uthority he ventured to give his orders to prizes in my
presence, and without either my knowledge or approbation. Captain
Ricot further informed me that he had burnt the prize brigantine,
because that vessel proved leaky; and I was sorry to understand
afterward that though the vessel was Irish property, the cargo
was property of the subjects of Norway.

In the evening I sent for all the captains to come on board the
Bonhomme Richard, to consult on future plans of operations.
Captains Cottineau and Ricot obeyed me, but Captain Landais
obstinately refused, and after sending me various uncivil
messages, wrote me a very extraordinary letter in answer to a
written order which I had sent him, on finding that he had
trifled with my verbal orders. The next day a pilot boat came on
board from Shetland, by which means I received such advices as
induced me to change a plan which I otherwise meant to have
pursued; and as the Cerf did not appear at my second rendezvous,
I determined to steer towards the third in hopes of meeting her
there.

In the afternoon a gale of wind came on, which continued four
days without intermission. In the second night of that gale the
Alliance, with her two little prizes, again separated from the
Bonhomme Richard. I had now with me only the Pallas and the
Vengeance, yet I did not abandon the hopes of performing some
essential service. The winds continued contrary, so that we did
not see the land till the evening of the 13th, when the hills of
the Cheviot in the S. E. of Scotland appeared. The next day we
chased sundry vessels, and took a ship and a brigantine, both
from the Firth of Edinburgh, laden with coal. Knowing that there
lay at anchor in Leith Road an armed ship of 20 guns, with two or
three fine cutters, I formed an expedition against Leith, which I
purposed to lay under a large contribution, or otherwise to
reduce it to ashes. Had I been alone, the wind being favourable,
I would have proceeded directly up the Firth, and must have
succeeded, as they lay there in a state of perfect indolence and
security, which would have proved their ruin. Unfortunately for
me, the Pallas and Vengeance were both at a considerable distance
in the offing, they having chased to the southward; this obliged
us to steer out of the Fi