[Original.] Letter from VICE ADMIRAL BERTIE to J. W. CROKER, ESQRE. Africaine AT SEA, 1st March 1811. SIR, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of their Lordships' Order bearing date 1st October 1810, and received on the 4th January last signifying that their Lordships had been pleased to appoint Rear Admiral the Honorable Robert Stopford to relieve me in the Command of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels at the Cape of Good Hope, and directing me to deliver up the Command to the Rear Admiral on his arrival accordingly; and further directing me to proceed in a Frigate, without loss of time to Spithead, and to transmit to their Secretary, for the information of their Lordships, an account of my Arrival and proceedings. I have etc. [Original.] (Signed) A. BERTIE. Letter from VICE ADMIRAL BERTIE to J. W. CROKER, ESQRE. Africaine AT SEA, 1st March 1811. SIR,-Having dispatched His Majesty's Ship Menelaus on the 7th December last with the information of the surrender of the Isle of France and its dependencies to the combined Forces of His Majesty employed for its reduction, and transmitted by the Acteon duplicates of the said Communications on the 10th of that month, I have now the honor to detail my further proceedings to the period of my sailing from Table Bay for England. Considering it expedient that I should return from the Isle of France to the Cape as speedily as possible, no time was lost in carrying into effect the necessary arrangements requiring my presence there; having ordered the Cornelia to India with the dispatches of His Excellency the Governor and the Commander of the Forces, the remaining Ships which have belonged to the India Station were placed under the Orders of Captain Broughton of His Majesty's Ship Illustrious, and I have the honor to enclose a Copy of my Order addressed to him for that purpose. From the number of British Seamen who fell into our hands on the reduction of the Island, I deemed it adviseable to re-com mission His Majesty's late Ship Iphigenia, for the time being giving the Command of her to Captain Caulfield, under whose Charge I placed the several captured Ships of War, to whom Commanders were also appointed, with a Crew to each, sufficient for their respective navigation, under Convoy of the Iphigenia to England. I herewith transmit a Copy of my Order addressed to Captain Caulfield for his guidance. Having dispatched the Phœbe and Nereide (late Venus) to the Cape, and given Captain Beaver, of His Majesty's ship Nisus, the directions (the accompanying being a Copy thereof), and given the Commanders of the Eclipse and Racehorse Orders to place themselves under his Command, I proceeded on the 16th December in His Majesty's Ship Africaine, accompanied by the Boadicea, to the Cape, where I arrived on the fourth day of January 1811, and found lying there His Majesty's Ships Scipion and Astrea, the former bearing the Flag of Rear Admiral the Honorable Robert Stopford, to whom, on the succeeding day, I delivered up the Command at the Cape of Good Hope, in obedience to their Lordships' directions received through the Rear Admiral to that effect, and issued Orders to the Captains and Commanders of the Ships and Vessels named in the Margin, to put themselves under his Command accordingly. Under the circumstances in which the Africaine, Nereide, and Ceylon were equipped, as stated in my letter of the 12th October last, I have judged it essential they should proceed to England. I therefore directed Captain Henderson to proceed to St. Helena, as well to advise the Governor thereof that there would be efficient Convoy for the trade expected there, as to convey my further Orders for Captain Caulfield on his arrival, that the Ceylon, after taking on board a quantity of Slop Clothing from the Naval Yard at the Cape, would join the ships at St. Helena, and both the Nereide and Ceylon proceed under the orders of Captain Caulfield with the Convoy to England. Nisus, Racehorse, Having made this disposition of the force under my Command, and thus far deviated from the letter of their Lordships' Instructions, which, under the existing circumstances, I confidently trust will meet their Lordships' approbation, I am to add that I finally sailed from the Cape on the 20th January 1811. I have etc. [Original.] Letter from the EARL OF CALEDON to the EARL OF LIVERPOOL. CASTLE OF GOOD HOPE, March 2nd 1811. MY LORD,-Together with the Accounts of the Receiver General for the months of October, November, and December 1810, I have the honor to transmit the several Proclamations and Government Advertisements issued between the 1st of January and 1st Instant. I have &c. Letter from CAPTAIN B. F. SEAVER to REAR ADMIRAL STOPFORD. CAPE TOWN, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, THE 2nd March 1811. SIR,-Permit me to submit to your consideration a description of the Islands of Tristan d'Acunha so far as has come within my observation. On the 28th of January Ulto., being in sight of these Islands and a short distance off the North side of the large one in the Merchant Vessel called the Charles belonging to W. W. Bird, Esqre., and having understood a short time before at Rio de Janeiro that a man by the name of Jonathan