The Newport Gazette

COPY of a letter from an officer belonging to his Majesty's ship the Levant, dated Gibraltar, June 27.

"This day we returned from a three week's cruise, particulars as follow: After four days sail from the Strait's mouth, we fell in with a 14 gun privateer, called the Vigilance, having with her a brig from Lisbon, named the May Flower, bound to Bristol, which she had taken two days before. We gave chase, and in two hours came alongside, and engaged her for ten minutes only, when she struck, after having one man killed and three wounded. The weather being moderate, and our Captain finding the brig making off, ordered the Lieutenant on board the privateer, with some men, to cut all the lanyards of her shrouds and stays, to prevent her carrying sail while we pursued the brig, which we came up with in about an hour, and took her without any opposition. Having taken her hands, and replaced them with eighteen of ours, we again made sail for our former prize, which we came up with in about two hours. Our men soon repaired her damage, and without loss of time, put her in a sailing posture. Our Captain, on searching her papers, found the master's name to be Richard Whetter, that she was fitted out at Dunkirk, which place he left twelve days before; and said he had been chased by a two-deck ship, which he supposed to be the Worcester, and got clear of her under the cover of the night.

Our Captain ordered the officer to make the best of his way for Gibraltar, with the May Flower under his convoy; we continued cruising to the N.W. for two days without meeting any thing, till the third day at noon, we saw a deep laden ship, which we gave chase to, and before dark came up with, and fired a shot at her, which so alarmed the crew, that they struck. She proved to be about two hundred tons, called the Plut, Edward Sheera, master, fitted out at Cherbourg, and bound to Boston, having on board two brass mortars, one hundred and fifty swivels, bar iron, one shot, muskets, &c: the whole supposed to be worth three thousand pounds sterling.

We sailed for Gibraltar, which place we made in five days, and had the satisfaction to find our two prizes both safe arrived the day before.

The Raven came in five days before with a valuable prize, called the Vengeance, of ten carriage-guns and six swivels, and laden with rice, tobacco, indigo, &c. which prize he met with about forty leagues to the westward of St. Eustatia."