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forwarded to Malta, which will enable Sir Alexander Ball to furnish you with such proportion as you may require.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

Mr. Cooke to Sir William Rule.

Downing Street, 9th September, 1805. Sir-I am directed by Lord Castlereagh to desire that the Navy Board will order ten launches now in the River, and which will be pointed out to them by Mr. Congreve, to be inspected, and, if they shall be found to suit the object on which he is employed by Government, Lord Castlereagh wishes they may be taken up without delay for the service; and his lordship will settle the business with Lord Barham, and take care to have an order sent for authorizing the transaction.

I am, &c.,

E. COOKE.

Lord Castlereagh to Lord Barham, First Lord of the Admiralty. Downing Street, 10th September, 1805.

My dear Lord-The Ordnance stores connected with Mr. Francis's mode of warfare were some time since landed from the Sceptre and Diadem, armed defence ships, and placed for safety in the ordnance stores at Portsmouth.

It is desirable that these stores should now be again put on board the same vessels, and ordered round to Dover. May I request your lordship will give the necessary orders to the commanders of the vessels above-named, and I will settle with the Ordnance with respect to the issue of the stores in question, if your lordship will have the goodness to attach these vessels to Sir Sidney Smith's squadron.

I am, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

Memorandum.

11th September, 1805.

The Admiralty to direct the Navy Board to build ten double canoes, on the principle of those lately constructed by them, with such improvements as Sir Sidney Smith will suggest, but upon a scale twice as large.

Secondly. In arming the said canoes, to desire the Ordnance to contract with Mr. Roebuck, the inventor, for twelve iron 6-pounders, and twelve iron 3-pounders, on his light principle -his terms are enclosed-and to supply Colonel Shrapnell's superficial case-shot for the above guns, equipping them with the necessary tackle for the Royal Marine Artillery to work the

same.

Thirdly. The canoes to be fitted with frames for the use of Mr. Congreve's rockets, according to a principle he will suggest.

Lord Castlereagh to Sir Sidney Smith.

Downing Street, 19th September, 1805. My dear Sir-I recommend your seeing Lord Barham without delay. He is prepared to see you, and to arrange the transfer from Boulogne to Cadiz, without there being any time lost you will endeavour to arrange what is to be detached with you, depending, of course, on Lord Nelson for such additions as he may think fit to supply, when you are under his command.

I have seen Mr. Francis, and enclose a memorandum of what appears to me best calculated to give effect to his operations, the detail of which I wish you to consider.

I am, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

Memorandum for Sir Sidney Smith's private information and

guidance.

The military surveyors from the Ordnance are ordered to be at Dover on Tuesday next; Sir Sidney Smith will make the

necessary arrangements for sending them off Boulogne, with proper assistants, directing that the service may be performed so as to attract as little notice as possible on either side of the

water.

The survey of Boulogne harbour to be completed under Mr. Congreve's superintendence, with the least practicable delay; and the surveyors are desired to furnish Sir Sidney Smith, as early as possible, with a rough sketch of the bearings and distances of all the leading points to which they shall have been desired by Mr. Congreve to direct their attention.

Upon the receipt of their report, Sir Sidney Smith will take the same into his consideration, and, upon communication with Mr. Congreve and Mr. Francis, state his opinion, for the information of his Majesty's Ministers, of the probable success of an attempt to destroy the enemy's flotilla in the harbour of Boulogne, together with his plan for carrying the same into execution.

Lord Castlereagh has directed the Diadem and Sceptre, with Mr. Francis's stores, to proceed from Portsmouth to Dover, there to place themselves under Sir Sidney Smith's orders. They may be expected to reach Dover early in the week.

Mr. Congreve has been ordered to purchase not less than five hundred of his rockets, which will be completed by the 21st instant.

Sir William Rule has been directed to prepare ten launches for the reception of the rockets, according to Mr. Congreve's suggestion; and they are to be completed by the middle of next week. Mr. Congreve will take care to leave a proper person charged to carry forward all his arrangements in his absence; to superintend the completing and packing the rockets; and to attend them and the launches to Dover. He is also to concert with Sir William Rule the best mode of carrying them round to Dover, with the least possible observation.

The rocket launches may, if the weather permits, reach

Dover by the 25th instant. In case Sir Sidney Smith's own opinion should be favourable to the attempt, upon receiving the survey, he will proceed with all the necessary arrangements; but he will not take any step toward carrying the plan into execution, without special instructions. Lord C. requests Sir Sidney Smith will impress on all those engaged in this service the necessity of perfect secrecy, and every despatch consistent with the due execution of the service, as the enemy are likely, upon the slightest alarm, to move their most valuable vessels from Boulogne to other harbours for security.

It is suggested that Sir Sidney Smith should be directed immediately to select, from the most intelligent and enterprising of the seamen of his squadron, the following crews for Mr. Francis's operations :

For 9 row galleys, at 12 men each, including one officer, 108 men. For 10 catamarans, at 2 men each, 20 men.

The above number of men to be selected from Sir Sidney Smith's own ship, together with such other ships of his squadron as may be permitted by the Admiralty to accompany him off Cadiz, the moment the service at Boulogne is performed. The Sceptre and Diadem, which are equipped specially for this service, Mr. F. states, can furnish crews for two boats.

The men selected for this service to be considered as permanently appropriated to it, and not to be changed, except upon being found deficient in enterprise, courage, or exertion.

In order to render this service one of profit, as well as honour, a scale of reward to be settled; the reward to be payable on the destruction of an enemy's ship, and to be shared in the manner usual in the naval service.

Where an enemy's ship is proved to have been destroyed by any particular galley and catamaran, the reward to be ex

clusively theirs. Where the particular boat cannot be ascertained, the reward to be, in like proportion, divided amongst the galleys and catamarans employed in the operation.

The following rewards to be given

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The above rewards to be immediately paid by the officer in command of the squadron; and, in case of any doubt arising as to the parties entitled, he is to direct a court of inquiry of officers to decide finally on the same.

Lord Nelson to Lord Castlereagh.

Victory, September 16th, at sea, 1805. My Lord—I have been honoured with your lordship's letter of September 14th,' respecting the presents which have been received for the Dey of Algiers, together with the letters for his Highness and the Consul, which shall be forwarded with all expedition; and I have also received yours of the same date, with several enclosures from Prince Castelcicala. Nothing shall be wanting on my part to obtain the release of our Sicilian or Neapolitan [allies], but I own I have little hopes of success. The sooner the presents arrive for the Emperor of Morocco, and those intended to be entrusted to me, the better.

Your lordship may rely that my correspondence with you will be regular, until I am told it is no longer wanted; and I have to entreat your indulgence for the free manner I may take in representing things in the manner in which I may see them, and only be assured that I am, with the highest respect, Your lordship's most obedient servant, NELSON AND BRONTE.

1 An evident mistake-probably August.

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