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His Honr the Presidt produc'd to the Board a Letter from Capt Rouse [Rous] Command'r of his Majesty's Ship "Shirley" desiring our Representation of the Accident wch happened sd Ship on ye [the] 2d Sept 1746, whereupon our opinion is as follows – that theyre appear'd to us to have been no neglect or mismanagement in the whole Proceeding the Captn and all his men being on Board but that it was entirely owing to a Violent Storm of Wind such as has not been known here for these many years it having Blown down Several Barns, Tops of Houses, Trees up by the Roots and two stacks of the Garrison's chimneys, and Drove the Ship on Shore with her Yards and Topmasts down and three Anchors a Head upon a point of Rocks about low water when she beat up with the Sea and we expected she would have beat to pieces untill they cut their foremast by the Board wch we presume eas'd the ship and was the means of Saving the Crew, at that time, together with all the assistance that could be afforded from the Shoar and by the other Masts being afterwards cut away was the means of Saving the Ship without wch She never could have Righted the Tide flowing Several Feet over her, Since wch all manner of diligence has been us'd by the Captn to Right her and free her and bring her to a place of security for repair wch is now Executing.
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At a Council held by Ordr aforesd 'at Annapolis Royal on Monday ye 22nd Septr 1746 at 11 0 Clock A. M.
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The Same Members Present
His Honour President Paul Mascarene William Skene Esq
William Shirreff
Eras Jas Philipps Esq | Edward How Esq
John Handfield
Edward Amhurst Esq |
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Capt Spry Commandr of his Majesty's Ship "Chester" and Captn Rous, Command'r of his Majesty's Ship "Shirley" being also Present.
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His Honr the Presidt acquainted the Board that by a Packett arriv'd late here Saturday night last, he had Received a Letter from Govr Shirley importing that he had Reason to believe that there was a French Fleet upon the Coast and that in Confirmation thereof he had sent him the Copies of Two Affidavits Vizt of one Hugh Thornton master of a Fishing vessel [sloop] nam'd Fanny made before Govr Wentworth at Portsmouth in New Hamshire the 14th Septr 1746, and also of one William Hanwood of Gloster [Glocester] made at Boston N. E. attestd by Secretary Williard.
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The first deposd yt on Saturday the 31st Augt he saw about 30 Sail of wch 15 were large ships and his People Reported from ye Mast Head and Judgd the Fleet to consist of a greater number wch stood to the Northward the wind then being at E. N. E. dist from the Isle of Sables about 15 Leagues in the Latitude of 43 and 50 and that at 12 0 clock they show'd no colours.
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The other Vizt Wm Hanwood depos'd that on ye 9th Inst about 9 o'clock at night being upon the Western Bank of ye Isle of Sables about 20
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