d.

Had I been successful in the view before me previously to the
ship taking the ground, my praises of the conduct of my officers
and ship's company could not have exceeded their merits; but I
have, notwithstanding, the satisfaction to say, that every order
was obeyed and carried into execution with that promptitude and
alacrity becoming British officers and seamen.

I am, sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
S. FERRIS.

To Rear-admiral Sir James Saumarez.

It has now become necessary that we should notice a controversy which
has taken place between the authors of the different naval histories
on the subject of the Battle of Algeziras; and we have been led to
make minute inquiries, first, into the cause of the discrepancies of
the different accounts; and, secondly, into the truth, which we have
been the better able to do from our personal knowledge and recent
communication with some of the officers of the Hannibal and Caesar, on
whose veracity we can depend. We are happy to add that the result of
our inquiries has been satisfactory, and, we trust, will completely
clear up and reconcile the facts, while it will leave no reflection of
a dubious character on the conduct of the heroic commander of the
squadron.

It appears that no difference of opinion arose on this subject until
the court-martial of Captain Ferris, which took place on the 1st
September 1801, at Portsmouth, Rear-admiral Holloway president; when,
as usual on trials for the loss of a ship, Captain Ferris read his
narrative, which he begins thus:

"In giving a detail of the circumstances which led to the loss of his
Majesty's late ship Hannibal, I am sorry that, owing to my clerk being
killed, whose remarks were lost,[32] I cannot be so particular as to
the exact times of signals being made as I otherwise should have been;
but I shall state them to you to the best of my recollection."

[32] The captain's clerk is stationed in action to take minutes
of the events as they occur.

After this admission, is it not surprising that the controversy should
be mainly founded on the time at which the Hannibal struck her
colours? Captain Ferris says, "about two o'clock;" while by the log of
the Caesar the action had entirely ceased at thirty-five minutes past
one. It may be asked, why did not the court, which must have seen the
discrepancy between his narrative and the public and other documents
before it, inquire into t