The Virginia Gazette

PHILADELPHIA, March 31.

Friday last were brought prisoners to this city, a midshipman and 6 seamen belonging to the frigate Delaware, who informs, that the Delaware, Richmond and Sphinx, were the beginning of this month cruising in the bay of Chesapeake; that on the 14th a fleet of six or eight vessels come down, out of which they took the Friendship, commanded by a Frenchman from Baltimore for Marseilles, with 270 hhds. of tobacco, and the sloop Polly, Capt. --, from Alexandria for Amsterdam, aboard of which the above prisoners were put to navigate her to New York; but in the evening of the 21st instant being off Egg Harbour, in company with the Delaware, Sphinx, and a ship full of soldiers, from Halifax for New York, the wind came on to blow very hard, which drove the above sloop on shore on Brigantine Beach, where the vessel and cargo will, in all probability be saved. The people took to their boat, and got safe to the beach. The above ship from Halifax was also drove on Flat Beach, about the same time with the sloop; she proves to be the ship Mermaid, from Halifax to New York, with about 170 Scotch soldiers on board, who, with women and sailors, amounted to about 200 souls, and our accounts say, that only 45 out of that number are saved, the remainder perished. It is farther said, the ship had 30,000l. in specie on board, which is not yet found. The Capt. of the ship is among those who perished; there are several land officers among those who are saved.