Lambert, a native of the United States of America, was about to Establish himself on the large Island of Tristan d'Acunha, for the purpose of cultivating the soil and rearing Stock for the supply of any Vessels that might occasionally touch there when passing in that tract of Sea, and having no good Water on board the Charles, I determined on dispatching a Boat with an Officer and Crew to procure this Valuable Article; when a Mr. Lambert with two other men were found, and reported they had been landed Twenty days. After the necessary Water for the Charles was procured, I landed in a deep Cove on the North side, at a distance of about One Quarter of a mile to the Eastward of the inlet; there was a spot of Ground Lambert had cleared for a Garden; full two Acres were laid out in neat Beds, with Radish and Cabbage plants growing in great luxuriance and more than an inch above the surface, with the Vegetable matter. In turning up the soil with a spade a stratum of black Mould appeared full two feet deep, over a rich layer of Clay. Not three fathoms from Lambert's cultivated spot there is a large run of Water, which has its source in the Mount, meandering towards the Sea, then falling abruptly about fifty feet on a shingly Beach, presenting a most beautiful Cascade; here it would be practical with the assistance of a long Hose to lead the Water to a Launch in five fathoms depth. It is presumed any Vessel might be watered (the Weather any ways moderate) in twelve hours, procuring at the same time sufficient quantity of fire Wood. The anchoring ground off the North side of the large Island by my Observation is situated in 37° 7′ South and Longitude 11° 43′ West of Greenwich. The best depth for anchoring without the Kelp is about twenty fathoms, black sand and Oozy bottom, the Cascade bearing SE per Compass, distance Mile. This Anchoring ground is in all respects far preferable to the Roads of Funchal in the Island of Madeira, from the circumstance of its being a straight shore, whenever it might blow on the Coast it would be practicable for any Vessel to fetch Clear of the Land. The Cove within the Kelp is eligible for thirty sail of Vessels of any size to Moor in, and open four points of the Compass from N.N.E. to N.N.W., consequently sheltered from the most prevalent Winds. No sea could ever make in the Cove, as almost an entire chain of Kelp must prevent the Water breaking in with Violence. The depth of Water is from ten to twelve fathoms, sandy Oozy bottom. The Circuit of the large Island may be from 15 to 18 miles, rising in an immense Cone equal in Altitude to the Peak of Teneriffe. Being so short a time about the Island, I could not make such observations as are necessary to a correct description. I have already described to His Excellency Earl Caledon the richness of the soil, and what it might produce on cultivation, so far as came within my notice; to repeat it again to the Admiral might not be considered pertinent to the representation. In my letter to the Governor I omitted mentioning what I conceive could be done towards fortifying the Cove, it being the most eligible place for landing, should it at any future time be considered worthy the attention of the British Government. On the West side of the Inlet the ground rises above the Beach full one hundred feet, and by placing Six pieces of Artillery on this rising in proper Positions, they would most effectually prevent any landing. On the S. East part of the Island there is said to be a considerable indent, and may be found on examination eligible for Vessels to Anchor there. There are great numbers of Trees on the different heights of the Island, possibly some might be found to answer for Ship building. Mr. Lambert requested that I would make it known to the principal Authorities at the Cape of Good Hope that he arrived at what he trusted would ever be considered by the British Government and Honorable East India Company as laudable and deserving their protection and assistance, in a way that would promote his undertaking and endeavors to refresh what Vessels might be passing in that tract of sea, that whenever the sanction of the British Government should be known and he received the necessary assistance that he would declare himself allied and a subject to His Britannic Majesty, and by permission would display the British Flag on the Island. I have already solicited His Excellency Earl Caledon in the name of Mr. Lambert for some little assistance, that I might be enabled to return to the Island, as my private means are not sufficient. Submitting this representation to the admiral, I have &c. Letter from LIEUTENANT GENERAL GREY to the CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, 3rd March 1811. MY LORD,-I have the Honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's Letter of the 12th May 1810, requiring a Military Report of the Harbours, Sea Coasts, Fortresses, &c., of this Settlement, and that I may not be suspected of inattention to your Commands, I must explain that this Letter was only delivered to me by Lord Caledon on the 19th of last Month, having been brought by an American Vessel from Rio Janeiro, where I suppose it had been left by an English Ship originally intended for this |