was boarded by an armed French barge, the master of which beat his supercargo in so unmerciful a manner with his sword, that he died a few days afterwards. The barge robbed captain Pierce of about 300 dollars worth; and captain Miller, from Norfolk, to the amount 900 dollars worth; also captain Boyd, of Philadelphia, to a considerable amount. They afterwards saw the pirate in Leogane, and complained of him to the commandant, who imprisoned him three days, and then liberated him without giving further satisfaction.-Sec Ph. Gaz. 28th Nov. 1796. 4. The Hirondale, after having captured the schooner Zephir, captain Breard, of Portsmouth, and carried her into Cabo Roxo, plundered her of all her provisions, leaving captain B. and crew nothing to subsist on. Capt. B. went on board the Hirondale to obtain satisfaction for the loss of his property, and to request, if it should not be made, leave to remain on board the privateer until his vessel was tried. The captain refused him any, order. ed him on shore, and finally threw him overboard; the privateer being then under way on another cruise.-Ph. Gaz. 5th April. 5. The brig Two Sisters, captain Worth, from Norfolk for Leogane, was brought to by a French privateer to the leeward of Hispaniola. Capt. Worth was ordered on board; and when there, the captain of the privateer offering a paper written in French, ordered captain Worth to sign it. On his refusing, the pirate drew his cutlass and swore he would cleave his scull, if he did not immediately put his name to the paper; but captain Worth persisted in refusing, reasoning on the absurdity of his signing a writing in a language he did not understand. The privateersman then turned to the sailors (two Italians) and commanded them to write their names: they could not write; he then forced them with threats, and a drawn sword over their heads, to make their marks at the bottom of the paper. He then directly hailed the brig, informing that she was a good prize, as the men had signed a declaration, that she was bound to Jamaica. Capt. W. was carried to Cuba in the privateer, and four days afterwards the brig came in. On captain Worth's observing to the picarooning captain, that he could not have her tried and sold at Cuba, he was told that she was already sold; and soon afterwards a Spanish merchant was put in possession of her. Her papers were then sent to Cape Francois for trial.Ph. Gaz. 6th April, 1797. 6. The schooner Columbus, Mason, from St. Vincents for Kennebunk, was boarded by a French privateer, which detained her six hours, and took out of her 60 gallons of rum, a bbl. of sugar, &c. The privateersman said they would have carried her in, if they had found property enough to engage their attention. They brought fire from the privateer, ordered the boy to kindle it in the caboose, said they were going to burn the vessel, and ordered the crew to put their things on board the vessel, and convey them to the privateer. One of the privateersmen then carried a firebrand to the mast head, another took one into the cabin, while a third conveyed one into the steerage; but on captain M. declaring he had no money, and refusing to quit his vessel, they desisted, and permitted him to proceed.-Ph. Gaz. 23 May, 1797. 7. The brig Almy, Cutter, was captured off the east end of Jamaica by two French privateers, one of which was the Flying Fish, built at Baltimore by one John Love, who afterwards sold her to her present owner at the Cape, and then went captain of her. He fired upwards of thirty shot at the Almy without hailing her, although lying to for twenty minutes before, with American colours flying. He then hailed and ordered the boat on board, which being done, he detained the mate, two seamen, the ship's register and other papers, and sent a prize master and three others, all armed, on board. They then hoisted in the boat and stood for Gonaves. Next day however they were recaptured by a British sloop of war.—Ph. Gaz, 3d Jan. 1797. 8. A gentleman from Porto Rico informs, that the American ship Mount Vernon, captured by the French privateer Flying Fish, capt. Paris, had been condemned and sold there. The pretences for her condemnation were various; but on their being principally obviated, judgment was finally given on instructions to the commander of the privateer, sent by the French minister directing him to make prize of the ship. Paris, captain of the privateer, had been appointed consul at Porto Rico, and sat in judgment on his own cause.-Ph Guz 28 Dec. 9. The schooner Ranger, Brown, was detained three days at St. Martins, after having been cleared out: and the captain and crew were confined on board a French frigate, under pretence that she had no sea letter. Previous to the Ranger's sailing, a schooner from Baltimore, and another from New-York, were condemned under a similar pretext.