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"War, in impreffing Seamen out of the Merchant Ships in The West Indies, as alfo upon their Return "into the Ports of Great Britain, to the endangering "of many, and Lofs of feveral, Ships.

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"The Houfe having been pleased, by Order of the
"Nineteenth of November last, to refer to this Com-
"mittee, the Petition of feveral Merchants prefented to
"the Houfe, on Behalf of themselves and others,
"Traders of the City of London, whereby they com-
"plain of great Loffes, by the ill-timing of Convoys,
"and for Want of Cruizers, fo that they durft no
"longer engage the Remainder of their Eftates to carry
"on their feveral Trades, unless immediate Care were
"taken to remedy thefe Two main Causes of their Mis-
"fortunes; and having directed the Committee to hear
"the Petitioners, and to make a Report to the House:
"Their Lordships have accordingly heard many of the
"faid Petitioners, upon their Oaths; and have caufed
"them to put their feveral Depofitions in Writing, and
to fign the fame; which Depofitions their Lordships"
"have annexed hereunto, and defire the fame may be
"taken as Part of this their Report.

"In order to make out the First Head of their Complaint, relating to the Infufficiency of Convoys, they gave the following Inftances:

"1. Firft, in June 1706, a Fleet of Merchant "Ships, under Convoy of The Gofport Man of "War, bound for The West Indies, were at"tacked in The Soundings; and The Gofport and "Eight or Nine of the Merchant Ships were "taken.

"2dly, The Lisbon Fleet, under Convoy of The "Swiftfure and Warfpright, were attacked in "March 170, and about Fourteen Merchant "Ships taken in, The Soundings."

"3dly, The Newfoundland Fleet, under Convoy "of The Falkland and Medway's Prize, were "attacked in April, and fome of them taken. 4thly, The Coafting Convoy was attacked in "April, off The Land's End.

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5thly, The Convoy from The Downs, confifting of "The Hampton Court, The Royal Oake, and The

Grafton, failed the Firft of May laft, and the "next Day were attacked in The Channel; and "The Hampton Court and The Grafton, and about "Twenty Merchant Ships, were taken by the "Dunkirk Squadron.

"6thly, A Sixth Inftance was, that of the Ruffia

Ships Outward-bound this Year, which were "attacked by the Dunkirk Squadron, and Six"teen of them taken.

"As to these feveral Inftances, their Lordships refer "to the Depofition of Mr. William Wood, marked (A.)

"And further, in refpect to the Ruffia Fleet, Mr. "Dawson informed their Lordships, "That, on the 29th of April, the Governor and a Committee of the Mofcovia Company attended the Prince's Council, to "know what Convoy was appointed to conduct their

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Ships to Archangel. They were told," Their Convoy "fhould be One Fourth and Two Fifth Rate Ships." Upon their reprefenting their Fears of Danger from the Dunkirk Squadron, it was told them, from the "Board, "They need not be under any Apprehenfion "on that Score, for the Dunkirk Squadron was gone "Weftward;" which proved true; for, on the Thursday

"Their Lordships obferving, that the Complaints of
"the Petitioners naturally fell under feveral Heads;
"for the greater Eafe of the House, have endeavoured,"
in their Report, to reduce the Evidence to the fol-
"lowing Method; always referring, as they proceed,
to the Depofitions themselves.

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"One Thing complained of was, the Infufficiency "of Convoys appointed for the Merchants; whereby "their Ships had, from Time to Time, become a Prey "to the fuperior Force of the Enemy.

"A Second Point was, the Merchants fuffered great "Difcouragement by their being forced to wait long "for Convoys, even after the Time promifed and pre"fixed for their failing; whereby the Charge of Seamens Wages and Victuals, Demurrage of Shipping, Damage of Goods, and Lofs of Markets, made Tra"ding infupportable.

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following, The Hampton Court, Grafton, and Royal "Oak, failed out of The Downs, with the Ships under their Convoy; and the next Day, being the Second "of May, fell in with the Dunkirk Squadron."

