Baldavids Bay not far from the River of Brest.

Sunday, March 8th.—Weigh'd and beat up towards Brest came too in Camaritt's Bay 4 Leagues from Brest.

[At Brest] Tuesday, March 10th.—Last night eight of our People took the Cutter and went on shore and ran off leaving the Boat on the Rocks.

Friday, March 13th.—Seven of eight Deserters were bro't back under guard & confined in Irons.

Saturday, 14th March.—Went to Brest with Capt. Jones & Lt. Simpson; had a slight view of the Fortifications, Shipping, and Dock-Yards—return'd in the Evening.

Sunday, 15th.—I had the pleasure of entertaining the Commissaries Lady & two Sisters on Board the Ranger.

Wednesday, 18th.—Last night died after a lingering Illness for more than three weeks Will^m. Reading—His remains were decently interr'd about 11 o'clock A.M.—P.M. the Ladies came to pay Capt. Jones a visit as he was absent when they pay'd us the first Visit.

Monday, 23rd March.—Got under way and ran up to Brest; saluted the Admiral, rec'd the news of L^d. Stormont's having left Paris on receiving a copy of the Treaty with America.

Thursday, 2nd April.—Got up anchor pay'd the french flagg another Salute rec'd. 11 for 13—One of our Seamen narrowly escap'd drowning; when the Ship was coming to sail was turned off from the Spritsail Yard the Ship went over Him, but He was luckily taken up by the Man who was in the Cutter which was vear'd astern arriv'd at Camaritt about 5 o'clock P.M. and came to anchor.

Friday, 3rd April.—Our Ship being laid on Shore for cleaning I went with our Pilot & L^t. Wallingsford to take a view of the New Fort which is building on an Eminence at the distance of three miles from Camaritt.

Sunday, 5 April.—Attempted to get out to sea with the Fortuna of 36 guns but were oblig'd to return to Brest.

Wednesday, 8th.—Made a second Attempt to get out & fail'd.

Friday, 10th.—About 5 o'clock P.M. came to Sail in Company with the Frigate [Fortuna]—were detained by the Cutter which was sent after Sand to Camaritt.

Saturday, 12th. [11]—Fine weather but no Convoy to be seen, about 10 in the morning saw a sail to windward which prov'd quite contrary to our fears to be the Fortuna—we were all ready for action when she came alongside of us.

Monday, 14th.—Our Convoy left us, sooner than Capt. Jones Expected which He resented but could not prevent.

Tuesday, 15 April.—Early in the morning saw a Brig under our Lee Bow, about 8 o'clock spoke her: from Ostend to Galway laden with Flaxseed took the People their Baggage &c. on board scuttled and left Her. [12]

Wednesday, 16th.—Made some part of Ireland in the morning suppos'd to be the high Land of Dungarvin.

Thursday 17th.—Saw a Ship in the afternoon under our lee Bow, at Sun's setting spoke Her—a Ship of about 350 Tons from London for Dublin laden with Hemp Iron Porter &c &c. ordered her to Brest. [13]

Saturday, 19th.—Made a warm attempt to take a Cutter mounting 8 Guns, she slipped through Our Fingers, had the Captain have permitted the Marines to fire on them when they first came under our lee Quarter might have taken Her with great Ease.

Sunday, 20th.—In the morning near the Isle of Man sunk a schooner laden with Barley & Oats about 60 Tons burthen from some part of Scotland, in the Evening sunk a Sloop in ballast from Ireland. [14]

Monday, 21st.—Bore down for Belfast Loch, took a fishing Boat with 4 Men in sight of a Ship at anchor they informed Us that she was a Man of war of 20 guns; we made sail and stood off about an Hour, when the Capt. ordered the ship to be put about in order to go in and cut her out, but the wind blowing fresh and the people unwilling to undertake it we stood off and on till midnight when the People consenting and the wind having lulled a little we stood into the River but it being somewhat Dark did not drop our Anchor so as to lay her along side, therefore were oblig'd to cut and run out, which we were very lucky in effecting. [14]

Tuesday, 22nd.—Stood off and on all Day with a design to make another Trial if the wind lull'd at night there being no signs of more moderate weather wore ship and stood back towards Galway Mull—Our people very much fatigued.

Wednesday, 23rd. [15]—Weather somewhat more moderate & our people a little recruited, Our enterprising Capt. with about 30 men went on shore about 11 P.M. with a Design to fire the Town of Whitehaven. [16]

Thursday, 24th.—After watching the night and all the morning till broad day light in expectation of seeing the smoke of the Town and Shipping (ascend as the smoke of a Furnace) began to fear that Our People had fallen into the Enemies Hands; however about half an hour after sun rise we discovered two small Boats at a great Distance coming out of the Rivers mouth, and clouds of smoke arising from the Shipping, soon after we saw them fire on the Boats from the Shore, but most of the Cannon being spiked up by our People they could do but very little the Boats were soon out of their Reach and came along-side with 3 prisoners for one left behind.

The same Day crossed over to the other side of the Bay to the Mull of Galway Capt. Jones with Lt. Wallingsford and about 12 Men went on shore [at St. Mary's Isle] with design to take L^d. Selkirk, Prisoner. As he was not at Home and no man in the House, for the sake of his Lady & her Company they came off without doing any further Damage than plundering Him of Plate to the amount of (as near as I can judge) 160lb. weight of Silver. [17]

Friday, 24th.—Early in the morning our Capt. proposed making a second attempt to cut out the Ship in Caraefergus, which was now within a small Distance, the People both officers & men discovr'd great unwillingness to make the attempt. Capt. Jones notwithstanding declar'd publickly his determination to go in, in short it seem'd impossible to avoid it for the Tide & what little wind there was, had imperceptably carry'd us in so far that there was very little chance for an Escape, and now which was about sun-rise we saw the Ship with Her Sails loos'd and had nothing to do but to get ready for Action Our People at the same Time discovering the greatest readiness to engage Her. When she [the Sloop of war Drake] came out at