The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a Letter from Capt. William Corwan, late of the Knowles Frigate, to William Richardson, of Tower-Hill, dated Bayonne Prison, Jan. 8.

" That he was taken on the 11th of November by the La Rose Privateer, of 20 Guns and 260 Men, 50 Leagues West from the Lizard. He was in the Privateer from the 11th of November to the 2d of January, all which Time he had just Victuals enough to keep Soul and Body from separating; he eat, slept, and eased himself all in one Place. There are 40 Commanders of Ships in this Prison with me, one of which came in last Night from Montserrat, his Name is Layons, with a Number of Passengers; they all meet with the same Usage onboard the Privateers. There were two other Captains taken by the same Privateer, one from Liverpool, bound to Virginia, the other from Lisbon to Cork. There are 30 Sail of Privateers out of this Place and St. John de Luz, which is 12 Miles to the Westward, and they cruise in 49 : 30 Distance from the Lizard, from 130 Leagues to 200 West. As soon as they came within Sight of Land, they put us all in Irons, and one of my Brother Captains and myself had our Wrists Swelled over our Irons; had we stayed two Days longer, we should have lost the Use of our Hands; and the People's Legs were so swelled that they were not able to walk for some Days after they were ashore. We have a Bundle of Straw for two of us to lie on."