1292 MISCELLANEOUS. 



the Madison was solely upon the suspicion that her master had been 

 engaged previously in an affray with the boat of a British man-of-war. 



Mr. Towneau, a midshipman of the Dotterel, in his examination, 

 gives the following account of the seizure of the schooners Reindeer 

 and Ruby: 



"I recollect while in Gull cove of having received information on a 

 Sunday, from some men and a Mr. Franklin, that several American 

 fishing vessels were at anchor in White Head harbor, and that they 

 anchored there the evening before ; that on their anchoring one of them 

 fired three muskets, and said they were armed and manned and would 

 oppose OUT boarding them. I acquainted Mr. Jones with the informa- 

 tion I had received, who went immediately in the small boat to cruise, 

 and returned in the evening. He told me that he had boarded an Eng- 

 lish fishing schooner (Industry) near White Head, who gave him infor- 

 mation that several American schooners were at anchor at Two 

 Island harbor, and that they got their wood and water at White Head. 

 They fired several muskets on their anchoring, and told the crew of 

 the Industry they would not allow a man-of-war's boat to board them; 

 and after they completed their wood and water, they shifted to Two 

 Island harbor. We got the yawl under weigh about nine o'clock in 

 the evening and went towards Two Island harbor, and anchored about 

 two o'clock in the morning. At daylight we observed several vessels 

 at anchor at Two Island harbor, and shortly after got under weigh, 

 when we chased them. Observed three of them lashed together, and 

 all the crews collected on board the middle one. We ordered them to 

 separate, which at first they refused to do, until Mr. Jones threatened 

 to fire on them. They dropped clear of each other. We boarded 

 them, and detained the American schooners Reindeer and Ruby." 



These vessels were rescured, as has been related, off Eastport. Mr. 

 Jones, the prize-master, in his report of the affray, states that 



"It being fine weather, and they not being in want of wood or 

 water, I detained the Reindeer and Ruby, and put their men, with the 

 exception of the masters, on board the two American schooners, with 

 provisions for a passage to Lubec, and made sail in the Reindeer and 

 Ruby for St. Andrew's, through East Quoddy. Apout 6 p. m., when 

 abreast of harbor De Lute, I observed two schooners, and an open 

 boat full of armed men, muskets and fixed bayonets, hoisting Ameri- 

 can colors; one of them went alongside Mr. Towneau, in the Ruby, 

 boarded, and took the arms from him and his three men: the one 

 abreast of me was kept off for about a quarter of an hour, when they 

 commenced firing into us. Though with great reluctance, I thought 

 it most prudent to surrender to such superior force, having but four 

 men, one musket, and three cutlasses. 



"On delivering them up, I found there were in the two schooners 

 about a hundred armed men, (including the crews of the schooners, 

 about thirty in number,) the rest having the appearance of militiamen, 

 and headed by a Mr. Howard, of Eastport, said to be captain in the 

 United States militia."* 



The Magnolia was charged with fishing while at anchor in a harbor, 

 but the master averred that he caught no fish within fifteen miles of the 

 coast; that he went into the harbor for shelter, and for wood and 

 water; and that his only offence consisted in the purchase of a barrel of 

 herrings for bait. The Magnolia was, however, condemned. 



* This statement we have shown to be incorrect in several particulars. 



