay of omcers. Ordnance - - 5* ■ ^ The total amount per lunar month, X. 7 > for every seaman voted by Par-* —. j liament. Now let them peruse the subjoined statement, taken from the papers before Parliament: — " Navy -Office, £ An account of the expences 19th Feb. 1805.$ of XheRomney, from the 25 th November, 1800, the day she sailed from Sheerness, to the 2d June, 1803, as nearly as can De ascertained at this office. 22 with a view of shewing how much she exceeded the proportion of the vote of Parliament, allow- ed for zvear and tear, and ordnance, or came within that sum, reference being had to the state of the ship, when she sailed, and when she returned, with a fair appreciation of the stores she returned with. The proportion of the vote of Parliament, under the heads of wear and tear, and ordnance, for the navy, is 3/. 5s. a man a month. The allowance for wear and tear, viz. 3/. a man a month, calculated for 343, (the complement of the Itomney) during the thirty-three months she was absent from England, amounts to The expences incurred on account of the said ship, during the same period, are as follow : — Value of the supply of stores for twelve months, taken out in her - Cost of the stores purchased, and repairs performed at Calcutta - - - X. 25,139 Abating for condemned stores sold - 515 Value of stores supplied at the Cape of Good Hope, in 1301 - Expences of refitting, after her return to England, to put her in a complete state for service - Abate the value of eight months proportion of stores brought home in her - 33,957 7,050 24,624 760 3,212 35,64:Q 4,700 X. 30,946 Hence it appears, that instead of the enor- mous expences so infamously said to be incurred by the commander of this ship, under circum- stances of peculiar danger and difficulty, the whole amount is three thousand pounds LESS THAN WHAT IS ALLOWED BY PAR- LIAMENT FOR THE SAME PERIOD, IN THE ORDINARY ROUTINE OF THE SERVICE. With- out saying a word of the service in question, 23 and it is seen by the affidavits of the officers that from the extreme heat of the Red Sea, and the dry winds, canvass and cordage are completely destroyed in half the time that they would be in any other place. In page 45 of the notable " Observations" is the following passage, to which I likewise beg to call the attention of my readers. u We must repeat what we have before ob- served, that this Pamphlet " The Concise State- ment of Facts" would have been treated with silent contempt*, had it not been one of the many means by which the character, zeal, and energy of the late Admiralty Board were secretly traduced and misrepresented j. Sir Home may boast of having had his share in the honourable employment, and is now, ia spite of the fusty Report of the Navy Board, become a Privy Counsellor and distinguished leader in, the tiny war of catamarans and fire- works ; and has succeeded Sir Sidney Smith ia the command of the Antelope, no doubt with a xiew of having the Boulogne blockading squadron under his orders.*' * It is a lamentable circumstance for the credit of this elegant Pamphleteer, that he did not suffer his finer feelings to subside into that contempt of which he speaks, because he would thus have pre- vented the accumulation of contempt which he has now brought upon his own shoulders. In the former case he would only hare acquired the simple contempt which men of honour attach to malignant minds; but now, by the exposure of his literary talents, he has brought upon himself such abject contempt, that while his efforts are des- pised, his publication is considered as " A tale told by an idiot ; " Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.'* Shakspeare- f Poor innocent souls! how vilely they seem to have been useeen laid before the House ; and I firmly hope, that, on the approaching discussion they will express, in the strongest possible manner, the detestation in which they hold the real authors of such glaring iniquity. It is of no small importance that the public should know under what influence the Second * The treatment which Sir Home has received will, I hope, be a warning to all Naval Officers never to deviate from the direct line of their profession. To his diplomatic abilities may fairly be attributed all that concatenation of spleen, envv, and malice, with which he has been environed, , f A person in an official situation lately informed me that when Lord St. Vincent, on his return to town, saw" the copy of a most in- decent Letter that had been sent to Sir Home Popham, and which is given in the Papers, he expressed his indignation at it, and desired it might be immediately altered, but it was too late — the Letter had been, seat from the Admiralty a few hours before. 29 Report with respect to the Romney was formed, and although the Third, or amended Reporf throws much light on this point, I will en- deavour to illusstrate it still further. The early proceedings of the Commissioners not proving satisfactory to those who employed them, they were incessantly attacked with let- ters from the Admiralty directing their atten- tion to different points, with a view to their bringing forward something that would bear the semblance of a charge. They were accord- ingly ordered " to examine from any returns of stores supposed to be on board the Romney, Sec. how far it was necessary that the additional stores purchased at Calcutta should be obtained,'* to which in their Report*, dated Oct. 18, 1802, they answer that " they had employed the ut- most diligence in investigating the several ac- counts, and as a check thereto, had referred the whole to the respective officers at Deptford Yard." They ihen observe " That taking into due consideration the result of ourpwn inspection of the Accounts, and the Report we have received upon the subject from the Deptford Officers, also the circumstances of the Charges in the Bills being attested, as the then market-price at Calcutta, by two resident merchants at that place, of known credit and respectability, ice do not see any reason to con- * The reader should observe that this Report was made at a time when tiie Commissioners of the Navy were unbiassed, and uninflamed by prejudice or party, and was the result of extreme deliberation; tor although it was repeatedly called for, they requested more time to make it proper ; and they called to their assistance, as is usual, the Dock- Yard Officers of Deptford. — After this Report had been made some months, Mr, Tucker was appointed a Commissioner, and it appears, framed a Second Report, which is the one that has been pub- lished in the pamphlet entitled " Observations on the Concise State* t of facts," $6 dude otherwise, than that the Repairs of the Ships have been executed, and the Naval Stores procured upon the best obtainable terms." From this it was evident that very different measures most be resorted to before any Charges could be made out, and accordingly we find the Officers of the Romney rigidly examined upon oath, with a view as I have shewn in my former Remarks, and in the present tract, to extort from them something like criminality against their former commander.— The answers of these Officers were a complete negative to every question that went to improper expendi- ture, &c.— On the contrary, they all concurred In giving their Captain the highest possible cha- racter. The Boatswain, who was detained on board the Zealand at the Nore, and threatened with the loss of his pay, was then tampered with about the cable, and he acknowledged that after it was cut in Balasore Roads, it was made into oakum, and every bit of it used for caulking ; to which he still asserts he is ready to make his affidavit # . About this time Mr. Benjamin Tucker, who has since made so conspicuous a figure, was somehow or other removed from the Committee of Correspondence to the Committee of Stores, for the obvious purpose of investi- gating, accounts of stores. Accordingly on receipt of the Letter from Capt. Mitchell, with the above deposition of the Boatswain, the fol- lowing most remarkable answer, signed by the said Mr. Tucker, was returned. * My readers will recollect, tliat in the " Brief Remarks/* I quoted the Boatswain's recantation, in which he admitted that he only said it zvas cut up, fyc. to avoid losing his pay,, with which he was threatened 31 SIR, Navy-Office, Dec 31, 1805. We have received your letter containing the account given by boatswain of the Romney, of the manner in which the cable cut on board that ship was disposed of, and desire YOU WILL SERIOUSLY EXHORT HIM to state if any other circumstances of that nature took place with respect to the expenditure of any other de- scription of stores, as the effects of the present state of his account cannot fail of being attended with the most serious conse- quences TO HIM, &C. &C. As this serious letter is particularly alkided to in the amended report, I shall merely request mv readers to recollect that at this time the boatswain was kept, a prisoner, on board the Zealaud, for the express purpose of forcing him to come forward as a witness against his Captain. His examination was not sufficient, for on this he declared, that he never knew of any impro- per expenditure of stores, &c. But as some charge was, at all events, to be produced, it be- came necessary, seriously to exhort kim, or, m other words, to threaten him with all the ter- rors of hell and damnation ; or what perhaps might have greater effect upon the mind of a blunt and ignorant seaman, to remind him of the serious consequences which would re- sult to hi in from not receiving his pay > un less he criminated his Captain; namely, that by not being able to pay his debts, he would be transferred from a prison ship at the Nore to the custody of the keeper of the county jail of Kent ! # * I should very much like to hear the candid opinion of the high legal Characters, on £his patriotic and rtew constitutional m exhorting evidences, and threatening them in failure of the expected, by exhortation. — Th'is is, in plain terms, a v. eharge. Such was the system adopted till the affair caught the attention of Parliament, and induced an investigation, which, bv ultimately fixing the criminality upon its proper objects, will vindicate the characters of two officers, one of whom* had nearly fallen a sacrifice to the schemes of a most insidious and unprincipled enemy ; and the otherf by the stigma which attached to him for giving his sanction to such an infamous project, was on the point of losing a portion of that credit which he had acquired by his exposure of real and flagrant abuses. Let us then hope that he will, like the Com- missioners, discard the culprit who has brought disgrace upon his name, and honourably ac- knowledge the artifices to which he has been subjected — artifices which have hitherto suc- ceeded in making him advance his most terrible enemies, and persecute his most disinterested friends, whose only wish was to see him bear, unsullied to his grave, the laurels which he had acquired by his integrity and valour. The following is the Amended Report of the Commissioners, who signed the charges brought against Sir Home, to which I have subjoined such simple comments as the pas- sages appeared to me to deserve. This important document begins with assign- ing the reasons of the Board for the revision of their former Report ; but, for my own part,, although I am inclined to think that these gen* tlemen have shewn too great an aptitude to ac- commodate their Reports to the wishes of their superiors, without always exercising that honest independence of sentiment which they owed to the subject and to themselves ; yet I sincerely / * Sir Home Pophanu f Earl St. Vincent* 33 honour the candour with which, on the present occasion, they have avowed their previous er- rors ; and I sympathise in their distress at hav- ing heen made the dupes of hase and insidious artifice*. The Report runs thus : SIR, Navy Office, April 1, 1805. '* We have received your letter of the 27th of February, enclosing one from Sir Home Popham, dated the i5th of the same month, on the sub- ject of our Report of the 20th of February, 1804, relative to the expences of the Squadron under his command ; and communicating the directions of the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that we should state to you, for their Lordship's information, " Why, as represented by Sir Home Popham, we " have departed from the usual practice, by " founding our Report so much upon such vague " authority as Officers' Journals, and not resort- " ing generally to the Log of the Ship, which is il considered the only authentic document, and 1 which, in many cases of trifling inaccuracy, " has been cited in our Report." " In answer thereto, we request you will in- form their Lordships, that the Report appears to * Without subscribing to the doctrine of passive obedience, I really cannot help considering these Commissioners as a most accom- modating body of gentlemen. In their second Report they conclude with the candid and extraordinary information, that " they have drawn it up without calling upon Sir Home Popham, agreeably to their usual mode for any explanations; conceiving it to be their Lordships' intention (meaning Lord St. Vincent's board,) that they should proceed in that manner." i. e. that tkey should bring forward charges against him without allowing him to explain them. But the said Board having passed away, " Like the baseless fabric of a vision," /caving the Commissioners behind, they conceive it to be the intentions of the present Board that they should proceed in a manner entirely different; or in other words, that no charges should be brought forward but such as are incontrovertible, which at length appear to be none at all ! — They, therefore, hasten to recant their former errors, and await fresh instructions. Hence & fourth Report will, perhaps, be deemed necessary, to inform the public which of the three first is to be relied on ! F be in general founded on the stated amount of the Boatswain, on the Ships' Log, on the Cap- tain's Journals, and on other documents in this Office, conformably to directions received from their Lordships, at different times, on this sub- ject, as are hereinafter particularized. We must, however, admit, that in a document made out by the Portsmouth Officers, which is referred to in the Report, citations are made of the journal of the First Lieutenant, which, however, tend merely to shew, that it is silent on some occur- rences which are mentioned in the Log-book. " Although their Lordships have called our attention to this single passage of Sir Home Pop- ham's letter above-mentioned, there are other parts of it, which, together with the correspon- dence that has taken place between him and ourselves, on the subject of the Report, demand our serious consideration ; and, as the Report of the 20th of February, 1 804, is now before the Legislature, and from the light which has been thrown upon it, in consequence of the examina- tion we have entered into, on some parts relating to circumstances pointed out by Sir Home Pop- ham, we have had much reason to apprehend, that the Report is in many instances inaccurate ; it is, therefore, incumbent upon us to lay before their Lordships a statement of such errors as have appeared, and to inform them of the manner in which the Report has been framed. " The Orders above alluded to, on which the Report is founded, are as following : viz. " To report what sums of money were' " drawn from Bengal, on account of the " ships under the command of Sir Home |>>*g " Popham, and for what purpose those " sums appear to have been drawn, giVingy 35 " their Lordships all the information onw . " the suhject, which the documents in this >^I " Office may enahle us to afford. " 3^^ " To state the irregularities which ap-N ^ . " pear upon the Muster Books of thev^l