Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1969, Blaðsíða 139

Brillumanninum til verju
147
the horrors the Danish Commandant Lobner arraign’d them with towards
me, I am not only persuaded on the general principle that a British
Commander cannot be guilty in such a way; but likewise the character and
reputation of Captain Baugh as an Officer and Gentleman, stands superior
to it, and after the conversation I now here have with him on the
subject, I am convinced that all what Lobner utter’d to me against him,
is of a piece with what he stated against me, Viz: only Calumnies to
palliate his own Cowardly conduct in the Defence of the Fort intrusted to
him, and I was pleased that Captain Baugh is of the same opinion as to
the Calumnies this Lobner uttered against me. — The only thing I took
the liberty to observe to Captain Baugh, was, that before making myself
the Vehicle of Calumnies, I would rather first have personally applied to
a brother Officer if (especially by an enemy) I had been told of personal
or gross insults from him; he properly replied that he was at Sea, and did
not know my address. — To Vice Admiral Vashon I observed (in the
same time) that over anxious of the good opinion of an Officer of the
same rank with myself I laid before him a Copy of such Vouchers as
Chance in the present moment left in my hands / that although transmitt-
ing this libelous Danish conveyance to the Admiralty was perhaps Officially
justifiable, yet his wantonly volunteering his exertions with his friend the
Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland, unnecessarily, unofficially to trouble Minist-
ers, previous to all proofs and inquiries, the Admiral transmitting to them,
the above Slanderous Venom against a British Officer of equal Rank with
his own was at least over Officious. — The Admiral thought himself not
accountable for his reports; yet even the possible arising benefit and lucre
from wresting these Prizes from my poor brave Sailors, in my Opinion
does not justify his sending on purpose to North Farro, to court as it
were, such a Slanderous report; nor to seek byways to trouble Ministers
extra Officially with it. — To the Lord Chief Justice Clerk in vindication
of my character I likewise applied this morning personally, explained the
whole, and communicated to him some Vouchers I fortunately had with
me; and flatter myself to have convinced him of the rectitude of my
conduct, of which I am the more proud, as in him I found a Man whose
perspicuity as well as liberality, and seeming wonderfully superior talents
and abilities in every branch — renders transaction with, truly a pleasure
and a happiness. — If I understood him ríght, he told me that two vartous
eomplaints each at a different time had been brought over from Farro;
the first complaining of my ransacking every shop and (contrary to Cap-
tain Baugh’s capitulation) my prizes being Private Danish property; whilst
the present one seems to be organized to prove that (tho Public property)
these Prizes ought to belong to the Clio, and not the Salamine, this is an
additional proof of the various foul prevarications of this Lobner. — To
you my Lord I take the liberty to transmit this Statement, adding to it
a translated extract of some Danish Vouchers, which by a fortunate Chance