[Madeira Islands, Portugal]
Information from George Kennedy, Master of the Brign: Peace & Harmony, belonging to London.
He sailed in His said Brign: on the 7th: March from Lisbon, bound to London with a Load of Fruit; on the 10th: He was taken by the American Privateer Sloop the Revenge; commanded by Gustavus Conyngham, of 20 Guns, (6 of which were in the hold) & 57 Men.
Dito from John Murphy, Master of the Brign: Betsy, belonging to Dublin.
His said Brign: was loaded with Barilla & dried Fruit, from Sicily; He sailed under Convoy of His Majesty's ship the Alarm, from Gibralter, the 22d: Febry: bound to Newry; lost the Convoy in a Gale of wind a few days thereafter, & on the 11th: March was taken by the above Privateer.
Dito from William St. Barbe, Master of the Snow Fanny, belonging to London.
His said snow was loaded from the Island of Zant,1 with Currants, for London; He Sailed with the forementioned Convoy from Gibralter; and having also lost the Convoy, was taken, the 12th: March by the said Privateer the Revenge.
On the 15th: of March, off the East end of this Island, Conyngham put the said three Masters and their respective Mates, George Cranstoun,James Taugh, &John Apsey, into a Portugueeze boat, which brought them on shore here; Conyngham informed them that He had sailed from Bilboa about the beginning of March, in company with two other Privateers, one a Brign: of 14 Guns, the other a Schooner of 102—both which were gone for America.
On Board the three Prizes He sent People from the Privateer, takeing out the Crews, whom He kept close in Irons, and would suffer none, not even the apprentices, to come onshore with the Masters and Mates, but promised to let them out of Irons, so soon as the Masters & Mates had left the Privateers, provided they would join Him; which, most or all of them, promised to do; induced thereto, by the desire of obtaining their Liberty.
The foregoing Informations given by the respective Persons, In Madeira this 16th: day of March 1778, before me.