"To fhew the Loffes and Difappointments that have "lately happened to the Fleets of the Mofcovia Company, Mr. Dawson acquainted their Lordships with "the Subftance of a Petition lately prefented by the

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Mofcovia Company to the Prince's Council; and, upon "his Oath, informed their Lordships of many Facts, "in order to make good what was contained in that "A Third Ground of Complaint was, the untimely " down in his Depofition delivered to their Lordships, "Petition: But thofe Facts being not particularly fet "and unfeafonable failing of Convoys, whereby Trade" and figned by him, no Notice is taken of them in "(to The West Indies especially) was in a Manner ruined. "this Report; but the Committee only refer to what is contained in his Depofition, in Writing, figned by “ him, and marked (N.)"

"A Fourth was, the great Want of Cruizers in The "Channel and Soundings.

"A Fifth Complaint was, concerning the arbitrary "Proceedings of the Captains of the Queen's Ships of

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"To fhew this, the Merchants produced The Gazette that Purpose." "of the 3d of November 1707.

"These several Convoys having been thus attacked " in The Soundings and Channel in less than a Year and "Half, the Merchants infifted, was a convincing Proof "of their Infufficiency.

"For this, the Committee refer to Mr. Torriano's Depofition, marked (O.)

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"The Merchants acquainted them, "That fo large a Ship, at that Seafon, durft not venture fo near the Shore as was neceffary to protect the Trade from Pri"vateers lying near the Shore ;" and did alfo reprefent "the Danger to which the main Fleet of Merchant Ships bound for Lifbon would be expofed, if they "proceeded with a fingle Man of War: But this was "not regarded. So the Merchants were forced to fubmit, having fome Chance for faving their Cargoes if they proceeded, whereas they had none, if they con"tinued longer in Port; for not only their Corn would be spoiled, but all their Woollen Manufactures were in Danger of decaying, by the heating of their Corn, as had been often experienced.

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"The Second Head of Complaint was, of the great "Discouragement and Prejudice to Trade, by the Mer"chants being under a Neceffity of waiting fo long for "Convoys; whereby their Charges were exceedingly" "increased, great Damages happened to their Cargoes,

"and their Markets were loft.

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"One Inftance of the Damages arifing by the Delay "of Convoys was, that several of our Merchants had "Orders, in July 1704, for buying great Quantities of "Corn for the King of Portugal's Ufe, and had Affign"ments on the Treafury here for 100,000 Pieces of "Eight; accordingly a great Quantity of Corn was "bought in July and August, and frequent Applications "made to the Prince's Council for Convoy, and they promised from Time to Time to take Care of it; but "the Convoy did not fail from Portsmouth till the 6th "of February following, near Seven Months after they "had Orders, and by this Delay their Corn was in a very bad Condition.

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«The Merchants had an Order from the King of "Portugal to the fame Purpose the Year before; but "then they had worfe Succefs in getting their Corn "convoyed to Portugal: And by these Disappointments, "the Portugal Court was difcouraged in fending Orders "for more Corn from hence, not only by reason of "the great Difappointment as to Time, but by the fpoiling of the Corn, whereby our Corn was brought "under great Difrepute; and they now fupply them"felves from Holland; and thereby the Dutch not only

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reap the Advantage thereof, but, as the Corn comes "chiefly to them from The Baltic Seas, it is a great "Advantage to their Trade and Navigation.