V Romney." $£* " To state every circumstance respect-1 " ing the repair of the Romney and Sensi- " ble, and the expenditure and supply of " stores on board those ships, that have " come to our knowledge, during the inves- " tigation of the Surveyor of the Navy, " and the Commissioner and other Officers " at Chatham, or from any other enquiries " or examinations that have taken place, in '" consequence of their Lordship's direc- " tions of the ]6th of May, and 18th of " June, for entering upon the investigation " at Chatham." " We beg leave to remark, that these are spe- cific orders, having no relation to that official examination of the accounts of the Warrant Of- ficers of the Romney, and those of the Naval Storekeeper at Calcutta, which they would have undergone in the usual course of business. " As specific orders they were as specifically to be obeyed ; and they were carried into exe- cution ultimately upon the principle laid down by their Lordships' orders, conveyed in Sir Evan Nepean's letter to us, of the 11th of Au- gust, 1 803, for dividing the duties between the several Members of this Board, individually; under, which order the examination of Warrant Officers' Accounts was allotted to the junior Members of the Committee of Stores. Commissioner Tucker, who was removed to this Committee, from the Committee of Corres- 36 pondence, by an order from the Admiralty, of the 3d September, 1803, after directions had been issued from the latter Committee to the Yard Of- ficers, for preparing some materials necessary for the investigation, undertook the examination, to a certain, .extent, of Mr. Louis's (the Naval Storekeeper's) vouchers for the purchase and sale of stores, and repairs of the ships at Calcut- ta, the inspection of the journals, the statements of the Boatswain's and Carpenter's accounts, and the log book." It thus appears that the examination of the accounts of the Romney was ordered on the 16th July; but lest it should become matter of general inquiry and discussion at the Board, the duties of the office were divided amongst the several members: — the investigation in question was al- lotted to a particular department, and immedi- ately after Mr. Tucker was removed to it. None,. I think, can be so sceptical as to doubt, that this division of duties was intended, (as it necessarily happened,) to exclude the Board at large from any share or interference in this inquiry, and that Mr. Tucker's subsequent removal was in order to give a character to the report, which they could not hope would result from fair and unprejudiced investigation, as has already been proved by the first report of the Commissioners already al- luded to. " Their Lordships will please to observe, that the order of the 11th August, 1803, directs the " allotting to each Member of the Committee a proportionate and proper part of the duties to be placed under his immediate superintendance and responsibility, as suggested by the Com- missioners of Naval Enquiry, in the 188th page of their Third Report." Upon the principle of 37 this order, the investigation, so far as it related to the Committee of Stores, was performed. It was conducted by Mr. Tucker, the junior Mem- ber of the Committee, assisted by one of the Clerks in the Office for Stores. The statements were drawn up by this Clerk, underhis direction, except No. 8, 9, 10, and 13, which were prepar- ed wholly by the Yard Officers and Mr. Tucker, the observations and inferences were also made by the latter gentlemen; and neither the first nor the second Member, nor the Secretary of the Committee of Stores, had any concern in framing the Report of that Committee. " It may be stated, that the Report lay some time upon the table, after Mr. Tucker was re- moved from the Navy Board to be the Second Secretary of the Admiralty, in January 1 804, and that the Board could, without any objec- tion on his part, have made any alterations in his Report they might have thought proper ; that was not practicable with respect to the facts alleclg- ed in his Report, without an entire revision of it, which would have taken up as many months as had already been employed upon it, and which could not have occurred to be necessary. " Certain inaccuracies have, however, been discovered in it, in consequence of the examina- tion that has taken place, as before mentioned, which we consider it to be our duty to submit to their Lordship's consideration, with our ob- servations thereon." With respect to the direction of the Clerks by Mr. Tucker alone, why, I will ask, was this de- viation made from the established usage of the Office? Does it not betray guilt? If the state- ment were honest, why steal it from discussion? Why were not the other Members, or the Secre- 3% tary of the Committee consulted on the occa- sion ? It is the nature of foul deeds to delight in darkness. " Alitur mtium vivitque t agendo." At any rate Mr. Tucker seems to have thought that if he could smuggle his charges into birth, the influence of his patron would have fostered the illegitimate abortion, and have prevented any investigation of the materials of which it was composed. He was happily mistaken as to the duration of his power: had he been less san- guine, it is probable that his fears might have communicated to his Report a greater degree of honesty. I am far from admitting the sufficiency of the reasons adduced by the Navy Board for their concurrence in the Report produced under such unusual circumstances : some parts they thought objectionable. — they knew Mr. Tucker to be a rancorous partisan — they knew that the charac- ter of an honourable man was involved in the Report, and it would have been decent in them to have made their award with caution. They talk of confidence in Mr. Tucker, but they neg- lect to say what act of his whole life warranted such a flagrant relaxation of prudence. I would ask them if, during the period he was amongst them, they did not regard him with distrust and caution? It is to be lamented that they aban- doned that guardian instinct, and subjected them- selves to commiseration for having been so de- ceived. ■" Sir Home Popham having, by his letter of the 1 3th of February, 1805, desired an explana- tion of that part of our Report; respecting the loss pf an anchor, on the 11th of August, 1801, re- marking that the expression in the report relative to this anchor is " enigmatical and equivocal, " 39 we have informed him, by our letter of the 15th of February, that though, by the Boatswain s stated account, there appears to be a deficiency of one bower anchor, yet it is accounted for by the ship's log, under* date the 10th June, 1801, &c. as had been pointed out by Sir Home ; and the official statement which was transmitted to him, with our before-mentioned letter, shewed, that upon allowing the Boatswain credit for this anchor, the amount of the bower anchor is com- pletely balanced ; and it has since been discover- ed, fliatthe Boatswain has accounted for the an- chor (with which he was charged as deficient) in his expence book, under date of June 11, 1801, where it is regularly inserted, that two flukes were lost off the bower anchor in shifting: births, though the Chatham Officers, in their statement of the Boatswain's account, have taken no notice of it ; and it must have escaped Mi\ Tucker also in his examination of the log-book, which he inspected very narrowly, and to which he has referred in many other instances." Escaped Mr. Tucker ! — So has every other ob- ject in these volumnious accounts, in contraven- tion of the statement he has so industriously laboured to establish. " There is, besides, another error in the Re- port relative to this anchor, wherein it states, that she (the Romney) had only one anchor of 50c.wt. on board, when she sailed for " India, which was afterwards returned at Chatham," The fact is, that she never had an anchor of that specific weight on board ; the anchor returned must have been the one, that was found on board upon survey, on the 14th of February, 1802, viz, an anchor of 50cwt. 2qrs. However trifling it 40 may appear to notice such a circumstance, it is very material, as it is entirely upon this confu- sion of weights that the insinuation of the defi- ciency of an anchor is founded. " It may be proper here to observe, that three separate sets of Officers, in their respective Dock Yards, are employed to frame statements on which the Report has in part been founded ; that the Officers of Chatham Yard, who Avere direct- ed to make a statement of the Boatswain's account, possessed not the means of correcting any inaccuracy or omission therein by the log book ; and that although the Officers of Ports- mouth Yard, who were required to compare the Boatswain's and Carpenter's expence books with the log and journals, pointed out in their remarks various omissions of articles in the Boatswain's expence book, noticed in the log ;-— no additional credit has been given to the Boatswain for the same." This want of candour and justice is perfectly consistent — his policy was to represent the Boat- swain as a criminal defaulter, with a view to invalidate, in the public opinion, his testimony in favour of his Captain,* or, doubtless, as I have already shewn, to operate upon the fears of the man, by the magnitude of the claim against him ; and thus to make the justice to which he was entitled the condition of his subserviency to his schemes. " It was stated in their Report, with regard to an entry in the log book, relative to upsetting * But he did not do this openly and avowedly till all his arts and schemes failed to make his Boatswain a convert to his designs — ever* his serious exhortations, through the medium of the Captain of the Zealand. 41 the bitts, in Calcutta Pciver, " that there is no " expence of any kind made by the Carj.e iter " on account of repairing the bitts, nor do they " appear to have been repaired by the log, nci- " ther does it appear to have been done by the " Merchant Builders at Calcutta:" whereas we find that in the bill of those Merchant Builders, a charge is actually made for both iron work and sissoo timber for bitts; and with regard to what the Report states, relative to the "desired in- formation" not having been obtained from the Carpenter, respecting the bitts, nor any " ex- planation from the Boatswain on this subject," it appears upon reference to the examination of the Boatswain, by Captain Mitchell, of the Zea- land, that the " bitts were upset, but he cannot say when or where repaired ;" but refers for in- formation on this head to the Carpenter of the Ronmey, who, in his letter on the subject, states, that at the time the bitts were upset, he was confined to his cot by illness, and is not able to reply to particulars, knowing only by report that such an accident happened ; so that although- the Boatswain and Carpenter did not give the " desired information" they gave sufficient to shew that the bitts were upset, as entered regu- larly in the log; an entry upon which the obser* vation in the Report appears to be calculated tg throw a doubt." Here is another instance of convenient over- sight. Can it be supposed that during a patient and active examination of many months, any parts of these papers were unobserved by Mr. Tucker ? Plad the expence for this sissoo timber, or iron work, admitted of being contorted into Q 42 a charge of extravagance, would it have escaped liis scrutiny and censure r But in this, as in every other instance, Mr. Tucker lias passed over those facts which he was unable to pervert into objects of crimination, or which would endanger his stupendous mass of misrepresentation. " Sir Home Popham having called our atten- tion to the circumstances stated in the Report, relative to a debt for stores, on a statement of the Boatswain's account of 5,742l. 8s. 4d. we have investigated this matter, together with the other circumstances connected with it, as set forth in the same paragraph of the Report, in the best manner that our present means will en- able us to do. It is there represented, that "there was ex- pended between the period of her (the Rom- riey's) outfit: viz. from the 8th of December, 1800, to the 25th of May, 1801, an excess of stores above the proportion for twelve months, as stated in No. 8 ; and the Boatswain appears to have expended, before he received any sup- ply of these articles, more than were in his. charge, as stated in No. 9, and reference is had to No. 10, to shew the very great quantity of rope expended on account of seizing, tailing and strapping, which in the space of months, has amounted to no less than 3,600 fathoms of va- rious sizes. " Nevertheless/' the Report ob- serves, " if the whole of these enormous and ex- " traordinary expences are allowed, there will " remain a debt for stores, sfn ^statement made " of the Boatswain's account, between the 8th " of July, 1800, and the 14th of February,, " 1802, of no less a sum than 5,?4£tf 8s. 4 d. 43 *■* of which the Boatswain cari give no -further " account" " On the contents of this passage, we beg leave to offer some remarks to their Lordship's consi- deration. " No. 8 shews in respectof canvas and cordage, the two articles of most importance in the ac- count, the number ofyards of canvas, of particu- lar sorts, and fathoms of rope, of certain sizes, expended between the 2 8th of December, 1800, and the 26th of May, 1801, beyond a twelwe- months proportion, but takes no notice of the quantity of the other sorts and sizes of these ar- ticles expended, less than that proportion in the same time ; and leaving out of the consideration the question, whether the quantity of stores put on board a ship for a twelvemonths' supply, is, or is not an adequate allowance, under all circum- stances and casualties, the quantity stated in the account to be expended, is erroneous. " No. 9 is meant to shew what the Report states, that certain articles are made expended by the Boatswain, more than were in his charge; and this is made out by a long process, shewing the remains on certain fixed days ; viz. Decem- ber 8, 1800, and the 26th of May, lk>l, and the expenditure of each article between that and other particular periods, which it is here unne- cessary to specify. " A comparative statement of this account, with a corrected one made out from the same documents at this office, is transmitted herewith, from which it will appear that the former is very incorrect, and that the articles stated to be ex- pended are very considerably reduced in quanti- m ty ; it Will likewise be evident, that the Over ex- penditure of the remaining few articles may fairly be attributed to a casual error, either, in the date of the expenditure of the canvas, a consi- derable supply of which was received two days afterwards, or to the issuing of one sized rope for another nearly corresponding; circumstances which occur in almost every Boatswain's account, but which do not affect a general statement of his receipts and issues, in settling which the de- ficiency of one article would be placed against the excess of another nearly similar. " It is an extraordinary circumstance, that in the framing of this account (No. 9) there is in- cluded in the line of " articles expended between the 26*th of May, and the time of the next sup- ply," the quantity of some articles expended on the day of that supply, without taking into cal- culation, as a set-off, the quantities received on that day, though it is evident, that the articles issued were of those which were received onboard on the same day. In short, we can scarcely think, that there ever were such extraordinary means resorted to> to produce a particular effect, as have been in the framing of this most over* strained account!!! No. 10 is referred to, to shew that in fourteen months the rope expended in seizing, tailing and strapping " has amounted td no less than 3,600 fathoms of various sizes; and it is immediately added, " nevertheless, if the whole of these enormous and extraordinary ex- pences are allowed, there will remain, &c. &c." " We do not know on what ground Mr. Tueker determined that these eocpences were ENoiiAfous an-c EXTfiAOKDiNAHYy as it does not appear 45 to what the epithets allude, whether to the ex- penditure of the rope for seizing, &c. or to the expenditure, as stated relative to the accounts, No. 8, or to both of them together, (No, 9 hav- ing nothing to do with the question ; or, if it he taken into the calculation, the greater part of it is reckoned twice over;) for it is impossible to form any proper judgment of the necessity of the expenditure, which may have taken place with- out taking into consideration the circumstances and casualties to which the ship had been sub- ject during the service upon which she had been employed. " We now request to make some observations upon the Boatswain's debt for deficient stores before mentioned, which is stated at no less a sum than 5,742/. 