adviseable, for answering the great end of the expedition, and His Majesty's general view of sending us thither

That Your Grace may be fully satisfied that there has not been a moments time lost, in doing our utmost to pursue the King's Commands, and somewhat acquainted with the Harbour of Cat Water, and the great difficulty of getting out from thence, so great a number of Transports and Storeships, as those tack'd to the present expedition: Admiral Lestock begs leave to assure Your Grace, tha. Admiral Medley about a twelvemonth ago, when he sail'd from this place for the Mediterranean, was eight days in geting the Trade under his Convoy out of the Catwater into the Sound; therefore we think it extremely fortunate That our endeavours for His Majesty's Service, have been attended with such Success in this Point; and are not only persuaded, that Your Grace will be pleased to concur with us in the same opinion, but that we have not lost any opportunity whereby it was possible for the Squadron and Transports, to proceed farther than this Port

Capt. Wickham of the Panther, haveing been appointed by the Lords of the Admiralty to convey from this Port the two Battalions of Guards and Majr. Genl. Huske's Regiment of Foot. The admiral in obedience to His Majesty's Commands by Your Grace's letter of the 3d Inst. has given him orders to proceed off of Ushant, and then to open a sealed pacquet containing Directions, where he shou'd immediately proceed in order to join us. A Duplicate of which orders is left in the hands of the Commissioner at this Port, directed for the Commanding officer of His Majesty's Ships, that are to convey those troops, lest Capt. Wickham shou'd be countermanded. So that unless the seal'd orders from the Lords of the Admiralty, which have been sent to Capt. Wickham, to be open'd off of Ushant should clash with the Admirals orders and be contradictory to them there can be no Mistake. And lest they shou'd, or to prevent any possibility of a mistake, we submit it to Your Grace, whether Capt. Wickham shou'd not be directed, to follow the orders the Admiral has given him; A duplicate of which is left with the Commissioner.

By Your Grace's letter of the 23d past, His Majesty's pleasure is, that if after our arrival upon the Western Coast of France, and the best Intelligence we can get of the Situation and Strength of the Ports and places there, we shou'd find it impracticable to make use of the force under our Command on any part of that Coast, so as to answer the end and view of sending us thither that then the Transports with all the Troops shou'd proceed under a proper Convoy to Cork and Kinsale, and that the Troops shou'd be disembark'd there and remain till the Season of the Year shall make it practicable to send them to North America. But as two Battallions of Foot Guards and Majr. General Huske's Regm't of Foot, have been since order'd to proceed to join us; which if they do, we humbly presume, in case, we shou'd not be able to establish ourselves on any part of the Western Coast of France, That by those Instructions, which say all the Troops, that nevertheless it is not His Majesty's Intention, that those Troops shou'd also be carried to Cork or Kinsale. But Your Grace will, as soon as it is proper communicate to us the Kings orders, with regard to their being dispos'd of.

The Admiral has thought proper to stop every vessel from going to Sea, by which the Enemy might gain any Intelligence of our sailing, and particularly

desir'd the Commanding officer of the Garrison at Plymouth to stop a Dutch Galliot, bound to Bourdeaux, for forty eight hours after we are sail'd, which Caution he hopes will be graciously approv'd of by His Majesty.

Tho' the weather has hitherto hinder'd us, yet now it is chang'd, we hope it will prove a lasting fair Season, that we may proceed, to do the best, for the Success and honour of His Majesty's Arms, in the attempts we are order'd to make; And that our Endeavours, my Lord, where it is thought fit to employ us at this Time, and in the manner pointed out to us, may be to the satisfaction of our King and Countrey, is the sincerest wish, and the most fervent prayer, we can possibly make.

The Admiral thinks it proper to send Your Grace the Coppy of a Letter which he had occasion to write to the Secretary of the Admiralty, and as he has been oblig'd to man the Transports from the Squadron, that have lost their men by Death, Sickness, or Desertion, that otherwise cou'd not have proceeded with him to Sea: He hopes Your Grace, will take every part of his letter into Consideration, particularly the necessity he may be under of landing the Marines, whereby the Squadron will be Six hundred men short of Compliment, besides what it is now, by manning the Transports, and the Ships haveing never been completed to their full Complements, and under these Circumstances, and with the difficulties he may labour under, from the Season of the Year, and the Want of good Pilots, he beseeches Your Grace to intercede with His Majesty, for an order to the Lords of the Admiralty to send him as many Seamen, by the Ships of war, that are to convoy the Guards, and Majr. General Huske's Regimt. of Foot as May be necessary to prevent His Majestys Ships and Transports being expos'd in a hazardous Navigation, especially in stormy weather.

