we then sailed together, and our Rendezvous was at the Island of Abico, [on arriving there, we proceeded directly to New Providence (one of the Bahama Isles) The town & Fort surrendered to us with the Ships & Vessels in the harbour, without making any resistance we secured all the cannon,

powder, Morter shells &c, that was there, and left the Island on our return

²

we had bad weather,] and one night the Fly tender ran foul of us & carried away our Mast-head & Boom; 3 in the morning we were almost a wreck, in this situation we did every thing in our power, and proceeded for the Coast of S.Carolina, where we were beating off & on for several days; we sent a boat on shore, but the bad weather preventing her returning or our staying on the Coast, we then proceeded to the Northward and about the 1st. April 1776 arrived off the Delaware, we sent a Boat on shore for a pilot, a little to the southward of the Capes; one came off, & gave us information that the Roebuck of 44 Guns was at anchor in the roads that he had a tender which cruised off & on, to stop the Americans. 4 to avoid her we steerd over to Cape May; on our way we fell in with the tender, our Guns were housed; of course they could not distinguish what we were; she came close alongside of us, at which instant I was running out one of our Guns & had a match in my hand to fire at her when our Captain, ordered me not to fire as he had no inclination of shedding blood!!! 5 when the tender immediately sheered off, by which means she escaped us/ & our Captain was regarded by all on board as a Coward, indeed he had for several weeks before been constantly inclined to praying & to a religious turn; we went into the Delaware Bay by Cape May Channel, but from the foggy weather the pilot run us on shore on Egg Island Flats, where we had our rudder knocked off, the weather was very cold & our crew suffered much, all the officers except myself & the Captain were sick, and he dare not come upon Deck after what had happened the day before.