Letter book, 1808 Aug 19-1809 Nov 1

This leather-bound volume contains copies of outgoing correspondence on board HMS Trent, Cork Harbor:

• Acknowledgements of numerous misc. Adm. Orders, condition reports submitted, and copies of sailing and provisioning, and convoy orders issued
• A list of declared deserters from the Sloop Helena, Capt. Worth (29 August 1808)
• A response to the Adm. Request for an explanation of the extended detention of the tender Perseverance (20 October 1808)
• An order discharging a Richard Cox from the Resolute, but noting that, although an American citizen, he was not impressed (29 October, 1808)
• A request for instructions on the handling of supplies on board the victualler Campion, bound for the Lisbon Squadron, the Campion having been seized for smuggling and other breaches of the Revenue Laws. (31 October, 1808)
• Orders directing a cruise off the Skellings to locate the sloop Concord captured by a French privateer (8 November 1808) and later stating that the Concord was not captured, but deserted by her crew and taken into possession by the master of a merchant schooner from Valencia (12 November 1808)
• Numerous letters regarding the establishment of signaling stations at various coastal locations, the difficulties of procuring timbers for them, etc.
• Orders for a cruise to locate vessels carrying timber for various Dockyards that sailed from the St. Lawrence River unescorted and which remain unaccounted for (31 January 1809)
• An order directing Captain Brace in HMS Virginie to convoy 60 sail of merchant vessels bound for the West Indies as far as Madeira, in consequence of a letter from Adm. Young related to the activities of the French privateer, Visible Gironde (26 February 1809)
• An order dispatching a number of ships to search the Irish coast for the French fleet, reported to have escaped from Brest, based on reports from Captain Bowles of Medusa (28 February 1809)
• A condition report of repairs required by Resolute, due to gales, and requesting instructions from the Admiralty on whether the merchant fleet of 70 sail, bound for the West Indies, should sail immediately, based on the reports of the French Fleet’s escape from Brest (1 March 1809)
• A report to the Admiralty of information received from the Master of merchant vessel Maxwell, who reported that he fell in with 100 sail of transports steering for Martinique on the 29th instant, and was informed that an attack on that island was imminent. (4 March 1809)
• A report to the Admiralty of information received that the escaped French squadron was at Rochefort, and the West Indies convoy was therefore being dispatched with escorts immediately. (6 March 1809)
• A report to the Admiralty of the reported capture of the French Brig l’Aventure by HMS Fortunee under Capt. Vansittart (6 April 1809)
• Numerous entries related to the removal of the wreck of the merchant ship Britannia from Cork harbor, in consequence of the obstacle the wreck presented to shipping, including survey reports, and orders to blow up the wreck.
• A copy of the bearings for the hidden rock, on which HMS Valiant struck (1 November 1809)