Record

RefNoMM/10/128
LevelItem
TitleLetter from Charles Mason, Portsmouth, to Charles Morton
Date12 January 1761
DescriptionDescribing the encounter between HMS 'Seahorse' and a French 34 gun frigate, 'L'Grand'.

The clash, which left eleven men dead and thirty seven wounded, forced the 'Seahorse' back to Plymouth, jeopardising Mason and Dixon's chances of arriving at the planned destination of Bencoolen [Bengkulu] in Sumatra [Indonesia], in time to observe the Transit of Venus in 1761.

Mason writes to Morton: "...in my opinion it will be impossible for me to arrive in India in time to make the observation; and therefore must desire you will please by a line as soon as possible to acquaint me in what manner the council would please to have us proceed".
Extent1 side
FormatManuscript
AccessStatusOpen
Fellows associated with this archive
CodePersonNameDates
NA1244Mason; Charles (c 1699 - 1771)c 1699 - 1771
NA1286Morton; Charles (1716 - 1799)1716 - 1799
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