31^st at 5 in the Morning Saw the Brigg a Head Gave her Chace Came up with her about Noon we hoisted our Colours She hoisted English Colours, we Gave her one gun which made them come Tumbling Down.
Sep^tr 1^st We Saw a Sail a Head Giving us Chace She hoisted Englis Colours & we & the Brigg hoisted English Colours She Came Down towards us we Put the Ship about & She Came Close too us we up Parts & Our Colours She put about & we Gave her about 12 Guns Bow Chaces & She Got Clear She was a Small Sloop of 6 or 8 Guns.
Sep^t 2^nd Got Soundings of Cape May 45 Fath^m.
Sep^t 3^rd at Night Lost Sight of The Prise.
Sep^t 4^th Saw a Sail A Privatier Schoner She kept Round us all Day & hoisted English Colours we hoisted English Colours but She thought Best Not to Speak with.
Sep^t 5^th Made the Land at 9 oClock in the Morning the South Side of Long Island against South Hampton & Came to Anchor Under Fishes Island at 12 oClock at Night Saw five Sail at 2 Afternoon Standing to the Westward two of them Ships.
Sep^t 6^th 1778 New London. Arriv^d in this Harbour.
SAILING DIRECTIONS OF THE THIRD CRUISE.
+--------+-------+----------+----------+DaysHCourseObser"n+--------+-------+----------+----------+JulyNo Latt25SW32.1926SSW27EbS32.0728WSW31.3329SE31.2930SSE30.2031SEbS30.30======================================August======================================1SE30.152Calm30.053SE29.444SSW28.385SSW27.026South26.207SWNo Obsn8NNENo Obsn9East26.1510{1East}26.32{9West}11SE26.2412WNWNo Obsn13WNWNo Obsn14StoodOff & on25.3815WSW25.5016WestNo Obsn17WestNo Obsn18Abimenes19West25.3020EastNo Obsn21No Obsn22NW26.0423NE27.4024West{ 28.14{ L78.5425West{No Obsn{ L78.3926NE{ 30.02{ L77.4227NE{30.36{L77.1128NE{32.02{L75.3929NE34.08L74.5130{NE36.02{NbEL73.01{North31{NbW38.10{EastL72.53======================================September======================================1{North38.38{SEL72.522{SE38.46{NbEL72.183{NW38.35{EbSL72.014{NWbW38.25{EbSL72.18539.25L72.06+--------+-------+----------+----------+
An Account of the Months, Days, & Knots the Ship Olv^r Cromwell Run the Third Cruise.
+---------------+---------+------------+MonthsDaysKnots+---------------+---------+------------+July17211August131860September16151+---------------+---------+------------+Total 3441222+---------------+---------+------------+
GUNNER"S REMARKS.
REMARKS OF OUR GUNNER ON CHARLESTOWN, IN S. C.
Charlestown is Pleasantly Situated on Ashley River on verry low Land it was Extreamly well Built but the Fire which happen^d in January last has Spoiled the Beauty of the Place, it may if times alter be as pleasant & Beautifull with Regard to y^e Buildings as ever. But I Cannot Behold such a Number of my fellow beings (altho Differing in Complexion) Dragged from the Place of their Nativity, brought into a Country not to be taught the Principles of Religion & the Rights of Freeman, but to Be Slaves to Masters, who having Nothing but Interest in View without ever Weting their own Shoes, Drive these fellows to the Most Severe Services, I say I cannot behold these things without Pain.
And Expressing my Sorrow that are Enlighten^d People, a People Professing Christianity Should treat any of G.o.d"s creatures in Such a Manner as I have Seen them treated Since my arrival at this Place. & I thank G.o.d who Gave me a Disposition to Prefer Freedom to Slavery.
I have Just mentioned a People Professing Christianity. I believe there is a few who now & then go to Church but by all the Observation I have been able to make I find that Horse Racing, Frolicking Rioting Gaming of all Kinds Open Markets, and Traffick, to be the Chief Business of their Sabbaths. I am far from Supposing there is not a few Righteous there But was it to have the chance which Soddom had, that if there was five Righteous men it Should Save the City. I believe there would be only a Lot & Family, & his wife I should be afraid would Look Back.
Another remark that I shall make is this, Marriage in Most Countrys is Deemed Sacred, and here there are many honourable and I believe happy Matches, But to see among the Commonalty a Man take a Woman without so much Ceremony as Jumping over a Broom Stick at the time of their Agreement, to see her Content herself to be his Slave to work hard to maintain him & his Babs & then to Content herself with a flogging if she only says a word out of Doors at the End of it, and then take his other Doxy who Perhaps has Served him well--and so one Lover to another, Succeeds another and another after that the last fool is as welcome as the former, till having liv,d hour out he Gives Place & Mingles with the herd who went Before him. These things may to some People who are unacquainted with such Transactions appear Strange and Odd, but how shall I express myself--what Feelings have I had within myself to behold one of these Slaves or Rather whole Tribes of them belonging to one Master who Perhaps has the happiness of an Ofspring of beautifull Virgins whose Eyes must be continually a.s.saulted with a Spectacle which Modesty forbids me to Mention. I have Seen at a Tea table a Number of the fair s.e.x, which a Man of Sentiments would have almost Ador,d and a man of Modesty would not have been so Indecent as to have Unb.u.t.ton^d his knee to adjust his Garter--Yet have I Seen a Servant of both s.e.xes Enter in Such Dishabitable as to be oblig^d to Display those Parts which ought to be Concealed. To see Men Approach the Room where those Angelick Creatures meet & View those Beautifull Countenances & Sparkling Eyes, which would almost tell You that they abhor,d the Cruel imposition of their Parents, who Perhaps Loaded with a Plentifull fortune, would not afford a decent Dress to their Servants to hide their Shame from such Sight I have turn^d my Eyes. I would not mean to be two Severe nor have it thought but there are great numbers who have a Sence of the Necessity of a Due decorum keep their Servants in a Verry Genteel manner and do honor to their keepers but those who have Viewed such scenes as well as myself will testify to this Truth & Say with me that Droll appearances would Present themselves to view that in Spite of all that I could Do would Oblige me to give a total grin, the Particular above mentioned altho they appear a Little forecast are absolutely matters of fact & not Indeed to Convey any I^ll Idea to y^e mind.