8s. 4d. This assertion is founded upon a statement framed by the Chat- ham Officers of the Boatswain's deficiencies, with their valuation thereof, and altered in respect of prices, in this office, by the direction of Mr. Tucker. When the deficiency appeared so great, as in the present case, it would have been natural to conclude it to have been owing to some extraordinary oversight, and but just, before a Report of it was made in such very strong terms, to have endeavoured to elucidate it by every possible means, which we had no reason to suppose had not been done. On the contrary, the utmost advantage was taken of it, and it is brought forward as a prominent charge, notwithstanding the very stated account itself afforded reason to conclude that cables, and other large articles of stores were sent on shore at Sheerness, in October and November 1800, and that for some of them at least (and those of 4<3 the greatest value and importance) the Boatswain had not been allowed credit. " Mr. Tucker had also another document be- fore him at the same time, viz. Mr. Louis's ac- count of sales, which ought to have led to an investigation, to ascertain whether the Boat- swain had had credit for the large quantity of stores which appeared thereby to have been land- ed at Calcutta, among which is certainly a bower cable, which has been charged to him as defi- cient, from his not having produced a receipt for it; neither of these sources of information, how- ever, were resorted to for the purpose of elucida- tion, although the latter was made use of to shew, that a few condemned hammocks were sold for a very inconsiderable sum : on the con- trary, it appears, that Mr. Tucker was anx- ious to avoid explanation; for, in a monthly account from the Clerk of the Sur- vey's Office, at Chatham, of the progress in the examination of Warrant Officer's ac- counts, a notation is made, that, in con- sequence of a great deficiency of cables, an- chors, and cordage, the Boatswain " had been " written to," and on this " document there is " a minute, in Mr. Tuckers hand-writing, in " these words : — " Directthe clerk of the Survey, " to make a statement of the Boatswain of the " Bomney's account, and send it to us without " waiting for the Boatswains explanation, as the " ship is on foreign service;'* and an order was accordingly sent to the Clerk of the Survey to this effect. " We have only to remark on this transac- tion, that the Boatswain was at this very time 47 no further off than on board the Zealand, receiv- ing ship at the-Nore." Can Mr. Tucker's motives here admit of any- other construction, than that, conscious of the falsehood he had fabricated, he dreaded expla- nation ?— Did he not know that he had sent Mr. Bartholomew on board the Zealand? — Or did he not know that at the time he evasively stated the Boatswain to be on a foreign station, that he was then subject to his inquisition at the Nore ? — *' Fallacia alia, aliam trudit? says Terence, and so Mr. Tucker has doubtless found it ; one falsehood created occasion for another, and must have embarrassed a man of less ingenuity and independence of moral principles than this con- scientious Commissioner. " From the circumstances before stated, there is reason to conclude, that the Boatswain has omitted to take receipts for many of the other stores landed at Calcutta and elsewhere, or that he has lost them, he having been sick thirteen months. " As the alledged deficiency of the Boat- swain's stores is estimated at no less a sum than than 5,7421. 8s. 4d. of which 52321. 8s. are cal- culated at India prices, and 5091. 19s. 9d- at English prices, we have been led to enquire of. the Clerk, who altered the deficiencies, upon what principle he did it, and by whose orders so novel a mode of calculating their value was re- sorted to, as it appears by the official document of the Chatham Officers, that they had estimated the then supposed deficiency agreeably to usage at the English prices, amounting to 2,437k 16s. 7d. The Clerk in answer has stated, that he was direct- ed by Mr. Tucker to alter the officer's 48 VALUATION FROM " THE EffG£J8H fRlttS r * AT WHICH THEY RATED THEM TO THE " prices paid in indta ;" that he, how- ever, felt it his duty to suggest, that it would he more equitable to value some of them at English prices, and the principle upon which the valuation was made, is this: where it could be clearly defined that any quantity of any sper cies of stores, unaccounted for, was not purchased at Calcutta, only the quantity purchased there is valued at Calcutta prices, and the remaining quantities of the said articles at English prices ; hut if it appeared that the full quantity of the deficiency had been purchased at Calcutta, al- though even a greater quantity of this samespe* cies had been supplied in England, in that case the whole deficiency is charged at the Calcutta prices, without consideration of the circumstan- ces, that it was as likely the deficiency might arise from the one as from the other. " To enable their Lordships to judge of the propriety of this new mode of valuation, or indeed of any valuation at all, before the articles were proved to be deficient, we request their attention to the following circumstance : " In the before-mentioned sum of 57421. 8s. 4ch is included the valuation of four bower cables, with which the Boatswain is charged as deficient, which are estimated at 19931. Notwithstanding^ appears that one of these cables was sent on shore and sold at Calcutta ; and that the other three were returned at Sheerness, before the ship sailed from England; and although actually supplied in Eng- land, and when returned of very little value, they are all charged at the Calcutta prices, 175 percent. MQRE THAN THE PRIME COST OF THEM when 49 new; and five-sixths of the amount of the other articles, ailed ged to be deficient, are charged ta him upon the same principle. " In a minute and accurate examination of the Boatswain's accounts, which we shall cause to be made, we shall give him credit for all the articles he may have returned at Shcerness, Cal- cutta, the Cape, Bombay, and Madras, or that he may have supplied his Majesty's ships the Sheerness, Sensible, Victor, Wilhelmina, Arro- gant, Ardent, Naiad, and any other, for which he may not already have credit, so far as it may be possible to ascertain the same by re- ference to the several Storekeeper's accounts, and to the supply and log books of those ships, which, however, will require a considerable time to execute. But we lament, that it is wholly out of our power, by reason of the Boatswain's vouchers having been mislaid or lost, to specify at present ail the stores that were sent on shore at Calcutta or Sheerness, for which the Boat- swain has not had credit, a point it would have been desirable to have ascertained to its full ex- tent before we submitted these observations to their Lordships' consideration, from the quantity of stores sent on shore at these places being very considerable. " It appears, that after having been inspected by the Chatham Officers, for the purpose of sta- ting the Boatswain's account, these vouchers were returned to this office, in December, 1803. We have, therefore, interrogated the Clerk upon the subject, who assisted Mr. Tucker in framing his Report, who informs us, that he had them some time in his possession, and kept the vouch- ers of the Romney and Sensible in separate draw- ers, that he at different times handed them to H 50 ancT from Mr. Tucker, and that that gentleman had himself frequent recourse to the drawers, occasionally taking some of the papers away, while he was employed in the investigation.—* Most diligent search has been made, and will be continued, for these vouchers, as they are so es- sential in making the re-statement of the Boat- swains accounts, we have already mentioned." By whom, and for what purpose, these vouch- ers were purloined, will naturally suggest itself to every one reading this. report— The only mat- ter of surprise to me is, that all the other docu- ments relative to this extraordinary business have not also been destroyed. The next par&> graph I consider of more than ordinary impor- tance . (* The two anchors of 28cwt. and 27cwt. sta- ted in the Report to have been returned at Cal- cutta, although no receipt is produced for them, Mr. Louis, who is now in England, has acknow- ledged to have been returned from the Romney to. the Marine Yard of Messrs. Hudson and Ba- con ; and has informed us, that if they have been charged in their bill, and it shall appear that they have not been supplied to any other of his Ma- jesty's ships, he will furnish an order on Hud- son and Bacon for two anchors of the same de- scription. There is also a material error in the sum at which the smoke sail is said to have been pur- chased at Calcutta, the Report making it 73]. although the charge for it in the bill js only fif- ty-five rupees, or 7l- 6s. 8d. sterling. We are unable to discover from whence the Commission- ers who framed the Report obtained this valua^ tion, it not being inserted in the statement of the prices of the other articles made out in the ofSoe } 51 2nd which we are informed lay before him at the time*. This charge is marked with particular em- phasis in Mr. Tucker's publication of the Com- missioners' Report; and I ready know not which most to admire, the consistency of this gentleman, or Ins daring defiance of truth.-— It is obvious that he never expected Sir Home Popham would have been heard in his defence, or he could not have hoped that so flragrant and so shallow an exaggeration would escape detection. He must have calculated that the same influence which wrung from the Com- missioners their concurrence to his fabrications would restrain them from a revision of it • that popular clamour would have smothered the ap- peals of justice, and that Sir Home would in "consequence be buried in obloquy and ruin. — To this conduct he may have been instigated (independently of the reason I have before sug- gested) by the admitted axiom, that men in a deplorable state of mind find a pleasure in spreading the contagion of their spleen : — they find, too, an advantage in it; for it is a general popular error to imagine the loudest complainers for the public to be the most anxious for its welfare. Although the Commissioners have not yet examined many of the remaining charges, I am persuaded my readers will hold me warranted in assuming that the rest have no greater founda- tion than the foregoing, which are the most pro- * With the permission of these respectable Commissioners, I will -furnish them with a key by which in their future investigations they will be able to discover the magnitude of the alterations they may here- after detect. It appears to me, on a superficial view, that wherever an estimate of repairs made in India has been stated in rupees the Clerk has altered each rupee, which is not half-a-crown, to a pound sterling ! Nothing can be more clear than that the smoke-sail at ru- pees would amount to between 7l. and 81, $ut who is there that would not think that the charge of 731, for such particle was " enormous and extraordinary P y 52 snineHt, and which appear to have engaged in a particular degree, the talents of Mr. Tucker. It will be entertaining to see what this gentle- man will adduce in his defence — he will doubt- less favour the world with a rejoinder ; for, as Mr* Burke says, " Cheats and deceivers never can repent ; the fraudulent have no resource but in fraud ; they have no virtue or wisdom in their minds to which, in a disappointment of fraud and cunning, they can retreat ; the wear- ing out of an old, serves only to put them upon a new delusion — unluckily too the credulity of dupes is as inexhaustible as the impudence of knaves*" " Having thus stated the specific orders or* which the report was founded, the mode in which it was drawn up, and the observations which have oceured to us upon the investiga- tion we have entered into in respect of some of the points therein mentioned ; we have farther to observe, that when the Report, as it came out of Mr. Tucker } s hands, was presented to the Board, it certainly did appear to us to be of an, extraordinary nature; but as it was framed un- der their Lordships' orders, and we had no reason to doubt of the facts which it stated, we therefore did no more than soften $pme of the asperities of expression which pervaded it, in- corporate the observations of the Committee of Accounts, (a copy of which is herewith trans- mitted)^ and add the last pa ragragh, relying,, that although we considered ourselves precluded from following any other course than that of literally executing the orders we had received, their Lordships', upon learning that we had ha4 no communication with Sir Home Popham on the subject of the Report, would call upon him for explanation on such points of it as. they might deem proper. 