Folios 21-24. The Duke of Schomberg at Lisburn [in the north of Ireland] to the King....

Folios 21-24. The Duke of Schomberg at Lisburn [in the north of Ireland] to the King. Per the Duke's letter of 16 March, of his small warships there he had only sent one to the coast of Drogheda, having heard that certain small vessels from Dublin were carrying provisions thence to Dundalk. That ship encountered a vessel coming from Scotland towards Dublin, having on board two Glasgow merchants named Bell, who said that they were going to Bristol. Doubting the veracity of this, Schomberg had them arrested, but later put them in safe custody following a letter from Lord Shrewsbury on the 6th March clarifying matters. Schomberg reports intelligence from Dublin of the vessels there: The Pelican, from Scotland, 200 tons, armed for war; two ships of 60 tons each belonging to the Commissaries of Bideford; the Mary of Dublin of 250 tons commanded by Captain Gouldin; and two vessels of Waterford of 60 tons each in the Dublin harbour. A French ship, of which Richard Tomson is master, left Dublin on the Thursday in Holy Week to seek news from Wales. He usually lands near Carnarvon, and makes the journey often carrying passengers back and forth. Also engaged in carrying passengers on the Welsh side are another French boat , and a Scotch pink, which took to Scotland one 'Bohanan'. A certain Captain Fitzgerald had given the Duke a small medal telling him that he could always put faith in any man who showed him one like it. He reported that more than twenty thousand francs had been sent to Scotland, but no help had reached them from France. The enemy was lacking arms, the manufacture of which (and of powder) that they had set up having failed. They are in want of horses, ordering all the gentlemen in the country, regardless of religion, to surrender all their horses fit for cavalry and leaving them only their ponies. Horses are dying every day; the soldiers have nothing but oat-straw to give them. Schomberg emphasises the harm that may arise from leaving troops without money for so long so near to an enemy ready for intrigues, and in a ruined country, where the solder can find no sustenance since most of the inhabitants have not enough for themselves. This want of money is delaying Schomberg from besieging Charlemont, having only two cannons left, the rest having been damaged at the siege of Carrickfergus. He has written repeatedly to the officers at the Tower to ask His Higness to order a convoy to bring him other cannons and some bombs, but they say there is no money not even to advance to 'the arquebus' to continue work on the guns ordered. At the time of writing he has heard from Carrickfergus that three ships have arrived with provisions and some powder, it is six months since they were loaded and arrive now. The Duke of Wirtenberg has travelled there and is also finding it difficult, with no money arriving for his troops. He strikes Schomberg as gentle and patient, and eager to do well, which he cannot say for Mr Douglas for whom he has done all he can yet who while in London faulted his conduct of the last campaign very severely.