I have this moment receiv'd your welcome Letter of the 19th Inst:, On my arrival here I would have wrote you a Narative of our proceedings this last Cruise, but for want of an opportunity which could be trusted I refrain'd writing —

On Friday last I had some thoughts of Stoping one who call'd himself Harris, he was in a Whale Boat which he said he had hired of a Butcher at Portsmo by this Harris I wrote a Letter to you thereby intending to deceive him in case he had been what I suspected, a Spy, — Should you receive that Letter burn it, for I had no other Motive in writing it then those already mention'd —

To return now to Business I will tell you that I have spent a most painfull two Months on this Cruise, the General opinion which had pre­ vail'd, that I was disatisfied with being under Manley's Command — made me sett up a resolution to obey implicitly every one of his Commands, (as for Signals, I never could get any from him) to the utmost of my power,

I did however endeavour to advise him now & then when in a good mood, and he often appear'd to attend to what I said; but the unstableness of his Temper led him rather to do as he pleas'd — Nevertheless, I follow'd him as the Jackall does the Lyon, without Grumbling except in my Gizard —

On Thursday 29th May we took a small Brigg from London boundfor New York² — by this Brigg we found she was part of a Convoy which came out with the Somersett & Mercury, the next day, at dawn we made four large Ships, the Leading Ship I was well assured was the Somersett, Imade the Signal to Speak with Manley that I might perswade him not to run directly into their Tract a head of them they being to windward in which possition 'twould be very hard to discover their Force before they were very near us — no notice however was taken of my Signal, I then made Sail to overtake him which I did and told him that I was perswaded the headmost Ship was the Somersett, our Prize was still in Company and Sail'd dull — so that we fear'd we should loose her, Capt Manley then told me to Stand to the Southward the Wind being ENE the Prize and myself stood to the Southward and Manley Lay with his Courses up and small Sails handed untill the Somersett came within the reach of Grape Shott being then convinced of his Mistake he made all the Sail he could but so Slowly did he get out of her way, That her Shott flew over him for an hour, by which Time I Tack'd to the Northwd upon the Three Ships a Stern of her, and when I came within long Shott of them, the Somersett left chasing Manley and return'd to her Convoy, having Spoke with them, she wore and Chac'd me Six or Seven hours, at first she seem'd to Gain but having alter'd the Trim of our Ship we then gain'd on het, a little before Night, she return'd to her Convoy —

Manley had run so far to the Southwd that we were not able to See him till Sunsett and did not fall in with him untill the next day — we then Stood to the Northwd and Eastward in hopes to fall in with some of the Scatter'd Ships of the aforesaid convoy, but the weather was so bad for ten or twelve days that we see nothing untill we got on the Bank— On Friday June the 6th we took a Brigg belonging to Dartmouth, her Capt: Manley order'd to be burnt for Country Sake, the next morning we fell in with The Fox about 7 o Clock forenoon, Captain Manley being head exchanged two broad­ sides She then made Sail and endeavour'd to gett off, She Sail'd so fast that, twas half after noon before Manley got along Side of her when a Spitefull Short Action Ensued for 45 Minutes before we came up, we did not Fire untill within Pistol Shott and they struck the first broadside, but by some Mistake of their Marines or Topmen, they again Fired into our Ship after I had spoke to one of the Officers and desired him to throw a burning wadd overboard which had Lodged in the Mizn Chains, there was no withholding our People and they return'd a few Shott before I could Stop them —As the Hancock & Fox had Engag'd with all their small kites out, they were both in the most helpless condition at the end of the Action, the Fox had Pegg'd Mr Manley's ribbs so well that he had his pumps going, and both Ships were by the Lee, — with every Sail abroad —

I sent my first and 2d Lieutenant on board The Fox, order'd the first to Stay and the 2d to take the Captain of the Fox on board Capt: Manley as a Compliment to my Senior Officer, This was immediately done, and the rest of the Officers with about 96 of the Men were brought on board me, a dozen of Fishermen came down to see the Sport as I had hoisted British Colours immediately after the Action ceas'd — Towards evening Capt: Manley came along side and order'd me to put all the common Men on Board one of those fishing Vessells and Let them go about their Busi­ness, I endeavour'd to perswade him to come on board that I might tell him my thoughts on that Step, he said he could not enter on Accot of Lameness but order'd me once more to sett about embarking them before Night, — I accordingly put 85 of the Fox's men on board one of the Fishing Vessells by Sunsett the Sea and Wind rising after Night prevented puting any more on board and it coming bad Weather before Morning they left us & made the best of their way for St Johns, I immediately foresee the Consequence and the next day wrote to Capt: Manley praying him to make the best of our way to the Southwd and proceed with all possible dispatch for South Carolina, — there 'twas probable we might not be watch'd by a Superior Force, but so sure as we offer'd to return home we were sure to be way laid by Ships from York and Rhode Island, who would be sent out as soon as the Somersett arrived, — and were sure to be pursued by the Newfoundland and Halifax Ships — Capt: Manley at first acquiess'd, but in a few days alter'd his Mind and his Course, upon the whole we Spent three weeks before we Sett our faces to the Westward, in all which time we saw Nothing but Spaniards and French Men, who run us to the Eastward a great way from the place we had first met with the Fox —

We at last sett out for home, and keeping well to the Northward we made the High Land of Portmuttoon [Port Mouton], on Sunday Morn­ ing the 6th Instant about 8 o Clock A M Capt: Manley brought too an old Sloop, Coal loaded from Cape Britain, we lost several hours dallying with the Sloop untill the Morning breeze which was at N was Spent, he then took her in Tow & stood to the Southwd and Westward, about 4 o Clock that afternoon we Saw three Sail astern of us who appear'd to be in chace of us, far from taking notice of the Signal made by the Fox who was then astern, Capt: Manley Tow'd the Sloop all Night and we to keep astern had our Mizn Topsail to the Mast half the Night, when day come on we See the headmost Ship forward of our Lee Catthead, the Second Ship (a two decker) on our Lee Quarter and the third Ship right a stern³ —

The headmost Ship, Tack'd upon us & pass'd under our Lee within Gun Shott, at 8 o Clock as soon as she had our weak She Tack'd after us, we being the Sternmost Ship Exchanged some Shott with her; about noon I got within hail of Capt: Manley, and he proposed Tackg to Engage this Ship before the others came up — we did so immediately & both Exchanged a few broad Sides with her as she pass'd, the Fox did not Tack with us which Exposed her to this Ships Fire, She then attempted to Tack but Missing Stays was Obliged to wear which brought her— under the Lee of the first Ship and just to Windward of the two decker. We then had all our heads to the Northwd, the Wind at W B S —Manley being the Weathermost Ship he Tack'd & stood to the Southward, The Large Ship Tack'd after him The Fox bore away and Run to the Eastward and I kept the Wind to the Northwd At 4 P M we discover'd two Square lofty Vessells to the Northwd of us Standing our way We then put about & Stood to the Southward for one or two hours, when we made another right to Windward coming down with all the Sail She could make, from this one we also Tack'd & stood on to the Northwd untill the Moon was down we then hove about to the Southwd and in less than an hour saw her lights crossing our Weak right astern about¾ of a Mile — Next Morning we had five Sail & the Land of Cape Sable in Sight; the Wind coming to the Southwd, we hauled across the Bay of Funday and thick weather coming on that Night & next day, we see no more of them Except one at 2 A M Wednesday Morning we were within hail of her before we discover'd her but She being on one Tack ahd we on the other we Saw her Top light time enough to avoid her — We heard a Signal Gun of hers about two hours before —