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The Hired armed ship ''Kitty'' served the Royal Navy only from 17 May 1804 to 17 January 1805.〔Winfield (2008), p.393.〕 She was armed with sixteen 18-pounder carronades and was of 310 tons burthen (bm). On 10 March 1805, while under the command of Thomas Musgrave, she captured the Spanish privateer ''Felicity'' (or ''Felicidad'') in the Channel. ''Felicity'' was armed with 20 guns and had a crew of 170 men. She was under the command of Jose Vincento de Cinza and had been out 10 days. In the one and a half hour engagement ''Kitty'' suffered one man killed and two seriously wounded.〔''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 12, pp.221-2.〕 ''Felicidad'', of St Andero had four men killed and 14 wounded.〔''Lloyd's Marine List'',(), #4200 - accessed 1 December 2013.〕 By this time, ''Kitty's'' Master described her as a "private ship of war". He had received a letter of marque against the French on 5 February 1805. The letter describes ''Kitty'' as having a crew of 100 men, and being armed with 22 carriage guns of 9, 18 and 24 pounds, and six swivels. In his after-action letter, Musgrave reports that fewer than 20 of her crew had ever seen a gun fired, and fewer than 40 had ever been to sea before she left port on 3 March.〔 ''Kitty's'' owner and the Lloyd's Patriotic Fund presented Commander Musgrave with an honour sabre worth 30 pounds for the action. The "privateer Kitty", Musgrave, master, was reported as being well in River Plate on 5 November 1806.〔''Lloyd's Marine List'',() - accessed 1 December 2013.〕 That month she was at Maldonado, Uruguay, where Sir Home Riggs Popham, who was leading a British invasion of the Rio Plate hired her to take Mr. Blennerhassett, purser of , to Rio de Janeiro to buy supplies and to convey a message. ''Kitty'' was waiting to take hides and tallow to London and her owner agreed to charter her. He asked £1000 for "wear, tear and expenses", but accepted £750. Popham was well pleased because he thought this cheaper than using a naval vessel, had he had one to spare.〔Grainger (1996), p.99.〕 She returned to Maldonado on 18 December.〔Grainger (1996), p.199.〕 ==Footnotes== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hired armed ship Kitty」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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