Norfolk Gazette And Publick Ledger

On Saturday last arrived here the brig Nancy, captain Decker, 24 days from Dominica, bound to Wiscasset, in want of provisions.

Captain D. gives us the following information—on the 29th of August, lat. 28, 14, long. 67, 14, fell in with the French ship of war L'Iole, of 74 guns, commanded by Mons. Perose de la Croix, who had lost all her lower masts and bowsprit, also her rudder, and otherwise much damaged in her hull. Captain D. was ordered on board with his papers, and detained, his vessel ordered to follow the man of war, with the following vessels, viz.

Brig Polly, Coob, of New-York, from Guadaloupe bound to New-York; brig Sally, Glavina, from Baltimore to Trinidad: schooner Nancy, Glazier, from Martinico to Boston. On the 4th September, they detained the schooner Susanna, Thompson, from Guadaloupe to Philadelphia; also a Danish brig from Matanzas to St. Thomas.

These vessels were all detained, and made to keep company with the L'Eole, to prevent giving information. Captains Thompson and Decker were kept on board the man of war, and were treated politely. The mates and crews of the other vessels were taken out, and Frenchmen put on board.—

They made the best of their way for the Chesapeake; and on the 11th of this month, Cape Henry bearing N. W. by W. distant about 15 leagues, saw from the poop an English Seventy-Four gun ship, also a frigate. In the first instance it was determined to abandon the L'Eole, and to endeavour to escape in the American vessels that were detained; but afterwards they resolved to stand in for the land, and if they could not escape to endeavour to run her on shore.

It would appear that they were not seen by the English 74, or if seen were supposed to be bound to the northward, which course was held until half past 10 at night, when they bore away for the Chesapeake, and got into the Capes about nine o'clock on Friday morning and proceeded up to Annapolis.

All the account that captain Decker could obtain, with respect to the rest of Jerome's fleet, was, that they parted on the night of the 19th August, in the gale.

The following is a translation of a copy of a note given captain Decker by Mons. De la Croix:

"On board the ship L'Eole, vessel of his imperial majesty the emperor of the French, commanded by Monsieur de la Croix, captain de vaisseau, and officer of the legion of honour. This ship was dismasted of her lower masts and bowsprit, and also lost her rudder in a hurricane on the night of the 19th August, in lat. 25, 52, N. and 68, 59, from the meridian of Paris.—Dated on board the said ship in the Chesapeake bay, the 12th September, 1806."