Delaware Gazette And Peninsula Advertiser

Extract of a Letter from Baltimore, September 20th.

"Two privateers, which lately arrived at this place, have carried on their depredations to a most ruinous extent. One of them called La Fortuna, formerly the Fourth of July, has captured from 8 to 12 Portuguese vessels, among which are the Raynbadis Anjos, from which she took out $82,000--a large ship of 900 tons, called Monte Alegre loaded with a cargo valued at half a million of dollars--La Gama, and Don Jona Sexto, valued at $100,000, besides other vessels of less value. Another privateer called La Irresistable, which left this place in January last, returned a few days ago, having pillaged, destroyed and taken twenty nine sail of Portuguese vessels, among which were three Indiamen of great value--the privateer is said to have brought into this port, upwards of $200,000 in specie.

The Portuguese Consul General, has commenced sundry suits to endeavor to procure the restitution of some of this property. He is said to have attached a quantity of specie deposited in one of the banks, and to have libelled a large Portuguese ship and cargo, which lately entered this port as a prize to the Fortuna. He has moreover directed prosecutions to be undertaken against the reported owners of the privateer in this city, to recover the value of four of the captures; and the judge of the district court has ordered them to give bail each to the amount of $580,000. The following persons have been held to bail: John S. Skinner, the post master of this city; Mathew Murray, the sheriff of Baltimore county; Joseph Harrick, John Snyder, and Joseph Patterson.

"The affair has assumed a serious complexion, and if the Consul is successful, as can scarcely be doubted, must, from the magnitude of the claim, be attended with almost certain ruin to the parties, and probably to their bail, who it is said, are liable to the full amount of whatever may be the recovery against the persons prosecuted; there being in this respect a difference between the admiralty law and the common law.

The same persons have also been arrested upon a criminal charge of violating the act of Congress in fitting out the privateer Fourth of July, to stand their trial in November next."