[Aboard privateer Polly]

Wedensday July 8^th at 2 PM of the E end of Jameco fel in with the Orstreg man of war¹ of 16 guns before we came up with one another we ware under french cullors² she fired a shot a thote us we holled doun our french cullors we came a long side one a nother the ship halled us and told us to bring two or he wold fyre into us we histed our Contonentol Cullors at our maintopgallant hed and fired a brod side into her Which she amedoityly returned we ex Schanged a fue brodesides the ship borded us upon our larboard quorter by running her bowsprit over our quortor deck our People that wors stasined upon the quorter deck all left it exsept 7 of us who ware determened to dye before we wold give up the innomy seing our men Leave the quorterdeck ran forward with thar spears and tomehokes but Didnot bring thare Smol arm Nor pistorls which wors very luckely for us that wor on the quorterdeck for they myte killed every one of us had thay brote thare smorl arms we having our guns loded and a number of more that ware on the quorterdeck we Checked them and by the Dexteryti of Mr Proshon the french capten Jumped down upon the main Deck And drove up the men thay ware Grappled to us for a glas and the Action very bluddy for that tyme we both fote with Smorl arms bulderbushes hand grannades fyre flaskes Spears & tome hoaks And couhorns oute of our tops then fel of from one another and then plaid with cannon and Smorl arm we had Ingagd a bout 4 glasses she holled Down hor Brittish cullors we left of fyring and gave three chears and ordred hor to hist out hor bote and Come on bord we ware both of our botes as well as rigging cut almost to bits and we lay along syde one another lyke 2 hulks we cold not make our bote Swim nor she hors before we cold git a bord hor An 8 gun brig³ came up under British Cullors which the ship spred hor Cullors uppon hor taffel thay both Ingagd us the brig having smorl mettol She wold Not cum a long side so that we cold give hor a brodeside but Played of a Starn and hed which Raked us the Ship & us cep with in Pirstol shot of one another we all morst sillonsed hor guns again and Expected every moment when she wold strike again our Brave Commander Mr Proshone fel that brave man had jest come of the main deck whare he had Bin incurriging his men he came to me as I stud to the wheal upon the quorterdeck and semed to be much pleased that I wors not hort As thare wors not a man a standing Upon the quorterdeck but myself And I had steared hore for 5 glasses thare wors 3 men killed to the wheal Before I tuck it that instant as he Stud by me and semed to be in the hath of his glory a cannon bole struck of the top of his hed as sun as the People on the main deck found out that he wors ded thay all cryed hol Doun the cullors and onlaid the haches and one half of them ware In the hole before thay had tyme to hol down the cullors⁴ the hole Ingagement larsted 7 glasses and all the tyme within pirstol shot Wee had 100 men including offessers And Boys when the ingagement begun we had beter then half killed and wounded the Orstreg had 120 men And had all hor Orffessers killed and mortolle wounded and above half of hor men the Brig that came up to the asisstance of the ship wors the Lostafs tender Lut Hibs Commander who came a lon Side Nyor than he had bin at the tyme of ingagement after our Cullors ware struck and gave and Chear and fyred a brode Side at us And ordred us to hist out our bote And cum a bord him we told him that our bote wors stove he histed out his bote and came a bord and Colled for the Capt I told him that he wors Ded he asked for the furst Lutennont he is ded he asked for the Seckont Lu^t I told him he wors not ded but mortolly wounded as I thote then said he whot offessor are you you Damd raskorl I told him that I wors a passonger a bord he told me if I did not git the peapors in a moment he wold run me thru with his sword and asked whairs the Cap^t Sword I told him that I beleavd that it twors sum whare upon deck he semed to be in Shuch an aggony and Stil thretning to put us all to deth I cold not tel whot he wornted I told him that I wold fynd the Clark And git the peapors acordingly I did he cared the Clark and peapors a bord the Ship thay Cared Sum of our wounded a bord the Ship and the Doctor part of the well men men he caryred a bord his brig and ordred the prysemarster to put the Rest Doun the hole. I worse Slitely wounded by the fors of a cannon boal one arm and one thy whech swelled much which the prysemarster let me lye upon the deck with some more wounded John Buckland wors slitle Wounded on both legs which thay caryed him a bord the ship to Dressed I sharnt doe Buckland Justis with out I menchon hars Behavure in tyme of action At the tyme the Ship attempted to bord us he wors the furst man of the main deck upon the quarter deck And tuck up a blunderbush and fote with an undanted spearet Notwithstanding he wors wounded in one of his legs and while he wors a fyting upon the quorterdeck a fyer flask fel so nye him that burnt one the other leg very bad he never left his quorters and after the ship fel of from us he went to the gun that he wors stashoned whare wors 3 more amaracans which wors all the amarecans that wors a bord exsept my self that gun wors fote the best a bord