Augt 1776 Thursday 1st
Cape Codd SW 5 Lgs 4 AM set Topgt sails and staysls ー at 5 saw the Land, saw two sail to the Soward Tkd and gave Chaceー First part fresh Gales, midl and latter mode still in Chace of the 2 Sail, ½ past 1 PM one of them, (a Brig) run onshore Do wore ship, and chaced the other, (a Sloop) at 2, fir'd two Guns at her, and brot her too, Do sent the Boat onbd and took poss[e]ssion of her, gave chace to the Brig, she having got off, and standing to the Westward, 1/2 past 6 came up with the Brig, sent the Boat, and took possession of her, the people made their escape from her. she was loaded with Molasses Cocoa &c and the sloop with Bread Corn &c2 ½ past 10 gave chace to a sail, fired 2 guns and brought her too, found her to be a ship from Navis, bound to London, in possession of the Rebels, who had taken her, on her passage home, took out the Rebels 8 in No sent an officer and 8 men onbd her.3
1. PRO, Admiralty 51/548.
2. The sloop was the Swan from Philadelphia to some port in New England, Vice Admiralty Register vol. 5, 1769-1777, N.S. Arch., and the New-England Chronicle, September 5, 1776. The brig of 100 tons was not identified by the captors, no papers being found on board, and "the Master and all the Hands Quitted the said Brig, after Cutting the Sails and all the Rigging to pieces, " Vice Admiralty Register, vol. 5, N.S. Arch.
3. The Nevis, Captain Coffin, Public Advertiser, London, October 15, 1776.
