Upon my return from St. Lucar [Spain], with a cargo of wine and salt, bound for Perth, I fell in with an American privateer upon the 15th of April, called the Freedom, belonging to the Massachusetts Bay (the Captain's name was John Clowston, who told me he was born in the Orkneys), about 15 leagues off Chilly [Scilly], who soon robbed me of my ship and cargo, as also every thing else belonging to me and my ship's company, except what cloaths were upon our backs. The privateer that same day, took and burnt another ship, belonging to Cork, bound to Bourdeaux; as also anothe,r upon the 17th, loaded with salt and flour, bound to Newfoundland, which he sent to America after my ship; and that same day put the other two masters and me, and all our ships companies, on board a Dutch ship, which carried us to Amstetdam. The privateer mounted 12 carriage guns and 14 swivels, and had on board 115 men when she left America .
[Printer's postscript] What makes Capt. Martin's fate the more lamentable is the ship being almost his own property, and his first voyage.