-Ph. Gaz. 1st. Dec. 10. The schooner Friendship, Harlow, was captured and carried into St. Martins under a supposition, that she had no sealetter, but upon producing it she was released.-Ph. Gaz. 24 Dec. 11. The Speedwell of Alexandria, bound home, was 63 days on her passage; and owing to the hands having been a long time on short allowance, and to the damage she had sustained, she was obliged to bear away for Cape François, when the Administration breaking through every tie of humanity, seized and condemned her.-Ph. Gaz. 23d Feb. 12. Brig Neptune, Blanchard, bound to St. Bartholomews with lumber, was carried into Guadaloupe, where she was tried and acquitted. Afterwards she was tried again in consequence of Victor Hugues's orders, and condemned, because, as it was said, she had no sea letter; although capt. B. had a certificate from the custom house that there were not any sea letters at the time she sailed, in that office.--Ph. Gaz, 25th Feb. AMERICAN 13. Ship Charlotte, of Baltimore, was carried into Guadaloupe with a cargo of flour, tried and acquitted. The supercargo, Mr. Buchanan, in consequence merely of his name, was without examination put into close prison for several days by Victor Hugues's orders, who afterwards finding himself mis taken in the person, had him released.-ib. 14. Capt. Barney, on his passage from France, captured 5 or 6 vessels sailing under certificates of property; these he set fire to, and has publickly declared he will do so in every instance, which is poor encouragement for Americans to purchase prizes of them. One of them was a brig belonging to P. & T. Mackie, from Malaga, Andrew Paden, master, who was mur. dered the second day after they sailed, by the mate and crew, and a considerable sum of money divided among them. 15. The ship Washington, from the Isle of France to Boston, out 153 days, blown off the coast, and in distress, was taken in sight of Deseada, and sent into port for adjudication.—Ph. Gaz. 6th March, 1797. 16. Capt. Bright, on his passage from Alexandria to Meri. guane, a French port, with a cargo of flour, was captured by a French privateer, off Port de Paix, carried in there, and condemned without a hearing. There were about 15 sail more of American vessels in that port, the whole of them condemned, though several were bound to French ports. tion at the Cape had issued orders to capture all Americans The Administrabound to leeward of Cape François.-Gaz. U. S. 28th March. 17. Schooner Clara, of Baltimore, with a valuable cargo of dry goods, bound to Leogane, was captured by a French privateer, and recaptured by a British vessel.-Ph. Gaz. 29 April. 18. The sloop Fox, Brooks, from Hartford for Leogane, a French port, was captured and sent into Port de Paix, where both vessel and cargo were condemned under the pretence of her being bound to a British port. teer gave the commissaries 100 half joes to condemn the vesThe owners of the privasel; and the captain had to pay three half joes for his register after the vessel was sold.-Gaz. U. S. 15 May. 19. The brig Peace, Allen, of Providence, was bound from Dover to Surinam, but touched at Cayenne. After she had been there several days she was seized; and the vessel and cash she had on board, valued at 25,000 dollars, were condemned under the pretence of her being from a British port.-Gaz. U. S. 18 May. 20. Capt. John Hall, of the schooner Rebecca of Baltimore, was plundered of every thing he had by the prize master and crew put on board his vessel: and part of his crew were put on board a prison ship and obliged to work in the day time: at night they were put in irons.—Gaz. U. S. 7th Feb. 21. The schooner Elizabeth, Trott, from Demarara bound to New-London, was captured by the French privateer Flybuster and carried into St. Martins, where the captain and three of his crew were imprisoned.-Ph. Gaz. 14 March. 22. The Friends, of Norfolk, from London, was captured by a French privateer and carried into Guadaloupe. The vessel was condemned and the captain and crew imprisoned. The captain was afterwards with four others sent to Martinique to be exchanged for Frenchmen--Ph. Gaz, 24 Feb. & 15 March. 23. Čapt. Church informs, that the French take all American vessels bound to or from English ports, and behave in a most scandalous manner to the captains and crews, by putting them in gaol or turning them on shore without the means of procuring even a meal.-Ph. Gaz. 10 March. 24. Captain Calvert says the treatment of Victor Hugues to the Americans is very cruel. They are thrown into prison, loaded with irons, stripped of their apparel, and scarcely allowed a miserable subsistence.--Ph. Gaz, 25 March. 