Folios 323-324: Thomas Rogers, HMS Mercury off Brindisi. Enclosing a copy of his...

Folios 323-324: Thomas Rogers, HMS Mercury off Brindisi. Enclosing a copy of his letter top Lord Keith and letters mentioned therein.

Folios 325-326: Enclosure with folios 323-324. Letter dated 7 August 1801 from Thomas Rogers, HMS Mercury off Brindisi to Lord Keith. He has left orders with the consul for John Crispo, HMS Resource, who Lord William Stuart's believes is hourly expected, to take the store ships from Trieste and Fiume under convoy to Malta. On 14 June he was joined by HMS Champion, Mutine and El Corso from Ancona Mole still under Neopolitan colours. That day their crews were landed and French colours were hoisted under the names of Minerva, Ceres and Arethusa. He has sent El Corso to Fiume to see if British ships could be supplied with stores & provisions should they accidentally put in there as orders from Venice & Trieste says that British Men of War are forbidden. William Ricketts found the Resource and store ships had been detained in Fiume and rudders has been unshipped. John Crispo has thought it wise to head with the store ships he already had directly to Malta, especially as French ships had been spotted at the entrance to the Adriatic and an expedition was preparing at Tarento and Gallipoli. As the ships at Ancona are not ready to sail, he has proceeded with HMS Mercury, Champion, Mutine and El Corso passing Tarento and Gallipoli where over 5500 French troops are. The French have been erecting batteries on the islands of St Peter and St Paul and he has been fired on all along the coast from Otranto to Ancona but only Otranto has French colours. At the entrance to the Adriatic he met a Turkish squadron under Vice Admiral Seremet Bey who has orders to cooperate with the British. His letter to Bey is enclosed. HMS Santa Dorothea, ordered by Sir John Warren to cruise off Brindisi, has joined him with HMS Mercury, Champion and Mutine and they are blockading the French squadron at Ancona and the El Corso is cruising off Cape Otranto. He fell in with HMS Renomee off Ancona and has heard of the arrival of HMS Thetis and Chatham transport at Trieste. He has ordered HMS Chatham to Fiume bring stores and the troop ships to bring provisions for the squadron off Ancona. If the Imperial vessels at Fiume are prohibited from sailing to Malta, he will demand the release of at least 2 English merchant vessels and the Chatham transport. If the Imperial vessels are allowed the proceed, he will order the troop ships to receive on board any stores remaining at Fiume and go to Malta. There are 3 Russian frigates at Naples and 3 at Corfu, The Porte proposes to employ them in the Adriatic.

Folios 327-328: enclosure with folios 323-324. Letter dated 18 July 1801 from William Ricketts, HMS El Corso off Fiume to Thomas Rogers , HMS Mercury. Detailing his problems with getting supplies at Fiume. Orders from the Court of Vienna resulting from the treaty of peace at Luneville between His Imperial Majesty and the Republic of France state that no supplies of any sort shall be furnished from any of the ports of His Imperial Majesty in any of his Italian, Istrian or Dalmatian dominions to any English fleet and it is particularly stipulated that no supplies of any sort shall be furnished for the Island of Malta. It is up to the governor of Fiume at Porte a Ree to interpret this instructions and the store ships with hemp for Malta has been detained.

Folios 329-310: enclosure with folios 323-324. Letter dated 4 August 1801 from Thomas Rogers, HMS Mercury off Cape Otranto to Vice Admiral Seremet Bey, commanding the Imperial Ottoman Squadron in the Adriatic. He suggests that the Turkish squadron cruises at the entrance of the Adriatic and occasionally along the Coast of Brindisi and in the Gulf of Tarento to intercept the enemy's supplies whilst the British blockade the French squadron in Ancona. If the French escape from Ancona, the Turkish will be in a good situation to intercept him. He will order HMS El Corso to cruise off Cape Otranto with orders to liaise with the British and Turkish.