From last Tuesday [July 18] about 2 o'clock, till near the same hour on the next day, this town was threatened to be fired upon from the three ships of war in this harbour, viz. the Rose, Captain [James] Wallace, the Swan, Capt. [James] Ayscough, and [the] King fisher, Capt. [James] Montagu, and also a tender: ー for which purpose these ships were brought close in with the Northwest part of the town, on Tuesday towards night; their tampkins [sic! tampions] were immediately taken out, and all the apparent preparations made for cannonading this town, which greatly terrified the women and children, especially those women who were with child. In the evening lanthorns and men were placed at the guns, and the most hostile appearance kept up, which twas possible for them to exhibit, and many women and children were running about, wringing their hands and crying in the greatest distress: ー About half past 9, a cannon was discharged from the Rose, when the women really thought the firing on the town was begun, many of whom fainted away, and went into fits, and a number, we are told, absolutely miscarried by the fright. ー However this gun was loaded with powder only, and the men of war gave out to a number of persons, whom they had stopped coming down the river, that they should not beat the town down till next morning, when they would certainly do it. ー In the morning the like terrific scene was opened by firing another cannon, and seizing on four ferry-boats, a passage boat, with a number of passengers, and two wood sloops; the Swan moved down to the south part of the town, where she anchored with her guns pointing diagonally across the wharfs, so as to rake from thence up to the Parade and Court-house; here again all the tampkins were out, quantities of tar and other inflammatory and combustible matter were put into the ferry-boats, in order, as was said to set on fire, and send into the town to burn it, as a more expeditious way of destroying the town, than by cannon only.

At the same time that these boats were to be sent into the town, a number of men were to be landed at the south-end, to set fire to that part. Thus the most warlike and hostile parade was kept up to the highest degree, till near two o'clock on Wednesday; when, all at once, the boats were discharged, the ships weighed anchor and stood up the river. ー The same evening the Rose got ashore on the north part of this island; but by taking out her guns, &c. she was got off, and the next day they all came down again to their old station.

We know not of even the shadow of a just reason for the above inhuman conduct; if the Captains of said ships have any reason to offer we should be very glad to publish them to the world: The story about two of the Swan's people being seized by a mob in town, gagged, carried to Bristol gaol, &c. had it not been absolutely disproved, would have been a most wretched pretext for firing on a defenceless town, in which there were not less than six thousand women and children.ー

N.B. It must have been well known to the commanders of those ships, that there was not a single cannon in this town mounted for its defence.

The above three ships and tender are this morning going out, supposed on a cruize.¹