Folios 217-218: Ross Donnelly, HMS Narcissus at Sea. He encloses a copy of the letter...

Folios 217-218: Ross Donnelly, HMS Narcissus at Sea. He encloses a copy of the letter he sent to Commodore Sir Home Popham, concerning his destruction of a French ship believed to be La Bellone whose complement was 250 men. She was armed with 32 guns. Also the capture of a Dutch sloop, from Cape Town, which was loaded with naval stores and heading for a line of battle ships laying at Simons Bay.

Folios 219-220: enclosure to folios 217-218. Undated letter by Ross Donnelly, HMS Narcissus two leagues off the Cape of Good Hope on 25 December 1805 and addressed to Commodore Sir Home Popham. He reports that while waiting for a squadron to arrive they spotted a war ship coming from the direction of Table Bay. He gives details of the manoeuvres he undertook to give chase and compel her to run aground at which point her masts and bowspit went adrift. He left the vessel in this distressed state fearing most of the crew would be lost given the sea conditions. There was a heavy swell. Immediately after this incident they captured a Dutch vessel coming from Cape Town and laden with naval stores. Those on board this vessel told them that the ship they had run ashore was a French warship with 32 short guns and a crew of 250 that had just sailed from Table Bay bound for Mauritius. Apparently that ship had on board the ordinance, which was wanted by other ships but which had come from L'Atalante a French Frigate which had lately been lost. Captain Donelly was also given an account of this French ship's activities. Apparently she had captured a South Sea Whaler, and an East Indiaman. From this and other evidence they believe the ship to be La Bellone which has done a great deal of damage in the locality.

On the basis of his activities and this report he is able to fulfill Commodore Popham and Sir David Baird's desire for information about activity in and around the Cape.

He reports that as they were desperately in need of fuel they took the stores out of the Dutch sloop and then cut her up for firewood.

He concludes the letter with the recommendation of Mr Thomson his First Lieutenant, together with the other officers and the crew of his vessel. He sayes they conducted themselves with alacrity and steadiness throughout.