I will here give the reader a short description of the country, the
undertaking, and some account of the disasters which befell me in the
prosecution of the voyage. Having loaded my little sloop, (about the
size of a clam boat,) I soon shipped a crew, which consisted of a North
River captain, who had never been out of the sight of land, to act as my
mate; and two old broken-down sailors, one acting as seaman and the
other as cook. We sailed about the first of February, with a fair wind,
and made our passage in twenty-two days to the Island of Old Providence,
where we hoisted our flag for a pilot. I soon discovered a fishing
canoe, having one white man and three or four negroes on board, who
volunteered to pilot us into the harbor. I inquired of the white man,
whose name was John Taylor, one of the largest planters in the island,
for a Mr. Hoy, to whom I had a letter of introduction. Mr. Taylor
replied that Mr. Hoy was dead, that he was his father-in-law. He took
the letter, promised me friendly assistance, and piloted my vessel into
the harbor. The inhabitants soon came on board and commenced a brisk
trade with me. Previous to leaving New-York, I was advised not to enter
the harbor of Old Providence if I saw any vessel looking like a
privateer or man-of-war in sight of the place. In the afternoon I kept a
good look out with my spy-glass, until near sun-set, when I discovered a
schooner beating up under the lee of the island. I immediately applied
to my new friend, Taylor, to pilot me out of the harbor, promising him
to return again in a few days, which he utterly refused. He told me that
the vessel in sight was a privateer belonging to Captain Mitchell, who
commanded her--that Captain M. kept his (Taylor's) daughter as a wife,
and that Mitchell was a clever fellow and would not molest me. As the
channel of the harbor was narrow and difficult to pass through, I
decided to remain at anchor rather than run the risk of getting the
vessel on shore, considering it was best to keep quiet and trust to
fortune. I felt somewhat agitated as the privateer approached the land,
it being a dark night.

About 12 o'clock she anchored a short distance from us, when I was
hailed from her, asking, "What sloop is that, and from whence come you?"
I answered, "Sloop Biddle, from New-York." In a few moments a boat came
alongside with the captain and eight men, all armed. I showed the
captain my papers, and assured him my cargo was _bona fide_