Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/377

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No. 121]
A Spanish Privateer
[349

tions for a general assault, thought it best to capitulate, and has just surrendered the city to our arms.

Louisburg, July 25th, 1745. An East India ship, worth at least ₤200,000 sterling, came off the harbour, and fired a gun for a pilot. The Commodore sent out two sixty gun ships, which came up with, and took her in three hours ; we had the pleasure from the walls to see her strike to them. Two others, sent out three weeks before her, bound hither, are hourly expected to heave in sight. Col. Graham goes to morrow in a sloop as a flag of truce for Canada, with about thirty French prisoners ; he is the only Englishman that goes in her.

I am going on board Capt. Lovett to St. Peter's, with a number of my soldiers, to guard the wood-vessels going there : our affairs will soon be settled, and I shall, to my great joy, return home.

Samuel Curwen, Journal and Letters (edited by George Atkinson Ward, New York, etc., 1842), 12-14.


121. A Spanish Privateer in the Delaware (1748)

FROM THE NEWSPAPERS

Philadelphia, June 2.

SUNDAY Evening arrived a Number of Mariners, that had been Prisoners on board the Clinton, who inform'd that the Richa, Capt. Burk, bound from Philadelphia to London with a very valuable Cargo, was taken by the said Privateer on the 16th past, about 25 Leagues from the Capes; that on the 17th she took a Sloop bound from Providence to Philadelphia, George Smith, Master, laden with Sugar and Indigo ; that on the 21st she took a Hermaphrodite Vessel, Capt. Hinsley, bound from Virginia to Bristol ; that on the 25th she came to an Anchor in Hoar kill Road, and they used all their endeavours to get a Pilot to carry her up into the River, but in vain ; and a Sloop standing in for the Road, she weigh'd and gave chase to her, but the Sloop stood out again and got clear ; during the Chase they saw a large Brigt, which stood toward them, and proved to be another French Privateer, commanded by Capt. Berneau, with 180 Men, 14 carriage Guns and 30 Swivels, in 33 Days from Cape Francois, during which Time they had taken 6 Prizes. Standing in again for the Shore, they saw two Sloops lying at Anchor in Townsend's Inlet, about 16 Miles Northward of Cape May; and man-