The Virginia Gazette

Boston, August 28. We are informed by a Vessel lately arrived from the Bay of Honduras, That the Spaniards had taken all the Flats and one Sloop coming from the New River, laden with Wood for a Ship belonging to Boston, which was waiting at the Old River to take it in: They also took a Sloop belonging to Jamaica. The Master of the Boston Ship having Intelligence of it, immediately got a Sloop, and with some of his Men went directly after the Spaniards, retook the Flat and both the Sloops, and gave Liberty to 25 English Sailors whom Mr. Jack Spaniard had taken Prisoners; and having taken the Spaniards Prisoners, they made them row them up and down where they thought proper to command; after which, the Captain being a Man of Humanity, he chose rather to maroon them, than to hide them according to the Mosquito Fashion.

Not long after, they had Impudence enough to block up the Mouth of the New River with 2 Perriaugers, in order to hinder the Passage of our Flats; but the English Captain soon disappointed their Purpose, by going up with some of his Hands, and with little or no Difficulty took the two Perriaugers, and marooned the Crews.

Not long after the famous Rigadore, who has plied in the Bay, and done so much Damage to the English, having been informed what had happened to the Spaniards, wrote a Letter to the Captain of the English Ship, importing, That he resented very much the ill Usage wherewith he had treated the Spaniards, and that he would be avenged of him, and have full Satisfaction for the Abuse he had given the Subjects of his Catholick Majesty; and insisted upon an Answer: The Captain communicated this Letter to his Men, who all with one Voice cried out, Let us go and give him an Answer by Word of Mouth; which was immediately agreed upon; but there had like to have happened a Quarrel, who should keep the Ship, so earnest were they to go; however the Captain took Forty brave Fellows along with him in a Sloop, and went to the Place where this famous Don was: which was in a Cove where he had hauled his Vessel, and set up Eight Tents on the Shore for his Men, which made a very cautiful Appearance; he planted his Swivel Guns, and a large Cow-horn on the Shore where they were obliged to land; and upon their coming near, did not fail to fire upon the Sloop with all their Power: But the English Captain finding himself near enough, fired his Carriage Guns, Swivels, and small Arms, and landed his Men under the Cover of his Guns; which the Spaniards seeing, immediately retired into the Bushes; but there was no Pains spared to scale the Bushes in the best Manner, which was so effectually done with their own Swivels and our small Arms, that no Spaniard was seen any more for that Time. The Tents and Baggage, of Course, fell into the Englishmen's Hands; and 'tis not likely that they left the Vessel there for the Spaniards to come off in. If all the English were like this Captain, the Spaniards would soon be driven out of those Seas.

If Masters would thus exert themselves, we should not so often hear of Vessels being taken, for 'tis plain that they are poltroon cowardly Rascals; for notwithstanding this famous Don insisted upon an Answer to his Letter from the English Captain, and that he was so complaisant as to carry it himself, he chose rather to forfeit his Tents and Baggage, and bear the Loss of his Navigation, than to stay to receive it in Manner and Form, as all Men of Honour and Courage would have done.