"Soon after, a Report came, that a French Squa"dron was cruizing in The Channel, and an Embargo "thereupon was laid on that Fleet. The Portugal Mer"chants drew up a Remonftrance, reprefenting the

great Hardships they had fuffered; but it happened, "at the fame Time when their Remonftrance was pre"fented to the Prince's Council, News came, that fome "Dutch Homeward-bound Weft India Ships meeting "with contrary Winds in The Channel, had been taken "for French, and were then put into Portfmouth. Upon

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this, the Merchants preffed they might proceed with"out Delay, the Caufe of the Embargo being re"moved. But the Board feemed difpleafed with their Re« monftrance, and told them," The Embargo had been "laid by the Prince, and could not be taken off without his Direction; and that, his Highness being then "at Newmarkett, it must take up Time before fuch an « Order could be fent; but, if they would stay a Week longer, The Exeter fhould be added to the Convoy ; "and The Naffau, if he could get up in Time." To "which feveral of the Merchants did agree, and were "obliged by the Board to fign a Paper to that Purpose.

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"This Fleet failed the 18th of October, with The Norfolke, Warfpright, and Exeter ; but The Naflau did "not join; which, the Merchants faid, was only for "Want of neceffary Orders, for the Fleet was not "under Sail till Three a Clock in the Afternoon, and "The Naflau came to Spithead before Night. By reafon " of the Infufficiency of this Convoy, feveral Ships

were taken out of the Fleet near Portland; and after"wards, the Fleet meeting with bad Weather in The Bay of Biscay, The Warfpright and Exeter came back "difabled; whereas the Merchant Ships (except fome "few which had fallen foul upon each other) pro"ceeded to Lisbon, with The Norfolke only; but feveral "more Ships were loft out of the Fleet, by the Weak"nefs of the Convoy; and Two Men of War out of "Three being difabled, and forced to return, they thought it reasonable to conclude it could not be without fome confiderable Defects in the Ships when they went out.

"The 25th of March 1707, a Fleet failed for Por"tugall; but there was then a Profpect given, that there "fhould foon go another Convoy. This encouraged "the Shipping of great Quantities of Corn and Woollen "Manufactures; and the Heat of the Weather coming on, preffing Applications were made for that Convoy," "but without Success.

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alfo many Coasters; all these were detained there, for "Want of Convoy to The Downs, from that Time to the "Four and Twentieth of April following, being between "Four and Five Months, although frequent Applica"cations were made to the Prince's Council for Convoy "to The Downes, from the Masters there, and the "Owners at London, and many Promifes given; and yet, during that Time, many of Her Majefty's Ships "lay there in Harbour, and feveral Men of War passed "by that Place; particularly, The Suffolk and Bristol "Men of War paffed by from Plimouth, without calling "for the Merchant Ships which lay there.

"Sir Thomas Hardy, with the East India Ships, and "other Ships from Ireland, paffed by without calling

"in.

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"Some of these (it was hoped, during the Wefterly "Winds, which were very frequent) might have been "ordered to have feen these Ships, being about Fifty or Sixty Sail, to The Downes, which was fo near, "about Sixteen Hours Sail.

"All this while the Merchants lay at great Charges, "besides the Damage to their Cargoes, and the Loss of (6 many of their Voyages for the following Seafon.

"About the 16th of February, The Ruby and Feverfham, appointed as Convoy for them, gave failing "Orders; but they were again countermanded, and "The Ruby went into the Dock to clean.

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"Afterwards, upon further Importunity, The Auguft was ordered to join The Ruby and Feverfham; but, "instead of going for The Downs, they went first to "fetch the Coasters from Topfham, and then came to "call for the Ships at Portfmouth.

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"About the Beginning of October 1706, Mr. Coward "and Mr. Jones let feveral Ships to Freight to the "Commiffioners of the Victualing-office, for the Queen's "Service, directly to Jamaica, being told the Convoy "waited for them; they were bound by Charter-party "to be at The Nore the 15th of November following, "on Penalty of lofing Five Shillings per Ton Freight.

"Their Ships were ready, and the Wind was fair; "but they were detained for the Convoy, and carried "from Place to Place, from The Downs to Portsmouth,

"thence to Plimouth, thence to Ireland, thence to Bar"badoes and Antegoa, ftaying at each Place; so that "they arrived not at Jamaica till the 3d of June laft, "to the Ruin of their Voyage and their Ships, of "which they just then had an Account that they are. "lately come back to Ireland.

