196] 
of England, when I learnt the 
frequent landing from her ships 
upon the coasts of Chili, in 
order to (carry on a _ contra- 
band trace, and to reconnoitre the 
shore under the pretence | of 
fishing for whales, a_ privilege 
which she pretended to have grant« 
ed her by the convention of 
Nootka. Such were the proceed- 
ings of the British minister to ce- 
ment the ties of friendship and re- 
viprocal confidence, which he had 
engaged to maintain according to 
eur convention of the 25th May, 
1793." 
Since I have made peace with 
the Frénch Republic, not only 
have [I had stronger motives for 
supposing an intention on the part 
of England to aitack my possessions 
in America, but I have also re- 
ceived direct insults, -which per- 
suade me that the Enghsh minister 
wishes to oblige me to adopt a 
. part contrary to the interests of hu- 
manity, torn by the bleody war 
which ravages Europe, for the tere 
mination of which I have not 
ceased to offer my good offices, 
and to testify my constant soli« 
citude. 
In fact, England has developed 
her intentions, has ciearly evinced 
her projeé of getting possession of 
my territories, by sending to the 
Antilles a considerable force, and 
particularly destined against St. 
Domingo, as the proclamations of 
her general in that island clearly 
demonstrate. She has also made 
known, her intentions by the esta- 
blishments’ which her commercial 
companies have formed upon the 
banks of the Missouri, in South 
America, with a design of pene- 
trating through those countries to 
the South Sea. Finally, by the 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
conquest which she has made of the 
colony of Demerary, belonging to 
the Dutch, and whose advantages 
ous position puts her in a condition © 
to get possession of posts sull more 
rmportant. 
But there can no longer remain 
any doubt of the hostile nature of 
these projects, when I consider the 
frequent insults to my flag, the 
aéts of violence committed in the 
Mediterranean. by her frigates, 
which have carried away soldiers 
coming from Genoa to Barcelona, 
on board Spanish ships to coms 
plete my armies; the piracies and 
vexations which the Corsican and 
Anglo«Corsican corsairs, protected 
by the English government of that | 
island, exercise against the Spanish 
trade in the Mediterranean, and 
even upon the coasts of Catalonia, 
and the detention of different 
Spanish ships, laden with Spanish 
property, and carried to England, 
under the most frivolous pretences, 
and especially the rich cargo of the 
Spanish ship the Minerva, on which 
an embargo was laid in the most 
insulting manner to my flag, and 
the removal of which could not be 
obtained, though it was demon- 
strated before the competent tri- 
bunals that this rich cargo was 
Spanish property. 
The attack committed upon my 
ambassador, Don Simon de las 
Casas, by a tribunal of London, 
which decreed his arrest, founded 
upon the demand of a very small 
sum, which was claimed by the 
undertaker of an embarkation. 
Finally, the Spanish territory has 
been violated in an_ intolerable 
manner upon the coasts of Galicia, 
and Alicant, by the English ships 
the Cameleon and the Kanguroo. 
Moreover, Captain George Vaughan 
3 commodore 
