A paragraph in a letter from Statia, of the 30th ult. mentions: "There is nothing talked of in Antigua, but privateering, as they call it, but in my opinion, it ought to be called pirating. The Admiral considered it in that light, and has taken some of their prizes from them, and laid hold of the pirates themselves, the fate of them is now depending in Antigua. ー The Admiral has been arrested, and vengeance denounced against him, at St. John's, for spoiling the sport; for they had by that time sent out a number of little boats to pick up your defenceless, vessels, with provisions, which would have been valuable prizes to them. But this touch from the Admiral; and the Court obliging the owners to give security, to refund the whole, in case the King of England disapproved of the proceedings, struck such a damp on the pirates, for want of the prize money in hand, that they are very sick of the lay.

"The Admiral, on. being arrested, gave security, and immediately dispatched a ship to London, since which all the ships that came from America to refit, have pressed all hands at Antigua and St. Kitts, out of the merchantmen, and kept all the pirates; so that the Pearl &c. return well manned to your coast; but the Londoners will go home with few hands. The people at the Grenades, Dominica, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Christophers, Anguilla, and Tortola, have followed the detestable example of the Antigonians; but I have heard little of their successes, the two last places excepted, and of late they have done much mischief. The Governor of Anguilla's little passage boat, Bermudian built, lays ready, and a number of whites, mulattoes, and negroes, go on board, each with a musket; when they see any vessel off, that will answer their purpose, this vessel sails fast, and not more than two or three men are seen on deck at a time, until they are along side, and then board her. In this manner they took a sloop belonging to your port, and another from North Carolina three days ago, on one cruize.

"The Tortolians have many pirates out, and have been very successful; 19 prizes are sent in there, some of which are valuable; the two last are from South-Carolina, with guns and men, yet taken by a boat and ten men, any of which might have re-taken the prizes and pirates, after they were on board the boat. On the whole, whatever may be the consequence of this very extraordinary conduct of the Islanders in general, I may with great truth charge it all to the reprisals owners, viz. Messrs. Joseph and Samuel Brown, Addison and Willock, Montgomery and Campbell Brown, Scot, Dover and Bell, Bertus Entwistle & two other houses."

A letter from St. Eustatius, of the 5th inst (April) mentions that "the privateer Rattle Snake, in company with Capt. Ord and others, have taken and sent into that place two ships from Cork, and six or seven sail from the same port into Martinico; also some ships from Africa with slaves." ¹

The enemy's ships still continue in our bay [Delaware], where they have taken and burnt several vessels bound in. ー The enemy make it a general practice to burn all the vessels, that they take, belonging to this Continent.