53 u We conceived it to be the intention of the late Board of Admiralty, that we should pro- ceed in the manner we had done, without calling upon Sir Home Popham for an explanation, from the following circumstances ; that during the period of time, in which we received their Lordships' different directions for making spe- cific reports on certain points, as noticed in the former part of this letter, we received Sir Evan Nepean's letter of the 29th July, 1S03, trans- mitting the copy of one from Sir Home Popham to him, requesting that the accounts relating to the ships late under his orders might be exa- mined, and the directions contained in that letter were, " that we should proceed to the ex- amination of the said Accounts as speedily as possible, not, kozvever, giving him a preference to other Accounts." The only possible construc- tion to be put upon the expression of not giving any particular Account a preference to other Accounts is, that it is not to be taken in hand until the other Accounts then in the office shall have been examined ; and the only interpreta- tion to be given to the words, as speedily as possible in connection with those above quoted, is, that as soon as the Accounts in the office have been examined^ the Account in question is to be proceeded upon with the utmost dispatch. " We presume all that we did no* misconceive their Lordships' intention in this particular, from the consideration that they were not pleas- ed to order us to call upon Sir Home Popham for explanation upon receiving the Report, or to express any disapprobation of our proceedings in this Report, which at that time their Lordships' were so much in the habit of communicating to us, whenever they were not in uniformity with their intentions ; and we had still further grounds to conclude that their Lordships' fully approved 54 of the whole of our proceedings on this subject; from their order of the 24th August, 1804, by which they express their opinion, " that it wilt " be necessary to enquire into the subsequent " conduct of Sir Home Popham, and in conse- " quence direct us to employ the same persons' " who investigated the former Accounts and *' Expenditures, to take the same measures to " pursue their enquiry into the Receipt and " Expenditure on board the Romney, from the " time of her departure from Bengal, until her " arrival at Chatham, &c. &c." This Letter, when connected with the previous order under which the examination was insti- tuted, and the removal of Mr. Tucker from one department to another, for the obvious purpose of directing this investigation, amply justifies the conclusion of the Navy Board that they acted in conformity with their Lordships' wishes, in deviating from their established usage, in not calling on Sir Home Popham for an explanation of any of the circumstances re- ferred to in their charge. The Admiralty Board, though thus informed of their deviation front the received principles of evidence and equity, notwithstanding direct the same men to pur- sue, and the " same measures" to be pursued in the subsequent inquiry ; literally interdicting any matter which might elucidate the subject, or wipe from the character of Sir Home the stigma so fraudulently cast on it. The amended Report concludes in this remarkable manner. . " Having judged it proper, upon this im- portant subject, to submit fully to their Lord- ships' consideration the observations that have resulted from our examination of the parts of the Report alluded to in their Lordships' order, and Sir Home Popham's correspondence, it only remains for us to state, that we have examined 55 these parts only of the report ; the rest will be a subject for future investigation. ** From the circumstances, however, v/hich have been set forth in this Letter, we trust their Lord- ships' will be fully satisfied that the inaccuracies and erroneous statements in the Report are im- putable to the individual Commissioner only who conducted the investigation ; and if any censure should be considered as due to us for lending the sanction of our names to the Re- port we trust that we shall stand excused before their Lordships', when they reflect that we were guided by the implicit reliance which we placed on the accuracy and industry of Mr. Tucker. We knew his general ability, and were sensible of the unwearied activity with which he pur- sued the investigation of this subject ; AND IT IS WITH EXTREME CONCERN WE DIS- COVER, FROM THE REVISION OF OUR REPORT, WHICH HAS BEEN OCCASION- ED BY SIR HOME POPHAM'S LATE AP- PEAL, THAT OUR CONFIDENCE HAS J3EEN MISPLACED *." " We are, Sir, Your very humble Servants, (Signed) A. S. HAMOND.— H. DUNCAN.— J. HEN- SLOW.—- Wm. RULE.-— W. PALMER. — H. HARMOOD. -S. GAMBIER.— F. J. HART- WELL." " To W. Marsden, Esq." * * So, so, thou common dog, didst thou disgorge Thy glutton bosom — And iiow Thoud'st eat thy dead vomit up, And howl'st to find it/' SHAKsr^EE, 56 With these extracted materials before them* the public will gain more information than could be acquired by the perusal of volumes : they will open the eyes of the most partial and incre- dulous, and disclose the precipice of destruction ever which some of their dearest privileges have been suspended. But let them not conceive that this singular controversy which has now taken such an extraordinary turn, is of a. partial nature, or interesting only to nautical men i — a little reflection will, 1 hope, convince my readers, whatever may be their station, that it is of the utmost consequence to themselves, and to their posterity, that the mass of corruption of which Sir Home's treatment is only a particle, should be sifted to the bottom. Such an in- vestigation must be made to retrieve the wounded honour of the country, and our pos- terity will have reason to bless the memory of the men whose fortitude will contribute to pull down that hydra of oppression, which, under the specious disguise of reform has committed such glaring and detestable iniquity. Britons, re- flect on the miserable condition of the people of France ; contemplate their present slavery, and take from them an awful example of what will be your own fate, if at any time you suffer the most glorious parts of your Constitution to be frittered away with impunity. Senators and feers of the realm, to you in all cases of politi- cal injustice, the people with confidence look up for redress. You have, in your recent dis- cussions on the irregularity in the Navy Pay Of- fice given an honourable proof of your integrity and independence, and I rejoice in the opportu- nity which now presents itself, to shew to the world that party politics or personal animosities had no influence in that decision — that the of- 57 fence, and not the men, engaged your considera- tion ; — it remains for you to shew that the ^ame principle which has crushed a leader of one party will drag to punishment the minion of another. Whatever may be the extent of Lord Melville's criminalty, it is most venial, compared with that of Mr. Tucker, which, as it now appears, involves the deepest shades of moral turpitude and political oppression. Hence OUTRAGED JUSTICE IMPERIOUSLY CALLS FOR RETRIBUTION THE COUNTRY EXPECTS -—AND THE CONSISTENCY AND HONOUR OF PARLIAMENT DEMAND IT. J pr II 25 th, 18G5. >®^< POSTSCRIPT. I^INCE the preceding pages were sent to the Press, I have seen, with a mixture of astonish- ment and indignation, that Mr. Tucker has pre- sented a Memorial, or Petition, to the House of Commons, involving the character of i he Gen- tlemen who have framed the Amended Report. And cannot Mr. Tucker await the decision of that honourable body upon the motion of his friend Mr. Kinnaird ? Is it that he trembles with alarm at the result, and wishes to influence the question; or has he been driven to desperation by the honest and indignant exposure of his artifice ? for, as Tacitus says, " Contemneri est gravius stultitice quam percuti" — It is more grievous to folly to be despised than to be struck. i 58 Gracious God ; how long will parties of up- right, honourable, and independent men submit with impunity to the insults of individuals, who, not long since, were amongst the lowest of their race. Is it possible that Mr. Tucker can have presumed to libel the whole Board of Commis- sioners, some of whom are as amiable men as any in the world, — men who are universally admired in private society, and whose conduct through life is not liable to the slightest insinuation of a dishonourable nature? — For Heavens sake who is this Mr. Tucker, that he dares to take such a liberty— a liberty for, which any common man would be instantly brought to justice ! — It can- not be that because he has accumulated riches he is beyond the reach of the law; for I know that its genial influence extends alike to the peasant and the prince. Let us see, then, who Mr. Tucker is. Since he has become great, and exemplified the assertion of Claudius, that the impudence of one who has been raised fivm lowness to a certain height, exceeds all bounds* — since then he is known pretty well — he is known as the confidential Secretary, and, no doubt, adviser of Earl St. Vincent. — But who was he before ? — I only learn that not long- ago, he was a Purser of a man of war. We next see him metamorphosed into a Commissioner of the Admiralty, and thus forced, as it were, in- to the society of men of honour and indepen- dence of principle, to assist them in their public labours. If I were to contrast the characters of these men with that of the individual in question, how great would be the indignation of all w ho * " Asperius nihil est humile, cum svrgit in altum? Vide Cobbett, vol. ii, p. 891. Vol. in. p. 59, 131, 395, 833. 59 should peruse the statement. But researches into private life have nothing to do with the sub- ject before me, and should always meet with the strongest reprobation ; it is the man's public conduct which, for the sake of national justice, must be held up to contempt What is his Petition to the House of Com- mons ? Is it not, I ask, a gross and stupid libel upon the Board of Admiralty of his day ? It can be nothing less ; for in it he accuses the Board of Inquiry of not having transmitted to him all their communications from the Navy Board. — And yet Sir Home Popham was kept in the dark, and separate statements repeatedly made against him in every direction, without allowing him the smallest opportunity of speaking, or ad- ducing any document in his defence. But the Christian maxim of " Do as you would be done by," never entered Mr. Tucker's religious head ;-^he thought himself immaculate, and he did not regard the advice of Lord Chesterfield, who says that "When once a person is suspect- ed of injustice, perfidy, malignity, and lying, all the parts and knowledge in the world will never procure him esteem, friendship, or respect." In short he now, in my mind, appears like the Pil- grim in the slough of despond ; and all his at- tempts to extricate himself seem only to involve him still deeper in the mire. This simple com- parison induces me, as a rigid moralist, to wish that he may remain in the filthy predicament in- to which be has brought himself; for if he can clear his character from the dirt which covers it, nothing is more evident than that he must do so by lugging in the eight most respectable persons against whose censure he has appealed. Hence as there must hf> InrLrino* math, on one side or the 60 other, and consequently a sacrifice on that where it may be found, let us sincerely hope that it will prove to be where the con- sequence will be least felt by society at large ; for what is the ruin -of owe individual compared to that of eight f ! ! — As to Mr. Tucker, sus- picion bears strong against him. — If he be iu- nocent, let him boldly await the pending in- vestigation;— but if he be now troubled with any galling reflections on his past conduct, he must have been a bad man, and the only mercy he can expect is contempt. " A strange con- catention of circumstances," says Lord Ches- terfield, " has sometimes raised very bad men to high stations ; but they have been raised like criminals to a pillory, where their persons and their crimes, by being more conspicuous, are only the more known, the more detested, and the more pelted and insulted. " FINIS. Vide CoBBETi, vol. "11. P. 89-1. Vol- lif P ?*n?- ) " " * \ Chronological ARRANGEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTS AND PAPERS Printed by Order of the House of Commons, In February, March and April, 1805. Respecting the Repairs of the ROMNEY and others of His Majesty's Ships belonging to the Squadron lately under the Command of SIR HOME POPHAM, With their material Contents and some few CURSORY REMARKS in ELUCIDATION. Printed by /. Hayes, Dartmouth Strce', Westminster* 1805. • I The Papers lately presented to the House cf Commons, relative to the Repairs of the Rom ney &;c> are so unusually voluminous, and their Ar- rangement is so exceedingly unfavourable to investi- gation, that the following Attempt to arrange them in the Order of Time cannot hut be acceptable to those who are to decide upon the Merits of the Case. Just as these Sheets were going to Press,, the Letter of Mr, Benjamin Tucker to the Secre- tary of the Admiralty was delivered to Mem- bers of Parliament, It is not thought necessary to delay the present Publication for the purpose of noticing that Pro- duction in detail ; it will immediately strike every Reader that as far as Sir Home Popham is con- cerned, Mr Tucker's Letter makes no sort of al- teration in the case; it zvould not be difficult to ex- pose the Fallacy of Mr.TvcKEK 7 s reasoning as to the Conduct of his late Colleagues, but they are no parties to the present Depute; Sir Home Pop- ham's Case needs n-o further elucidation. May 2nd 1805. CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT of the Accounts and Papers printed by Order of the House of Comxions, in February, March ^ and April, 1805, respecting the Repairs of the Romney, and others of His Majesty's Ships belonging to the Squadron lately under the Com- mand of Sir Home Popham ; with their mate- rial Contents, and some few cursory Remarks iri elucidation. 5> Aq. Account of repairs of the Romney at Sheerne/s; and and Nov. of ^gg^g ano< ftores furnilhed her previous to her failing Pages to India, under the command of Sir Home Popham _,, ,,, 33o> 55+ Another account thereof, with the amount of other repairs in April 1800 added. At the foot of this ac- count there is this " N. B. She was not docked in No- vember, and had only a few flight repairs." - 1 December Survey and ftatement of repairs of the Senftble, and an account of ftores fupplied her, from the tjme of her being put into commitfion to that of her leaving England. It is herein Hated that (he had no falfe keel, and that it was omitted to be replaced, fo that me was fern to fea without any • .-* = .«■• 23c 4th Dec. Letier from Popham to Navy Board, dated in Voru land Roads, complaining of the bad (late of the Romney^ and reprobating the conduct of the Sheernefs ©peers cm- ployed in her equipment - $f B Letter [ • ] 1800. Letter from Popham to Mr. Pr ingle, Britifh Conful Pa § es is Dec. at Madeira, ordering a fupply of wines for the fquadron, and making him refponfibie for the quality and price - 224 1 801 . Account of repairs had, and Sores fupplied at the Cape March. f Good Hope, to the five (hips under Sir Home Pop- ham's command ; viz. the Romney, Senfible, Sheernefs, Viclor, and Wiihthnina - .- > « - _ . 236 jr: All the demands were approved by Vice-Ad- miral Sir Roger Curtis, commander in chief. li May. Letter from Popham to the Marquis Wellesley, fron en board the Romney at fea, proceeding towards jfudaah -------- 252 r-2 May Further general communications from Popham to his to2oJu!y. Lor a m ; p , from the Red Sea ----- 247 Mis-dated 1803, in printed papers. 26 June, Letter from Popham, in Cof.tr Bay, to Earl of Elgin, at Conjlantinople - - - - - - "" - 255 Thcfe three letters {hew in what manner Sir Home Popham performed the firft part of his duty, that of forwarding the troops he carried out, and the Indian army under General Baird, acrofs the defert, to join the British forces in Egypt. The letter of the 12th May contains the following paragraph : u My next object was to fee how far a reduction in the enormous expence of- Tonnage could be effected, by making fome ar- rangement to difcharge thofe flips which appear extravagantly freighted, and to difpenfe with others of little ufe, and certainly very incompetent either to the fervice in queftion, or what ought to be expected from the high price given," - 2 . Which Which is verified by " A general review of Tranfp-rt tonnage employed in the Egyptian expedition," *■ - - - - - 124 And by an affidavit of Capt. £@WEj the Eafr- India Company's principal agent of transports «. 12* The faving, as appears by thofe documents, was, immediately on the reduction, £, 17,014 per months And the poilerior reduc- tion of public expence - 10,5:04 Total fating per month - 27,518 The occafion of Sir Home Popham's proceeds ing to Calcutta, alfo appears from the fore«= going letters; viz. to obtain an interview with the Marquis Welleslby, and to get the Rom-* ney repaired. The Senfibk, which alfo wanted repairs, was ordered to that place with a con- voy, and the other three (hips remained in the - Red Sea. Sth Au? Letter from Admiral Rainixr. to Pgpham, recom- mendatory of Mr. Matthew Louis, and fating his having procured him the filiation of Deputy Naval Officer at Calcutta, on account of his being brother to Captain Thomas Louis, cr.e of the heroes of the Nile - - 107 f tb Aug, Extract of another Letter from Admirs! Rainisr to Popkam :— " Mr, Matthew Louis, of Calcutta, who is deputy at that place for the Naval Officer at Madra? s has lately informed me that there is a great _glnt of naval ftores there, which have been offered to him at prime coft and freight ; I (hould, therefore, recommend your B % directing directing fuch articles to be purchafed there as His Majefty's (hips under your orders may require, as other- wife our magazines at Madras and Bombay may be too much reduced, and oblige the naval officers to purchafe frores when they will in all probability have become very dear, particularly if the war with the Northern Powers Jhould continue - - -.