FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62  
63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   >>   >|  
d be settled at the Escurial, to which they were then preparing to go. I therefore concluded to return to Madrid, and, with the approbation of the Ambassador of France, I wrote the following note to the Minister, viz. "Mr Jay presents his compliments to his Excellency, the Count de Florida Blanca, and has the honor of informing him that he purposes to return to Madrid tomorrow, and will with pleasure attend his Excellency's orders at the Escurial, as soon as it may be convenient to his Excellency to render his presence there necessary. "_St Ildefonso, October 5th, 1781._" To this I received the following answer. Translation. "The Count de Florida Blanca presents his compliments to Mr Jay, and wishes him a pleasant journey. He will write to him as soon as he can say anything positive on the subject of his last note. _October 5th, 1781._" Four days afterwards the Count sent me a complaint against Commodore Gillon, of the South Carolina frigate, then lying at Corunna, and I insert copies of the papers which passed between us on that occasion, not only because I ought to give an account of all interesting public transactions, but also that my conduct on this occasion may stand contrasted with that of the Minister on some other similar ones. _Recital of a Complaint exhibited by the Count de Florida Blanca against Commodore Gillon._ Translation. "An American vessel of war has arrived at Corunna, having on board two soldiers, deserters from the Irish regiment of infantry. The commander of the Province having claimed them, the captain refuses to deliver them up on any pretext whatever, pretending, among other reasons, that all his equipage belongs to his Most Christian Majesty. This is not at all probable, for if the officers and crew were subjects of France, it would have been improper to pass off the vessel for a frigate of the United States, under the American flag. Besides, these deserters having fled to a French vessel of war, to the demand of their surrender by the Spanish commander, it was replied on the word of honor of the captain, that they were not on board; so that, supposing the frigate to be a French ship, there is reason to suppose that they would have been surrendered. "The Count de Florida Blanca has thought it necessary to inform Mr Jay of these facts, in the full persuasion that he will have the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62  
63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Florida

 
Blanca
 

frigate

 
Excellency
 

vessel

 

American

 
Translation
 

October

 

deserters

 

commander


captain

 
occasion
 

Commodore

 

Corunna

 

Gillon

 

presents

 

Minister

 
return
 

Madrid

 

compliments


French

 

Escurial

 

France

 

deliver

 

surrendered

 
refuses
 
pretext
 

pretending

 
suppose
 

thought


soldiers
 

arrived

 

persuasion

 

Province

 
claimed
 

inform

 

infantry

 

regiment

 
reasons
 

Christian


replied

 
States
 

United

 

demand

 

surrender

 
Spanish
 

Besides

 
improper
 

Majesty

 

belongs