You are also ordered to take care that you speak to no vessel, nor suffer any to speak with you, during your passage, nor permit any disorder on board; but you must take a special care of the cargo that none be embezzled, and, if weather permits, you must be diligent in drying the goods, to hinder them from spoiling.  Wishing you a good voyage, we remain your friends.

B.N.

D.M.

Copy of a letter sent to Capt Freebody per John Webb in the sloop.

SIR,—­I hope my sundry letters sent you by different hands are come safe.

This waits upon you with the agreeable news of our taking a Spanish privateer on the 26th Sep’t last, off Cape Roman, on the north side of Cuba.  She was conveying to the Havanah a brigantine which she had taken, coming from Barbadoes & bound to Boston, & laden with rum, sugar, and some bags of cotton.  We had the pleasure of meeting him early in the morning, & gave chase.  When within about a mile of him we hoisted our pennant, which compliment he immediately returned with his ensign at mast head and a gun to confirm it.  We received several shot from him, & cheerfully returned them.  He then made the best of his way off, crowding all the sail he could; and we, doing the like, came again within gun shot, and plied her with our bow chasers, which were shifted to the fore ports for that purpose.  They in return kept pelting us with their stern chasers out of their cabin windows, but after some brisk firing they struck.  Our rigging, mast, & gunwale received some damage.  Upwards of 25 shot went through our sails, 2 through our mast in its weakest part just below where it was fished, 1 cut our fore shroud on the Larboard side, & another went through our Starboard gunwale, port & all.  Only one of our men was wounded by the enemy, and he slightly by a splinter.  Two others were hurt in the arm by one of the people’s pieces going off accidentally after the engagement.  The poor Cap’t of the privateer was wounded in the arm and the bone fractured, one negro boy killed, & others wounded.  He was fitted out last November at the Havanah, proceeded to S’t.  Augustine, & while on our coast early in the spring took several vessels.  In August last he was again fitted out, & had taken several more vessels on our coast.  But we had the good fortune to stop his course.  His name is Don Francisco Loranzo, & by all report, though an enemy, a brave man, endued with a great deal of clemency, & using his prisoners with a great deal of humanity.  The like usage he receives with us, for he justly deserves it.

We have sent you the sloop commanded by John Webb, loaded with sundry goods somewhat damaged, which I must desire you to unload directly & to take care to get them dried.  There is also a negro boy that is sickly, a negro man said to have been taken off Bermudas by the privateer as he was a fishing, & a mulatto belonging to some of the subjects or vassals of the King of Spain, all of which we recommend to your care that they may not elope.