E A SLOOP.--SENT AWAY IN HER.--A GALE.--ENGAGEMENT WITH
PRIVATEER.--BEAT HER OFF.--SENT TO NEW YORK AS COMMODORE OF PRIZES.--
JOVIAL LIFE ON SHORE.--ILL CONDUCTED EXPEDITIONS.

We were once more at sea, and truly glad were all hands on board to find
themselves in deep water again. The shore of Long Island, faint and
low, was just discernible astern, while Sandy Hook and the highlands of
Neversink arose in the distance over our starboard quarter. As I looked
on the far-off shore I could not help thinking of the scenes of strife
and destruction which, in all probability, were going on there, and
feeling heartily glad that we were away from them for a time. We had
quitted Turtle Bay on the 3rd and dropped down to Staten Island. On our
passage down we ran on board a transport and carried away our larboard
fore-chains, cathead, and small bower-anchor stock, not to speak of
having so severely damaged the transport that she nearly sank. On the
12th of the month, having repaired damages, we put to sea with his.
Majesty's ship Daphne in company. We were on our way to the mouth of
the Delaware with the intention of capturing, burning, sinking, or
otherwise destroying all vessels of every description belonging to the
colonists which we could fall in with, an odd method, it would seem, of
bringing them to reason and making them loyal subjects of his Majesty,
though our proceedings did not strike me in that light just then. For a
couple of days we had a fair wind, which carried us nearly up to our
cruising ground. On the 14th Captain Hudson made a signal to the Daphne
to go in chase of a sail seen to the southward, and shortly afterwards
another sail was seen standing towards us from the westward. We soon
made her out to be a man-of-war, and on exchanging signals she proved to
be the Kingfisher sloop-of-war. Within an hour after she joined us. As
we continued our course to the southward the look-out at the mast-head
hailed the deck. "A sail in the south-east," said he.

"What is she like?" asked Captain Hudson.

"A suspicious-looking craft--a schooner, sir; a merchantman of some
sort," was the answer.

This announcement put us all on the alert, and as soon as every stitch
of sail we could carry had been clapped on the ship several officers
were seen going aloft with their spy-glasses slung by rope-yarns over
their shoulders to have a look at the chase. I was among the number, so
was Mercer. We soon afterwards made t