Statement by French Officers and Petty Officers of
Jones’s Squadron
Copy: University of Pennsylvania Library
<November 24, 1779, in French: We, the officers and petty
officers of the Pallas transferred to the Serapis and of the Vengeance
transferred to the Countess of Scarborough certify that Mr.
Paul Jones turned over the Serapis to Mr. Cottineau de Kerloguen
in a frightful state, more resembling an abandoned ship
than one fit for service. First, he left his crew in a mutinous
state because they were drunk from the brandy left with them.
Cottineau and Mr. Chamillard were able to recall the French
volunteers to their duty and with their aid forced the sailors at
swordpoint to go aboard the Alliance. It took three days to survey
the Serapis but this could not be properly verified because
there was no inventory and the ship was in horrible confusion;
Cottineau signed a rough one in order to end his dealings
with Jones.
The Serapis was so filthy that no one could remain below
decks. The holds were in disarray with 150 empty water casks,
no bread or liquor, no provisions for holding prisoners, no
cables or lines, gun batteries and upper masts unrepaired, tools
and small arms broken and scattered about, a third of the running
rigging missing, and only a few of the yards intact. The
decks were encumbered to a man’s height, lamps broken, no
ship’s boats left except for an unusable dinghy, no padlocks on
the hatches so everything was open. The volunteers were partly
naked, especially the wounded and sick. According to the volunteers,
people had been removing vital effects from the ship
to the Alliance for the three preceding days.
Upon comparing the missing items to those needed, Cottineau
declared the Serapis unseaworthy. In order to save time
Cottineau decided to take what he could from the Pallas and
order the remainder from Amsterdam.
We also certify that the mainmast is made from unseasoned
wood, lacks iron bands to hold it together, and is poorly supported
because the shrouds are too short.>
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