Folios 126-127: James Nash, Regulating Captain, Leith Rendezvous. Encloses two letters...

Folios 126-127: James Nash, Regulating Captain, Leith Rendezvous. Encloses two letters from Lieutenant John Gourly, commanding HMS Mary, concerning the vessel Mentor, which was in quarantine in Inverkeithing Bay and also encloses [not present] the list which the Lieutenant was given by the Mentor's Master, purporting to be the articles of agreement between him and the crew. Believes this document is fabricated.

Folios 128-129: enclosure with folios 126-127. Letter dated 11 May 1803 from Lieutenant John Gourly, the Mary Tender, Leith Roads, to Regulating Captain James Nash. Reports that when he arrived in Inverkeithing Bay to check on the Mentor of Leith the Master Gourlay Balfour claimed he did not know where any of his crew were. The Master handed over what he said were the articles of agreement with his crew to the Pratique Master, who in turn gave them to Lieutenant Gourly, but over the next few days his efforts to muster the crew were unsuccessful because neither the Customs authories nor the Master would cooperate. Eventually Lieutenant Gourly put two Midshipmen and several crew aboard the Mentor to keep an eye on her.

Folios 130-131: enclosure with folios 126-127. Letter dated 13 May from Lieutenant John Gourly, the Mary Tender, Leith Roads, to Regulating Captain James Nash. Reports that when the Mentor of Leith completed her quarantine he had the vessel thoroughly searched looking for her crew, whom Captain Nash had ordered him to impress. He asked a man called Morrison, who claimed to be the Mate, to produce the ship's log book and said he would return it once he had shown it to Captain Nash. While he was doing so, and also in the presence of Commander James Campbell of HMS Amethyst and Captain John Larmour, he was arrested on a charge from the Mentor's owner, John Smith, of stealing her log book.

Topics

Navy

Armed Forces (General Administration)