L'Auguste

Posted by Albert Parker on Sunday 7th of February 2016 22:43

Although “Auguste” had been built for the French royal navy, the action with British “Portland” is not mentioned in French-language naval histories, there is no document concerning the cruise or loss in the Archives Nationales, Marine, Sous-serie B4 (Campagnes), and the French navy was not sending out other SOL as individual raiders in 1746. Therefore, “Auguste” was almost certainly in private service when captured by “Portland.” I have not been able to find an explicit statement of this anywhere. The documentation might be in the affidavits filed on behalf of the crew to claim “head money.”

Posted by Albert Parker on Sunday 7th of February 2016 22:37

Since the date of “February 9” was given in the official report by Captain Steevens of “Portland,” and the action occurred entirely in the afternoon, the date in non-nautical calendars would be February 8, 1744 in the Julian or “old style” calendar and February 19, 1744 in the Gregorian or “new style” calendar. The British and other navies advanced the calendar at noon, not midnight. They were thus 12 hours ahead of the midnight-to-midnight calendar used by 18th-century landlubbers and by everybody in the 21st century.