The New Hampshire Gazette

BOSTON, April 21.

Extract of a Letter from on board the Ship King of Prussia, Thomas Woodward, Master, who sailed from this Port the 14th of December last; -Dated St. Christopher's January 31, 1760.

We arrived here the 7th inst. where we found the natives very sickly: in our passage we met with extreme bad weather, which obliged us to throw overboard two of our guns, and the lumber off our decks.--Fifty leagues to windward of Antigua, we fell in with two French privateers of 12 guns each, and full of men, who engaged us for some time, and then dropt astern, hauled down their French colours and hoisted the bloody flag, and again began their fire which continued without intermission, 5 hours, thinking thereby to have disabled us, but were disappointed, for we returned their salutes not much to their satisfaction; however they dogged us all night, and in the morning renewed their fire with great warmth, and made preparations for boarding us; we reserved our fire till they were close alongside, then gave it them as warm as they could well dispense with, which obliged them to drop astern to repair their damage, which done, they came up again and made it one continued fire till dark, during which time we continued to return their compliments with great bravery: we received considerable damage in our sails and rigging, but had not one man wounded, though many of their shot came through our stern and dropt upon deck. By a flag of truce since arrived from Martinique, we hear the sloops had 120 men each, that we shot away the captain's arm, killed one Lieut. and 4 men, wounded 14, nine of them mortally, with other damage, which obliged them to break up their cruize.-- It would have given you pleasure to have seen with what conduct, bravery and resolution Capt. Woodward behaved, and really believe if there had been 12 sloops instead of 2, he would not have struck to them.