Folios 325-326: Thomas Wolley, HMS Arethusa, Portsmouth Harbour. Writes with further...

Folios 325-326: Thomas Wolley, HMS Arethusa, Portsmouth Harbour. Writes with further details of the accident that occurred to ground the ship, as per their Lordships' order. The officer of the watch had been Lieutenant Joseph Mariencourt. Gives details of their course, towards the light of Barfleur, and that he had left the deck at 11.30, on a moderately fine night, their pace about three and a half knots. Asked for himself and the pilot to be called when they neared the light, which he thought would be around 3 or 4 o'clock, or if anything else occurred beforehand. However, he was awakened only by the ship striking a sunken rock about half a mile from the light. They tried to lighten her, cutting away the anchors and throwing over the foremast guns, and eventually got her off. He sent the Duchess of York, cutter, to inform Captain Price of the accident. Though all the men had used their best efforts he says Mariencourt had failed to call him when the weather changed to thick fog, and had also failed to use the lead at regular intervals, which would have prevented the accident.