25. From every one of the unfortunate Americans who were exchanged at Martinique for Frenchmen, accounts were given of the conduct of Victor Hugues towards their countrymen. Americans were dying at Guadaloupe in greater numbers than ever was known on board the Jersey prison ship at New-York, during the late American war.-Gaz. U. S. April 1. 26. The brig Fanny, Gould, of Biddeford, was cleared out for Leogane, a French port in Hispaniola, with lumber only, with a regular sea letter, register and clearance; nevertheless she was taken by a French national cutter and carried into Port de Paix. The papers were carried to the Cape, and the vessel and cargo soon afterwards condemned, on the plea, that the vessel was deficient of certificates of her cargo in the usual style from the officers of the port whence she sailed, agreeably to treaty. The captain and crew were deprived of their adventures, clothes, &c. thrown into gaol among common thieves and murderers, put into irons, and allowed only four ounces of beef, and half a pound of bread per day for their subsistence, in which confinement they were continued for 20 days. The preceding facts were sworn to before justice Barret, of Boston.--See Ph. Gaz. 6th April. 27. Mr. Molay, supercargo of the Ann and Maria, of Baltimore, informs, that she was taken on her homeward bound passage from Jamaica, by a French privateer, and carried into St. Jago de Cuba, where (the captain of the privateer having bribed two of the hands to swear she was British property) she was condemned, with her cargo, without even the semblance of a trial; and that her cargo being immediately landed, ports were knocked into her, and she was sent out on a cruise as a French privateer. Ph. Gaz. 19th Jan. 28. The administration take by force all American cargoes without any mode of payment whatever, and likewise take all American vessels bound to or from English ports, and condemn them, without a hearing.—Extract of a letter from Cape Frangois in the Gaz. U. S. 20th Jan. 29. The government of this place seems determined to lay every obstacle in the way of American commerce. It now not only refuses paying old debts, but contracts (if it can be so called) new ones, without so much as a promise of ever paying: its armed vessels have sent in all Americans bound to or from any British ports, either in this island, or real English colonies, which have been condemned without so much as even the ceremonies of a trial. Such as have come here of their own accord, have had their cargoes taken by force; some have abandoned their vessels, and gone home, depending, as I suppose, upon the insurers for indemnification others, whose cargoes have been partly taken, stay, but to no purpose.-Extract of another letter from the same place, ib. 30. Schooner Phoebe, Webb, was taken on her passage from New London to Jeremie, and carried to Petit Guave, where she was detained ninety days, and the greatest part of her cargo taken without a trial: they even refused giving a receipt for what property they took, and the commissaries refused captain Webb provisions to subsist his sick people.-Ph. Gaz. 24th Jan. 1797. 31. There were lying at Petit Guave, on the 10th November, seven American vessels, which had been captured in pursuance of orders issued by the commissioners at the Cape, making all Americans bound to or from British ports, lawful prize: they had been lying there from two to three months, during which time their cargoes were taken from them without the form of a trial; more than three-fourths of the men (captains and sailors) fell a sacrifice to the fever, and the remaining fourth were more like walking ghosts than men; most of them destitute of money, and unable to give a decent burial to those who die. A few days before, one Gaston, a mulatto, at the head of the administration of the place, enticed a Philadelphia schooner, lying at Leogane with flour, to come to Petit Guave, by promising the captain, upon his sacred word of honour, that he would take nothing from him. But he had no sooner arrived than Gaston ordered a guard on board the vessel, and took away the flour. There were then lying in the several ports of the Bite 51 sail of Americans, which had been brought in by privateers; and at a moderate computation half of their crews had died.-Phi. Gaz. 15th Feb. 1797. 23. The brig Susan and Polly, of and from New York, bound to Jamaica, was taken by a French privateer, and carried to Port de Paix. She was condemned, with her cargo, without the form of a trial, by Sonthonax, who declared it was unnecessary to ask any questions, as the French Directory had given positive instructions to seize every American vessel bound to or from British ports. Thirty-five sail of American vessels were con |