received their
best wishes for a prosperous voyage, and departed.

On my arrival in New-York I was much interrogated to know why I had not
obtained a license from Commodore Hardy; to which I gave evasive
answers. Congress having about this time passed some stringent laws
requiring our vessels of war to overhaul and search all vessels bound
to, or coming from an enemy's ship, I thought best to keep my own
secrets. An acquaintance of mine called on me and asked me if I thought
it safe to take a cargo to Boston or some of the Eastern ports. I told
him if I were able to purchase one, I would try it. He told me to call
on him in a short time, as he thought he could procure a freight for me.
He soon obtained five hundred barrels of flour, and seventy barrels of
bread, at one dollar per barrel for freightage, and three per cent
commission for selling. I was to remit the proceeds by mail, or pay it
to their correspondents in Boston.

About the 20th of June I sailed from New-York and arrived within about
five miles of the Ramillies, where I anchored. At daylight I found a
barge coming towards us. My seamen were frightened, and attempted to
make their escape to the shore, a distance of two miles; by threats and
persuasion I prevented them. Soon after the barge came alongside. The
commanding officer asked me what cargo I had on board, and sundry other
questions. He then said, "You must be crazy. It was only last week we
had you prisoner, when we pitied you so much that we volunteered to give
up our shares in your old sloop if the commodore would let you go." I
told him I thought the commodore would let me pass. He replied, "You
need not expect any favor from him, as he has sworn vengeance against
all Americans. Yesterday morning we discovered a schooner lying at
anchor near where you now are. I was ordered to go and capture her. I
proceeded towards her, and saw the crew take her boat and pull for the
shore; when I boarded her I found no person on board. In the cabin I
found a manifest of her cargo, and in the list, some naval stores which
we wanted for the ship's use. We got the schooner under weigh, beat her
up within half a mile of the ship and came to anchor. Mr. Collingwood,
our second lieutenant, whom you well know, was sent to relieve me, and I
went to report to the commodore. The hatches were taken off and the
tackle hooked on to a barrel of naval stores, when the schooner blew up.
There were fourteen men on board, and all