State of North Carolina,
New Hanover County.
Before me Thomas Blood worth one of the Justices for the County aforesaid, personally appeared John Adams, who made oath, on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, and sayeth:
That he was at St. Eustatia in February 1777, and there took a Passage in the Sloop called Hewet of Cedar, commanded by Richard Minon, which was going from that place to Charles Town So. Carolina, and arrived in that place in a passage of twenty-eight days, and left the vessel in a few days, and entered as mate on board a schooner commanded by Capt. Wyatt belonging to Messrs Gilliam and Mays of that place bound on a voyage to St. Eustatia and fell in with St. Thomas's and was taken by a Tortola privateer sloop called the Rose, commanded by John Adams of Liverpool and was carried into Tartola, and remained there four weeks, and being much in distress, was obliged to commence mate of a briga bound for Liverpool, commanded by John Cunning of that place, after my arrival there had several offers of employ, did not take up with any of them, but went passage on board of a ship bound for Tortola, James Lee, Master, after my arrival quitted said vessel and shifted mate of a sloop belonging to St. Croix, when I arrived there was offered the command of a schooner belonging to Nathaniel Cruger of that place, loaded with salt and bound for Edenton, in North Carolina, which offer I accepted of and sailed as master of the said schooner called the Favorite, on the 28th of December last and was taken by the ship Galatia commanded by Thomas Jordan on the 8th January and was detained prisoner on board the said vessel one month and
a half and then sent to Augustine and from the misconduct of the master of the Prize going to Augustine the Hinchinbrook took charge of her, at which time I was robbed of my clothes &c. I was put on shore a few days after my arrival at Augustine, I took lodgings at a Tavern, and not having money enough to satisfy my Landlord, was then obliged to take up with the offer of Capt. Osborne who commands the Ranger, to ship with him as a Prize master on proviso he would pay what I was then indebted. That he sailed with said Osborne from Augustine on a cruize the 16th March last and the third day after sailing we took a schooner belonging to Georgia loaded with Rice and Indigo, bound for St. Croix, commanded by Capt. Forster, after which we proceeded to Ocracock, and on the passage came across a small sloop commanded by Capt. Savory, with some salt on board she being of little value stript her of the sails, and scuttled her. Took the pilot on board at Ocracock who promised to conduct us in and out, we then went over the bar, and dropt Anchor between a ship and a Briga lying in that harbor. We manned the pilot Boat and owe order, and went on board the ship, and took possession of her and hoisted out 19 Hhds of Tobacco, and left her, and then went on board the Briga and took possession of her, and cargo, and carried them out of the Harbor. At that time there was coming in a M—— Sloop loaded with salt, which the Sloop boarded and took, which two vessels was sent to Augustine. We the next day came to Beaufort and took a schooner loaded with Tobacco, &c., which this deponent had the command of and was proceeding to Augustine with her, and the wind blowing hard all day, on Saturday the 11th of this instant, and great part of the night, I being below about 12 o'clock was called up by one of the men and was told I was on shore, and verily believe from the misconduct of the sailors, that the vessel got on shore and further sayeth not.
Taken and sworn to this 18th April 1778, before me.