The 7th ² we dropped down to Staten Island, and on the 12th put to sea with his Majesty's ship Daphne under our command, and proceeded off the Capes of Philadelphia . . .

The 20th we took a small schooner from Philadelphia, bound to the West Indies, with flour and Indian com, and having taken out the flour, set her on fire.³ The 24th, retook a brig from the coast of Guinea, which had been taken by the Congress and Chance privateers, and had on board about a thousand pounds' worth of ivory.⁴ She was sent to New York with one of our midshipmen, who was again taken on his passage and carried into Rhode Island, from thence to Providence, where he remained a prisoner six months. On the 30th, having again parted from the Daphne, we took an armed sloop mounting eight carriage fourpounders, fourteen swivels and four cohoms, and loaded with rum, porter, flour and bread.⁵ I was sent to take charge of her with two men and a boy, having no time to take any clothes with me, as another sail was seen from the masthead; and a few hours after, I lost sight of the Orpheus and was left in a heavy gale of wind in a very distressed situation, having split both my main sail and foresail. I continued water-logged till the 4th of November, when the gale somewhat abated, though I got neither dry nor clean things till the 25th; for notwithstanding I was fortunate enough to fall in with the ships the following day after the gale ceased, yet bad weather and constant chasing prevented any boats from boarding me till that time, which, on the coast of America at this season of the year, was not the most pleasing situation in the world.

The 9th at daybreak in the morning, Cape May bearing NNW, fifteen leagues, we took a schooner from St. Eustatius with rum and gin; ⁶ and the 14th spoke his Majesty's ship Mermaid, with a convoy from England for New York, on which day we took two sloops from Philadelphia, bound to the West Indies with flour.⁷ The 18th we took a schooner from Martinique with claret,⁸ and on the 26th, for the first time, the boat came on board me with directions to take charge of the five prizes, and proceed with them to New York; and having got on board my sea chest and bedding, I parted company with the ships on this day, having during my time in the Colonel Parry prize, had my shirt and stockings washed while I lay in bed naked till they were dry. I arrived all safe at New York on the 28th Instant, and secured the prizes alongside the wharf amidst twenty-nine others belonging to the Orpheus.