Folios 190-193. Folio 190. Letter from Richard Ball to Lord Weymouth enclosing:-...

Folios 190-193. Folio 190. Letter from Richard Ball to Lord Weymouth enclosing:- Folios 191-193. A paper setting out detailed proposals for Weymouth's consideration in light of the now generally credited report of Spanish hostilities against Britain. Ball was at Algiers during the last Spanish war when a scheme such as he now proposes 'was often talked of by some of the leading men in their Divan, who were greatly elated with the hopes of it being carried into execution'. He says the present Bashan who was then Treasurer, or prime minister, greatly approved of it as did the late Dey and his two brothers. The basic plan was for the Algerine fleet, with two British ships of the line, to blockade Oran while the Algerine army with a proper train of artillery would lay siege, Oran being a fortress of great importance to the Spanish in time of peace and in war 'its affinity to Carthegena' rendering it a very secure retreat for Spanish cruisers against the British. In return for their assistance the British would be granted permission to export food supplies to Gibraltar.