- * - - 108 sithAug. Letter from Lord Wellesley to Popham, dated Fort William, expreffing his acknowledgments to Sir H. P. for his fervices, and his Lordlhip's fatisfaiftion at his arrival at Calcutta, " which cannot Jail to promote the public fervice," ------- 109 & 256 toth Aug. Communication from Popham t© Lord Wellesley, whilft at Cheneurah, on various important fubje&s - 2 t;G id Sept. Letter from Marquis Wellesley to Popham, from Berhampoore, upon his Lordlhip's relinquifhing an ex- pedition which had beenfome time in preparation, highly commendatory of Sir Home's conduct in the armament, and touching upon his return to the Red Sea, and his mifiion to the Arab States - - - - - 258 29th Ocl. Letter from Mr. Louis to Popham, on his having restricted him in drawing bills on terms different from thofe propofed by the India Company : and a fecond letter, dated 20th November, on Sir H»me Popham having found fome fault with Mr. Louis*s conduct - f Orders from Sir Home Popham to Capt. Sause, of the Senfible, on his leaving him at Calcutta to effect her repairs - - - - - - - - - ,03 & 245 Sir Home Popham left Calcutta in November, and never faw the Senfiblc afterwards. Extra& 8th Nov. Extratt of letter to Popham from Major Malcolm, private fecretary to Marquis Wellesley : — " The fteps you have taken to remedy the abufes in the depart- ments that are entrufted with the fupply of provifions, meets his Excellency's fulleft approbation, who feels himfelf obliged to you for the very proper attention you have given to that fubjeft, which it is his Excellency's opinion cannot be too iully inveftigated. He begs you will reft allured of his fulleft fupport in every endeavour you make to improve the mode of furnifliing /applies, or of Ji t ting out the prefent or future equipments, from the port of Calcutta. It occurred to his Excellency, that you had reduced the tonnage too much ; but this defect will be eafily remedied, and he leaves all arrangements on this head, with confidence,_to you and Mr. Barlow. 2 S9 i 4th Nov. Letter from Popham to Hon.G. H. Barlow, Vice- Prefident of Calcutta, on Government receiving a dif- patch from England, by which it was fuppofed the French had fent an expedition to Macao - *59 20thNov. Letter from Lord Wellesley to Popham, on this occafion -----_. = 297 26th Nov. Letter to him thereupon from Mr. Barlow and Mr. Blaky, of the Council at Calcutta - 299 30th Nov. Letter from Popham to Sir Evan Nepean, dated Kedgeree, on the ftate of affairs in India, for the infor- mation of the Lords of the Admiralty - - - 262 5th Dec. Letter to Admiral Rainier from Popham, touching his future proceedings in the Rom?iey ~ - - 263 1802. 7th Jan. Letter from Popham to Lord Wellesley, from Madras .-_..•-_ -. 265 Lcrd 6 8th Feb. LordWELLESLEY'sanfwer - - z6 $ March Sir HoME p °p ham ' s various communications, after bis return to the Red Sea, and whilft on his embaffy to the states of Arabia, up to Auguft 1802 - - ' lS 2 97 Whilft Sir Home Popham was thus zcaloufiy engaged in thefervice of his country, the Admi- ralty Board were taking every ftep that could be devifed to harrafs and injure him. They began with objections to the bills drawq by Mr. Louis on the Navy Beard, for the re- pairs of the Romney and Senflle at Calcutta, and for (lores fupplied there for the ufe of the five fhips; alfotothc bills drawn by Mr. Spear- MAN.'for naval fupplies obtained in the Red Sea, as follows, 4.th May ^tter from Navy Board to Admiralty, refpeaing payment of a bill for £.500 drawn on the Commiffioners by Mr. Spearman, the purfer of the Romney, in the Red Sea - 379 311 jtkMay Anfwer, ordering payment, and the amount to be impreffed againft Popham and the drawer - : - 309 Second bill for £.800, drawn by Mr, Spear- man, was ordered to be impreffed in like manner on the 30th April, 1803 - This £.1300 was all that was drawn by Spearman, as Naval Officer in the Red Sea ,6 June! Letters from Navy Board to Admiralty, refpeaing n Do. I yment of bills drawn by Mr. Louis, the Naval [%* I Officer at Calcutta - : W T : - ~ 379> 3»o 3 Aug. J Letter 6th Aug. Letter from Admiralty to Navy Board, direttirg examination of accounts tranfmicted by Mr. Louis, of repairs of the five fhips compofing Sir Home Popkam's fquadron, and to report the expence which ought to have been incurred ; how far {lores neceiTary ; and whe- ther, if Pop ham had proceeded to Bombay, he might t not have been fupplied there ; alfo as to the rate of exchange at which the bills were drawn - 383 i2thAug. Another letter from Navy Board to Admiralty, re- fpetfting further bills drawn by Mr. Louis - - 381 i3thAug. Anfwer, that no directions could be given until report delired by letter of 6th Auguft, was made - 384 acthAug. Letter from Navy Board to Admiralty, that it would require more time to inveftig^te the accounts, but inti- mating that all Mr. Louis's bills for £.80,833 5s. 4^. zvere drawn at a proper rate of exchange - - - ^l loth Sept. Letter from the Lords of the Admiralty to the Com- miilicners of the Navy. Being fatisfied with the part Mr. Louis had had in the tranfac~tion, they direct the Navy Board to accept and pay all the bills, and to f charge the amount as an impreft againd Mr. Louis, and alfo againft Sir Home Popham, who (they say) unwarrantably appointed him to act as Naval Officer, and authorized his drawing the bills. " And it is added, S( as Sir Home Popham has unneceilarily fubjected the public to this heavy expence, by proceeding with the fhips to Benglal, when, if any repairs of them were abfolutely requifite, or any confiderable alterations in the Senfible unavoidable, he mould have availed himfelf of the King's ftores provided at Bombay, we have judged it proper to make him refponfible for the fum fo ex- pended." A - -. - . ? ■ '*% * ' •• 384 B 4 Ail All this is faid before any report whatever was made on the accounts, and when it was known that Mr. Louis was appointed Nava,£ Officer by Admiral Rainier, and not by Sir Home Popham; and that it was by the Admi- ral's directions the fapplies were drawn at Cal- cutta inftead of Bombay., In order to have a clear and comprehensive view of the nature cf the repairs and fupplies charged by Mr. Louis, it will be proper here to refer tp the follownig documents. Lift of all the bills drawn in India and the Red Sea, on account of the five (hips the Rimney, Senfible, Victor, Sheerneft, and Wilhelmina s (hewing by whom and when drawn, by whom approved, rate of exchange, and the information the bills contained receding the fervices for which they were drawn • ^77 Abftracl of Mr. Louis's (the atting Naval Officer at Calcutta) account current in refpecl of his bills for ^.80,833 55. ^d. and (hewing the amount incurred by each of the five (hips - » - 378 Here it appears, that the bills drawn by Mr. Louis, with Popham's knowledge and appro- bation, amounted to only ^.7929. See alfo a lift of thefe bills - r - - I2 £ Account of the exchange on the bills fan&ioned by Sir Home Popham, which never exceeded 2s. 6d. the rupee 526 Bill for the repairs of the Romney claffed under dif- ferent heads, making a tot i?9 8 » andl 799 - - - - 166 Account of naval {lores purchafed by Mr. Spearman, purfer of the Romney, in the Red Sea, and his other dilburfements there ...... 35* An abftracl of this account againft: Mr. Spearman's tijls for/*. 1 300 -»,..,.-- 27S At the time thefe accounts were referred to the Commiffioners of the Navy, Mr. Tucker was not one, as may be feen by the next moft important document wbich prefents hfelf. iSthOcl. Firjl report of the Commiflioners of the Navy, refer- ring to the Admiralty order of the 6th Auguft, and their partial anfwer of the 12th Auguft, that they had with the utmoft attention investigated the accounts, and as a check and afliftance thereto, had referred the whole to the refpeclive officers at Deptford. They then fay, « We do not fee any reafon to conclude otherwife than that the repairs of the jhips have been executed, and the naval Jfores procured, upon the beji obtainable terms,** They afterwards add, " that great allowances ought to be made for the considerable tisne the work occupied, and the univerfal high price of every article, and that many of the principal articles ufed in the repairs of the Romney t in particular fuch as could not have been had at Bombay, otherwife than by purchafe, as effected at Calcutta, there being no King's flores thereof at Bowu bay any more than at Calcutta - _g s This 10 This report is figned by four of the Commit. lioners, viz. Sir Andrew Hamond, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Henslow, Mr. Gambier. It did not, however, afford the then Lords of the Admiralty the satisfaction they expected, and Mr. Tucker, being afterwards appointed a Commit oner of the Navy, the fubjeCt was pro- fecuted in a different way. 29 9 1803. Co Py of a letter fl0m the Governor-General in Coun- 23d Feb. cil to the Honourable Court ©f Diredors of the Eaft India Company, expreffing the very high fatisfaction of the Government of Bengal with the conduct of Sir Home PoPHAM. 9th April Letter from Admiralty to Navy Board to pay a bill for Z.139 19s. 8d. said to be advanced by Colonel O'Neil to Lieutenant Campbell, as the bearer of dif- patchesfrom Popham to Admiralty, and which -fum wa$ ordered to be impreffed againft Popham, upon whofe credit it was faid to be procured. - -. * 31Q It does not appear by the papers now quoted ; but the fact is, that Campbell was no lieute- nant f which the Admiralty mujt have known), had brought no difpatckes, and had no letter of credit from Popham. The whole was a cheat, which the Admiralty ought to have feen through. The Admiralty knew that Popham had left Suez in jfune, and yet this Campbell appears by this letter to have been in December at Leghorn with his fuppofed difpatches. Popham never knew of 2X6 11 of this circumftance till the papers were laid be. fore Parliament. , 7 A pril Letter fvcm Popham to Admiralty, advifmg his arri- yal in the Downs, and tranfmitting his journals, with a pommendation of his officers as to their knowledge of practical aftronomy. - 2 3 April Anfwer, bating the praftice of taking latitudes by the ftars to be a common qualification in every Mid- shipman, t • x6th May Letter, from Sir Evan Nepean to Navy Board :— « I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiraliyv to fignify their direftions to you, to fend one of the Surveyors of the Navy to Chatham, with direc- tions to take to his affiltance the officers of the dock, yard at that place, and make a very minute infpedion of his Majefty's (hip the Romney, for the purpofe of af- certaining the nature and extent of the feveral works performed on that (hip in the Eafz Indies, for which the very large fums of money drawn by Mr. Louis on your Board, by order of Sir Hume Popham were paid, exa- mining upon oath the warrant officers, as to the aftual ftate of that (hip when the works were undertaken, and to make a full and circumtlanti/.l report of the nature of the repairs performed on the faid (hip, diftinguilhing the value of the materials from the labour, as alfo of the ftores and furniture purchafed for the fupply of the faid fhip. As this furvey is ordered with a view of afcertaining how far the fums expended in the repair and fupply of that (hip have been properly applied, and will, in a great mwfure, guide their judgment, in the necef- fary ileps to be taken, on oceafion of the expenditures authorized by Sir Home Popham, their Loidfhips ex- pect 12 peel that the officers employed on the faid furvey, will be particular in their inquiries and in their reporr, let- ting them know, that it is probable they will hereafter be required to atteft the impartiality of their proceed- ings upon oath. - - - - - - 311 17th May Letter from Admiralty to Navy Board, directing Surveyor to return after paffing one day at Chatham, and having inftrufted the officers as to the manner of con- 3 12 dueling themfelves. - - - - g 1 8th May Examinations of Carpenters, Boatswain, and Caulker, of the Romney, before CommiflionCrs Hope, Sir Wil- liam Rule, and the yard-officers, taken upon oath at Chatham. They all diftinftly (rated, that the Romney ■ was in a bad ftate when foe firft got to fea ; that her walls were found very defective at the Cape ; that the fhip was extremely leaky in her paffage from the Red Sea to the Ganges ; that the (hip was in a very bad state on her arrival at Calcutta, ani required great repairs; that they never knew of any improper expenditure of ftores, or unneceflary work being done ; that the whole of the ilores in charge had been returned into Chatham q7 dock.yard. ----- . also 128 j 2Dtb May Letter from Admiralty to Lord Keith refpefting the turning over the crew of the Romney to different mips. 2 8th June Letter from Popham to Lord St. Vincent, deploring his Lordship not feeing him on many confiderations both public and private. -_*-.'■'_-"-- 2 ^ To this letter no anfwer was given, 18th June Letter from Admiralty to Commiilioners of Navy, reminding them of making report of furvey on the Rom. ney, agreeably to dire&ions given for that purpofe. a j so Letter 3S6 IS June Letter from Popham to Lord St. Vincent, of which the following is an extract : — " In making another effort for the honour of an interview with your Lordfbip, I truft 1 (hall not be accufed of prefiing improperly a claim, that is highly increafrd by the peculiarity of my fitua- tion ; the moft unfounded asperfions have been circulated with fuch an extraordinary degeee of fuccefs, that they now amount almoft to an impeachment, removeable only by an appeal to your Lordfhip, whofe protection I have confidered it my right to look up to on this occaflon. I am fatisfied, my Lord, that in a few minutes I mail be enabled to convince your Lordfhip of the regularity and propriety of my conduct in every inftance, and my irru portunity at this moment, arifes from the poffibility of a variety or fervices presenting themfelves, in which my local knowledge and practical information may recom- mend me to your Lordlhip's notice." - - 2 37 3rd July j^ ote f rom j^d g T# Vincent to Popham :—« Lord St. Vincent presents hit compliments to Sir Homs Popham, and acquaints him that the Admiralty Board have directed the Commiffioners of the Navy to report on the fubject of the expences incurred by the ships late under his orders in the East Indies ; and when that Report is received, a copy of it will be tranfmitted to Sir Home Popham, with fuch remarks as the Board may think proper to make* = - 238 3rd July Letter from Admiralty to Navy Board, to know what sums of money were drawn from Bengal on account of the ships under the orders of Sir Home Popham, and requiring various particulars respecting the same. 3S6 4»h July Letter from Popham to Lord St. Vincent, soliciting t® be permitted to attend in person any Committee of Investigation 14 Investigation, by which he might be enabled to explain many circumstances that, when led into references, Would occasion considerable delay, and with a view of obviating difficulties, and removing embarraflments, of which he felt he had fo much reafon to complain. 