Sir

I hope you'l Excuse my Presumtion In thus Addresing you as, It is not only In Order to Acquaint you of my Misfortune by being taken on the 1 Inst of May by the Foydrant [Foudroyant] Capt [John] Jervis, within a few Leagues of Nants River to which Place I was Bound In a Bermuda Built Sloop Cald the Alice Belonging to Messrs Thoms Savage, Blake, Russell, Grenwood & Compy Merchants In [illegible] Charles Town So Carolina, & after being taken I was Carried into the Port of Plimouth from whence I have In Some measure made my Escape in a wretched miserable Condition to this Place Yesterday, from the worse than Turkish Enemies the English, and now tho at Liberty Know not which way to turn my Self as I am In a Strange Country the Language the People I am totally Unacquanted with and Destitute of every Necessary of Life.

I have Also as I think It a Duty Incumbent on Me to Acquant you of the Curcumstance of Numbers of my Poor Countrymen who have faln Into the hands of the More Cruel than Turkish Ennemies, by whoom they are Commited to Mill Prison at Plimouth as Felons, After being in Confine­ ment on board the Ships For some time Past; where they are Deny'd Candle Pen Ink or Paper or even Fire to Light a Pipe and what Is worse their friends are not Admitted within the Prison yard walls by the Centries, which are Placd at a few Yards Dist from Each Other, & It is the Particelar Desire of Capt John Adams that I Should Acquaint you of his being taken on the 9th Inst of May by the Same Ship within a League of Bell ile after we Came to Plimouth and had Paid the Examination on Shore both of Us got a Clearance throug Favr of Capt Jervis Immedly but Unfortunately for him within 3 or 4 Hours Afterwards he was Sent Back to Confinement on bord the Foydrant untill An Answer should be Reced from the Board — I Immedeatly made off and Happily Got a Secure Retreat in Plimth till I Affected In a Disguise my Escape from thence; I Shall Sett off Tomorrow for Nants (Shall make Bold to Acquaint you Particularly Re'lative to the Curcumstances of my Poor Countrymen & with their Usage & A Schetch of the Terrible Unheard of Enterogatories which they Lay before us to be answerd on Oath, as Soon as I arrive their)

I dare to say you'l not Call me to mind by my Subscribing my Name as I was but a youth when I had the Honour of Speaking to you at your Lodgings In Craven Street London when Recommd to you by my Step­father Mr Hugh Hughes Since which time I have been Employ'd by Difft merchts in Several Parts of the World and Scrap'd together three or 400 Hundred pounds and by this Unfortunate Stroke have Lost every thing Please to Excuse my Unconnected Manner of Writing for my mind Seems to be a Good Deal Agitated by the Terrible Sceene of Distress that I Seemingly have to Wade through before It Shall Please God for me to Arive Again to the Land of Liberty mean While I Remain [&c.]

P S Capt Adams was Taken In a Schooner the Reason of his being Detaind was I understand that he had Arms on Board — my Guns when I found I Should Inevitably be taken I hove Over Board and they Never Discovd that I had any Guns or a Commissn as Letter of Mart [Marque] Untill I was Out of their Reach —