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"Captain Kerr appointed all the Ships at Jamaica to be ready to fail the First of August laft; but then "he made them wait till the 26th of August, and after, "with his Convoy, left them all when at Sea.

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"For thefe Particulars, their Lordships refer to the Depofitions of Mr. William Coward, marked (K.)

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convoyed from The Downs to Portjinouth by The Lichfield Prize; but, for Want of Orders, fhe could "not fee them at Plimouth, about Twelve Hours Sail

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further, where they might have joined Sir Cloudefly "Shovell's Fleet, bound for Portugal. Upon this, the "Merchants fent many Petitions to the Prince's Coun"cil, which, together with the Answers (being direct "Refufals), are inferted in his Depofition. Mr. Palmer "in Perfon afterwards, in the Name of the several "Merchants, attended the Prince's Council; and re"prefented, "That, without fpeedy Relief, all the Corn "aboard the Ships would be fpoiled." But the Anfwer "was, "That no Convoy could be granted." And at laft,

by a violent Storm, the 10th of Auguft, about Twenty "Sail of thefe were caft away; and amongst them The Ruby, worth at least £. 7000.

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"For this, their Lordships refer to the Deposition of "Mr. Thomas Palmer, marked (F.).

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"For a further Evidence, the Merchants produced "to their Lordships The Gazette of the 8th of May 1707, and fhewed the Paragraph from Oftend, in "which are thefe Words: "A Fleet of Merchant Ships, which lay Five Months in The Downs, confifting of 55 Sail, arrived at Oftend this Evening, to "the great Advantage and Satisfaction of this Place." "This, the Merchants obferved, was a great Delay for fo fhort a Paffage, and muft extremely prejudice the "Flanders Trade, which the Parliament thought fit to encourage, by paffing an Act the laft Seffion for repealing the Prohibition of importing Lace.

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"A Third Ground of the Merchants Complaint was, "That, by the untimely and unfeafonable Proceeding of "Convoys, especially to The West Indies, they were very great Sufferers upon many Accounts.

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By arriving there at an improper Time, in the hot, fultry, and rainy Seafons, a great Mortality is occa"fioned among the Seamen; which proves a Lofs of "their Voyages, for Want of Hands to bring Home "their Ships, or puts them to vaft Charges to purchase

"Men there.

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"The Jamaica Merchants complain, "That they had long lain under great Difcouragements.

"Woollen and other English Manufactures were shipped "to Jamaica for that Trade, than had been in feveral "Years before."

"As to the above mentioned Particulars, their Lord"fhips refer to the Depofitions of Mr. Benjamin Way, "Mr. Samuel Jones, and Mr. James Whitchurch, marked ❝ (B.)

"In refpect to the Virginia Trade; in October 1705; "fome Ships failed from Virginia, under Convoy of The "Woolwich and Advice, who were ordered to stay there "till reinforced from England; and the Merchants were "then promised, "that The Greenwich and The Hazardous "fhould fail with the First fair Wind in January follow"ing;" but thofe Ships did not fail till May 1706. This Delay was the Caufe they did not reach Virginia till

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Auguft, at which Time the greatest Part of the Fleet "had been Sixteen Months in their Voyage. By this "Length of the Voyage, their whole Freight was expen"ded, in Wages, Victuals, and other incident Charges.

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3dly, To compleat their Misfortune, they were "forced to make a Winter Paffage Home; and, by the "Badnefs of the Weather, &c. Sixteen or more Ships "were funk or foundered in the Sea, and about Eight "Thoufand Hogfheads of Tobacco loft; other Ships, "with above Two Thoufand Hogfheads of Tobacco more, were taken, and carried into France; and divers "of the Ships were forced back to America; and fince, returning without Convoy, are loft, and not heard of.

