Sr.
I hope my Sundry Letters Sent You by different hands are Come Safe. My first was from the hook[89] Acquainting You what Number of hands had on board the time of Sailing for Providence, togather with an Acct. due from the Company to the Owners. Att my Arrivall att Providence I wrote You of my safe Arrival there and what Success we had mett with in Our passage and delivered the Letter to Capt. Freeman, Bound to Boston in a Schooner. a few days after had an Opportunity of Informing You of an Unfortunate Accident which happened to Us by thunder and the damage it had done Us. that went per Capt. Barrett Via So. Carolina inclosed in a Letter to Mr. Henry Collins, Sent to Mr. Steed Evance, who was desired to forward it to him. the Last was per Capt. Green, bound to Boston in the Sloop we had taken, Sold to Capt. Thomas Frankland, whose first bill of Exch'ge for £540 NEC drawn by him on his Brother, Messrs. Frankland and Lightfoot, Merch's in Boston, togather with the Amount of what we Received for Salvage for Retaken that Sloop was Inclosed.
This waits upon You with the Agreable News of Our taking a Spanish privateer on the 26th of Septem'r last, off of Cape Roman[90] att the No. side of Cuba, who was Conveying a Brig'ne to the Avanah which he had taken in the Latitude 26 No. Coming from Barbadoes Bound to Boston with Rum, Sugar and Some Baggs of Cotton. We had the pleasure to meet him Early in the morning and Gave her Chase. when within a mile of her we hoisted Our pennant. she Imediatly Returned the Compliment with her Ensign att Mast-head and a Gunn to Confirm it. we Received Severall Shott from her and Chearfully Return'd them. then she made the best of her way, Crowding all the Sail she Cou'd, and we doing the Like Came again within Gun-Shott and plyed her with Our Bow Chase which were shifted to the fore ports for that purpose and she kept pelting of Us with her Stern Chase out of her Cabbin windows. So that after Severall brisk Shott on both Sides she Struck. Our Rigging, Mast and Gunnell Received some damage. Upwards of 25 Shott went through Our Sails. 2 Shott went through Our mast and in the weakest part Just below where it was fisht. a Shott Cut our fore Shrewd[91] on the Larboard side and another went through Our Starboard Gunnell, port and all. We had only one Man slightly wounded with a Splinter by the Enemy, two others by an Accident on board by one of the peoples peice Going off after the Engagement, which shott them in the Arm. The poor Capt. of the privateer was wounded in the Arm and the bone fractured, One Negro boy Killed and others wounded. He was fitted out last Novem'r att the Avanah and went to St. Aug'ne and was on Our Coast Early in the Spring and took severall Vessells as per list herein inclosed. he was again fitted out in August last and had been on the Coast again and had taken Severall more Vessells, as you will Observe by the Acct., but we had the Good fortune to Stop his Cruize. Is Name is Don Fransoiso Loranzo, and by all Report tho' An Enemy a brave Man, Endued with a Great deal of Clemensy and Using his prisoners with a Great deal of humanity. the Like Usage he has on board for he Justly deserves it.
We have Sent You the Sloop, Commanded by John Webb, Loaded with Sundry Goods that has Rec'd some damage, which must desire You to Unload directly and take Care to Gett them dryed. there is also a Negro Boy that is Sickly, a Negro Man said to be taken off of Barmudas by the privateer as he was a fishing, and a Mollatto belonging to Some of the Subjects or Vassalls of the King of Spain, all which We Recomend to Your Care that they may not Elope. the Number of Spanish prisoners taken on board is 48, out of which is Eleven of the blood of Negroes, The Capt. Included, for which we dont doubt having his Majestys bounty mony, which is £5 Ster. per head. We also desire that the Vessell may not be Condemned till Our Arrivall but only Unloaded and a Just Acct. taken of what on board. As to the Brigantine, the Capt. of her, whom we put in again out of Civility, has Used Us in a Very Rascally manner, for he Run away with the Vessell from Us in the Night and no doubt with a design to Cheat Us of Our Salvage, which is the one half of Brig and Cargo, the Enemy having had possession of her 22 days. As she is a Vessell of Value, hope You'l do Your Endeavours to Recover Our Just dues and Apply to the Owners who are, as we are Credibly Informed, Messrs. Lee and Tyler of Boston, both Under the State of Conviction Since the Gospell of Whitefield and Tennant [h]as been propagated in New England,[92] So that we are in hopes they will Readily Give a Just Acct. of her Cargo and her true Value and Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars, which is the Moral preachd by Whitefield.
As this will Require a Law Suit I hope You'l Gett the best Advice You possibly Can and Gett her Seized if att Boston or Else Where and Gett her Condemned. She was designed to be Consign'd to You and the Master Sent on board to take possession and Gett things in Order to Sail, whilest we were Getting Letters wrote and bills of Lading with a hand to Go with him, but he Gave Us the Slip. So Relying on Your Care we don't doubt but you'll Recover her and add her to the privateer prize. The Brig'ne was Called the Sarah, Commanded by Thos. Smith, had on board 11 hhds. of Rum, 23 hhds. of Sugar and 12 bags of Cotton. she was Well fitted with 4 Swivells, one Gun and other Stores, a New pink Stern[93] Vessell. One of Our hands he Carryed with Us[94] whose Name is Jerem'h Harman, who no doubt will Acquaint You of the whole Affair. We hope you'l Shew no favour to the Capt. for his ill Usage and Gett a Just Acct. of his Venture, which one half is our due. This Affair is Recomended to You by all the Company and hope that you'll Serve to the Utmost of Your powers, not doubting in the least of Your Justice and Equity.
Inclosed You'l Receive Capt. Frankland['s] 2 Bill of Exchg. on his Brother for £540, also a List of what Vessells taken by Fransoiso Loranzo Since he first went out on his Cruize, which You may Use att pleasure Either to publish or Conceal. We are still Cruizing on the No. side of Cuba and are in hopes of Getting something worth while in a Short time. all in Good health. So having no more to add but My Kind Remembrance to all friends, I Remain
S'r, Y'rs, BN.
Munday 5th. Fine moderate Weather. the Comp'y Gave the Capt. a Night Gown, a Spencer Wigg[95] and 4 pair of thread Stock'gs, to the Lieut. a pr. of Buck skin Breeches, the Doctor bot. a Suit of broad Cloth which Cost him 28 ps. of 8/8 which is Carried to his Acct. in the Sloops Leidgers. Six men that had been prisoners Signed Our Articles, Viz. Patterson taken out of the Sloop, and John Greenshaw, Thos. Sinclair, Lawrence Willson, James Hadle, Jno. Bruman, prisoners on board the Ship. the whole Vandue this day amounted to 9 ps. 8/8 4 R.
Expended this month: 7 bb. beef, 3 bbs. of pork, 6 bbs. flour, 2 tierces of bread.
[1] Massachusetts Historical Society. This journal, parts of which were Published by Professor Norton in the Atlantic Monthly for September and October, 1861 (VIII. 353-359, 417-424) was kept by Peter Vezian, captain's quartermaster (there were two quartermasters, one appointed by the captain and one elected by the crew).