Folios 278-279: Samuel Jackson, HMS Mosquito [Musquito], Sheerness. Replies to enquiry...

Folios 278-279: Samuel Jackson, HMS Mosquito [Musquito], Sheerness. Replies to enquiry of 22 October [1805] which he received this morning from Vice Admiral Douglas to state the case of Colin Smith. He was impressed because of his seamanlike appearance and the high probability of having been at sea before the date of his indenture. There are now a great number of people on the Northern Coasts serving under false indentures and the only way to detect this fraud is to bring them on board and find out their abilities as seamen. However in this instance he has no strong reason to believe he has been serving under false indentures.

Folios 280-281: enclosure with folios 278-279. Letter dated 25 October 1805 from John Knight to John Barrow, Admiralty. Jasper Browell wrote to him some time ago saying that an application had been made to the Admiralty for the discharge of Colin Smith who had been impressed and carried on board HMS Mosquito [Musquito]. They had refused and requested his opinion which was that provided the apprentice was never at sea before the date of his indenture, 23 June 1803, and an affidavit could be produced they should order his discharge. At the same time he wrote to the apprentice to tell him whether he had ever been to sea before. He received the encased letter [not present] from the apprentice and the affidavit [not present] from the Master of the ship from which he was impressed stating he never was at sea before the date of his indenture. Asked them to reconsider the case.