By a Gentleman from Newport, Rhode-Island, who was there at the time the town was threatened with total ruin by the three pirates of war stationed in said harbour, we are favobred with the following particulars:

On Monday night, the 17th of July [1775], two men belonging to the Swan, Capt. [James] Ayscough, being on shore, saw fit to attempt an escape from their old and detested habitation, their design (by the bye) was communicated to no individual of the town. The next day, viz. the 18th, A.M. two or three of the ferry boats which pass between Newport and Connanicut were fired upon and brought too, an event so singular that two respectable members of the Committee waited upon Capt. Ayscough to know the reason, he told them that two of his men the night before were sent on shore upon some errand, and had not returned, added, that he was confident the inhabitants knew where they were, and that they were detained by them purposely, the two gentlemen declared themselves ignorant of the matter, and believed the whole town to be, however, to pacify Capt. Ayscough, they assured him that they would summon the Committee together, enquire into the affair, &c. withall, desiring Capt. Ayscough to write a letter to the Committee, stating his grievance; this he did, and they promised to wait on him with an answer in the afternoon: As the Captain's letter was rather in the threatning stile, the Committee could not help enquiring what he meant thereby, and assured him in their reply, that they were not to be intimidated, and did not think themselves by any means, accountable for the desertion of any of his men. Captain Ayscough read the letter with considerable composure, folded it up, and then gave it to [James] Wallace, Captain of the Rose (Ayscough at this time being on board Wallace's ship)  Captain Wallace immediately flew into a most terrible passion, threw the letter down in a violent fit of rage, damn'd the Committee, the Congress, &c. swore at Ayscough for writing to such a damn'd parcel of rebels and declared that if he knew the two gentlemen who were then present to be of the Committee, they should never go a-shore again; they endeavoured to pacify him but in vain, he swore repeatedly that if there was a God in Heaven, the town should be destroyed before morning, that he was a King's officer, and would not be insulted, &c. Hereupon the two gentlemen left the ship. A signal gun was instantly discharged, and the three pirates in the harbour and their tender immediately weighed anchor and came close in with the town, their tomkins were out, the marines on board beat up to arms, and all the hostile preparations imaginable going forward against a defenceless seaport, consisting (exclusive of the men) of not less than 6000 women and children. About half past nine in the evening a cannon was discharged from the Rose, when many really thought the firing on the town was begun, several women fainted away, others went into fits, and a few absolutely miscarried by the fright, in short, there was the greatest apparent distress! (The cannon which was fired was loaded with powder only.) Between the hours of ten and eleven, the same night, a' packet from Providence arrived with seven or eight passengers, she was stopt and a place appointed for her near the Swan, the passengers were seized, made to tell all their names, and confined as prisoners, repeatedly stiled rebels, with the most horrid oaths annexed, a guard with drawn swords kept over them during the night, the late infamous proclamation of a truce breaking [Thomas] Gage, was hung close by them, which they were fearful they would be compelled to sign or else abide the consequence therein denounced. It is worthy of observation, that during the period the three Captains were together on board the Rose, playing cards, drinking, carousing, &c. About one or two o'clock next morning, viz. Wednesday, one of the Swan's men returned, and in order, it is supposed to save himself from a flogging, as it was necessary for him to give some account of himself, he invented the following lye and swore to it upon the Holy Evangelists, namely, "That the Rhode-Island rebels had taken him and his companion and wanted that they should enlist among them to fight against the King, but that they refused, and because they did that the rebels gagged them and then carried them to Providence gaol, but that he broke away and travelled thirty miles to get on board again, with much of the same stuff." The Captains of the pirates either believed this gross and inconsistent falsehood, or fain would make the inhabitants think so; accordingly it was taken down in writing, sent on shore and satisfaction demanded, or the town should certainly be laid in ashes that very day. Another cannon was now discharged, four ferry-boats and two wood sloops seized, quantities of tar and other inflammatory and combustible matter put into the same, in order to set on fire and send into the wharves, as a more expeditious way of destroying the town than by cannon only; the cannon at the same time were to be fired on every part of the town; the Court-house, Dr. Stiles's Meeting-house, and the Printing-office were first of all to feel the effects of this horrid plot. The most terrible parade was kept up by these low ministerial tools till near two o'clock P.M. when two persons of undoubted veracity (farmers, within two or three miles of the town) went on board the Swan: One of these gentlemen assured the Captains of the three ships, that he saw the stragglers, for whose desertion such terrible confusion had ensued, in his corn field on Tuesday morning, and described them; the other gentleman declared that he saw them on Tuesday afternoon where he was making hay, and likewise described them, for they told these gentlemen how they had made their escape from the Swan, and were determined not to go back again. After fully proving that they knew the men, by pointing out the one who had returned, notwithstanding four others were first produced in order to deceive them, they, viz. the two gentlemen, came on shore; when, all at once, the boats and prisoners were dismissed, the ships weighed anchor and stood up the