I send you four men under guard, who were taken on Monday, on board a brig from Barbadoes, bound for Dunmore. Early on Monday morning, we had information that a brig was aground off Willoughby's point. Major [Andrew] Leitch immediately made all possible haste, with twelve men, on board a small pilot boat which was in the bason, loaded with tobacco for the West Indies, in order to examine what she was. On coming on board, he found she was from Barbados, bound for Norfolk, with the supercargo on board, loaded with 311 puncheons of rum, and a few barrels of limes. On examination, the Major found she had got aground about 12 o'clock the preceding night, that she was very fast, and consequently that he had no other way to proceed than to leave his people on board, and come to Hampton for assistance to lighten her. A sloop, bound up James river was pitched on for this purpose, being the only vessel in our harbour. Unluckily, however, both wind and tide seemed to conspire against the measure, by putting it out of our power to get her down before a tender of ten carriage guns appeared in sight of the brig; on which lieut. [Thomas] Herbert (of capt. [Thomas] Lilly's armed vessel) thought prudent to send the pilot boat off, in order to know whether the vessel in sight was an enemy or friend, which was soon discovered to be the former. In the mean time, mr. Herbert threw overboard five hogsheads of rum, and luckily got the people off, in a boat from the other shore (except one who happened to be down in the hold) the pilot boat refusing to come on board to take them off. They got all safe ashore, although the tender kept up a constant fire upon them; two of the brig's crew being on board the pilot boat, and other two before brought on shore by major Leitch. The brig belongs to a mr. Walsh of Barbados, and the whole of the people on board seemed much chagrined at the appearance of our boat, and no doubt as much elated on our being obliged to quit her. ー A convincing proof of the friendship the West Indians have for us.

Last Monday a ship of war, with a transport or two, arrived at Gwyn's island, where it is thought they have landed between 2 and 300 troops, from the number of tents which have been erected.