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"That, about October 1705, they applied themfelves to the Prince's Council, complaining of the many "Loffes in their Fleet the preceding Year, which had to a great Degree difabled them from fending ano"ther that Year; but that however, depending upon "the then repeated Affurances that they fhould have "The Particulars of thefe Loffes are annexed to the "a fufficient Convoy to depart early, and more particu- "Depofitions given in by the Merchants; and thereby "larly upon an Order fent from that Board to the Ja-"it is alledged, that the Public Revenue has fuffered above "maica Coffee-house, "that the Merchants fhould get their Ships ready to depart by the Twentieth of January at furtheft," they had prevailed with fundry "Perfons to let their Ships go to Jamaica. Accordingly "Ships were fitted out with great Expedition, and Men "hired at extravagant Wages; but, after all thofe fair "Promises, their Ships thus fitted lay almost Two Months beyond the Time prefixed, for Want of a Convoy.

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"One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds, befides the "very great Lofs to the particular Perfons concerned.

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"It having been the laft Winter reprefented by the "Commiffioners for Trade, "That it was neceffary a "Convoy fhould go to Virginia in the Spring, to fetch the Ships which fhould be there, and that they fhould stay "there Twenty Days after their Arrival, to collect them "the better together;" a great Body of Ships, which had "taken Stores, &c. for Lifbon, upon Her Majefly's Account, were thereby encouraged to go from thence to Virginia, and many other Ships went from London "directly; but moft of thefe remained in Virginia in Sep"tember laft, expecting this Convoy, and will now be

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obliged to come Home without Convoy in the Winter "Seafon; for though, the laft Spring, Her Majefty in "Council ordered a Convoy to be ready in August to go "for Virginia, yet they ftill remain at Portfmouth; by this, "the Virginia Ships will be forced to lie all Summer in Virginia, and come Home again in the Winter: Ard thereby not only the Merchants Loffes and Damages "will be very great, and the Revenue fuffer much; but "there is aboard this Fleet far greater Quantities of the "Woollen Manufacture for the Winter Cloathing of that "Country, than has been ufually fent to thofe Parts, "which now cannot arrive till the Winter be over, and "the Market paft; and Neceffity will juftify thofe Peo"ple for undertaking our Manufactures, which many of them have already fallen into; the ill Confequences of which the Merchants fubmitted to the Confideration "of their Lordships.

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"For thefe Particulars relating to the Virginia Trade, "their Lordships refer to the Depofitions of Mr. Mi"caiah Perry, Mr. John Hyde, Mr. Richard Perry, and Mr. Thomas Corbin, marked (L.)

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"These Merchants prayed their Lordships to use fome "Means, that the Coafts of Virginia may be guarded, proper Convoys appointed, and the Merchants have "due Notice thereof; and that then they might nei"ther be delayed nor diverted; and that the Admiral's "Protection might stand good, till the Ships were ar"rived in the proper Ports of Discharge.

"A Fourth Head of the Merchants Complaint was, "the great Want of Cruizers in The Channel and Sound❝ings.

"Mr. John Wood informed their Lordships, "That, in "the Space of Sixteen Months last past, he had been "concerned as Owner and Freighter of feveral Ships, that "loaded Corn, in the Port of Shoreham, in Suffex, for "Holland and Lifbon.

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"Mr. Thomas Palmer depofed, "That, within Three "Years, he has loft to the Enemy, in The Channel and "Soundings, a large Part in Three Running Galleys out"ward bound to The Streights; and in Six Weeks Time "has loft as much coming Home, as would have paid "Her Majefty fome Thousand Pounds Cuftom."

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"The Pilgrim Gally, laden with Fish, was taken in The Soundings by Three large Privateers.

"The Providence Galley, laden with our Manufactory, "and fome Fifh, Lead, and Tin, bound to The Streights, "worth near Ten Thousand Pounds, was taken off of Dungeness, fome few Hours Sail from The Downs, by "Three or Four large Dunkirkers.

