and belonging to the port of whereof the said W. B. is commander, and that N. N. are the owners. And whereas the said W. B. hath given sufficient bail and sureties to us in our said High Court of Admiralty according to the effect and form set down in our instructions made the 17th day of the aforesaid month of May in the 43rd year of our reign, a copy of which is given to the said W. B. Know ye therefore that we do by these presents issue forth and grant letters of marque and reprisals to, and do license and authorize the said W. B. to set forth in a warlike manner the said ship called the under his own command, and therewith by force of arms to apprehend, seize, and take the ships, vessels, and goods, belonging to the French Republic, or to any persons being subjects of the French Republic, or inhabiting within any of the territories of the French Republic, excepting only within the harbours or roads of princes and states in amity with us, and to bring the same to such port as shall be most convenient, in order to have them legally adjudged in our said High Court of Admiralty of England, or before the Judge of such other Admiralty Court as shall be lawfully authorized within our dominions, which being finally condemned, it shall and may be lawful for the said W. B. to sell and dispose of such ships, vessels, and goods so finally adjudged and condemned in such sort and manner as by the course of Admiralty hath been accustomed. Provided always that the said W. B. keep an exact journal of his proceedings, and therein particularly take notice of all prizes which shall be taken by him, the nature of such prizes, the times and places of their being taken, and the values of them as near as he can judge, as also of the station, motion, and strength of the French as well as he or his mariners can discover by the best intelligence he can get, and also of whatsoever else shall occur unto him or any of his officers or mariners or be discovered or declared unto him or them or found out by examination or conference with any mariners or passengers of or in any of the ships or vessels taken or by any other person or persons or by any other ways and means whatsoever touching or concerning the designs of the French or any of their fleets, vessels, or parties and of their stations, ports and places, and of their intents therein, and of what ships or vessels of the French bound out or home, or to any other place, as he or his officers or mariners shall hear of, and of what else material in those cases may arrive to his or their knowledge, of all which he shall from time to time as he shall or may have opportunity transmit an account to our said Commissioners for executing the office of our High Admiral aforesaid or their secretary, and keep a correspondence with them by all opportunities that shall present. And further provided that nothing be done by the said W. B. or any of his officers, mariners, or company contrary to the true meaning of our aforesaid instructions, but that the said instructions shall by them and each and every of them as far as they or any of them are therein concerned in all particulars be well and truly performed and observed. And We pray and desire all kings, princes, potentates, states, and republics being our friends and allies and all others to whom it shall appertain to give the said W. B. all aid, assistance, and succour in their ports with his ship, company, and prizes without doing or suffering to be done to him any wrong, trouble, or hindrance We offering to do the like when we shall be thereunto desired, and We will and require all our officers whatsoever to give him succour and assistance as occasion shall require. In witness whereof we have caused the Great Seal of our said Court to be hereunto affixed. Given at London the fifth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twelve, and in the fifty-second of our reign. REGISTRAR. APPENDIX D. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRIVATEERS, 21 JUNE, 1815. In the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, INSTRUCTIONS for the commanders of such merchant ships or vessels who shall have letters of marque and reprisals for private men-of-war, against the ships, goods, and subjects of France by virtue of our commission granted under our Great Seal of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date the twenty-first day of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen. Given at our Court at Carlton House the twenty-first day of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, in the fifty-fifth year of our reign. ARTICLE I. That it shall be lawful for the commanders of ships, authorized by letters of marque and reprisals for men-of Q war, to set upon by force of arms and subdue and take the men-of-war, ships, and vessels, goods, wares, and merchandises belonging to France, or to any persons being subjects of France, or inhabiting within any of the territories of France, saving always such exceptions as we shall at any time or times hereafter be pleased to declare; but so as that no hostility be committed, nor prize attacked, seized or taken within the harbours of princes and states in amity with Us, or in their rivers or roads, within the shot of their cannon, unless by permission of such princes or states, or of their commanders or governors-inchief in such places. II. That the commanders of the ships and vessels so authorized as aforesaid shall bring all ships, vessels, and goods which they shall seize and take into such port of this our realm of England, or some other port of our dominions as shall be most convenient for them, in order to have them legally adjudged in our High Court of Admiralty of England, or before the Judge of any other Admiralty Court lawfully authorized within our dominions. III.