568 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



combined squadron, on their return 

 from the West- Indies, might, by 

 sending forward a frigate or cor- 

 vette to one of the small bays near 

 Cape Finisterre, communicate by 

 land their approach to the squadron 

 at Coninna or Ferrol, and direct 

 them to be ready to push out upon 

 the signal-posts announcing their 

 being olF the coast. 



On the nth of Jul}', admiral 

 Cornwallis, uho had now joined tlie 

 fleet off Ushant, ordered admiral 

 Stirling, with five sail of the line, 

 the Egyptiennc frigate, and Nile 

 lugger, from Rochefort, to join me, 

 and directed me, upon being joined 

 by the rear-admiral, to proceed 30 

 or 40 leagues to the westward, and 

 to cruize six or eight days, for the 

 purpose of intercepting the French 

 and Spanish squadron, which, by a 

 letter from him, it appears, he had 

 now heard consisted of more than 

 sixteen, upon their return from the 

 West-Indies ; after wliich I was to 

 return to my post off Ferrol, and 

 Tear-admiral Stirling otf Rochefort; 

 each to follow their former orders. 

 This order was brought me by the, 

 Egyptienne, on the l5th, admiral 

 Stirling, with the rest of the ships, 

 joined me on the same day, and we 

 made sail to the westward on that 

 evening. 



At the time admiral Stirling left 

 Rochefort there w ere in it nine sail 

 Cfive of them of the line) ready for 

 sea. The wind that enabled him to 

 sail for the purpose of joining me, 

 of course afforded them the means 

 of quitting Rochefoit, and admiral 

 Stirling has proved that they sailed 

 on the 18th. 



When we sailed to the westward 

 also, the wind was fair for the ene- 

 my's fleet to come out of Ferrol, 

 >vhich I haye before stated, from 



captain Prowse's report, they ap- 

 peared anxious to do, and from the 

 other intelligence, it appears they 

 were ordered to get into Corunna. 

 The wind continued fair for the 

 purpose two or three da} s, and if 

 they took the advantage of it, and 

 got to Corunna, they might at al- 

 most any time have got from tlience. 

 It is, indeed, proved that they 

 might have sailed from Ferrol on 

 the 2 4ih, for although, when the 

 question was put to the witness, it 

 was assumed that the wiud on that 

 day was N. W. and it alterwards 

 appeared that the wind Avas from 

 N. N. E. to N. E. I shall, how. 

 ever, put this matter beyond a 

 doubt, by putting in the charts, 

 from which the winds which would 

 enable ships to get out of Ferrol 

 and Corunna may be easily ascer- 

 tained. Besides, I need hardly ob- 

 serve to the court, that in moun- 

 tainous countries there are frequent 

 land-winds, which could enable 

 them to get out during the night. — 

 These observations are only so far 

 material, as they will enable the 

 court to judge of the correctness of 

 my apprehension, alter the engage- 

 ment, that the Ferrol as w'ell as the 

 Rochefort squadron might be at 

 sea. 



On (he 1 9th of July we met with 

 the Aueklaiul packet, from Lisbon. 

 Captain Brown, of the Ajax, spoke ■ 

 with her, and brought me a letter 

 from !Mr. Gambler, the consul ge- 

 neral at Lisbon, enclosing a copy 

 of an order from lord Nelson, dated 

 the I5th of June, at sea, directed t« 

 the commanding officer of his ma- 

 jesty's shijjs in the Tagus, &c. ac- 

 quainting him that the combined 

 squadrons had passed Antigua on 

 the 8th, standing to the northward, 

 and his lordship believed were 



bound ' 



