Friday, July 3d. At 5 A.M. we saw three hands who had left us the day before on board the Humming Bird privateer, who had been enticed by some of the owners to leave us by making of them drunk.  About 10 we saw their canoe going ashore with our hands in her, also Joseph Ferrow, whom we had brought from Rhode Island, and since given him clothes, but who had entered on board that sloop as boatswain.  As soon as they had done watering, and were returning to the ship, we manned our pinnace, and, having boarded their canoe, took our three hands out of her, and brought them and Joseph Ferrow aboard.  Some time after, the Humming Bird’s canoe coming alongside, Ferrow jumpt into it, and they put off.  Our pinnace being hauled up in the tackles, we immediately let her down, but unfortunately the plug was out, and the hands which had jumped into her being raw, she almost filled with water, which caused such confusion that the canoe got on board before we got off.  Our hands then went to demand Ferrow, but the privateersmen got out their arms and would not suffer us to board them.  At 4 P.M. the Cap’ of the little Privateer came on board of us to know the reason of the disturbance between his people and ours.  Our Captain told him the reason, and forbid him to carry that fellow away, for, if he did, he might chance to hear of him in the West Indies, &, if he did, he would go 100 leagues to meet him, and take ten for one, and break up his voyage, & send him home to his owners, and give his people a good dressing. (I don’t doubt but he’ll be as good as his word.) Opened a bbl of bread.  Thunder and lightning with a great deal of rain.

Saturday, 4th. This morning, about 5 A.M., came in a ship from Marblehead bound to S’o Carolina.  She had lost her main mast, mizzen mast, & fore topmast.  In Latitude 35 she met with a hard gale of wind which caused the disaster, and obliged her to put in to New York to refit.  About 11 o’clock the Humming Bird weighed anchor for Philadelphia to get hands.  At 4 P.M. the Lieu’t and 2 sergeants belonging to Capt Rigg’s Company came on board to look for some soldiers who were supposed to be on board the Humming Bird, which was lying off Coney Island, but, the wind and tide proving contrary, they were obliged to return.  At 6 came in a ship from Lisbon, having made the passage in 6 weeks; also a sloop from Turks Island:  both loaded with salt.  The ship appearing to be a lofty vessel, our people were panic struck with fear, taking her for a 70 gun ship, and, as we had several deserters from the men at war, they desired the Cap’t to hoist the Jack and lower our pennant as a signal for our pinnace, which was then ashore, so that, if she proved to be a man of war, they might get ashore, and clear of the press.  But it proved quite the contrary; for the ship & sloop’s crew, taking us, by the signal we had made for our pinnace, for a tender of a man of war, laying there to press hands, quitted their vessels and ran ashore, as soon as they saw our pinnace manned, and made for the bushes.  At night the Cap’ gave the people a pail of punch to recover them of their fright.  Thunder & lightning all this day.