Friday 7-night one of the Privateer Sloop Union's Prizes arrived at a safe Port, laden'd with 600 Hogsheads Salt, 50 Boxes Lisbon Lemons, and 12 Quarter casks of Wine.
Tuesday the privateer Brigt. Washington, Capt. [Elias] Smith, belonging to Plymouth, arrived at Beverly from a cruize; off western islands he took a Brig from London bound to the West-Indies, and order'd her into port.
In the above prize was taken a person late belonging to the Yankey, Capt. Johnson, who informs, That he made his escape from a prisonship, where he left 22 of his fellow sufferers, and that by what he could learn they were to be carried to the East Indies; that Capt. Johnson had made his escape and got to France; that he sail'd from London the 28th of November; and that some extraordinary appearances of a French War had taken place, as there was 3000 Seamen press'd in one night.
A London print, of the 2d of December, it is said, was taken in the above prize wherein was inserted an account, that an English cutter had taken and carried to England, a vessel from France bound to America, with dispatches, by which they learn't, that the Court of France were determined to assist the Americans, with a powerful fleet in the spring. That on the British Court's receiving the account, they immediately gave orders for fitting several large ships, and that 1500 Seamen were pressed in one night, to man them.