Last Wednesday arrived in a safe port, the sloop Chester, James Wood house, late master, laden with hides, logwood, mahogany and fustic, taken on the 10th ult. on her passage from the Bay of Honduras for Jamaica, by the privateer sloop Washington of this port, commanded by Capt. Hezekiah Anthony.
The same day was chased into another safe port, by a ship of war supposed to be the Galatea, the said privateer sloop, together with another prize sloop, taken by her in concert with he Vixen,on the 30th ult. from Jamaica bound to New-Providence, laden with rum, and called the Sally.
Capt. Anthony informs us, That Capt. Newton and himself fell in with the Jamaica fleet bound for Britain, on the 1st inst. consisting of upwards of 100 sail, under convoy of four vessels of war: That on the 5th they took out of the said fleet a ship called the Nancy, bound for London, having on board 250 hogsheads of sugar, 50 of rum and eighty pipes of wine: And that they continued dogging the fleet till the 8th; when, having passed the Bahama Bank, the Solebay with 3 ships, a brigantine; and 5 scooners, bound for New-York, separated from the other vessels, and stood to the northward, which the rest steered to the eastward, under convoy of the Kent armed ship and Lively, accompanied by the Porcupine, which was to proceed with them as far as Bermuda, to the southward of which island 'tis probable, the whole fleet will pass to avoid the American cruizers. — Capt. Anthony was chased at one time by the Solebay, and at another by the Porcupine, but had the good fortune to outsail both, as well as to escape the Galatea. — It was expected that another fleet, nearly as large as the above, would sail from Jamaica about the 25th ofJuly.
Fourteen sail of large ships, supposed to be French men of war, passed the south side of the Isle of St. Croix, steering to the westward, on the 6th Instant. On the 14th of same Month, a privateer sloop of 8 guns and 25 men, belonging to Philadelphia, put in there, having 4 days before, taken two brigs from Liverpool, one of 12 guns and 30 men, the other of 14 guns and 35 men, by boarding, one of which she had sent into Guadaloupe, the other she had with her, but the Danish Governor ordered their immediate departure.
Yesterday at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, four ships were discovered in the offing, standing in from the S.E. They continued that course till 6 o'clock, then hawled their wind, and steered off to the S.W. Three of them clearly appeared to be men of war, supposed to be the Brune, Perseus and Galatea, and one of them (supposed the Perseus) kept up a white flag at the main-top gallant mast head from 4 to 6. The 4th ship is supposed to be a prize, or retaken vessel. None of them have come in sight since.
