Intelligence news dealing with the Spanish navy from by J. Duff, British consul at Cadiz, for the month November 1803

Thanks to the by T.C. Hansard published The Parliamentary Debates from the year 1803 with the discussed papers, it’s possible to get an impression on what’s going in the Spanish navy at that moment an ally of the French empire and an enemy of the British empire.

P. 232: “In the Carraca, the fitting out of the 6 ships is going on. The America of 66 guns, is the only one of them which is completed, and is gone out of the arsenal; as to the others, 3 of them (one of which is the Trinidad) are in port; some time will elapse before they come out of it, and can be equipped as well as the others. At Ferrol they are occupied in the armament of the 5 ships to be fitted out there, the Neptune, Don. A. Valds, Monorca, Don A. Argomosa, S. Augustin, Don A. Pareja, S. Fulgencio, Don J. Rivera, Principe, Don C. Charruca; these ships, as fitted, are expected to come here. Of the 4 ships fitted out at Carthagena, the Argonaut, 84 guns, brig. Don de One, and the Bahama, 74 guns, capt. Don L. Truxillo, have been some time arrived here; the 2 remaining S. Carlos, 112 guns, brig. Don L. Musias, and Reyna Luisa, 112 guns, brih. Don A. Pastigo, were prepared to follow. The ships Paula, San Pablo, Sau Joaquim and Guererro have been masted at the same place, but no order had

p.233: been received for fitting them out. The frigate Santa Rufina, which arrived here from Carthagena, about 10 days ago, is under orders to get ready for America, supposed to be for Lima. The king’s storeship, Santa Justa, sailed for the 26th ult. for a port in Galicia, with a cargo of salt for the king’s account. The new frigate Vengeance, built at Mahon, and arrived latterly from Carthagena, is to be attached to the squadron; she appears to be a fine frigate, and can mount 40 guns. Of the 2 frigates which sailed from Ferrol last Feb. for Lima, the Santa Clara arrived at the Callac the 22d June; the other, the Mercedes, has punt into Rio Janeyro, leaky. The brig Argo, and schooner Telosa, under teh orders of the brig, Don A de Feguerora, are intended to sail in the present month, as guarda costas for the Caracas. The lugger Experiment, which went with surgeons and priests to Malagam and is lately returned, remains in thus bay performing quarantaine. The brig Penelope remains equipped in this bay, and without any destination being given her”.

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, 1812. Parliamentary Debates, February 4, 1805, Second Additonal Papers relative to the war with Spain, p. 232-233. Digitized by Google.com.