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Updated: June 29, 2025
"And what are they?" "The Acasta, thirty-six, and the Juno, twenty-two, sir." "Very good; is the transport Mellish among them?" The man made no reply. "Answer me." "Ye yes, sir." "Which is she?" "Oh, sir, I can't tell you that, sir; she is the most valuable ship of them all," he said incautiously. "You have got to tell me, my man, if you ever want to see daylight again; which is she?"
The captain of the Acasta then wrote an order, directing Captain Hawkins immediately to deliver up to him the papers of mine in his possession; and coming out of the cabin, put it into Captain Hawkins' hands, saying, "Now, sir, here is a written order from your superior officer. Disobey it, if you dare. If you do, I will put you under arrest, and try you by a court-martial.
I did not forget to write to O'Brien, but the distance between us was so great, that I knew I could not obtain his answer, probably, for a year, and I felt a melancholy foreboding, how much I required his advice. Our orders were to proceed to Portsmouth, and join a convoy collected there, bound up the Baltic, under the charge of the Acasta frigate, and two other vessels.
Captain Hawkins came on board, sealed up the books, and sent them to the captain of the Acasta, who re-directed them to me, on His Majesty's service, and returned them by the same boat. The public may therefore thank the captain of the Acasta for the memoirs which they are now reading. From my messmates I gained the following intelligence of what had passed after I had quitted the brig.
As soon as it was manned, I reported it, and then begged to know whether he intended to comply with my request. He answered that he should not, and then went on deck, and quitted the brig to pull on board of the senior officer. I therefore determined immediately to write to the captain of the Acasta, acquainting him with the conduct of Captain Hawkins, and requesting his interference.
Our force consisted of the Acasta frigate, the Isis ship, sloop, mounting twenty guns, the Reindeer, eighteen, and our own brig. The convoy amounted to nearly two hundred. Although the wind was fair, and the water smooth, we were more than a week before we made Anholt light, owing to the bad sailing and inattention of many of the vessels belonging to the convoy.
The Acasta lost four men killed, and seven wounded; the Isis, three men wounded; the Reindeer had nobody hurt; the Rattlesnake had six men killed, and two wounded, including the captain; but of that I shall speak hereafter. I found that I was by no means seriously hurt by the blow I had received: my shoulder was stiff for a week, and very much discoloured, but nothing more.
We received orders from the captain of the Acasta to join the admiral, who was off the Texel, in pursuance of directions he had received from the Admiralty to despatch one of the squadron, and we were selected from the dislike which he had taken to Captain Hawkins. When we were about forty miles off the harbour, a frigate hove in sight.
"Well, then, Captain Hawkins," replied the captain of the Acasta, you will oblige me by remaining on my quarter-deck till I come out of the cabin.
"Give the captain of the Acasta the compliments of Captain John Paul Jones, of the American Continental ship Ranger, and say that he will find me in the British Channel. Thank him for our entertainment to-night," he said, bowing courteously, and then "Back to the ship, all you Rangers. Let that man's sword alone, sirrah!
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