Letter from Rear-Adm. Sir Samuel Hood to General Jacob de Budé, writing from various locations and detailing his activities, expressing frustration over the general lack of action by the British fleet and the failure to take opportunities against the enemy, complaining about Adm. Pigot's inexperience, reporting on illness on board his ship and his own need for exercise, and commenting on the whereabouts of Prince William and his ship.
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apprehension, which others, under similar circumstances, are perfectly calm, tranquil, and not easily moved; mine is of the former cast, and I confess, that from the moment I heard a french fleet was a head, I should have considered the whole fleet in [[underline]] chace, [[/underline]] till it gott off Sandy Hook, not from any expectation of overtaking the Enemy, but that not a moment might be lost, in putting His Majesty’s Ships in a condition to go to sea again. Having now one third of my ships company in the scurvy, and a hundred very bad indeed, and six or eight falling down every day I thought it very much my duty to make a report to the Admiral, and to desire his permission to make the best of my way to New York, that my poor fellows may be put ashore as soon as possible, as a single day may be saving the lives of many. But it is doubtless very singular, that an account of the state & condition of the fleet, has not been called for, since the day the Commander in Chief left Port Royal, upwards of Six weeks ago; many ships are I know in that condition as to be unfit for Sea, and as things are circumstanced it would be far better they were in port. It is really mortifying to see the [[underline]] whole [[/underline]] fleet kept out, doing nothing, and nothing to be done, that [[underline]] half [[/underline]] would not be equal to. I parted, at 8 last evening, and shall push to Sandy Hook [[catchword]] as [[/catchword]]
