| Citation |
BNL.748.008
1 Sep 1748:21 (2420)
An extract of a letter from Capt. Isaac Freeman, Commander
of he Bethe-Frigate, to his owners in this town, dated at
St. John's, in Newfoundland, August 1. 1748. . . The 10th
of June we left Gibraltar: The 19th in lat. 36 d, o m:. . .
We having such a vast number of prisoners to secure, and
both ships to mann, and only 37 men and boys on board,
obliged us to put into Fyal, where we were most barbarously
used, as being myself imprison'd, and the people there
attempting to force our prize from us, &c. In short I must
refer the particulars till I have the pleasure of seeing
you, which I hope wont belong. We left Fyal the 2d of July,
being shortly mann'd as you may judge: We arriv'd here the
28th [July], and have apply'd to the Judge of Admiralty to
condemn the prize [from a Spanish merchant ship from Havanna
to Cadiz taken in June]
P.S. The particulars in taking the prize are as follows:
At 6 o'clock p.m. we espied a sail, to which we gave chase,
and as we were standing partly towards each other, soon
found her to be a large ship, she thereupon took in her
small sails, haul'd up her courses, &c. as getting in a
posture to engage us; but we not regarding that, she soon
made all the sail she could pack in order to run, we having
the heels of her over-haul'd her a pace, and the night, tho'
very dark, was not able to conceal her from our sight, for
at 12 o'clock we were along side, when after a serenade of
French horns, trumpets, &c. we demanded from whence she
came, and whether bound, who, after a few equivocations
allowable in such cases, as pretending to be from Surrinam
for Holland, &c. she answer'd she was from the Havannah to
Cadiz; at which we gave them a cheer, and order'd her
captain on board immediately, he begg'd we would tarry till
the morning as his boat was large and leaky, but we
threatening him, with which he was so terrified that he
comply'd; and at day-light we had all the prisoners secured;
you may easily imagine we had enough on our hands till they
were landed at Fyal.
57 chests, each containing 3000 mill'd dollars.
The above prize was by mistake call'd a register ship in the
last Monday's papers.
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