Accidents > Dangers of the deep, or, Narratives of shipwreck and adventure at sea

RETURN TO ENGLAND.
captain of our ship, a midshipman belonging
to Monsieur L’Etanducre, jumped into our
boat, and ordered the people to carry him on
hoard the ship he belonged to, leaving us to
wait upon the beach for two hours before the
boat returned. On the 6th of September,
we put to sea, in company with the five men
of war, and about fifty sail of merchant-men.
On the 8th we made Cayco Grande; and
the next day a Jamaica privateer, a large fine
sloop, hove in sight, keeping a little to
windward of the convoy, resolving to pick
up one or two of them in the night, if possible.
This obliged Monsieur L’Etanducre to send a
frigate to speak to all the convoy, and order
them to keep close to him in the night; which
they did, and in such a manner, that sometimes
seven or eight of them were on board one an¬
other together; by which they received much
damage; and to repair which, the whole squa¬
dron was obliged to lay to sometimes for a
whole day. The privateer kept her station,
jogging on with the fleet. At last, the com¬
modore ordered two of his best-going ships to
chase her. She appeared to take no notice of
them till they were pretty near her, and then
would make sail and be out of sight presently.