if he knew anything about the matter.  We gave him a dozen of stripes, but he declared that he knew nothing more than that he [the negro] had been Cap’t of a Comp’y all that time.  The other fellow on board the sloop, he said, knew all about it.  We sent to him, & he declared the whole truth, that it was the Florida Indians who had committed the acts under his [the negro’s] command, but did not know if he was consenting to it.  However, to make sure, & to make him remember that he bore such a commission, we gave him 200 lashes, & having pickled him, left him to the care of the Doctor.  Opened a tierce of bread and killed the 2 hogs.

Monday, 3d. Small breeze of wind.  About 10 saw a schooner standing to N’ward.  Gave her chase.

Tuesday, 4th. A fine breeze of wind.  Still in chase of the schooner.  At 5 P.M. gave her a gun, in hopes to bring her to and find out what she was; but she did not mind it, neither hoisted any colors.  Then she bore down on us, tacked and bore away.  We fired 10 shot, but all did not signify, for she hugged her wind, & it growing dark, and having a good pair of heels, she was soon lost sight of.  We imagined she was an eastward schooner both by her build & course; but let her be what she will, she had a brave fellow for a Comr.

Wednesday, 5th. Fine breeze of wind.  The man at the mast head about 2 P.M. spied 5 sail of vessels steering to the westward.  Gave them chase till 1 A.M.  About 2 we could see them at a great distance to leeward of us.  Lay to till 4, and then began the chase again, they having got almost out of sight.

Thursday, 6th. Still in chase of the 5 vessels.  Set our spritsail, topsail & squaresail, with a fair breeze of wind.  One of the ships brought to and fired a gun to wait for a sloop that was in Comp’ with her, & to wait for us.  We took in all our small sails, bore down on her, & hoisted our pennant.  When alongside of her she fired 6 shot at us, but did us no damage.  We still hedged upon her, and, having given her our broadside, stood off.  The sloop tacked immediately and bore down on us, in hopes to get us between them to pepper us, as we supposed.  At sight of this, we gave them three cheers.  Our people were all agreed to fight them, & told the Captain, if he would venture his sloop, they would venture their lives; but he seemed unwilling, and gave for reason, that the prize would be of little profit, if taken, and perhaps would not make good a limb, if it was lost.  He also said we had not hands sufficient to man them, and to bring them into Providence, & to carry them to the N’ward would be the breaking up of the voyage without profit.  Nevertheless we let the sloop come alongside us, & received her shot.  In return we gave her a broadside & a volley of small arms with three huzzas, and then bore down on the ship, which all this time had been pelting us with her shot, but to no purpose.  As we passed, we gave her a broadside which did some damage, for