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General, I have the honor to send you an account of a special event which took place yesterday along the coast. I have already told you, General, that two English merchants recommended by M. [Thomas] Shirley, Governor of Dominica had come here from that island. These two gentlemen came here in a truce ship on a mission for the English Government and were therefore welcome. Wishing to return to their island, they departed yesterday on board the same cartel ship under the same guarantee. A small privateer from New England, lying at anchor, watched them and got under way in order to follow them. These were making sail along the coast without any suspicion when the privateer closed on them and seized them leeward of the Perle. After capturing the truce vessel, they robbed the Captain and the whole crew of their last shirt. Then, they took the two Negroes belonging to the passenger merchants and put everyone ashore at the Precheur, keeping the vessel and the Negroes. The two merchants report that they were then only one league from shore, and complain that they were captured while under the protection of the island. I had M. [William] Bingham informed and he agrees that the Privateer's insult is most flagrant; he said that he was going to write to Congress about it to demand justice and the restitution of the vessel and the two Negroes. Should this small Privateer return here, I beg you, General, to let me know if I should place it in M. Bingham's custody and leave to him the right to exercise any justice he will deem proper with regard to us and to the merchants recommended by M. Shirley, or if I should put him under arrest on my own authority. Messrs. Bingham and Arrison [Richard Harrison] are quite disturbed by the conduct of this privateer captain and speak of him as a man who should be demoted. I am &c.