A Manuscript ‘Public Statement of protest’ Recording the Hostile Actions of a French Privateer Against a Portuguese Merchantman, in June 1813.
Plymouth: 1813. Plymouth, Devon, England: 21st July 1813. Folio, 7 pages (13 1/8 x 8 ¼ inches), duty blindstamp, small ink stamp to upper inner margin of the first page, two seals to the last page, signed twice by Galindo. Toned, some small repaired tears (using reversible archival ph-neutral paper-repair tape), very good to near fine. Very Good. Item #List1947
An interesting document of privateering in the Peninsular war, this ‘Public Instrument of Protest‘ documents a Portuguese captain and crew complaint (in detail) to an English notary. After sailing from Calcutta to Brazil and then from Rio to just outside of Lisbon, their ship, the 700-ton ‘Oceano’, was seized and comprehensively ransacked by a French privateer (the ‘Lion’ out of Lorient). Most of the crew and passengers were offloaded onto a passing American vessel, the ‘Leda’ bound for Lisbon. Meanwhile, the ‘Lyon’ escorted her prize towards the nearest French port, but before a friendly haven was reached they were both set upon by the brigantine HMS ‘Achates’. The ‘Lyon’ escaped but the ‘Ocean’ was captured by Commander Morrison and the ‘Achetes’. The ’Ocean’ was taken to Plymouth, and moored in the Hamoaze. The remaining Portuguese crew who had been forced to remain aboard the ‘Ocean’ by the French, got a message to the ‘Ocean’s Master Dn. Ignacio Joze Martins and he, and the boatswain, made their way to Plymouth as quickly as possible. The sworn statement presented here is in English, thanks to the translation given by Francisco Martins d' Magalhaens, master of a Portuguese ship “now dwelling in Plymouth”
The ’Oceano’ sailed from Calcutta to Brazil, arriving 10th February 1813. She left Rio on 4th April, all was plain sailing until the afternoon of the 7th June (off the Rock of Lisbon) when the ‘Lion’ showed up, first under false British colors, then French. The fighting was fierce (the privateer was driven off once) but eventually the ‘Oceano’ was taken. The night of the 7th June was spent by the French ‘conveying everything Moveable and Valuable from the Ocean to the Privateer’. The ‘Leda’ (the US vessel) landed the majority of the ‘Ocean’s crew, including the Master, in Lisbon on the evening of the 9th June.Monday 14th June, the ‘Lyon’ engaged in a running battle with HMS ‘Achates’ and escaped, but the ‘Achates’ did capture the ‘Ocean’. Wednesday 16th June the ‘Ocean’ arrived in Plymouth under the watchful eye of the ‘Achates’. Receiving the crew’s message, the Captain of the ‘Ocean’ left Lisbon for Falmouth and then Plymouth arriving on the 20th July. The document was dated 21st July 1813.
Full transcription available.
Price: $750.00