Friday, July 27

A Secret Message for Jane


Have you decoded the secret signal flag message that flew above our camp this year at the Jane Austen Festival? Crack out your copy of Popham's and get to it then! To see the entire message, be sure to go back and rewatch the Acasta Trailer 2018 video below.

Lively now!



Thursday, July 26

The Acasta Trailer 2018


A newly updated highlight reel of the Acasta and her adventures!

Friday, July 20

A Letter to the Captain

To: Captain Rehme
HMS Acasta
At Sea

From:
Commodore Thomas Hurlbut
American Station,
Halifax,
Nova Scotia

June 15, 1813

My Dear Sir James, 

I have recently heard of your detached boat’s crew taking the American cutter, now known as HM Cutter Little Belt, named for the sloop-of-war HMS Little Belt (20 guns), in which that fellow Bingham made such an heroic stand against USS President (rated 44) in the year ’11. Well done, Sir! The vessels on the Lakes, late of the Provincial Marine and now under the control of the Royal Navy, need every hull they can acquire to ensure command of those inland seas. I expect that you’ll want those fine fellows back but skilled Seamen are desperately needed there and I hope you’ll consider letting us use them for the time being. I’ve no doubt that you’ll have good luck in replacing them with fresh drafts from England, certainly more easily and more readily than we can here in British North America.

Next month, I will be heading to Upper Canada with a detachment of Sailors to participate in operations against United States fortifications and would appreciate the use of your boat’s Crew of skilled and experienced Hands. 

I wish you the best of good fortune, Sir.

Your Most Humble and Obedient Servant,

Thomas Hurlbut,
Admiralty House,
Halifax

Thursday, July 19

Make way for the Mail!


The MAIL PACKET was deliver'd to the ACASTA on Sunday while they were ashore at the 2018 Jane Austen Festival! Herein find an up close look at some of the many excellent letters we rec'd this present year for inclussion in the packet. Click any image to enlarge...









As you can see, it was another year of beautiful submissions from our friends and readers! We'd like to thank all of those who contributed to the 2018 packet. We are so pleased and honored by the interest you all showed and by the submitted pieces themselves. Without you, the mail packet project would be woefully empty.