The 21st of January last, in lat. 14 N. and long. 56 W. from London, we were met with, engaged, and taken, by an American privateer called the Revenge, Jos. Sheffield commander, after having two of our people killed, and the Captain, Mr. Harper, and the Boatswain, wounded.
Most of the crew, with myself, were put on board the privateer; but on the 23d of January we fell in with a French ship bound to Martinico, whom the privateer obliged to take immediately on board her our Captain, Chief Mate, and all the crew, excepting the Boatswain, who was very ill wounded, a boy, and myself, whom they detained, and would not suffer to quit the ship. We parted from the French ship the same day, and stood for America with the privateer in company. We had very bad weather after leaving the privateer; and on the 14th of February made land, which proved to be Rhode Island, and not having heard that it was taken, we stood in for the harbour, which we were very near, when the privateer, our consort, a-head saw a sail, and crowded all [sail] she could, and stood from her; we followed his example, but it blowing very fresh at N. W. in about two hours the sail came along-side of us, which proved to be his Majesty's ship Unicorn, of 20 guns, commanded by John Ford, Esq; who took all the prisoners on board his own ship, and sent two officers and 12 of his men on board of us to take charge of the vessel. We then stood for Newport with the Unicorn in company with us till morning, when she left us and went in chace of a sloop, and on the 16th of February we got safely to anchor in the harbour. The privateer took all our letters and papers from on board us.
Capt. Wise and his boy, who were taken by the same privateer in her last cruize, are on board, and I believe they will come home with us. When our ship was taken we had very little water, and the privateer was in the same case; they therefore thought proper to unstow our hold, and take our wine, upwards cf 180 firkins of butter, two hogsheads of bread, two barrels of flour, four barrels of pork, a few bags of barley, pease, &c. five or six barrels of gunpowder, some small arms, and sundry other articles on board of them, for fear of our vessel being retaken.
