Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/538

528 Dociimcnls XVI. Vice- Admiral James R. Dacres to Miranda.' Copy. His Britanic Majesty' s Ship Pique, Port Royal, Jamaica, August [24], 1S06. Sir, I was on the 15'!' Inst, honoured with your letter of the 8" from Vela de Core, with its enclosures, by your Aid de Camp Cap! Leslie. - The force on this station being very considerably less than the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are aware of, I do not feel myself justi- fied in lessening it in support of an enterprise, of which I have not the slightest information from my Government, at the risque of neglecting the services required of the squadron I have the honor to command, which must be the case in rendering you the assistance you require. I have hurried the equipment of a cruizer for Cap! Leslie's passage to Vela de Coro, and have ordered her commander to cruize on the coast of the Caraccas as much as possible to add to your security, while on the coast, from any attack that might be made by a junction of the Gua[r]da Coasters, or any inconsiderable force of the enemy. I have the honor to be with high respect and consideration Sir Your obedient humble servant J. R. Dacres. XVII. Vice-Admiral James R. Dacres to the Secretary. Sharif, Port Royal,* 30'" August 1806 Sir I have the honour to transmit herewith for the information of the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, copies 1 Admirals' Despatches, Jamaica, Vol. 24. Enclosure in Dacres' s letter of August 30 to the Secretary, No. xvii.,/ojA Biggs, p. iSo, mentions the arrival of H. B. M. brig Ferret at Aruba on September 13, with this letter and a similar one from the gover- nor of Jamaica. 2 Biggs, pp. 48, 158, mentions James F. Ledlie, " captain in the First Regiment of (North American) infantry." Ledlie is also the name given in the Aiiiuial Register for 1S06, pp. 317, 318. 3 Admirals' Despatches, Jamaica, Vol. 24. Of the enclosures mentioned, the first is Rear- Admiral Cochrane's letter to Miranda, dated Barbadoes, June 9, in which he, in view of the nature of Miranda's plans and the favorable attention which the British has given them, agrees to support the latter' s landing on the Main between Trinidad and Aruba with at least a sloop of war and two brigs, and to give other aid, expecting in return that the British (and the people of the United States if Miranda desires) shall be permitted, if independence is established, to import goods at the same rate of duty as natives, while the French and their allies are excluded, and other nations pay a rate ten per cent, higher. This document is here omitted, having been already printed in Ante- para's South Ayjierican Emancipation, pp. 213-215. The second enclosure, of the same date, is Miranda's acceptance of the terms, and is omitted for the same reason ; see Antepara, p. 215. The other enclosures are, apparently, Miranda's letters dated Coro, August 6, and La Vela de Coro, August 8, and Dacres' s reply of August [24], for all which see ante, Nos. xiii., xiv., xv. and .VI.