Folio 250-253: Henry Folkes Edgell, HMS Pluto, St John's, Newfoundland. Reports that...

Folio 250-253: Henry Folkes Edgell, HMS Pluto, St John's, Newfoundland. Reports that on 24 May he met the Swedish merchant ship Nordiska Wan Skapen, from New York bound for Nantes with a cargo of cotton , sugar, indigo, logwood and tobacco. On examination he found the papers unclear, and most of the passengers were French, so he detained her. Also detained two of the four passengers, believing them to be involved in practices hostile to Great Britain and subjects of the French Republic. He considered them both Prisoners of War, particularly Mr Bartly, who, under the appearance of a French Royalist, going to join the army in La Vendee, has so far imposed upon Mr Barclay, the British Consul at New York, to get a passport for that purpose, by which he would more easily avoid revealing his true character. He does not know how far his behaviour may be considered treacherous, but at the point that he was obtaining a passport from the British Consul he was also in possession of two passports from the French Consul, issued 7 days and 4 days prior to the date of the British passport. The first is a Common Passport, dated 25 Germinal (12 April); the other dated 28 Germinal (17 April) is a very special one charging him with official despatches to M. Talleyrand and to the Ministers of Marine, which are of interesting concern to the French Republic and which were to be communicated with urgency. Unfortunately, they have only so far got the documents directed to the Minister of Exterior Relations, copies of which, as well as of the passports, are sent under the seal of the Vice Admiralty Court of Newfoundland, for information [not enclosed]. He has reason to believe there are other very important despatches, particularly of the Marine Department, and from the very high estimation which the French Consul at New York appears to afford to Mr Bartly, as appears from his special confidential passport of 28 Germinal, Captain Edgell believes that he was charged with some very important verbal communication. He has therefore given orders to Captain Shortland of HMS Voltigeur, to take Mr Bartly to England, to be dealt with there. He has also sent to England via the same ship a M. Besignan, who has every appearance of being involved with M. Bartly, as the confidential passport from the French Consul to M. Bartly was hidden among M. Besignan's clothes and which he refused to give up to the Officer Captain Edgell had put on board for a further search. It was 6 days after the ship was detained that this gentleman, who pretends to be a Lieutenant in the Swedish Royal Navy, made a complaint about his detention. Captain Edgell makes some observations on behalf of himself and other Captains of the Royal Navy ships at present in harbour. They are sure M. Besignan is a close friend of M. Bartly; he has hidden important papers and it is absurd to suppose that he was unaware of their contents, he refused to give them to the Officer sent on board, and he claims he is a Swedish Officer and therefore cannot be searched. As Captain Edgell did not believe him he asked to see his Commission, but he produced only his passport (enclosed) [not enclosed] from the Regency in Sweden, dated 31 July 1797, which had deletions and alterations and which Captain Edgell therefore doubted was legitimate. He therefore hopes that his actions are approved, in insisting that M. Besignan accompany M. Bartly, and that he has not breached any code of neutrality should the latter indeed be a Swedish Lieutenant. Even if he is, he was aiding and assisting an enemy, so Captain Edgell believes he acted correctly.

Folios 254-255: enclosure with folios 250-253. Letter dated 26 August 1800 by M. Bartly, on board HMS Voltigeur. The writer was a passenger on board a Swedish ship from America bound for France and was detained by HMS Pluto, commanded by Captain Edgell, who made him a Prisoner of War. The Captain indicated that he would send to the Admiralty the papers in M. Bartly's possession. M. Bartly wishes to know whether the papers have been received. He requests an investigation as he has been confined on board this ship and HMS Pluto for 107 days, in a poor state of health.