Folios 248-249: James Alms, Quimper in France. Documents marked as a duplicate. He...

Folios 248-249: James Alms, Quimper in France. Documents marked as a duplicate. He reports that during a heavy gale some parts of the ship was damaged and some of the crew were injured including himself. He fell down a ladder and broke some ribs and injured his back. He took to his bed but Lieutenant Rothery alerted him to the presence of an unrecognised ship. Captain Alms told him he must do as he thought best.

A chase ensued at the end of which the Princess Royal, a pacquet ship (sometimes called a packet) sailing from the West Indies which had previously been captured by a French Corvette was taken. Captain Alms sent an officer on board to investigate.

HMS Agamemnon, HMS Nereide and the Schooner had all parted company with his vessel.

Captain Alms was in such pain he sent for the surgeon Mr Pringle who told him it would take about three weeks for him to recover and so he decided to return to Torbay and ordered Lieutenant Rothery and the Master Mr Finn accordingly assuming his orders would be followed and the ship set course on the coordinates he had given. The Coxswain John Alexander was present when he gave these orders.

In the middle of the night the Coxswain ran into his cabin to warn him that the ship was in danger and he found she was being driven by the swell onto the rocks with the water just two feet below the Orlop deck and entering the ship which was listing to starboard. With good luck and the hard work of all hands, all officers and with all the pumps working they managed to take sufficient control of the ship to run her ashore. Included in the report is a full description of the manoeuvres and strategies they used to achieve this. While this saved the lives of those on board save for two or three of the crew who were drowned, the ship was soon a total wreck.

He attributres this misfortune entirely to his orders not being followed.

He also reports that he has heard that the Pacquet they seized is also wrecked and that Lieutenant Matthews, James Near and a gunner from the crew of HMS Repulse were also drowned.