Apres midy ils nous ait Revenue un de nos canost avec plusieurs americain qui nous ont aprit que Les Englais avoit Evacue filadelphie il y avait quinze jours—et quil avait douze jours que Les vaisseau de Guerre et Les transports En était sortie pour newyorck Ces nouvelles decide Le General a partir Le Lendemain pour les aller attaquer a newyorck a 4 heures de lapres midy nos deux vaisseau et Le fregatte Rentrer ils Rendus Compte au General quil avait fut Echoer a La Coste Cette fregatte, et Couper les mats quelle avait 24 Canons En Batterie,¹ ayant apris que Le Congres était etabli à filadelphie Le General a Expedie par ter Le nommée monsieur Choin major d'infanterie² pour annoncer son arrivée au Congres, et Le General Cest decidé à donner à monsieur Gerard et daene la fregatte La Chimer³ pour Les Conduir à filadelphie avec Leurs suitte et Baggage avec Les deux prise que nous avions faite⁴—dans la grainte quil ny Eut quelque petite fregatte ou Corsair dans le haut de la Riviere; a 7 h^r ½ du matin les messieurs ont passé sur un des prise En quittant Le vaisseau ils ont Eté salüe de trois vive Le Roy et de quinze Coup de Canons a 9 h^r fait signal à Lescadre à apareiller à 10 heures petite fraicheur du nno apareiller et Gouvernée au SSE à midy Le Cap may a n E 3d. nord La tour du Cap james au so½o 4^d ouest Latitude observee 38—5' 2^[m]

[Translation] 

[July 1778, Languedoc, Delaware Bay] 

From Wednesday 8 to Thursday 9

After noon there returned to us one of our canoes with several Americans who told us that the English had evacuated Philadelphia two weeks before and it had been twelve days since their warships and transports had sailed for New York. This news decided the General to depart the next day to go attack them at New York. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon our two ships of the line and the frigate returning, they reported to the General that they had caused the frigate to run ashore and cut its masts, that it carried 24 guns in broadside.¹ Having learned that the Congress was established at Philadelphia, the General dispatched by land one named Choin, major of infantry,² to announce his arrival to the Congress, and the General decided to give to Messrs. Gerard and Deane the frigate La Chimère,³ to take them to Philadelphia with their suites and baggage, with the two prizes we had made⁴—in the squall there had been a small frigate or privateer in the height of the river; at 7:30 o'clock in the morning these gentlemen passed into one of the prizes; in leaving the ship they were saluted with three shouts of “long live the king" and fifteen canons; at 9 o'clock made signal to the squadron to weigh anchor; at 10 o'clock a small flaw of wind from the NNE, set sail and steered to the SSE; at noon Cape May to the NE 3° North, the tower of Cape James to the SW½W 4° West, Latitude observed 83-5' 2m.