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							New York Jan[uar]y 	7th 1798
					
					(Copy)


Dear Sir

Last week on my arrival here I wrote Sir Joseph Banks & should have written to you at the same time but hearing that a packet would soon sail I thought proper to write by different opportunities[.] We arrived here in great distress after a passage of 4 months from Gravesend during which period we experienced many difficulties[.] Near the Western Isles. we were stopped by two French Privateers one of which boarded us examined our Papers and let us pass[.] Nothing happened afterwards till the eighth of November[.] Towards night saw 3 sail bearing down upon us one of which was a French Pirate belong[ing] to St Domingo who fired several shot and a volley of small arms into our ship & soon after boarded and took possession of us[.] Next morning we were desired to prepare ourselves to go on board a ..... Vessel bound to Baltimore which they had detained on purpose[.] We were accordingly all together with the Crew of another Vessel bound to Philad[elphia] put onboard the said vessel with only about 4 Days allowance of Water & provision[.] We thought ourselves very fortunate by being released from such savages & I was in great hopes of soon seeing the coast of America but two days after a violent gale damped our hopes & our vessel being a bad sailer and a lazy timid Crew of Dutchman we found ourselves in a most dreadful situation being about fifty three in all we found it necessary to put ourselves to the allowance of half a pound of Black bread made of the husks of Wheat & Rye & 3 half pints of bad water each per diem & we were obliged to lay upon the cables at night with the common men[.] We beat about the Gulph stream for 28 Days without making one degree of Westing[.] I was about bearing away for the West Indies when a schooner from the West Indies bound to New York came up with us and agreed to take the Crew and Passengers of the Ellice[.] We with great danger & difficulty got on board the Schooner & after 4 Days saw Long Island but the Wind being Westerly