Folios 189-190: William Sydney Smith, HMS Diamond. Report of intelligence collected...

Folios 189-190: William Sydney Smith, HMS Diamond. Report of intelligence collected from fishermen and neutral vessels from Le Havre de Grace from 6 to 10th July 1795. 1500 deserters arrived from the frontiers. Le Havre is well stocked with stores which are taken to Paris under escort to prevent the peasants storming them. They have no bread at Rouen, just cabbage and bran. Le Havre is renamed Le Havre Marat. Horses have been turned out of churches to make room for the Pretres Assermenties. Decadery days have fallen into disuse and the inhabitants of Honfleur were observing Mass privately but are now beginning to observe it publically. The inhabitants can now appear in their best clothes without fear of the guillotine. Large numbers have come into Le Havre for food but rations have been cut for workmen and soldiers. The wages of the workmen have been cut and they went on strike and 600 have been put in prison where there are also seven men and two officers from HMS Alexander. Neutral vessels are not being paid for their cargoes. The fishermen refused to accept assignats in payment for fish and bread was preferred to silver. The confidence of the fishermen is well established by our kindness so great numbers lay all round us although a cutter under Republican colours comes out occasionally to drive them away but they shelter under us and we have gained useful credit for not firing on the cutter as we chased her back in. The force of the enemy in Le Havre is given including the Spartiate, Carmagnole, four corvettes and two brigs and five cutters. Seamen are deserting daily at Brest because they only have 3 ounces of bread a day.