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158 A I T E N D I X .
" Your lordships will take care that a sufficient quantity of provisions
and necessaries of all kinds may be sent out in the said three
vessels ; and will, at a convenient distance of time, despatch another
store-ship for a further supply.
" P.S. I also enclose to your Lordships the copy of his Catholic
Majesty's order to Don Felipe Ruiz Puente, with its translation."
O R D E R of the KING of SPAIN.
(Translation.)
*' It being agreed between the King and his Britannic Majesty, by
a Convention signed in London on the 2'2d of January last past, by
the Prince of Masserano and the Earl of Rochford, that the Great Malouine,
called by the English Falkland, should be immediately replaced
in the precise situation in which it was before it was evacuated by
them on the 10th June last year; I signify to you, by the King's order,
that, as soon as the person commissioned by the Court of London,
shall present himself to you with this, you order the delivery of the
Port de la Cruzada or Egmont, and its fort and dependencies, to be
eifected, as also of all the artillery, ammunition and eiFects, that were
found there, belonging to his Britannic Majesty and his subjects,
according to the inventories signed by George Farmer and WiUiam
Maltby, Esqs., on the 11th July of the said year, at the time of their
quitting the same, of which I send you the enclosed copies, authenticated
under my hand ; and that, as soon as the one and the other
shall be effected with the due formalities, you cause to retire immediately
the officer and other subjects of the King which may be there.
God preserve you many years. Pardo, 7th February 1771.
" T h e BALI O FRAY, DON JULIAN DE ARRIAGA.
" TO Don Felipe Ruiz Puente."
C A P T A I N STOTT t o t h e ADMIRALTY.
Juno, Plymouth, 9th December 1771.
" I must beg leave to refer their lordships to the letter I had the
honour of writing you from Rio de Janeiro, the 30th of July last,
for the occurrences of my voyage to that time ; from whence I sailed,
with his Majesty's sliips under my command, the next day, and
arrived at Port Egmont the evening of the 13th of September following.
The next morning, seeing Spanish colours flymg, and
APrENDix. 159
troops on shore, at the settlement formerly held by the English, I
sent a Ueutenant to know if any officer was there on behalf of his
Catholic Majesty, empowered to make restitution of possession to
me, agreeably to the orders of his Court for that purpose, dupHcates
of which I had to deUver him: I was answered, that the commanding
officer, Don Francisco de Orduna, a lieutenant of the royal
artiUery of Spain, was furnished with full powers, and ready to effect
the restitution. He soon after came on board the Juno to me, when
I deHvered him his Catholic Majesty's orders. We then examined
into the situation of the settlement and stores, adjusted the form of
the restitution and reception of the possession—instruments for
which were settled, executed, and reciprocally delivered (that which
I received from the Spanish officer, and a copy of wiiat I gave him,
are here enclosed). On Monday, the 16th of September, I landed,
followed by a party of marines, and was received by the Spanish officer,
who formally restored me the possession; on which I caused his
Majesty's colours to be hoisted and the marines to fire three voUeys,
and the Juno five guns, and was congratulated, as were the officers
with me, by the Spanish officer, with great cordiality on the occasion.
TTie next day Don Francisco, with all the troops and subjects
of the King of Spain, departed in a schooner which they had with
them. I have only to add, that this transaction was effected with the
^ e a t e s t appearance of good faith, without the least claim or reserve
being made by the Spanish officer in behalf of his Court."
L O R D GRANTHAM t o t he EARL of ROCHFORD.
" Madrid, 2d January 1772.
" I have received the honour of your lordship's despatch, containing
the agreeable intelligence of the restitution of Port Egmont and
its dependencies, with the due formalities. On receiving this notice I
waited on the Marquis de Grimaldi, to assure him of his Majesty's
satisfaction at the good faith and punctuality observed in this transaction.
M. de Grimaldi seemed aware of the intention of my visit,
and was almost beforehand with me in communicating notice of this
event's being known in England. He seemed weU pleased at the
conclusion of this affair, but entered no further into conversation
upon it."
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