P. S.

We have the Honour to be My Lord, etc.,

R. LESTOCK I. ST. CLAIR

When we got under sail this morning the wind was N. W. by N and now it is W. by N. but as it looks like fair weather, we shall keep the Sea and endeavour to get ground if it is possible Monday.

10 O'Clock in the Morning

TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE.

A JOINT LETTER of Admll. LESTOCK'S AND LIEUT. GENLL. ST. CLAIR'S TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE. DATED ON BOARD THE PRINCEssa at Sea 21 OCTOBER, 1746. ABOUT 30 LEAGUES S. W. OFF USHANT:

MY LORD,

Our endeavours and application to carry the Kings Views into execution by a faithful discharge of our Duty, on Board and ashore, and the bad weather which happened to keep us from meeting at a seasonable time, together with not being

able to spare a Ship from the Squadron, have made it impossible to send to your Grace sooner, an account of our proceedings.

Sept. 18th After a favourable passage of three days, on the 18th of September in the evening, we made the Isle of Groa, within two leagues of Port Louis, where we were Joined by Commodore Cotes, who, having been dispatched before us, to reconnoitre and survey the Coast, had sounded it, and fixed on a proper place for landing the Troops about ten Miles from L'Orient.

Upon the discovery of our fleet, Alarm Guns were fired from the Isle of Groa, and next day, signal Guns were fired, Flags displayed, and during the night, Fires were lighted all along the Coast.

19th

It was late in the evening before we fetched our Anchoring place, and the General could get on board the Princessa, to concert with the Admiral such a plan of operation, as might best answer the end of the Expedition, without improperly hazarding the Ships or Troops.

The Road in which we had Anchor'd as nearest to L'Orient, where Troops could possibly be landed either with safety or expedition, and have the requisite assistance given them, being open to the sea, between W. N. W. and South, by which Southerly and Westerly Winds must occasion a very great Sea, this, with the information given by Mr. Cotes, and all the Knowledge that we had been able to gather from the several accounts of our Pilots, and some prisoners that had been taken, left us no room to doubt, that it must be extremely dangerous for a Fleet to continue any time at Anchor in so open a Road, as that in which we were and must be acting contrary to the Kings Commands, signified to us, by your Grace and often repeated in our Instructions, by which the Admiral is expressly forbid to undertake any operation where the Navigation is so hazardous, as to expose the Ships and Transports

Under this Restriction, My Lord, in an open Road, and upon a dangerous Coast, greatly exposed to S. W. Winds where artillery stores, and Supplies of every Kind must be daily landed for the use of the Army, according to the Exigency of the service, and where this could not possibly be done, but in fair weather we durst not attempt an Enterprise, where the Issue of it was not expected to be short and precipitate.

Nevertheless our zeal to enter as far as we could into the Views of his Majesty, and the flattering hopes of the greatest advantages to the King, and his allies, from an attempt on L'Orient prevailed on us to determine to land the Troops with all possible expedition, to reconnoitre L'Orient, and if an Attempt could be made on it, with any probability of success, and a short time would determine the Issue, in the opinion of the Engineers, to pursue that great point, by a most punctual and vigilant execution, of what might best and soonest contribute to the speedy success of that Enterprize, But whether it was thought adviseable to attempt it or not, to preserve the communication between the Fleet and Army, and to prevent the total destruction of both, was above all to be considered, and therefore we resolved, that, as soon as possible the Army should March by the passes at Panteros and Henebon, about ten leagues to Quiberon Bay, where the Fleet could safely ride at Anchor, and be sheltered every way from all Winds and Stormy Weather, and where the Troops might carry the

Alarm into some other parts of the Province of Brittainy more particularly with so great a Reinforcement as that of two Battalions of Guards and a Regiment of Foot, or make such farther motions as should be thought most likely to alarm. and annoy the French, and thereby procure a Diversion in Flanders, and when the wished for Flanders detachment drew near they might, from the advantageous situation of that Post, defend themselves against a great superiority or Reimbark with all imaginable safety ease and dispatch.

