Bilbao the 31st Augt 1777
[Extract]
. . .Capt John Harris Jur departted hence the 30th Ulto butt are not a little sorry to advice you that on the 5th Instant we Received a letter from said Master datted in Port Ravia on 3d informing us that haveing been Chased for hours by an English Frigatte & seing that she gained fast upon him he had been oblig'd to Run the Sckooner on Shoar & to fight untill the Spaniards came to his assistance which haveing been percived by the English they went off after haveing destroyd & plundered on Board the sckooner all they could & as the place where he Runed her ashoar is unluckly the very worst in all our Western Coast & about 30 leagues distance from hence have thought it your Interest to send a person on whom we can trust downe there to help Capt Harris not only in getting if posible the Sckooner off butt also that he may not be cheatted in the charges that must necessarily attend this unfortunatte accident 2. . .
We have Just now Received advice from St Anders that Capt Harris haveing with the assistance of the person we sent downe to him gott the sckooner off she safely putt into St Anders & tho' she was sadly shattered yet depend that no time will be lost in Reffitting her as also in dispatching her back with the utmost Speed & as this disagreable Jobb will have been attended with charges be assured that our next will informe you what these have ammounted to for your government 3. . .
1. Mass.Arch., vol.152, Board of War Letters, 1776-1777, 364-65.
2. Harris commanded the schooner Glover sent to Bilbao with a cargo of fish by the Massachusetts Board of War. See Volume 8, 906.
3. This letter was not sent for another month and a half. On the back of the letter another was written dated October 18 informing Savage that Glover had sailed the beginning of September but sprung her main mast and had to return. She went out again on her homeward voyage to Marblehead September 17.