238 5th July Letter from Navy Board to Admiralty, wiih report of Comrniffioner Hop e, containing the refult of examina* tions at Chatham, and of the inveftigation of Mr, Louis's accounts, under the order of the 16th May, and which may be called the Comniiffionersykon^ Report.— The evidence of the warrant officers of the Romney herein inclofed, is referred to above under date the 18th May, and ought to have removed every ground of fuspicion. The various accounts made out by the officers of Chatham Yard, in order to (hew the dif- ference between the Indian charges and thofe in this country, tended to eftablish the obfervations in the Commiffioners former Report of the iSth October 1802, of the universal high price of every article in India ; and the actual payments mad^ by Mr. Louis are verified by voucher s t regularly certified, which accompanied the report. 1271.01 What more was wanting in Sir Home Po- pham's complete jnilificatiGn, even if he had been at all amenable for the conduct of Mr. Louis in his department of Naval Officer ? Neither this re- port, or any of the inclosures were ever in any manner communicated to Sir Home, and he was kept ignorant of all that was going forward* whether it made fur him or againft him. 23d July Note from Lord St. Vincent to Popham flating (contrary to the facl), that Sir Home Popham's letter of 4th July, had only been received at the Admiralty on the 22^, and defying that he would apply to the Secre- ?ary of the Admiralty on the fybject of that letter 242 15 25th July Letter from Sir Home Popham to Lord St. Vin- cent (written before the receipt of the foregoing), urg- ing his tlaims to his Lordihip's protefti >n, from the tef- limonials of his conduct in India, which he inclofed, and foliciting to have queftions pat in regard thereto to every perfon who had ever been in company with the Romney, - «. - - 2 3 r Letter from Popham to Sir Evan Nepean, in conse- 26 or , ... 27th TuJy requiring vouchers annexed to this third Report to be attested - 315—388 24 Feb. Letter from Mr. Marsden to Navy Board. i { lam commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the '" Admiralty to acquaint ybit that having attentively fcon- ft sidered your Report of the extraordinary purchases u made by Sir Home Popham, and of the expenditure of te stores for the Romney and Sensible, at Bengal ; and be- *' ing struck with the enormity of the abuse apparent in '* your narrative of the above transaction, their Lordships rV are of opinion that it will be highly necessary to en- k< quire into the subsequent conduct of th a ^officer, until " his arrival in England, and have in consequence com- < l manded me to signify their direction to you to employ (i the same persons who investigated Hie former, accounts <( and Expenditures j to take the same measures to pursue <€ their enquiry into the receipt and expenditure of stores " on board the Romney, from the time of Lev departure 4{ from Bengal, until her arrival at Chatham. ; and to " make a minute investigation of all the purchases made te by Sir Home Popham, either for the Romney or any " other ships tinder his orders, during that period; report- te ing to me for their Lordships information, with as little (c delay as possible, all their proceedings herein - 388 — 31 6 1 March . Report of the Victualling Board, with vouchers an- nexed, on the expences incurred by the squadron under Sir Home Popham - ..... j74_21<) e 4 Letter 24 Letter from Sir Home Popham to the Admiralty on Page* the subject of this Report, dated 28th August * - - 221 3 March. Letter from Admiralty to Navy-Board for Mr. Louis's Accounts ------- - 316 4 or 5 Letter from Mr. Mae sd en to Commissioners of Naval >!arch. Inquiry: ff I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of f e the Admiralty to send you herewith Reports which they ie have received from the Commissioners of the Navy " and Victualling, on examining the accounts of expences, iC purchases, and supplies of stores for ships, late under < f the orders of Sir Home Popham in the East Indies} ee and also of the sales of articles sent from them to Mr. " Louis at Calcutta; and as their Lordships have nei~ te ther sufficient power nor time to investigate an expendi- el turc of the public money of so much importance, which "by the said Reports appear to have been of the most Ci enormous and profligate nature, they have deemed « it expedient to lay the whole before you, in order that "■ you may take such notice thereof as you shall judge " proper," - - - 303—32; These hard expressions are used before the per- son accused had been heard in his defence j and notwithstanding the body of evidence the Boards of Navy and Admiralty were in possession of, con- tracting their own charges. 6 March. Letter from Sir Home Popham to Mr. Marsden, taking notice of the proceedings above recited - - 103 Letter 25 9 March. Letter from Mr. Marsden to Popham. E**^ " I have received and communicated to my Lords 4i Commissioners of the Admiralty your letter of the 6th ** instant, and I am commanded by their Lordships to " acquaint you, that die papers which have been referred — 1 17 Affidavits of William Shoveller, late surgeon of the Romney -, of Richard William Clarke, third lieute- nant; of David Ewen Bartholomew, master's mate; and of Henry Davis, first lieutenant ; all corroborating Sir Home Popham's statement, and his honourable con- duct in every respect, as Captain of the Romney. 117—121 16 Dec, Letter from Popham to Navy-Board. <{ It is impossible for me to express what I fed on hear- 4< ing that your report to the Admiralty, dated February " 20th, of the present year, is printed and sold in the look- e< sellers shops hi London, with the signatures of the Com- ff missioners of the Navy, and dated from the Navy Office. " I am sure, gentleman, you will recollect how fre- * ' quently I solicited your Board for a copy of that report, *'' to enable me to enter on a justification of* my conduct, " which I only very lately obtained. — You are, I have no tc doubt, aware that a publication framed in the manner ie the one in question is, and signed by such respectable* < -x 110 THE APPENDIX, proceeded; and recommended to them to address an official letter to him on the subject. This recommendation of the Commander in Chief produced letter No. 2. The officers, so far from menacing to withdraw their services from the fleet, as has been falsely and maliciously asserted, assured the Admiral they were ready to proceed with the expedition, that they should cautiously avoid every measure that had th* appearance of party or cabal : and neither invite or allow any other Captains to join with them, but keep their mea- sures and feelings to themselves. The pledge they volun- tarily gave was faithfully kept. The expedition sailed in a few days after, and in this situation they proceeded to sea. No ofticiai reply was ever made to letter No. 2. But during the expedition the officers were separately shewn by the Commander in Chief, a private letter from the First Lord of the Admiralty, in which, " he condemned them for their interference in the administration of naval affairs. Expressing surprize that any objection should be made to the appointment of Sir Home Popham, as none had ever been made to that of commissioner Captain Bowen, and adding he felt too much regard for the services of the Olli^ cers, to lay their letter before the Board of Admiralty/* The Officers replied, that their sentiments and feelings were unchanged, and they felt so much aggrieved and numi- THE APPENDIX. Hi liated in being called upon to cede their rank to Sir Home Popham, that they must press being relieved from their painful sensations as soon as the Public service could allow. The fall of the Danish fleet produced a promotion of Admirals, which secured two of the officers from the grievance they complained of. The third on his retum from the Baltic, was placed under orders that relieved him also from the painful situation. The grievance was removed, and in a manner flattering to the two officers who bore the rank of established Com- modores* They might justly have been accused of in- dulging a disposition rather lending to embarrass than re- lieve themselves from an injury, had they on their return continued to urge their original remonstrance. It ap- peared essential to Sir Samuel Hood and Rear Admiral Keats, both of whom have been in London since their re- turn, to justify themselves from the imputation that ap- peared to be cast upon them in the private letter of Lord Mulgrave's, before noticed. That has been done, I have no doubt, in a manner perfectly satisfactory to Lord Mul- grave, and equally so to themselves. Their feelings have been their guide. — Their object was never connected with party, and the moment they were placed in a situation that secured them from the indignity they complained of, and re-* 112 THE APPENDIX. stored them to their natural seniority over Sir Home Pop-* ham, all personal subject of complaint was done away. Note. — Although it is ordered by the naval instructions, that a Captain of the Fleet shall be either a flag officer or one of the senior Captains of the Navy, the remonstrating Officers were not ignorant that one* precedent could have been adduced of an appointment of Captain of the Fleet as junior as Sir Home Popham. But where, as in this case, the time of actual employment has been very limited ; where the Officer had never served in a fleet; and other ob- jections occurred; they considered — and consider they forced a fair and legitimate subject of remonstrance, espe- cially as two of them very much his seniors were (by the new naval restrictions) though established Commodores, called upon to cede their rank to him at Councils and Courts-martial* * Captain Bowen. — If Sir Home Popham's services had be«n fis regular as those of Captain Bowen, and he had npt met the public disapprobation of the Admiralty, and the severe censure of a court martial, and had not pursued rather a speculative than a regular line of conduct, ao objection would ever have been made to him, THE APPENDIX. 113 No. II. LETTER TO ADMIRAL GAMBIER, S^c. %c. Spc. North Yarmouth, July 23, 1807, Sir, w. E beg leave to represent to you, the extreme sorrow and concern, with which, as senior Captains in the Navy, ■we are penetrated, in finding ourselves placed in situations that in any degree subject us to an inferiority to Captain Sir Home Popham. We are sensible that it belongs to his Majesty, to esta- blish the gradations of rank, and we have been bred to respect and venerate his authority. — We wish simply to convey our feelings— not to remark on the services or pretensions of any one ; waving, therefore, those of the present Captain of the Fleet, as much as circumstances will admit; and trusting, that our regular, direct, un- impeached, and almost uninterrupted services, will afford the most unequivocal denial to the supposition of our be- ing actuated by any indirect or party motives; we anxi- ously hope, Sir, that you will take such measures as you 1J4 THE APPENDIX. may deem expedient, to relieve us from the painful sensa-» tions we at present experience. The principles under which we have been brought up, induce us to make any sacrifices that the service of our country may require : we are ready to proceed on any immediate service ; but we rely, that as early measures will be taken, wkhout injury to the service, as can be effected, to relieve us from the humiliating situations in which, by the appointment of Sir Home Popham as Cap- tain of the Fleet, we find ourselves placed. We have the honour to be, Sir, With respect, Your most obedient humble Servants, (Signed) SAMUEL HOOD. R. G. KEATS. ROBERT STOPFORD. To Admiral Gambier,. fyc. fyc. §c. THE AMENDIS. . 115 No. III. Comparative Services of the Remonstrating Captains^ Sir Home Popham's. A HE services of the three Remonstrating Captains, have been as regular, us continued, and as persevering, as that of any Officers in the Navy. From their earliest entrance into it, they had undeviatingly attached them- selves to its plainest and fairest principles and pursuits ; a long, uninterrupted course of service, had been passed by them without blemish or suspicion ; they had severally served as Captains under Earls Howe and St. Vincent— * wider Lords, Nelson, Hood, Gardner, Collingwood, and other officers of high rank and character. Each had com- manded ships of the line in action, and received medals, and the thanks of their country. Each had commanded squadrons as established Commodores, with the rank of Rear Admirals, and acquitted themselves of their duty with approbation. — At the commencement of the war llG THE APPENDIX, with France in 1 793, two of them had been eleven years in the command of sloops of war or frigates ; and all of them three years post, with the rank of Colonels in the army. At this period, the Captain of the Fleet commanded % merchant ship under foreign colours — himself a Lieutenant of the Navy, and it has been said, a Burgher of Ostend ; employed in a traffic prejudicial to the commercial rights and prosperity of the East India Company ! I The services of the Remonstrating Captains, when called upon to cede their rank to Sir Home Popham, were from seventeen to nineteen years pott *, during which time they were almost constantly employed ; whilst the actual services of Sir Home Popham little exceeded four years* He had never served as Captain under any Admiral — had never been in a line of battle — nor had ever commanded a ship in action. It is true, he had been honoured beyond all precedent with commands. His conduct in one, after meeting the disapprobation of the Admiralty, became the * I believe Sir Samuel Hood served as Post Capt.» • • 17 years. Rear Admiral Keats also served ...*..-.....- 17 years. Captain Stopford, I believe, full • • •• ■ - • 15 years* Sir Home Popham little more than, I belteve ....-.<-.•. 4 years. THE APPENDIX. 117 subject of parliamentary inquiry. A second had been productive of the severe censure of a Court-martial ; from which sentence, hitherto found a bar almost insurmount- able to advancement in the navy, he was raised, without precedent, considering these circumstances and his short services, and almost without a pause, to a situation, notwithstanding the rank and services of the Remon- strating Officers, that gave him a seniority over them. Under such unprecedented circumstances, they considered and consider themselves justi6ed in having adopted the legitimate mode of remonstrance, to procure redress of a grievance. The Remonstrating Officers acknowledge no inferiority of naval information or ability to Sir Home Popham, Their actions have corresponded with their professions ; and they have not been accustomed to view with respect, those whose conduct has been marked by speculative notions. — It has been said, the local knowledge of Sir Home Popham, made his appointment, as Captain of the Fleet, requisite. Men of versatile talents, have local know- ledge in all parts of the world. The Remonstrating Captains did not discover any extraordinary advantage which the pub- lic service derived from his appointment at Copenhagen : and on Admiral Gambier's advancing it as an argument at Yarmouth, he was reminded by the Captains — that he might as 'easily derive all the advantages he promised himself from it, by taking him in a situation that would 118 THE APPENDIX. not be offensive to them, as in that in which lie had beea appointed to. Note. — One of the Remonstrating Captains, who com- mandeda frigate in 1790, was actually employed to cruize for El Trusco, the foreign merchant ship commanded by Sir Home Popham, then on her outward-bound voyage to the East Indies. She was stopped by the Brilliant frigate^ Captain Mark Robinson, on her homeward-bound voyage^ in 1793 or 1794. THE APPENDIX, 1 1.9 No. IV. COPY of the SUMMONS sent to the Governor o/Copen* hagen, with his Answer to it, dated Sept, 1, 1807. British Head Quarters, before Copenhagen, Sept. l« Sir, W; E, the Commanders in Chief of his Majesty's sea and land forces now before Copenhagen, judge it expedient at this time to summon you to surrender the place, for the purpose of avoiding the farther effusion of blood, by giv- ing up a defence which it is evident cannot long be con- tinued. The King our gracious Master, used every endeavour to settle the matter now in dispute, in the most conciliating manner, through his diplomatic servants; To convince his Danish Majesty, and all tke world, of the reluctance with which his Majesty finds himself com- pelled to have recourse to arm*, we, the undersigned, at this moment when our troops are before your gates, and our batteries ready to open, do renew to you the offer of the same advantageous and conciliatory terms which were pro- posed through his Majesty's Ministers to your Court, l%0 THE APPENDIX. If you will consent to deliver up the Danish fleet, and to our carrying it away, it shall he held in deposit for his Danish Majesty, and shall be restored with all its equip- ments, in as good a state as it is received, as soon as the provisions of a general peace shall remove the necessity wfaicfe has occasioned this demand. The property of all sorts which has been captured since the commencement of hostilities will be restored to its owners, and the union between the united, kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Denmark may be re- newed. But if this offer is rejected now, it cannot be repeated". The captured property, public and private, must then be- long to the captors ; and the city, when taken, melt share the fate of conquered places. We must request an early decision, because, in the pre- sent advanced position of the troops so near your glacis, the most prompt and vigorous attack is indispensable, and delay would be improper. "We therefore expect to receive your decision by We have the honour to be, &c. J. GAMBIER, CATHCART* T& His Excellency, General Peyman, Governor of Copenhagen, <%c, THE APPENDIX. 