The
Spanish corvette Zefiro was according to rumours to be fitted out with all
possible haste and to go as soon as possible towards Cadiz. Off the Strait
of Gibraltar as far as the waters of Carthagena were a very large number of
Colombian privateers cruising. All Spanish merchant ships of some value feared
to be captured while the unloaded were to be shot down or burnt. Daily were
crews of ships which were destroyed set on the shores. The 3rd received the
commissary of navy at Almeria tidings from several places along the coasts of
Grenada that the 2nd and in the morning of the 3rd 15 ships were captured. To
prevent that any ship could escape were small armed vessels stationed along the
coast active which even entered harbours and taken ships away like happened at
las Roquetas near Almeria where a large 3-master was captured.
