"We arrived here after a pleasant Passage of 32 Days—Near the Land's End, a Man at the Mast Head saw 17 Sail, which we gave Chace to, and they proved to be the Gibraltar Fleet, under Convoy of a 74 Gun Ship;¹ and we had then got under his Command with the two Prizes we had taken,² and knew not what to do, but our Captain took a very wise Step, which was, to heave to with the Convoy, and there lay with our Prizes, 'till the Commodore of the Fleet made Sail, which was in about two Hours; we then made Sail with the Convoy and tarried with them until almost Night, and then tackt Ship to the Southward, and got clear: had he suspected us to be Americans, we must have been captur'd, but he took us and our Prizes to be Part of his Convoy. I believe Capt. Jones will get a Frigate, he is a Gentleman of great COURAGE and CONDUCT, and is deserving of the best Ship in America; his men greatly like him, I expect we shall have bloody Noses before we return, especially if Capt. Jones keeps the Ranger; for he had as lives run along-side of a Frigate as a Merchantman. A Brig arriv'd from Boston³ the Day before us and brought the News of Burgoyne's Surrender."