86]” 
off Saldanha Bay at sun-set, and 
the Crescent, which had been or- 
dered a-head to discover informa= 
tion and to report, made the signal 
for the enemy, consisting of three 
ships of the line, three frigates, 
and other ships, being moored in 
the Bay. 
The squadron stood on into the 
Bay in the order of sailing, but the 
night coming on, and the rear be- 
ing too far extended for action, I 
judged it expedient to come to an 
anchor within shot of the enemy’s 
ships, and, perceiving their num- 
bers very inconsiderable in compa- 
rison with the force «ander my 
command, I considered it my duty, 
and an incumbent act of humanity, 
to address the Dutch officer in coms 
mand, and consequently forward- 
ed the letter to him, of which the 
inclosure No. III. is a copy, by 
Lieutenant Coffin, of the Monarch, 
with a flag of truce; to this] re- 
ceived a verbal return, that a posi- 
tive reply should be sent in the 
morning at day-break, 1 was fear- 
ful the enemy might attempt to 
injure the ships, and therefore 
ordered Liewtenant Coflin, to re- 
turn immediately with my letter 
No. IV. to which he brought back 
the reply No. V. 
On the 17th, at nine in the 
morning, a Dutch officer came on 
board with a flag, and presented 
proposals of terms for capitulation, 
which you will observe in the cor- 
respondence, with my remarks and 
definitive letter; and at five P. M. 
the terms contained in the inclosed 
copy.were ultimately agreed upon, 
but it was impossible to take pos- 
session of the ships until the 18th, 
on account of the stormy weather. 
It affords me the highest satis- 
faction, therefore, to communicate 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1796. 
to my lords commissioners of the 
admiralty, thata squadron of ships 
belonging to the United States, 
under the command of his ex- 
cellency rear-admiral Engelbertus 
Lucas, has surrendered to the Bri- 
tish force under my command, 
consisting of three ships of the 
line, two fine frigates, two of 28 
guns, and a sloop of 18 guns, all 
completely coppered, stored, and 
victualled, together with a large 
ladened store ship, the names of 
which are described in the inclo- 
sure No. VI. and the British ships, 
to whom they are prizes, in the in- 
closure No. VII. 
The consequent joy of this for- 
tunate event is much augmented 
from the consolatory reflection on 
its accomplishment without effu- 
sion of human blood, or injury to 
either of the enemy’s or British 
ships, not a single shot having been 
fired. 
I must, however, beg leave to 
observe, that any resistance on the 
part of the enemy could only have 
occasioned the wanton sacrifice of 
a few lives; and I doubt not, that 
had their numbers been adequate 
to the contention, their conduct 
would have confirmed the acknow- 
ledged merit at all times recorded 
tothe martial spirit of subjects of 
the United States ; and I can with 
similar confidence assure you, that 
the officers and men under my 
command, would have exhibit- 
eda conduct equally creditable to 
themselves. 
The repeated advices communi- 
cated in- your letters, respecting 
the enemy’s forces destined to this 
quarter, agreed so correctly with 
the intelligence I obtained by other 
means, that I have long been ex- 
pecting their arrival, and was 
thereby 
