Inclosed. I transmit you the Sentences of the Court-Martais held on some seamen of the Squadron. The two men belonging to the Solebay have received their punishment. Willam Clarke, the third, belonging to the Rattler, I have this day pardoned at the intercession of his Royal Highness. John Woodhouse's sentence, with a Minute, is left for their Lordships' consideration. I have the honour to be, &c., HORATIO NELSON. Sir. TO PHILIP STEPHENS, ESQ., ADMIRALTY [Original, in the Admiralty.] Boreas, Antigua, 16th April, 1787. Herewith I transmit you for their Lordships' information the State and Condition of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels in these seas. I am, Sir, &c. N.B.-The Boreas is found to be rotten, and if she does not reach England before the hurricane season, she will be too bad for the voyage. The Rattler I shall order to sail from this Country on the 1st of June. She is quite rotten. 7 It appears that Captain Nelson exceeded his authority in pardoning this culprit, who was condemned to death, though he might have suspended the execution of his sentence. The criminal was, however, pardoned by the Admiralty. Vide p. 253. Sir, TO LIEUTENANT ISAAC SCHOMBerg. [From a Copy in the Nelson Papers.] English Harbour, April 18th, 1787. I am this moment honoured with your letter of this day's date, requesting that I would be kind enough to furnish you with the charge or charges which you suppose I mean to exhibit against you, that you may, whenever a Court-Martial offers, give as little trouble as possible; as you have reason to believe that your long and close confinement must arise from some other cause than that of your own wishes expressed to me in your letter dated January the 23rd.8 In answer, I beg leave to assure you that I never was more hurt, than that an Officer whom I very much respected, should do such an improper act as to deprive his Majesty of his services at a time they were wanted. My orders to the Squadron were to prevent other Officers from falling into the same error. I have not, nor can any other person, have any charge against you, until the Court-Martial which you desired to be held to investigate your conduct is over; and then I can tell you I have no charge whatsoever against you. Your confinement is your own. Had you not wrote to me for a Court-Martial, I dare say you never would have given me occasion to put you under Arrest. Had I not ordered you into Arrest, you might then have accused me of having left you again to be unjustly accused, as set forth in your letter. I am, Sir, &c. HORATIO NELSON. TO H. R. H. PRINCE WILLIAM HENRY. [Original, in the possession of William Henry Whitehead, Esq., whose Father the late Alexander Whitehead, Esq., was Private Secretary to the Duke of Clarence, and Purser of His Majesty's Ships Pegasus, Andromeda, and Valiant, while those Ships were under His Royal Highness's command.] Boreas, English Harbour, April 18th, 1787. Sir, Should any Dispatches from the Admiralty or other Public Boards be on board the Packet or other Vessels directed for s Vide p. 209, ante. me, I request that your Royal Highness will open them; and as the contents may be, so you will regulate your proceed ings. I have the honour to remain, Your Royal Highness's Most obedient humble Servant, HORATIO NElson. TO H. R. H. PRINCE WILLIAM HENRY. [Original, in the possession of William Henry Whitehead, Esq.] Boreas, Nevis, April 26th, 1787. Sir, By the death of my poor friend Collingwood, a Vacancy has arisen for a Commander and Lieutenant. In appointing Mr. Wallis to the command of her, I hope I acted as you wish me. The vacancy as Lieutenant, I leave to be filled up by your Royal Highness. I inclose Mr. Gage's, and have desired Mr. Wallis to take a copy of my letter to him in answer to his. I own I can't help saying his pretensions are not very great, but this I leave to your consideration. I hope your Royal Highness will allow me to beg for your interest, should any difficulties arise about Mr. Wallis's being confirmed, for he is a good Officer; and I am sure will do credit to his Majesty's service. I left English Harbour yesterday, quite fitted up for my voyage Home. The business respecting the Fraud,1 I have examined into as far as the parties choose to disclose themselves. They are not disinterested. They wish to be insured of so much per centage upon all sums recovered; but they have given me a proof, by an account of one quarter, viz. from March to June, 1782, of what Government was defrauded in that quarter; and I am most thoroughly convinced they are enabled to prove Frauds to a very large amount. I shall send the Accounts to Mr. Pitt, for Parliament Captain Wilfred Collingwood, of the Rattler, who died on the 21st April 1787, vide p. 230, post. • James Wallis, then first Lieutenant of the Boreas, the writer of the Narrative of Captain Nelson's Proceedings on the Leeward Islands Station, before referred to. 'See many subsequent Letters. must know of it, in order to enable Administration to send out persons vested with powers to make examinations in the West Indies. No persons have died at the hospital, but none have recovered. I hope your Royal Highness has had a pleasant trip. We have yet heard nothing of the Packet. Sir Thomas Shirley is here, and Lord Ward is appointed Chief Justice in the room of Mr. Dasent, deceased. I have the honour to remain, with the greatest respect, Your Royal Highness's Most obliged obedient Servant, HORATIO NELSON. The Gentleman you are pleased to appoint, which I take for granted, will be Mr. Church,3 had better be appointed Second of the Boreas for the present; and I can make any arrangements your Royal Highness pleases, when I have the honour of seeing you. TO PHILIP STEPHENS, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Wa Sir, Boreas, Nevis, 2nd May 1787. Herewith I have the honour to transmit you the State and Condition of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels on this Station; and also a list of Appointments made by me, and hope their Lordships' will approve of the Officers I have promoted. I have the honour, &c. HORATIO NELSON. 2 John Ward, Esq., was appointed Chief Justice of Nevis, and it does not appear why Nelson should call him Lord Ward. The name of John Dasent occurs, however, as Chief Justice of Nevis, in the Royal Kalendar until 1799. 3 Stephen George Church, afterwards a Post-Captain. VOL I. A List of the Appointments and Removals of Officers by Horatio Nelson, Esq., Captain of his Majesty's Ship Boreas, and Senior Officer, for the time being, of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels on the Leeward Island Station, between the 1st of April, and 2nd of May 1787. [Original Draught, in the Nelson Papers.] [Captain Sir Charles Middleton, afterwards an Admiral, and First Lord of the Admiralty, and who was created a Peer in 1805, by the title of Lord Barham, was then Comptroller of the Navy.] Sir, Boreas, Nevis, 2nd May 1787. As a Fraud is likely to be discovered in the Naval Department under your direction, I think it proper to make you acquainted with it, that villany may be punished, and Frauds prevented in future. Sir, before I proceed, I cannot help mentioning a circumstance which hurt me, when I was first left in the command here. The Deputy Naval Officer brought me Bills to sign for money which was owing for goods purchased. I insisted upon having the original Vouchers brought to me, that I might examine if they were really purchased at the market-price, and that Government was not cheated: this I could not obtain; and I wrote to your Board upon the subject of my approval of Bills, without being convinced that the former money I had approved of drawing for, was expended to my satisfaction, and that it was laid out in the most advantageous manner for Government. The answer seemed to imply, that you thought the old Forms were sufficient; which only was a |