Gazette Of The United States & Evening Advertiser

Lisbon, Dec. 17, 1793.

Mr. William Bell,

SIR,

WE have just received the inclosed letter by a Portuguese frigate: It is we presume from Capt. M'Shane, who had the misfortune of being captured near the mouth of the Streights, by an Algerine cruiser, and carried a slave to Algiers.— We feel very much for him (having had the pleasure of knowing him here in the Ship Mary Ann, owned by Messrs. Stewart and Barr, of Philadelphia) and all the Americans who have fallen victims to the detested rovers, and it will give us pleasure to alleviate their unfortunate situation.

We are sorry to inform you that on the 5th of Nov. the date of Capt. M'Shane's letter, there were 120 to 130 poor Americans in slavery ; and this is not the worst, the piratical beings came out again into the Atlantic the 29th ult. in search of more plunder, and we fear they will do further mischief. Their cruising now is contrary to their old system of retiring from the ocean in November, and coming out in April ; but they never did much harm to the Portuguese, for since our residence in this city, half a century, they captured but 3 brigs, one ship, and 3 or 4 schooners, and carried them into Algiers.

We hope the United States will soon establish a force to keep those pirates from ever entering the Atlantic again.

We suppose that you have been informed that this Court and Spain grant convoys to your flag, as well as those of the Hanse Towns. Our letters from Gibraltar dated the 25th ult. advise that a Portuguese frigate had taken under her protection 6 Americans, to see them to the westward, out of danger.

This opportunity of Capt. Stafford, to Baltimore, not allowing us more time to enlarge,

We remain, &c.

JOHN BULKELEY & SON.
Extracts from Capt. John M'Shane's letters, dated at Algiers, 2d, 3d, 5th, and 13th Nov. 1793, to his Owner in this city.

Dear Sir,

I have to inform you that on the 30th of August, we were boarded by the Culloden, an English 74, who pressed the chief mate (Andrew Tullock) and three of our men (Edward Kerr and William Brown, the other's name I have forgot) being Englishmen, and sent us one man and two boys instead of them. The man's name is Mott, and has a family in Norfolk, Virginia; the boys' names are Burgess and Smith, apprentices to Captain Conyngham of same place, who with their friends to know where they are.—We had light winds and calms with 25 days of easterly winds on the coast, which was the cause of our long passage. After having run the gauntlet with two frigates, on the 18th October, about 5 leagues from Gibraltar, we were boarded by a zebecque of 20 guns, belonging to this place, who after coming within musket-shot, kept up a constant firing with small arms, until they manned our yards from theirs, then the firing ceased, and they came sword in hand, spared our lives but nothing else, having stripped us of the clothes we had on, and put us on board the zebecque, which brought us to this place on the 30th ult. when we were taken before the Dey, from thence to the Bagno where the slaves are kept locked up at night : next day we were all sent to the marine and kept at hard labor from day light to dark, with an iron chain which reaches from our legs to our hips; about 50 lb. weight, and treated with great severity by our masters, who allow us nothing but bread and water for our subsistence. The wheel-barrow men in your city lived a genteel life to what we do.

Our situation is truly shocking—and how long we can exist, God only knows.

The carpenter, John M'Farlane, a Scotchman, was taken out of the marine, by the British Consul—the sail-maker, John Fogereaux, and two Spaniards, G. Romeo and B. Gazona, were sold at public auction. On the evening of the same day I arrived here, the following masters with their crews were brought in—Captains Wallace, Virginia ; Newman, Boston ; Taylor, Rhode-Island ; Furnace, New-Hampshire; Calder, Gloucester; Burnham, New-York Bailey, Newbury ; Moss, Ditto; Penrose, Philadelphia.

The whole number of Americans is between 120 or 130, they treat the Dutch in the same manner they do us.—Captain O'Brian and Stephens, with their crews are here, 10 of them are living, the rest dead.—If their small number could not be redeemed we have no hopes of relief, therefore endeavour to make ourselves as happy as possible : they ask for my ransom 4000 dollars, first and second mate, 3000 dollars each, and for each man, 1500 dollars. If a peace is not made, or our ships protected, we may expect to increase daily, as we are all employed in the marine, department, fitting out cruisers. I have not yet learned their force, but as there is no check on them, no American vessel will be able to go to Europe in safety. A courier is arrived from Alicant, informing the Dey that Col. Humphrey's is there with full power from Congress, to make a peace, and waits his permission to come, but the Dey I am informed, had refused him.

I remain

Your humble servant.

N. B. Names of the crew on board the Ship Minerva.

John M'Shane, Master; Andrew Tullock, 1st Mate; Samuel Millburne, 2d ditto; John M'Farlane, Carpenter; John Fogereaux, Sail-maker: Abel Willis, Cook.

Seamen—Joseph Rogers, William Brown, Thomas Burdon, William Walker, William Grafton, Gianni Romeo, Barrotami Gazona, John Sutton, Edward Kerr, Joseph Deitz.