121 ANSWER. Copenhagen, Sep, I. My Lords, OUR fleet, our own indisputable property, we are convinced, is as safe in his Danish Majesty's hands as ever it can be in those of the King of England, as our Master never intended any hostilities against youYs. If you are cruel enough to endeavour to destroy a-citVj that has not given any the least cause to such a treat- ment at your hands, it must submit to its fate; but ho- nour and duty bid us reject a proposal unbecoming an in- dependent Power ; and we are resolved to repel every at- tack, and defend to the utmost the city and our good «ause, for which we are ready to lay down our lives. The only proposal in my power to make, in order to prevent farther effusion of blood, h to send to my Royal Master, for learning his final resolution, with respect to the contents of your letter, if you will grant a passport for this purpose. I am, &c. (Signed) PEYMAN, lit tfHE APPENDIX, No. V* ARTICLES of CAPITULATION for the Town and Cit tadel of Copenhagen, agreed upon between Major-Gene- ral the Right Hon. Sir Arthur Wellesley j K. B. Sir Home Popham, Knight of Malta, and Captain of the Fleet $ and Lieutenant-Colonel George Murray, Deputy Quar- ter-Master-General of the British Forces, being thereto , duly authorized by James Gambier, Esq. Admiral of the Blue, and Commander in Chief of his Britannic Majes* tys Ships and Vessels in the Baltic Sea, and by Lieute- nant-General the Right Hon. Lord Cathcart, Knight of the Thistle, Commander in Chief of his Britannic Ma- jesty's Forces in Zealand, and the North of the Conti- nent of Europe, on the one part ; and by Major-General Walterstorff, Knight of the Order of Dannebrog, Cham- berlain to the King, and Colonel of the Norih Zealand Regiment of Infantry, Rear Admiral Liitken, md I. H* Kerclioff, Aid-de-Camp to his Danish Majesty, being duly authorized by his Excellency Major-General Peyman, Knight of the Order of Dannebrog, and Commander in Chief of his Da?iish Majesty's Forces in the Island of Zealand, on the other part. Article I. * V HEN the Capitulation shall have been signed and ratified, the troops of his Britannic Majesty are to be put in possession of the Citadel. II. A guard of his Britannic Majesty's troops, shall likewise be placed in the Dock-yards. THE APPENDIX. 123 III. The ships and vessels of war of every description, with all the naval stores belonging to his Danish Majes- ty, shall be delivered into the charge of such persons as shall be appointed by the Commanders in Chief of his Britannic Majesty's forces ; and they are to be put in im- mediate possession of the Dock-yards, and all the build- ings and storehouses belonging thereto. IV. The store-ships and transports in the service of his Britannic Majesty are to be allowed, if necessary, to come into the harbour, for the purpose of embarking such stores and troops as they have brought into this island, V. As soon as the ships shall have been removed from the Dock-yard, or within six weeks from the date of this Capitulation, or sooner, if possible, the troops of his Britannic Majesty shall deliver up the Citadel to the troops of his Danish Majesty, in the state in which it shall be found when they occupy it. His Britannic Majesty's troops shall likewise, within the before-mentioned time, or sooner, if possible, be embarked from the Island of Zea- land. VI. From the date of this Capitulation, hostilities shall cease throughout the Island of Zealand, VII. No person whatsoever shall be molested, and all property, public or private, with the exception of the ships 32£ THE APPENDIX. and vessels of war, and the naval stores before- mentioned, belonging to his Danish Majesty, shall be respected ; and all civil and military officers in the service of his Danish Majesty, shall continue in the full exercise of their autho- rity throughout the Island of Zealand ; and every thing ihall be done which can tend to produce union and har- mony between the two nations, VIII. All prisoners taken on both sides shall be un- conditionally restored, and those officers who are prison- ers on parole shall be released from its effect. " IX. Any English property that may have been se- questrated, in consequence of the existing hostilities, shall be restored to the owners. This Capitulation shall be ratified by the respective Commanders in Chief, and the ratifications shall be ex- changed before twelve o'clock at noon this day. Done at Copenhagen, this 7th day of September, 1807* (Signed) ARTHUR WELLESLEY. HOME POPHAM, GEORGE MURRAY. Ratifie par moi, (Signee) PEYMAN. TkE APPENDIX. 125 No. VI. DECLARATION, dated Sept. 25, 180?. JlXIS Majesty owes to himself, and to Europe, a frank exposition of the motives which have dictated his late measures in the Baltic, His Majesty has delayed this exposition only in the hope of that more amicable arrangement with the Court of Denmark, which it was Majesty's first wish and endeavour to obtain — for which he was ready to make great efforts and great sacrifices : and of which he never lost sight, even in the moment of the most decisive hostility. Deeply as the disappointment of this hope has been felt by his Majesty, he has the consolation of reflecting, that no exertion was left untried, on his part, to produce a different result. And while he laments the cruel necessity which has obliged him to have recourse to acts of hostility, against a nation with which it was his Majesty's most ear- nest desire to have established the relations of common in- terest and alliance; his Majesty feels confident, that, in the. eyes of Europe and of the world, the justification of hi» 126 THE APPENDIX. conduct will be found-, in the commanding and indispensa- ble duty, paramount to all others? amongst the obligations of a Sovereign, of providing, while there was yet time, for the immediate security of his people. His Majesty had received the most positive information of the determination of the present Ruler of France, to oc- cupy, with a military force, the territory of Hosltein, for the purpose of excluding Great Britain from all her accus- tomed channels of communication with the Continent ; of inducing or compelling the court of Denmark to close the passage of the Sound against the British commerce and navigation ; and of availing himself of the aid of the Da- nish marine, for the invasion of Great Britain and of Ireland. Confident as his Majesty was of the authenticity of the sources from which this intelligence was derived, and confirmed in the credit which he gave to it, as well by the notorious and repeated declarations of the enemy, and by his recent occupation of the towns and territories of other neutral states, as by the preparations actually made for collecting a hostile force upon the frontiers of his Da- nish Majesty's Continental dominions; his Majesty would yet willingly have forborne to act upon this intelligence, until the complete and practical disclosure of the plan had made manifest to all the world the absolute necessity of resisting it. THE APPENDIX. 127 His Majesty did forbear, as long as there could be a doubt of the urgency of the danger, or a hope of an effec- tual counteraction to it in the means or in the dispositions ©f Denmark, But his Majesty could not but recollect, that when, at the close of the former war, the Court of Denmark engaged in a hostile confederacy against Great Britain, the apology offered by that Court, for so unjustifiable an abandonment of a neutrality which his Majesty had never ceased to re- spect, was founded on its avowed inability to resist the operation of external influence, and the threats of a formi- dable neighbouring power. His Majesty could not but compare the degree of influence, which at that time deter- mined the decision of the Court of Denmark, in violation of positive engagements, solemnly contracted but six months before, with the increased operation which France had now the means of giving to the same principle of in- timidation, with kingdoms prostrate at her feet, and with the population of nations under her banners. Nor was the danger less imminent than certain. Al- ready the army destined for the invasian of Holstein was assembling on the violated territory of neutral Hamburgh : and, Holstein once occupied, the island of Zealand was at the mercy of France, and the Navy of Denmark at her disposal, 128 THE APPENDIX, It is true, a British force might have found its way into the Baltic, and checked, for a time, the movements of the Danish marine. But the season was approaching when that precaution would no longer have availed, and when his Majesty's fleet must have retired from that sea, and permitted France, in undisturbed security, to accumulate the means of offence against his Majesty's dominions. Yet, even under these circumstances in calling upon Denmark for the satisfaction and security which his Ma* jesty was compelled to require, and in demanding the only pledge by which that security could be rendered effectual — > the temporary possession of that fleet, which was the chief inducement to France for forcing Denmark into hostilities with Great Britain ; his Majesty accompanied this de- mand with the offer of every condition which could tend to reconcile it to the interests and to the feelings of the Court of Denmark. It was for Denmark herself to state the terms and sti- pulations which she might require. If Denmark was apprehensive, that the surrender of her fleet would be resented by France as an act of contri- vance, his Majesty had prepared a force of such formidable magnitude, as must have made concession justifiable even in the estimation of France, by rendering resistance alto- gether unavailing. THE APPENDIX* 129 If Denmark was really prepared to resist the demands of France, and to maintain her independence, his Majesty proffered his co-operation for her defence — naval, military, and pecuniary aid, the guarantee of her European territo- ries, and the security and extension of her colonial pos- sessions. That the sword has been drawn in the execution of a service indispensable to the safety of his Majesty's do- minions, is matter of sincere and painful regret to his Ma- jesty. That the state and circumstances of the world are such as to have required and justified the measures of self- preservation, to which his Majesty has found himself un- der the necessity of resorting, is a truth which his Majesty deeply deplores, but for which he is in no degree respon- sible. His Majesty has long carried on a most unequal con- test, of scrupulous forbearance against unrelenting violence and oppression. But that forbearance has its bounds. — When the design was openly avowed, and already but too far advanced towards its accomplishment, of subjecting the powers of Europe to one universal usurpation, and of combining them by terror or by force in a confederacy against the maritime rights and political existence of this kingdom, it became necessary for his Majesty to antici- pate the success of a system, not more fatal to his interests 130 THE APPENDIX. than to those of the powers who were destined to be the instruments of its execution. It was time that the effects of that dread, which France has inspired into the nations of the world, should be coun- teracted by an exertion of the power of Great Britain, called for by the exigency of the crisis, and proportioned to the magnitude of the danger. Notwithstanding the declaration of war on the part of the Danish Government, it still remains for Denmark to determine, whether war shall continue between the twe nations, His Majesty still proffers an amicable arrange- ment. He is anxious to sheathe the sword, which he has been most reluctantly compelled to draw. He is ready to demonstrate to Denmark, and to the world, that having acted solely upon the sense of what was due to the security of his own dominions, he is not desirous, from any other motive, or for any object of advantage or aggrandisement, to carry measures of hostility beyond the limits of the ne« cessity which has produced them. We&min&er, Sept. 25, 1807. ;HE APPENDIX. 