APPENDIX. 



155 



sa Majeste Britannique, le port et fort du Port Egmont, comme aussi 

 toute Tartillerie, les munitions, et efFets de sa Majeste Britannique/ 

 et de ses sujets, selon I'inventaire qui en a ete dresse ; et le dit ambas- 

 sadeur s'etant de plus engage, au nom de sa Majeste Catholique, que 

 le contenu de la dite declaration sera efFectu6 par sa Majeste Catho- 

 lique, et que des duplicatas des ordres de sa dite Majeste Catholique 

 a ses officiers seront remis entre les mains d'un des Principaux Secre- 

 taires d'Etat de sa Majeste Britannique, dans I'espace de six semaines ; 

 sa dite Majeste Britannique, afin de faire voir les memes dispositions 

 amicales de sa part, m'a autorise a declarer, qu'elle regardera la dite 

 declaration du Prince de Masserano, avec I'accomplissement entier du 

 dit engagement de la part de sa Majeste Catholique, comme une 

 satisfaction de 1' injure faite a la Couronne de la Grande Bretagne. 

 En foi de quoi, moi, soussigne, un des Principaux Secretaires d'Etat 

 de sa Majeste Britannique, ai signe la presente de ma signature 

 ordinaire, et a icelle fait apposerle cachet de nos armes. A Londres, 

 ce 22 Janvier 1771. 



(L.S.) (Signe) " Rochford." 



James Harris, Esq. to the Earl of Rochford. 



" Madrid, 14th February 1771. 

 " They keep the declaration here as secret as possible. I do not 

 find any to whom they have shown it, except those to whom they 

 are obliged to communicate it. They also report that we have given 

 a verbal assurance to evacuate Falkland's Island in the space of two 

 months." 



The Earl of Rochford to James Harris, Esq. 



" St. James's, 8th March 1771. 



" His Majesty has been pleased to order the Juno frigate of thirty- 

 two guns, the Hound sloop, and Florida store-ship, to be prepared to 

 go to Port Egmont, in order to receive the possession from the Spa- 

 nish commander there ; and as I have spoken so fully to Prince Mas- 

 serano on the manner of its being executed, it is needless for me to 

 say any more to you upon it. 



" I think it right to acquaint you, that the Spanish ambassador 

 pressed me to have some hopes given him of our agreeing to a mutual 

 abandoning of Falkland's Islands, to which I replied, that it was 

 impossible for me to enter on that subject with him, as the restitution 

 must precede every discourse relating to those islands. 



r 2 



