The Virginia Gazette

Charles-Town, South Carolina, March 6. On the 15th of January last, Mark Anderson, Master of the Schooner Betty, was chased out of the Bay of Honduras by a Spanish Sloop with Ten Carriage Guns, (which had been taken from an English Merchant belonging to Boston, on Board of which was Zachariah Williams as Merchant, and John Guyn Master,) and in the following Night got clear; but was drove back on the 18th by Distress of Weather to the Island of Bonacco, under the West End whereof, lay the aforesaid Sloop with fifty Men on board, who took the Schooner, her Sails having been torn to Pieces by the Violence of the Wind, then plundered her of her Provisions, Instruments, and all other Necessaries, putting the Master and his People on Shore, after which they gave the Schooner to John Guyn, in lieu of his Sloop they were then on board; but the said Anderson having a Register, made a Demand of the said Schooner, and with some Difficulty recovered her when he fitted her out in the best Manner he could, and was drove into this Place by Distress, his People having lived 22 Days on 2 Ounces of Meat per Day, and had no Provisions when they entered into this Port. The said Sloop attempted to board a Ship, entering into the Bay, but did no farther Damage than the killing of a Man on the main Yard, the Ship getting clear. The Spaniards informed the said Anderson, that there had been two Spanish Sloops more, with fifty Men each, but they had great Reason to imagine they were both lost.