131 No. VIL DECLARATION, dated December IS, 1807- JL HE Declaration issued at St. Petersburg}], by his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, has excited in his Majesty's mind the strongest sensations of astonishment and regret. His Majesty was not unaware of the nature of those secret engagements which had been imposed upon Russia in the conferences of Tilsit. But his Majesty had enter- tained the hope, that a review of the transactions of that unfortunate negotiation, and a just estimate of its effects upon the glory of the Russian name, and upon the interests of the Russian empire, would have induced his Imperial Majesty to extricate himself from the embarrassment of those new counsels and connections which he had adopted in a moment of despondency and alarm, and to return to a policy more congenial to the principles which he has so invariably professed, and more conducive to the honour of his Crown, and to the prosperity of his dominions. This hope has dictated to his Majesty the utmost for- bearance and moderation in all his diplomatic intercourse 132 THE APPENDIX. with the Court of St. Petersburgh since the pea€e of Tilsit. His Majesty had much cause for suspicion, and just ground of complaint. But he abstained from the language of reproach. His Majesty deemed it necessary to require specific explanation with respect to those arrangements with France, the concealment of "which from his Majesty- could not but confirm the impression already received of their character and tendency. But his Majesty never- theless directed the demand of that explanation to be made, not only without asperity or the indication of any hostile disposition, but with that considerate regard to the feelings and situation of the Emperor of Russia, which resulted from the recollection of former friendship, and from confidence interrupted but not destroyed. The Declaration of the Emperor of Russia proves that the object of his Majesty's forbearance and moderation has not been attained. It proves, unhappily, that the influence of that power, which Is equally and essentially the enemy both of Great Britain and of Russia, has acquired a decided ascendancy in the counsels of the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh; and has been able to ex- cite a causeless enmity between two nations, whose long-established connection, and whose mutual interests prescribed the most intimate union and co-operation. THE APPENDIX, 13S His Majesty deeply laments the extension of the cala- mities of war. But, called upon as he is, to defend him- self against an act of unprovoked hostility, his Majesty is anxious to refute in the face of the world the pretexts by which that act is attempted to be justified, The Declaration asserts, that his Majesty tne Emperor of Russia, has twice taken up arms in a cause in which the interest of Great Britain was more direct than his own ; and founds wpon this assertion, the charge against Great Britain, of having neglected to second and support the. military operations of Russia, His Majesty willingly does justice to the motives which originally engaged Russia in the great struggle against France. His Majesty avows with equal readiness the in- terest which Great Britain has uniformly taken in the fates and fortunes of the powers of the Continent. But it would surely be difficult to prove that Great Britain, who was herself in a state of hostility with Prussia when the war broke out between Prussia and France, had an interest and a duty more direct in espousing the Prussian quarrel than the Emperor of Russia, the Ally of his Prussian Majesty, the Protector of the North of Europe, and the Guarantee of the Germanic Constitution. It is not in a public Declaration that his Majesty can discuss the policy of having at any particular period of t$J> , .^HE APPENDIX* the war ? effected, or omitted to effect, disembarkations of troops on the coasts of Naples. But the instance of the war with the Porte is still more singularly chosen to illus- trate the charge against Great Britain of indifference to the interests of her ally : a war undertaken by Great Bri- tain at the instigation of Russia, and solely for the purpose of maintaining Russian interests against the influence of France. If, however, the peace of Tilsit is indeed to be consid- ered as the consequence and the punishment of the imputed inactivity of Great Britain, his Majesty cannot but regret that the Emperor of Russia should have resorted to so precipitate and fatal a measure, at the moment when he iiad received distinct assurances that his Majesty was making the most strenuous exertions to fulfd the wishes and expectations of his ally; (assurances which his Impe- rial Majesty received and acknowledged with apparent confidence and satisfaction) and when his Majesty was, in fact, prepared to employ for the advancement of the com- mon objects of the war, those forces which, after the Peace of Tilsit, he was under the necessity of employing; to disconcert a combination directed against his own im mediate interests and security. The vexation of .Russian Commerce by Great Britain, is, in truth, little more than an imaginary grievance.-— Vpou a diligent examination, made by his Majesty's com- THE APPENDS, 135 mand, of the records of the British Court of Admiralty, there has been discovered only a solitary instance in the course of the present war, of the condemnation of a vessel really Russian ; a vessel which had carried naval stores to a port of the common enemy, There are bnt few in- stances of Russian vessels detained : and none ic which justice has been refused to a party regularly complaining of such detention, It is therefore matter of surprise as well as of concern to his Majesty, that the Emperor of Russia should have condescended to bring forward a com- plaint which, as it cannot be seriously felt by those in whose behalf it is urged, might appear to be intended to countenance those exaggerated declamations, by which France perseveringly endeavours to inflame the jealousy of other countries, and to justify her own inveterate animosity against Great Britain, The Peace of Tilsit was followed by an offer of media- tion on the part of the Emperor of Russia, for the conclu- sion of a peace between Great Britain and France ; which it is asserted that his Majesty refused. His Majesty did not refuse the mediation of the Empe- ror of Russia, although the offer of it was accompanied by circumstances of concealment, which might well have justified his refusal. The articles of the Treaty of Tilsit. were not communicated to his Majesty; and specifically that article of tfce treaty in. virtue of which, the mediation l : 3t> THE APPENDIX. was proposed, and which prescribed a limited time for the return of his Majesty's answer to that proposal. And his Majesty was thus led into an apparent compliance with a limitation so offensive to the dignity of an independent Sovereign. But the answer so returned by his Majesty, was not a refusal ; it was a conditional acceptance. The conditions required by his Majesty, were — a statement of the basis upon which the enemy was disposed to treat; and a communication of the articles of the Peace of Tilsit, The first of these conditions was precisely the same which the Emperor of Russia had himself annexed not four months before, to his own acceptance of the proffered me- diation of the Emperor of Austria. The second was one, which his Majesty would have had a right to require, even as the ally of his Imperial Majesty ; but which it would have been highly improvident to omit, when he was invited to confide to his Imperial Majesty the care of his honour and of his interests. : But even if these conditions (neither of which has been fulfilled, although the fulfilment of them has been repeat^ edly required by his Majesty's Ambassador at St. Peters- burgh) had not been in themselves perfectly natural and necessary ; there were not wanting considerations which might have warranted his Majesty in endeavouring, with more than ordinary anxiety, to ascertain the views and intentions of the Emperor of Russia, and the precise nature and effect ot the new relations which his Imperial Majesty had contracted. TILE APPENDIX* 137 '-The complete abandonment of the interests of the King ef Prussia, (who had twice rejected proposals of separate peace, from a strict adherence to his engagements with his Imperial Ally,) and the character of those provisions which the Emperor of Russia was contented to make for his own interests in the negotiations of Tilsit, presented no encouraging prospect of the result of any exertions which his Imperial Majesty might be disposed to employ in favour of Great Britain. It is not, while a French army still occupies and lays waste the remaining dominions of the King of Prussia, in spite of the stipulations of the Prussian treaty of Tilsit ; while contributions are arbitrarily exacted by France from that remnant of the Prussian monarchy, such as, in its entire and most flourishing state, the Prussian monarchy would have been unable to discharge ; while the surrender is demanded, in time of peace, of Prussian fortresses, which had not been reduced during the war; and while the power of France is exercised over Prussia with such shame- less tyranny, as to designate and demand for instant death, individuals, subjects of his Prussian Majesty, and resident in his. dominions, upon a charge of disrespect towards the French government ; — it is not while all these things are done and suffered, under the eyes of the Emperor of Russia, and without his interference on behalf of his ally, that his Majesty can feel himself called . upon to account to Europe, for having hesitated to repose an uncondi- 139 THE APPENDIX, f tonal confidence in the efficacy of his Imperial Majesty's mediation. Nor, even if that mediation had taken full effect, if a peace had been concluded under it, and that peace gua- ranteed by bis Imperial Majesty.* could his Majesty have placed, implicit reliance on the stability of any such ar- rangement, after having seen the Emperor of Russia openly transfer to France the sovereignty of the Ionian republic, the independence of which his Imperial Majesty had re- cently and solemnly guaranteed. But while the alleged rejection of the Emperor of Russia's mediation, between Great Britain and France, is stated as a just ground of his Imperial Majesty's resent- ment, bis Majesty's request of that mediation, for the re^ establishment of peace between Great Britain and Den- mark, if represented as an insult which it was beyond the bounds of his Imperial Majesty's moderation to endure. His Majesty feels himself under no obligation to offer- any atonement or apology to the Emperor of Russia for the expedition against Copenhagen. It is not for those who were parties to the secret arrangements of Tilsit, to demand satisfaction for a measure to which those arrange^ ments gave rise, and by which one of the objects of them has been happily defeated. THE APPENDIX. 13$ His Majesty's justification of the expedition against Copenhagen is before the world. The Declaration of the Emperor of Russia would supply whatever was wanting ill it, if any thing could be wanting to convince the most ia- . credulous of the urgency of that necessity under which his Majesty acted. But until the Russian Declaration was published, his Majesty had no reason to suspect that any opinions whk& the Emperor of Russia might entertain of the transactions at Copenhagen could be such as to preclude his Imperial Majesty from undertaking, at the request of Great Bri- tain, that same office of Mediator, which he had assumed with so much alacrity on the behalf of France. Nor can his Majesty forget that the first symptoms of reviving con- fidence, since the peace of Tilsit, the only prospect of suc- cess in the endeavours of his Majesty's Ambassador to re- store the ancient good understanding between Great Bri- »n tain and Russia, appeared when the intelligence o, the siege ©f Copenhagen had been recently received at S Pe- iersburgh. The inviolability of the Baltic Sea, and the reciprocal guaranties of the powers that border upon it, guaranties said to have been contracted with the knowledge of th# British Government, are stated as aggravations of his Majesty's proceedings in the Baltic. It cannot be in tended to represent his Majesty as having at any time ac- 14& THE AT-fENDIX. quiesced in the priciples upon which the inviolability of the Baltic is maintained; however his Majesty may, at particular periods, have forborne, for special reasons in* fluencing his conduct at the time, to act in contradiction to them. Such forbearance never could have applied but to a state of peace and real neutrality in the North ; and his Majesty most assuredly could not be expected to recur to it, after France has been suffered to establish herself in undisputed sovereignty along the whole coast of the Baltic Sea, from Dantzic to Lubec. But the higher the value which the Emperor of Russia places on the engagements respecting the tranquillity of the Baltic, which he describes himself as inheriting from his immediate predecessors, the Empress Catherine and the Emperor Paul, the less justly can his Imperial Ma- jesty reseat the appeal made to him by his Majesty as the gu ^ntee of the peace to be concluded between Great Bri- tg^Nintl Denmark. In making that appeal, with the ut- most confidence and sincerity, his Majesty neither intended, nor can he imagine that he offered any insult to the Em- peror of Russia. Nor can his Majesty conceive that, in proposing to the Prince Royal terms of peace, such as the most successful war on the part of Denmark could hardly^ have been expected to extort from Great Britain, his Ma- jesty rendered himself liable to the imputation, either of exasperating the resentment, or of outraging the dignity, of Denmark. THE APPENDIX.- >41 If is Majesty has thus replied to all the different accusa- tions by which the Rassian Government labours to justify the rupture of a connection which has subsisted for ages, with reciprocal advantage to Great Britain and Russia ; and attempts to disguise the operation of that external influence by which Russia is driven into unjust hostilities for interests not her own. The Russian Declaration proceeds to announce the [se- veral conditions on which alone these hostilities can be terminated, and the intercourse of the two countries re- newed. His Majesty has already had occasion to assert,- that justice has in no instance been denied to the claims of his Imperial Majesty's subjects*- ,-The termination of the war with Denmark has been so' anxiously sought by his Majesty, that it cannot be neces- sary for his Majesty to renew any professions upon that sub- ject. But his Majesty is at a loss to reconcile the Em- peror of Russia's present anxiety for the completion of such an arrangement, with his Imperial Majesty's recent refusal to contribute his good- offices for effecting it. The requisition of his Imperial Majesty for the immir diate conclusion, by his Majesty, of a peace with France, is as extraordinary in the substance, as it is offensive i* T 142- ■ THE APPENDIX. the manner. His Majesty has at no time declined to treat with France, when France has professed a willing- Bess to treat on an admissible basis. And the Emperor of Russia cannot fail to remember that the last negotiation between Great Britain and France was broken off, upon points immediately affecting, not his Majesty's own inte- rests, but those of his Imperial Ally. But his Majesty neither understands, nor will he admit, the pretension of the Emperor of Russia to dictate the time, or the mode, of his Majesty's pacific negotiations with other powers. It will never be endured by his Majesty that any Govern- ment shall indemnify itself for the humiliation of subser- viency to France, by the adoption of an insulting and pe- remptory tone towards Great Britain. His Majesty proclaims anew those principles of Mari- time Law, against which the Armed Neutrality, under the auspices of the Empress Catherine, was originally di- rected; and against which the present hostilities of Rus* jjia are denounced. Those principles have been recognized and acted upon in the best periods of the history oi' Eu- rope : and acted upon by no Power with more strictness and severity than by Russia herself in. the reign of the Empress Catherine. TuosE.principles it is the right and the duty of his Ma- jesty to maintain: and against every confederacy his Ma- jesty is determined, under the blessing of Divine Provi- THE APPENDIX. 143 dence to maintain them. They have at all times contri- buted essentially to the support of the maritime power of Great Britain; but they are become incalculably more va- luable and important at a period when the maritime power of Great Britain constitutes the sole remaining bulwark against the overwhelming usurpations of France ; the only refuge to which other nations may yet resort, in happier times, for assistance and protection, When the opportunity for peace between Great Britain and Russia shall arrive, his Majesty will embrace it with eagerness. The arrangements of such a negotiation will riot be difficult or complicated. His Majesty, as he has nothing to concede, so he has nothing to require: satisfied if Russia shall manifest a disposition to return to her an- cient feelings of friendship towards Great Britain; to a just consideration of her her own true interests, and to a sense of her own dignity as an independent nation, Westminster) Dtc. IS, 180/. 14.4 THE APPENDIX, No. VIII. STATEMENT of the Danish Prizes, Stores,