The British Rear admiral Cochrane, on board of the Northumberland, observed the Spanish warships lying in Ferrol. He wrote a letter dated 25 October 1804 to Admiral Cornwallis informing the latter about the Spanish and French preparations. "The Spanish line of battle ships are in a state so as to be ready in a few days. The baking of biscuits goes on; all their ovens are at work; most of the water is on board; and the ships are kept in amore immediate state for service than they have been for a twelve-month past. The Duguay-trouain will be out of the dry dock next spring tide. When the Redoubtable goes in the Fougneux is nearly ready to come out of the basin. I have reason to think they have now a sufficiency of men for 4 of their line of battle ships, if not the whole. Parties continue to arrive from France
Source
T.C. Hansard. The Parliamentary Debates from the year 1803 to the present time. vol III comprising the period from the fifteenth day of January to the twelfth day of March 1805. London January 24, 1805 , Second Additonal Papers relative to the war with Spain
