APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 



555 



who could so deliberately and reso- 

 lutely advance into the midst of the 

 flotilla, under such circumstances, 

 must be considt-red worthy of be- 

 ini; entrusted with the performance 

 of any service, however difficult or 

 dangerous it may appear to be, and 

 consequently to be highly deserving 

 of their lordship's protection. 



Keith. 

 H^lHam Marsderty Esq, 



Dispatch from Capt. Moore, of the 

 Indefatigable, announcing the 

 Commencement of Hostilities 

 against Spain, hi) the Capture and 

 blozcing up of four Treasure Ships ; 

 addressed to Admiral Cormcallis, 

 dated Indefatigable, at Sea, Oc- 

 tober 6, 180 4. 



Sir, 

 I have the honour to acquaint 

 you, that I have executed the ser- 

 vice you did me the honour to 

 charge mc with. On the morning of 

 the 29th of September, tho Indefa- 

 tigable got off Cadiz: on the 30th 

 we fell in with the Medusa ; captain 

 Gore having informed, me the Am- 

 phion was in the Streight's mouth, 

 and that the Triumph was off Gib- 

 raltar, and that sir Robert Barlow 

 meant to go into Cadiz for the trade 

 there, on his way to England ; I 

 thought fit to send the Medusa to 

 apprise sir Robert Barlow of the 

 nature of my order, that he might 

 then judge whether or not he should 

 go into Cadiz, and I dire(''ted capt. 

 Gore to rcjoiu me with the Atnphi- 

 on as soon as possible olf Cape St. 

 Mary. On the 2d inst. I was joined 

 by the Lively, and on the 3d. by the 

 Medusa and Amphion; the latter 

 liariag communicated what I thought 



necessary to sir Robert Barlow. 

 Yesterday morning, CapeSr. Mary- 

 bearing jV. E, nine leagues, the Me- 

 dusa m;ade the signal for four sail W. 

 by S. I made the signal for a general 

 chaeo; at 8 A. M, discovered them 

 to be four large Spanish frigates, 

 which formed the line of battle 

 a-head on our approach, and conti- 

 nued to steer in lor Cadiz, the van- 

 ship carrying a broad pendant, and 

 the ship next to her a rear-admiral's 

 flag; capt. Gore, being the head- 

 most ship, placed the Medusa ou 

 the v/eather-beam of the commo- 

 dore ; the Indefatigable took a si- 

 milar position along-side of the rear- 

 admiral; the Amjihion and Lively 

 each taring an opponent iu the 

 same manner, as they came up ; af- 

 ter hailing to make them shorten 

 sail, without eileft, I fired a shot 

 across the rear-admiral's fore-foot, 

 on \vJiich he shortened sail ; and I 

 sent lieutenant Ascott, of the Inde- 

 fatigable, to inform him, that my 

 orders were to detain his squadron ; 

 that it was my earnest wish to exe- 

 cute them without bloodshed: but 

 that his determination must be made 

 -'*in';tantly : after waiting some time, 

 I made a signal for the boat, and 

 fired a shot a-hcad of the admiral. 

 As soon as the officer returned with 

 an unsatisfactory answer, I fired 

 another shot a-head of the admiral, 

 and bore down close on his wea- 

 ther-bow : at this moment the admi- 

 ral's second a-stcrn fired into the 

 Amphion ; the admiral fired into 

 the Indefatigable ; and I made the 

 signal for close battle, whicii was in- 

 stantly commenced with all the ala- 

 crity and vigour of English sailors. 

 In less than ten minutes. La Mer- 

 cedes, the admiral's second a-stera, 

 blew up aloug-side the Amphion, 



with 