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"The Mead Galley and Fly Galley, going out in March "laft, in Company of The London Galley, they were "chafed off of Beachy-head by Three Privateers, who "took the Two Firft; The London narrowly efcaping, as he was informed from Plimouth by the Mafter, who "informed him, in the fame Letter, "That a Neutral Ship, put in there, had been boarded above a Dozen "Times in One Day by French Privateers."

"The Union Friggot was ready to fail for Portsmouth "in October 1706; but the Coast was fo infefted by Privateers, that he could not, without apparent Danger, proceed to Portfmouth, though only Eight or Ten Leagues diftant; thereupon he, and other Owners in "like Circumstances, made frequent Application to the "Prince's Council, for a Man of War to convoy those Ships; but they from Time to Time delayed to order any Ship to call at Shorcham." He faid, "That, upon "One Application, the Prince's Council told them, ""That they had only fome Third Rate Men of War, too large to lie on that Coaft, except a Frigate of about "26 Guns, which, Admiral Mitchell faid, they might "have; but Admiral Churchill faid, "If fhe was fent, "fhe would certainly be taken." At laft, Mr. Wood, defpairing of Affiftance, after having waited Six Months (the Ship lying at great Charges, and having on board "a perishing Commodity) notwithstanding the apparent "Hazard, directed the Ship fhould fail for Portsmouth; "but they were foon chafed by Three Privateers, and "thereupon got under the Guns of Bright Helmfton; but Convoy for their Running Galleys." They replied, "found little Protection there, the Guns being not in ""They did not; but defired Cruifers might be ap"Order, and there being no Powder to charge them; but pointed for The Channel and Soundings, the Running Night coming on, and the Weather bad, and the Pri"Galleys being now the Veffels which chiefly carried "vateers ftanding off to Sea, The Union Friggot, by the on Trade; and that, if fome better Care were not "Favour of the Night, weighed, and stood for The Downes, "taken, even the Men of War would be in Danger in and,by the Dawning of the Day, was got up with Beachy- "The Channel." The Merchants were directed to leave "head; but there fell in with feveral Privateers, who "their Remonftrance, that it might be looked into at "chafed her under the Guns of Haftings, where then lay a full Board; but it had no Effect. The fame Veflel, "a Tender to a Man of War, with about 100 impreffed "Men, which durft not ftir out, either for The Downes "or Portfmouth, for Fear of the French Privateers, very "numerous on the Coast, and almost constantly cruizing "between Beachy-head and Shoreham, without Interruption from our Men of War. Some Days after, a Con"voy coming from the Weftward with fome Ships, The "Union Friggot joined them, and got into The Downes.

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"The fame Mr. Wood, in the Months of April, May, "and June laft, was concerned in feveral other Ships, freighted with Corn in the fame Port of Shoreham, "for Lisbon and Holland; but then also he did not dare "fuffer his Ships to ftir out, the Coaft continuing "ftill infefted with French Privateers. There was alfo

at that Time, in the fame Harbour, a Veffel laden "with Timber for the Ufe of the Navy, which was faid "to have lain there 12 or 13 Months, for Want of Con

"The 13th of the fame March, feveral Merchants "made a Remonftrance of their Loffes to the Prince's "Council; who told them, "They were not to expect

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"The London, going out in Company of The Handyfide "and Fleet Galley, The London was taken, and the Handyfide blown up, in a Fight off of The Lizard, and The "Fleet Gally only escaped.

"The Antelope Galley, laden with Lead, Tar, and "Stock-fish, for The Streights, was chafed off of Beachy"head, by The Lyme and Gofport Men of War, under "Dutch Colours. The Mafter, taking them to be Eng"mies, made the best of his Way for Haftings: Then "the Men of War hoisted English Colours; but the "Mafter, not trufting to Colours, unfortunately ran the "Galley afhore.

"This Accident coft above £.100. to get her into "Rye, and above Twice as much fince, upon the Account "of Lofs of Time, he being detained there by the "Swarms

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