“I had a passage of eight weeks, and have found everthing in the province extremely quiet.—If a French war had been declared before my departure from Europe, I should have benefited considerably, having boarded many homeward-bound West Indiamen. In the latitude 44.0. and longitude 40.0. I fell in with a continental privateer of 18 guns, six and nine pounders, and having as I suppose from 150 to 200 men; at seven in the morning I saw her three miles to the windward, she hoisted English colours, and so did I; she directly double-reefed her top-sails, and I being under close reefed top-sails, let out one reef to make the ship work the better, and I then hauled up my courses. At eight in the morning she came so near that I could heave a biscuit on board her, but she took care to lay on my bow, therefore I could not get all my guns to bear; she then hoisted American colours, and asked what ship; I did not reply, but was impatient to get the Howe properly along side.
“My adversary seemed very uneasy, and hailed us, enquiring from whence we came; I answered from Great Britain, and ordered my men to commence the engagement— the fire was very hot on both sides, until I had not a brace or bowling standing, the entire rigging being torn to pieces; the privateer was likewise in a shattered condition, therefore she hauled off to repair her damages, and I was employed in the same manner. Every thing being put to rights in half an hour, the fight was renewed, which continued until eleven o'clock, with round, grape, and cannister shot; we drove them from their guns, and still kept up the fire; I then brought the Howe under her stern, and discharged my guns brisk into the cabin-windows. At that time we observed the privateer's name to be the Franklin;1 at length she set her sails and got under way.
“I gave chace, but to no purpose, as she went three feet for my one; had the Howe sailed well, I should have given a good account of the Franklin; one of my people was killed, and another shot through the body with a swivel ball; he is in a fair way of recovery, but not out of danger; the other accidents are very trifling.
"The Howe was deeply laden, had two nine pounders, 18 six pounders, and 60 men."
