Folios 187-188: Richard Goodwin Keats, HMS Galatea, Falmouth. He gives an account...

Folios 187-188: Richard Goodwin Keats, HMS Galatea, Falmouth. He gives an account of his attempts to locate the French force reported to be then either in the Channel or the Bristol Channel. He had good information from coastal and other vessels that he had encountered, that the French had sailed westward and were presently north west of the Scilly Isles. He set off in pursuit an endeavourof which he assumed the Admiralty would approve. he did not encounter them however, and adverse winds prevented him from returning to Falmouth. On 16th February he met HMS Dryad and followed her into Bantry Bay. Sir Amelius Beauclerk informed him that they had made contact with two of the enemy's frigates and a cutter 16 leagues South West of Cape Clear, the previous afternoon. With Sir Amelius Beauclerk's aproval, he and HMS Dryad went off in search of the enemy but with no success. At that point the intelligence he was receiving suggested the enemy had sailed off further westward. As HMS Galatea and Anson were running low on water he called off the search. He concludes by assuring the Admiralty that he took the actions he did from a desire to do the best he could for the Service and if it had not been for the adverse winds he would have returned to Falmouth, where he now is, earlier. He encloses a letter he received from Captain Purham of HMS Anson which indicate that the defects on his ship are not capable of repair at Falmouth and so he has directed him to Cawsans Bay.

Folio 189: enclosure to folios 187-188. Letter dated 19 March 1797 by Philip Charles Calderwood Henderson Durham, HMS Anson, at sea. He writes to Captain Keats and encloses a list of defects on his ship (not enclosed.) He states that these defects cannot be completed at Falmouth and so he asks for permission to sail on to Cawsands Bay.