DIARY OF CAPTAIN LAMSON 231 



Alicante for Gibralter, and off Almeria 

 near Cape de Gat a, during a calm, two 

 French Privateers rowed up alongside, but 

 a display of hats on hand spikes and sticks, 

 and pointing seven guns on a side during 

 the time they were coming, scared them 

 off. We sat our pennant, and out all light 

 sails and chased them, with a light breeze 

 which sprung up about then. I was so sure 

 I was gone that I had distributed all my 

 money in gold among my crew to secure 

 around their bodies. 



Just as I was giving up chase a frigate 

 hove in sight, and as we sailed quick I 

 availed myself of her convoy in, and ar- 

 rived in Gibraltar but a few hours after 

 her, where I found another schooner of my 

 owner with a similar cargo, but making a 

 miserable voyage. I took on board the 

 spices I left with Horatio Sprague, Esquire, 

 and proceeded home and a few days out, 

 in Longitude 14 West, at daylight in the 

 morning, I think about the tenth of May, I 

 was close on board a French squadron, two 



