The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Extract of a letter from Portsmouth, March 12.

" We have an account spread about here from on board his Majesty's sloop the Merlin, concerning the death of the late Captain O'Hara, that he was not murdered by the Moors as was reported, but that he died a natural death. The account is as follows :

When he arrived at the place, the Captain sailed up the river in a tender provided for that purpose, with swivel guns and small arms, and anchored within 2 or 300 yards of the shore, in the Tender's small boat, leaving orders with the people on board to be in readiness with their guns and small arms to fire in case he was attacked by the natives, which was to be made known to them by the firing of a pistol as a signal for their fire. As soon as the Captain landed he was received civilly by the Moors. He told them he was come by orders of the King, his master, to find that place, and likewise to fix the British Flag an English Jack which he brought with him from his own sloop for that purpose] on an old ruined fort which they had : He did not by that intend the least harm. They did not seem to relish his fixing the colours on the fort, and made a little bustle about it ; however, they seemed pacified, and asked the Captain, if the King, his master, had sent them any presents ? He replied in the affirmative, and that if some of them would go on board the Tender, he would shew them the presents ; on which a multitude of them crowded to the Beach in order to launch their boats, or canoes, that were out of the water, to get on board, which the Commanding Officer on board the Tender observing, and thinking that they were coming to seize the Tender, and not seeing his Captain amongst them, immediately gave them all his fire of swivels and small-arms, which killed near twenty of the natives; then he slipped or cut his cable, and made off. The Moors on this directly attacked the Captain and his people, and wounded him slightly before he delivered up his Sword. The Capt. and his people were then made prisoners; and carried up the country. The Moors were satisfied when they found the Captain was not to blame. The poor Captain was seized with a fever in a few days, and for want of proper care, and with grief and disappointment, he died in less than a week. Had he survived,he would have been taken to Senegal,as his people were on a journey of upwards of 200 miles, and there ransomed. It is said the officer in the Tender heard a pistol fired as a signal ; others contradict it ; be it as it will, some fatal mistake was the cause of this poor gentleman's destruction.'