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Deux-Ponts Launch — Puerto Cabello

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Deux-Ponts Launch — Puerto Cabello

Generated illustration. Not a historical photograph. Ships in coastal water. Not a portrait.

Overview

The Elsinore reply stays on Albemarle at Elsinore. The Boston Bay schooner stays on Albemarle Fishing Schooner — Boston Bay. The St. George’s Bank chase stays on St George’s Bank — Albemarle Shoals. This note covers the Puerto Cabello launch only.1

The Launch

Southey says the French got into Puerto Cabello, and that Nelson was cruising between that port and La Guayra under French colours when a Spanish king’s launch, hailed in French, came alongside without suspicion. One of the party went by the name of the Count de Deux Ponts. He was a prince of the German empire, and brother to the heir of the electorate of Bavaria. His companions were French officers of distinction, and men of science, who had been collecting specimens in the various branches of natural history. Nelson entertained them with the best his table could afford, then let the boat and all that it contained depart, requiring only that they consider themselves prisoners if the commander-in-chief refused to acquiesce in the liberation.2

No spoken line is added on this page. The later invitation to Paris stays off this page. This page does not invent a first name for Deux-Ponts.

Sources

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Cross-Domain

Footnotes

  1. Elsinore reply only: Albemarle at Elsinore. Boston Bay schooner only: Albemarle Fishing Schooner — Boston Bay. Chase only: St George’s Bank — Albemarle Shoals. ↩

  2. Cruising between Puerto Cabello and La Guayra under French colours; Spanish king’s launch hailed in French; Count de Deux Ponts, a prince of the German empire and brother to the heir of Bavaria; companions collecting natural-history specimens; entertained and let boat and contents depart; prisoners if the commander-in-chief refused. @southey1813nelson vol. 1, pp. 47–48 (1813). No spoken line on this page. ↩

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