—That after such ships, vessels, and goods shall be taken and brought into any port, the taker, or one of his chief officers, or some other person present at the capture, shall be obliged to bring or send as soon as possibly may be three or four of the principal of the company (whereof the master, supercargo, mate, or boatswain, to be always two) of every ship or vessel so brought into port before the Judge of our High Court of Admiralty of England, or his surrogate, or before the Judge of such other Admiralty Court within our dominions lawfully authorized as aforesaid, or such person or persons as shall be lawfully commissioned in that behalf, to be sworn and examined upon such interrogatories as shall tend to the discovery of the truth concerning the interest or property of such ship or ships, vessel or vessels, and of the goods, merchandises, and other effects found therein; and the taker shall be further obliged at the time he produceth the company to be examined, and before any monition shall be issued to bring and deliver into the hands of the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty of England, his surrogate, or Judge of such other Admiralty Court within our dominions lawfully authorized, or others commissioned as aforesaid, all such papers, passes, sea briefs, charter parties, bills of lading, cockets, letters, and other documents and writings, as shall be delivered up or found on board any ship; the taker or one of his chief officers, or some other person who shall be present at the capture, and saw the said papers and writings delivered up, or otherwise found on board at the time of the capture, making oath that the said papers and writings are brought and delivered in as they were received and taken, the same being first numbered and the number specified in the affidavit without any fraud, addition, subduction, or embezzlement, or otherwise accounting for the same upon oath to the satisfaction of the Court. IV. That the ships, vessels, goods, wares, merchandise, and effects, taken by virtue of letters of marque and reprisals as aforesaid, shall be kept and preserved, and no part of them shall be sold, spoiled, wasted, or diminished; and that the bulk thereof shall not be broken, before judgment be given in the High Court of Admiralty of England, or some other Court of Admiralty lawfully authorized in that behalf, that the ships, goods, and merchandises are lawful prize. V. That if any ship or vessel belonging to Us or our subjects, shall be found in distress by being in fight, set upon, or taken by the enemy, or by reason of any other accident, the commanders, officers, and company of such merchant ships or vessels as shall have letters of marque and reprisals as aforesaid, shall use their best endeavours to give aid and succour to all such ship and ships; and shall, to the utmost of their power, labour to free the same from the enemy, or any other distress. VI. That the commanders or owners of such ships and vessels, before the taking out letters of marque and reprisals, shall make application in writing, subscribed with their hands to our High Admiral of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or our commissioners for executing that office for the time being; or the lieutenant or judge of the said High Court of Admiralty, or his surrogate, and shall therein set forth a particular, true, and exact description of the ship or vessel for which such letter of marque and reprisal is requested, specifying the burden of such ship or vessel, and the number and nature of the guns, and what other warlike furniture and ammunition are on board the same; to what place the ship belongs, and the name or names of the principal owner or owners of such ship or vessels, and the number of men intended to be put on board the same, and for what time they are victualled, also the names of the commanders and officers. VII. That the commanders of ships and vessels having letters of marque and reprisals, as aforesaid, shall hold and keep, and are hereby enjoined to hold and keep, a correspondence by all conveniences, and upon all occasions, with our High Admiral of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or our Commissioners for executing that office for the time being, or their secretary, so as from time to time to render and give him or them not only an account or intelligence of their captures and proceedings by virtue of such commission, but also of whatever else shall occur unto them, or be discovered and declared unto them, or found out by them, or by examination of, or conference with, any mariners or passengers of, or in the ships or vessels taken, or by any other ways or means whatsoever touching or concerning the designs of the enemy, or any of their fleets, ships, vessels, or parties, and of the stations, sea-ports, and places, and of their intents therein; and of what ships or vessels of the enemy bound out or home, or where cruising, as they shall hear of; and of what else material in these cases may arrive at their knowledge, to the end that such course may be thereon taken and such orders given as may be requisite. VIII.-That no commander of any ship or vessel having a letter of marque and reprisal as aforesaid, shall presume, as they will answer it at their peril, to wear any jack, pennant, or other ensign, or colours usually borne by our ships; but that, besides the colours usually borne by merchant ships, they do wear a red jack, with the Union Jack described in the canton at the upper corner thereof near the staffs. IX.-That no commander of any ship or vessel, having a letter of marque and reprisal as aforesaid, shall ransom, or agree to ransom, or quit, or set at liberty, any ship or vessel, or their cargoes, which shall be seized and taken. X. That all captains or commanders, officers of ships, having letters of marque and reprisals, do send an account of, and deliver over, what prisoners shall be taken on board any prizes, to the commissioners appointed, or to be appointed for the exchange of prisoners of war, or the persons appointed in the seaport towns to take charge of prisoners; and that such prisoners be subject only to the orders, regulations, and directions of the said commissioners; and that no commander or other officer of any ship having a letter of marque and reprisal as aforesaid do presume, on any pretence whatsoever, to ransom any prisoner. XI.-That in case the commander of any ship having a letter |