I am sorry to inform you of the Death of Capt. Cleland. We sailed from hence on Tuesday the 5th inst. in Company with the Rawlinson, Capt. [W.] Preston, and on Wednesday the 6th, in the Evening, we fell in with a Privateer Brig of 16 Guns,2 which came boldly along-side of us, and bid us strike; Capt. Cleland answered he did not intend it; upon which they gave us two Guns, and we returned a Broadside. Capt. Cleland was killed the second Shot they gave us: We fought them for Half an Hour within Hail of each other, till some of our People fled from their Quarters (and the Rawlinson lying on the off-Side of us, and only firing one Gun during the whole Time, concluded Captain Preston did not intend to fight) we were obliged to strike; we then laid our Maintop-Sail to the Mast and dropt astern. The Rawlinson then begun to play upon the Privateer for the first Time, upon which we filled our Maintop-Sail again, and shot a-head, as nigh as we could to the Privateer's Stern, and play'd Grape-Shot upon her fore and aft for an Hour and a Half until she bore away. On the Friday following fell in with her again; she gave us Chase, but our luckily falling in with the homeward-bound Jamaica Fleet, we suppose prevented her from continuing the Chase, and we thought it best to put back to Cove.
