The sloop Susannah, Robert Bell, last master, lately taken on her passage from Jamaica to New-Providence by the Washington privateer of this port, and also the said privateer, are safely arrived here through the improved inland navigation from one of our southerninlets.
The four ships that appeared off this bar yesterday se'nnight, and in the evening stood off S.W. made their second appearance early on Wednesday morning, S. of the light house, standing in for the bar. They were the Brune frigate, of 28 Guns, the Perseus and Galatea, of 20 guns each, and a ship, which exactly answers to the description of the Nancy, Capt. Lowrey, from Old Harbour in Jamaica, taken on the 5th instant by the Washington and Vixen, privateers of this port, and must have been retaken by one of these men of war.1 The Brune hoisted a white flag at fore-top gallant mast head, and the Perseus a French ensign: After making these, and other signals the Brune anchored a breast of, and close to, the bar at half past 9; the Perseus a head of her at 10; the Galatea a-stern at half past 10, and the prize under her stem at 11, all in full view of the town. At 2 in the afternoon, the Galatea weighed and stood off, came in again, and anchored off the Swash in the evening. — Thursday morning the Galatea again weighed and stood off and on till 5 in the afternoon, when the Prize either weighed or slipt, and stood off with her to the eastward, probably to be convoyed to the gulph, on her way to New-York. Half past 2 the same afternoon, the Perseus made a signal to the Galatea, then standing off, which occasioned her putting about and standing to the S.W. nevertheless a French sloop, from Cape Francois, laden with gunpowder, soldiers cloathing, brass field pieces, bombs, cannon shot, salt, &c. and having eight officers of artillery on board, very providentially got safe in, without a pilot, and without receiving the least damage. Friday morning 5 o'clock, the Brune began to heave up her anchor, and was a full half hour getting under weigh; at half past 8, the Perseus also was under weigh, and both stood to the southward; yet a sloop escaped them that afternoon, and ran into one of the southern inlets. — Early on Saturday, the Galatea was seen in the offing standing to the south-eastward, having returned from convoying the prize; and at noon, she appeared again, off Stono, with the Brune and Perseus, coming up to the bar. At one o'clock, being all off the light house, the Galatea hoisted a signal, left the Brune andPerseus lying too, and ran past the bar, looked into the harbour, then returned to the Brune and Perseus, by 3 o'clock, after which the three vessels stood off S.S.E. Two coasters, and three North-Carolina boats got in safe that day. — Yesterday they were in sight all day, sometimes standing off and on, at others lying too, a good way to the southward. In the evening they stood off again to the S.E. Two North-Carolina boats got safe in, one in the morning, the other in the evening. — This morning they all appeared to the southward, the wind at S.W. standing in for Stono. At half past 6 they all put about, the Gala—teastood to the southward, being a good way without the others, the Perseus and Brune went to windward. The Perseusand Brune came so near the shore, that the guns in both could be distinctly seen from hence, and even the men on board the Perseus; as she put about very suddenly, 'tis a doubt that she did not strike. At 11 o'clock only one ship was in sight. At 4 this afternoon, they all appeared again, one coming before the wind from off Stono, and another from the S.S.E. to the Brune, then lying too off the light house: They all lay too a little while, then steered one course close to shore towards Stono. And at 6 o'clock, they all put about off Stono, and stood off to the S.E.
The Notre Dame brigantine of war, belonging to this state, has taken and (within this week) carried into one of our safe ports, a brig from London, mounting 22 guns, with a cargo of dry goods, bound for St. Augustine, Alvara Lofthouse (according to the description given of the man) master.2 We are not yet possessed of other particulars.