This, My Lord, being of the greatest importance for the preservation of the Squadron, Troops, and Transports, we were confin'd within this Plan; and it was agreed, that whatever Artillery were wanted to make the Attempt on L'Orient, if Horses could not be got to draw them thither, Seamen should do it, but upon the Armys Marching from thence into the Neighbourhood of Quiberon Bay, as it was dangerous to spare so great a number of Seamen from Navigating the Ships (besides the Marines which were Six Hundred) as were necessary for drawing the Iron Cannon so great a distance, as where the squadron was to come, in that case it was thought best to spike them or knock them of their Trunnions

Accordingly the proper measures for the Disembarkation were concerted, to facilitate which the Transports were ordered close in Shore, and his Majesty's Sloops, Bomb Vessel and Armed Tenders were ordered to go in next morning as near the Shore as possible to cover the landing; but on the 20th early in the morning there appear'd on the shore, about three Thousand Armed Militia and some Cavalry to oppose our disembarking, the Admiral thought proper to add three forty Gun ships with Commodore Cotes, to command the whole to what he had already order'd to cover the landing

Every thing being thus disposed, and the General observing that the Militia were Assembled behind the Beach, where they expected we were to Land, He made the Signal for the Boats to bear away to another Beach equally commodious, where he and two of the Brigadiers, with about Six hundred Men landed without opposition; He immediately detached a Subaltern and thirty Men of the Royal to take possession of two pieces of Brass Cannon which were placed on a point near our landing place, and which the Royal George Cutter by her fire drove the Enemy from, and then he pursued the flying Militia about two Miles into the Country; being there Joined by more of the Troops, which in the Interim had been Landed.

Brigadier Offarrel, with that whole Corps amounting to about a Thousand Men, was ordered to proceed, to the Village of Guidel, then in sight, there to remain till further orders.

The General returned to the Beach to Assemble the rest of the Troops as they came on shore.

The disembarkation was continued during the night and finished before day. 21st After leaving the Body of Marines to Guard the Field Artillery, which were to be landed by the Seamen, the General marched by break of day and join'd Brigadier O'ffarel at seven in the morning, who inform'd him that the Corps under his Command had been a good deal annoyed, the night before by parties of the Militia, sculking behind hedges and Thicketts; when Lieutenant Colonel Erskine and some few of the Men were wounded; and this could not be

prevented as the Roads were extremely narrow, and the Country one of the closest that can possibly be imagined.

Being informed by a lame Curate, the only person remaining in the Village, that about a League from thence, there were two Roads, leading to L'Orient; one by Ploemeur; and the other, the Shorter of the two by the great Road from Quimparley.

After leaving a detachment of Sixty Men at Guidel to keep that post, and to take care of the Sick and wounded, it was resolved to March in two Columns to L'Orient; Brigadier O'ffarrel with the Battalions of Harrison, Frampton, and Richbell by the Shorter Road; the General with the Battalions of Royal, Bragg and Lord John Murray, by Ploemeur, where he arrived without opposition and proceeded about five in the evening, to a Windmill within Cannon shott of the Town

The Engineers were immediately sent to Reconnoitre the Place, and on their return they reported that the Town was only defended by a thin wall, with loopholes in it, and without a Fosse; and from the place they had pitched upon for a Battery, they could either make a Breach or lay the Town in Ashes in Twenty four hours.

Brigadier O'ffarel came up about seven at night, and acquainted the General that he had been attacked on his March by a Body, consisting partly of Militia and partly of Regular Troops; that on receiving their fire a part of the Regiments of Frampton and Richbell had fallen into disorder; Upwards of Twenty wounded Men returned to the Village of Guidel.

The Troops were this night Canton'd in the Neighbourhood and had orders to assemble next morning at the Windmill by Break of day.

Lieutenant Osborne with seventy Quarter Gunners, including a Gunners Mate from each Ship was sent ashore by the Admiral to put himself under the Command of the General for the service of the Field Artillery.

The Enemy having fired from a Battery of one Gun, which they had Erected on an Eminence to the westward of Quimparley River, in order to annoy the Transports and Boats going inshore, and about Five hundred Men appearing to be employed in Entrenching themselves behind a Craggy point, Contiguous to the River, the Boats of the Squadron with about one hundred and Sixty Armed Seamen, under the Command of Captain Masterson were sent to dislodge them.

They landed without opposition, Marched up the Clift, where only one man abreast could go, and turn'd the Gun which had been abandoned on their landing, against the Runaways, who appear'd in Considerable Bodies at a great distance.

After the Trunnions of the Gun were knock'd off, and it was with the Carriage thrown down the Clift, Captain Masterson went up the River Quimparley and burnt several Vessels, near to the Village of that name, and brought others down the River which were loaded with grain, and which afterwards were of great use for Reimbarking and Landing the Troops.

The Exeter, Pool, Tavistock Sloop and Royal George Cutter, were sent under the Command of Captain Lake, to Reconnoitre and Survey Quiberon