[Royal Navy, 1804: Board of Admiralty, Whitehall.] Contemporary Manuscript Translation of 'Project' by 'Hy: Ernst: Seiffert, senior' of Hamburgh, who offers to arrange for the inventor of a naval weapon to come to England with 'four proper workmen'.

There is a record of one 'Heinrich Ernst Seiffert aus Altona bei Hamburg' in 1787. The letter is clearly addressed to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, whom, we may be sure, were not taken in by what was either the production of a madman or a clumsy confidence trickster. 3pp, foolscap 8vo. On bifolium of gilt-edged paper. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper with slight wear and short closed tears to extremities. Folded twice. That this item is a translation into English (by an Admiralty clerk no doubt) of a German original, is indicated by the endorsement: ‘Translation / Hamburgh / 6 Novr. 1804. / Mr H C. Sceiffert [sic] / Project’. The letter is addressed to ‘My Lords’ and signed ‘Hy: Ernst: Seiffert, senior.’ With postscript signed ‘H. C. [sic] Seiffert.’ Begins: ‘My Lords / A skilfull mechanic of this place has discovered a means for rendering the crews of hostile Ships unable to defend themselves, and thereby capturing their vessels, but as he does not wish to make himself known for the present, I have undertaken to gie this information to your Lordships. If you should think it applicable to His Britannic Majesty’s Service at Sea, and should be desirous to employ it, the Inventor of this Plan is willing to repair personally to England, with four proper workmen to construct the machines, on being assured of a remuneration of £24,000 sterling’. He continues to discuss the practicalities of his proposal, stating that he ‘desires that he may be conveyed to England and back with his four Companions free of expence’. The invention ‘applies with equal force to an attempted Invasion’ and assault: the enemy crews will be ‘rendered incapable of Landing or of acting in any way’. Concludes: ‘The Inventor is ready to set off for England without loss of time; and relying on your Lordships known liberality I have the honor to remain / &c. / Hy: Ernst: Seiffert senior.’ Postscript states that he is sending a duplicate, by ‘H. C. [sic] Seiffert’.