To James Madison from John Gavino, 16 April 1806 (Abstract)
From John Gavino, 16 April 1806 (Abstract)
§ From John Gavino. 16 April 1806, Gibraltar. No. 25. “Still deprived the honor of any of your Commands since my last Dispatch No. 24 under date of 7th: Instant [not found] covering one from Consul Simpson of Tanger—to which please be referr’d. I now have the honor of transmitting you another inclosed from said Consul Simpson [not found].
“The Brig Hope of Newburry Port, Stephen Webber Commander from Almeria to Loghorn with a Cargo of Lead in Piggs was sent here some time ago for adjudication, by a British ship of Warr. The Capn: Declared that he believed the Lead belonged to a House at Madrid, he was Charterd at Malaga; shipd & Cargo had been Libeld, the Tryal came on in the Vice ady: Court of this Port when the Judge Condemnd the Cargo, but liberated the Ship, & full fr[e]ight—Primage, Hatt [sic] Money, Charges & detention to be paid Capn Webber which he has received.
“The Essex still at Alguesiras on account the Westerly Winds, the Vixin is now also there having returnd from the Westward.”
Adds in a 20 Apr. 1806 postscript: “Rear adl: Lord Northest1 is now here from the fleet off Cadiz with three other ships of the Line going aloft to join Rr: adl: Sir Sidny Smith.”2
Adds in a 21 Apr. 1806 postscript: “Lord Northest does not now go Aloft, but retu[r]ns to England, & only two ships Line proceed to join adl: Sir Sidny Smith.”
RC (DNA: RG 59, CD, Gibraltar, vol. 3). 2 pp.
1. William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk (1756–1831), entered the Royal Navy in 1771 and succeeded to the earldom in 1792 when his father, who was also an admiral, died. In 1797 he was imprisoned in the cabin of his ship by the Nore mutineers but was later released to carry their terms to George III, who refused them. He was third in command to Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar and was made a knight of the Order of the Bath in June 1806. He also served as a representative of the Scottish peerage in the British Parliament in 1796, 1802, 1806, and 1830.
2. William Sidney Smith (1764–1840) entered the Royal Navy in 1777 and rose through the ranks until he was made a full admiral in 1821. In 1793 he entered Toulon harbor and burned thirteen French ships. In 1796 he was taken prisoner in the Seine and was sent to Paris from where he escaped in 1798, after which he was sent to negotiate an alliance with Turkey. He fought at Acre and Rhodes and was named rear admiral in 1805. Sent to the Mediterranean, he supported Naples and Sicily against France and in 1812 was named second in command there. After the arrival of peace in 1815, he lived mainly in Paris. He was invested Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1815 and subsequently Knight Grand Cross in 1838.