Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Vicomte D'Orleans letter to Vicomte d'Arrot, 1785 May 30

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Dublin Core

Title

Vicomte D'Orleans letter to Vicomte d'Arrot, 1785 May 30

Date

Description

Vicomte D'Orleans writes to d'Arrot concerning procedures for dealing with English shipping.

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Text

[English Translation]

The Commander of the roadstead has the honor to give an account to the Governor of Tobago, that an English schooner coming from St. Vincent is about to anchor. It would have been bound to signalize itself far off, [illegible] in the bay in awaiting permission to enter, but especially to have its colors at anchor. All these irregularities would have induced the commander of the roadstead to have the schooner weigh anchor on the field if it had not had passengers and their belongings for this island, nothing else which was verified by a visit.

There often exists a minor offense to the Roadstead Police which can have its source in a commission given on land. As soon as a ship come to anchorage/and one even still under sail/ a roadstead sentinel on the wharf, erie [Hear ye?], captain to land. The arrival believes to be authorized to descend without coming on board the commanding ship which is obliged to send an escort in its pursuit with orders to use the means of force, if there is refusal to obey or resistance, that which could have occurred several days agon on board an English dinghy: regulation and Police stopped it being that no ship will not be able to send a dinghy to shore without having given an account on board the commanding vessel. Would Mr. Governor like to order what he judges suitable to the occasion?

M. le Chev. de Vaiselot was requested by the commander of the roadstead to give an account himself to Mr. the Governor of the circumstances of his station on the coast; which he was in a better position to do than who does it. Following that would Mr. Governor like to pass me his orders concerning the service of his island.

30 May 1785 On board the Pendrix
at the Scarborough Roadstead
Vte. D'Orleans

Original Format

Ink on paper

Citation

Orléans, Louis Philippe Joseph, duc d', 1747-1793, “Vicomte D'Orleans letter to Vicomte d'Arrot, 1785 May 30,” Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, accessed March 28, 2024, https://cwfjdrlsc.omeka.net/items/show/105.
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