I am much obliged to you for your letter of the 26th, dated from Douvarnenez Bay, and was much pleased to find that you had got hold of that anchorage, as I felt very uneasy at your absence during the late gales. I should rather doubt whether that bay could be capacious enough for a large fleet to anchor in without danger from the batteries; but I have always hoped that some of our small squadron might avail themselves of that resource on such an occasion as that which has presented itself to you; and I have no doubt that the doing so will much assist the occupation of our fleet off Brest.
Believe me, dear sir,
Your very faithful humble servant,
Spencer.
To Sir James Saumarez.
Sir James, at the same time, wrote to Earl St. Vincent by the Marlborough, giving his lordship an account of his proceedings, which could not but be highly satisfactory.
Cæsar, Douvarnenez Bay, 26th September 1800.
My Lord,
The weather not having admitted the stores and provisions to be taken out of the Marlborough whilst under sail, I bore up for this anchorage with the squadron; and early Wednesday morning the boats were all employed in conveying the water and provisions to the squadron: but it having continued to blow excessively hard from that time, it was not until this morning we have been enabled to accomplish this service.
The Montague and Naiad anchored in the bay Wednesday morning, and are now under sail. It has blown a very severe gale of wind at north-west the last two days, and we have saved considerable wear and tear to all the ships by having taken this anchorage in good time.
I propose to remain here during the continuation of westerly winds, or until the weather enables me to resume the station off the Black Rocks; detaching ships occasionally to watch the enemy's motions.