and Capt. Munro is sanguine in the belief we shall make a prize of her. Get everything in readiness to board her. There seems something awful in the preparation for an attack, and the immediate prospect of an action. She hauls up her courses and hoists English Colours. I take my station in the Cabin; where, remain not long before I hear the Huzza on deck in consequence of her striking. Send our boat for the Captain & his papers. She sailed from Kingston, Jamaica, upwards of 40 days since, in a fleet, and was bound to New York : Capt. William Small, Commander. She has ten men on board and four excellent four pounders. Her Cargo consists of 149 Puncheons, 23 Hogsheads, 3 Quarter Casks and 9 Barrels of Rum, and 20 Hogsheads Muscovado Sugar. Send two prize Masters and ten men on board, get the prisoners on board our Vessel, and taking the prize in tow, stand towards Egg Harbour. We hardly know what to do with the prize : the wind shifting a little we stand to the eastward.
16th Keep an eastern course, to try to get her into our harbour if possible. Now we are terribly apprehensive of seeing a sail. — About sunset a sail seen from mast-head, which excites no small anxiety. Cast off the Snow's hawser, &c. — however night coming on and seeing no more of said sail, pursue our course. Sound, 42 fathoms of water. . . .
19th. The Snow in sight this morning; run along side and take her in tow again. . . . Lat. 40.° 30.' At this rate the West Indies will bring us up sooner than Martha s Vineyard or Nantucket. 49 fathoms. Have our Pistols hung up in the Cabin, to be in readiness for the prisoners, should they take it into their heads to rise upon the watch in the night. . . .
22nd. Sunday. Very foggy. What wind there is, ahead. — Weigh Anchor, and out oars. — A fair gentle breeze springs from the South. Pass through Bristol Ferry way with hard tugging about the middle of the afternoon : come to Anchor in the Bay, but where rendered uncertain by the fog having come up again. . . .
23rd. Early, after breakfast, we set off again in the boat, with the Compass, being still surrounded with an excessive fog. Run ashore to the Eastward of Nayat Point, and mistake it for Connimicut : however, arrive at Providence about 11 o'clock, it having cleared off very pleasant. Thus ends our short, but tedious cruise. At sunset the Sloop and Snow arrive, firing 13 cannon each.
Solomon Drowne, Journal of a Cruise in the Fall of 1780 in the Private-Sloop of War, Hope (Analectic press, New York. 1872), 3-18 passim.
