Folios 276-277: William Taylor, HMS La Prompte, in Leith Roads. Advising of his arrival...

Folios 276-277: William Taylor, HMS La Prompte, in Leith Roads. Advising of his arrival at this place the previous evening, having sailed from Flushing on 20 October, as he had written to tell them. He intends to complete the ship's water and stores, and repairs, including the caulking which was damaged in recent gales, then proceed to the south as per his orders. He has had news from a revenue cutter here, of HMS Resolution, currently cruising at the mouth of the Firth, and in case she doesn't appear before he leaves he will leave instructions for her to follow him, to meet at Kirkwall or Lerwick. Other information he has had from a merchant ship from the Baltic, of two French frigates, a brig and a cutter, in the South Seas, and from a Newcastle ship, that a vessel from Norway had arrived there and had struck to four French frigates and a two-decker, but owing to bad weather had managed to escape. Also intelligence from a sloop that arrived at Leith yesterday, from Bergen, that there were four French frigates with several prizes, intending to make for Dunkirk. Encloses monthly journal and state and condition of ship [not present].

Folio 278: enclosure with folios 276-277. Admiralty note on a scrap of paper, not very decipherable.