Alexandria Daily Advertiser

To the Editor of the Mercantile Advertiser.

SIR, I sailed the beginning of September last from the City of St. Domingo, in the sch'r Venus, bound to Port-au-Prince. About the 25th of the same month, whilst lying in the latter port, an Indigene privateer mounting 4 guns and 150 men arrived there; immediately on anchoring she commenced a brisk fire on us for about three quarters of an hour, and afterwards sent on board us 16 armed men, who confining myself and crew below, cleared the schooner's decks, and in the night weighed anchor. We arrived at Limbe the next day for orders from General Romain (the owner of the privateer) who directed us to be taken to Port de Paix, where, with the officers and crew of the Danish ship Emerald, Capt. Peterson, we were thrown into prison, without any other allowance than one plantain per day each, and what rain water we could catch. Here we lay until the 19th of October, when orders from Dessalines were received to carry us to his fortress, a place from whence very few who once entered ever returned. We had been previously stripped of our shoes, stockings, &c. and were almost naked. In passing through Gonaives, news reached us of the death of the Emperor. We were, notwithstanding, kept in confinement until the pleasure of his successor, General Christophe, should be made known; our crew meanwhile, suffering by sickness and want of food. We owe whatever comfortable nourishment we had to the generosity of Mr. Simon Johnson, merchant, there. Early in November we were ordered to march to the Cape, a distance of 72 miles, over rough mountains, without any regard to our feeble situation. On our arrival there, we were informed by General Christophe, that he considered us a good prize. In a few days we obtained our release, and an order to quit the island. Five of the Emerald's crew were detained. The strangers in the place supplied us with some provisions and clothing: and myself and Capt. Peterson were generously offered our passages in the British sloop Penelope, from the Cape to the United States, by Mr. Richard Joell, the supercargo, who treated us with great humanity and attention, and to whom we cannot omit this opportunity of rendering our most grateful acknowledgments.

SAMUEL S. TAYLOR.

Late master of the sch'r. Venus.

New-York, Dec. 13, 1806.