In a Commertial way by what little opportunity I have had to make any Remarks on them. I find that in Casting up their accounts that there are a Number which Deservs to be Put on y^e C^r Side. But money getting being Mankinds Universal harvest I find as many Reapers as one would wish to see in Such an Open Field for every one to have a fare Sweep with the Sickle which as frequently cuts your purse Strings as anything Else, their Rakes are Most Excellent nothing is lost for want of geathering & you may depend on it their Bins are so Close that But a trifle of what they Put in ever Comes out of the Cracks. Sometimes you will see a small Trifle peep its Nose out on a Billiard Table, now & then the four knaves will tempt a Small Parcell to walk on the Table, & I believe Black Gammon, Shuffle Board, horse Racing, & that n.o.ble Game of Roleing two Bullets on the Sandy Ground Where if there Should be y^e Least Breath air it would Blind you all those would help a little of it to Move & if I added Wh.o.r.eing and Drinking they would Not Deny the Charge. If the things Mentioned above are to be Deemed Vices. I think no Person that Comes to Carolina will find any Scarcity, Provided they have such articles as Suits such a Market. I cannot from my hart Approve of their Method of Living--not but that their Provision is Wholesome but In Genral they Dont Coock it well. Rice bares the Sway, in Room of Bread, with any kind of victuals and Ever in Families of Fashion you will see a Rice Pudding (If it Deserves the Name) to be Eat as we do our Bread, I am affraid of Being too cencorious or I would Remark Numberless things which to a Person unacquainted with Place would even Look Childish to mention but as I only make this Obs^n for my own amus.e.m.e.nt never Intending they Shall be ever seen but by Particular friends. I shall omit any niceities of Expressions and Shall write a few more Simple facts I have seen Gamblers, Men Pretended Friends to you that would hug you in their Bosoms till they were Certain they had Gotten what they could from you, & then for a Shilling would Cut Your Throat. I would not Mean by this to Convey the Idea of their being a Savage people in General. There are Gentlemen of Charracter & who Ritchly Deserve the Name--but as there are Near Seven Blacks to one White Man, the Austerities used to the Slaves in their Possessions, is the Reason as I immagion of their looking on & Behaving to a White Man who Differs from them in their Manners and not bred in their Country in a Way Not much Different from which they treats their Blacks. I Have been told that the Place is Much alterd from what it was Before the Present Dispute & that a Number of the Best Part of People are Moved out of Charlestown for the honour of Charlestown. I will believe it and wish it may be Restor^d to its Primitive l.u.s.ture. However let me not look all on the Dark Side there are Many things well worth Praise, there Publick Buildings are well finish^d & Calculated for the Convenience of Publick & Private Affairs, their Churches make a verry fine Appearance and are finish^d Agreeable to the Rules of Architecture. I do not Mean that they are the Most elegant I ever Saw, but so well Perform^d as would Declare those who Reared them Good Artissts, the Streets are well Laid out & a verry good Brick Walk on Each Side for foot Pa.s.sengers, their Streets are not Pav^d but Verry Sandy, and the heat of the Climate is Such that the Sand is Generally verry Disagreeable & Occasions a number of Insects Commonly Call^d Sand flies, the Lowness of the Land and the Dead water in Different Places in the Town & out of it Occasions another Breed of Insects well Known by the Name of Musketoes. These Creatures are well disciplined for they do Not Scout in private Places nor in Small Companies as tho Affraid to attack but Joining in as many Different Colloums as there are Openings to Your Dwellings they make a Desperate push and Seldom fail to Annoy their Enemy in Such a Manner that they leave their Adversary in a Scratching humor the Next Morning thro^o Vexation. It would be endless to mention the advantages & Disadvantages of the Place but this I am fully a.s.sur^d of. If the White People would be so Industrous as to till the Land themselves and see every thing Done so as to have less of those Miserable Slaves in the Country the Place to me would have a verry Different Appearance. I have heard it Alleg^d as a Pretext for keeping so many Slaves that white People cannot Endure the heat of the Climate & that there can be but verry little done without these Slaves, that there could be but a verry little done is to me a Matter of Doubt, but that there would be but Verry little If the People Retain their Luxury & Love of all kinds of Sport is to me Beyond all doubt. I have Seen more Persons than a few worry themselves at Gaming In an Excessive hot Day in Such a Manner that a Moderate Days work would be a Pleasure to it. These things have convinc^d me of the Foolish wicked and Absurd Notions which People seem to have Adopted in General that Because these Issacars are like Issacars of Old. Strong a.s.ser Couching Down between two Burthens and have not Got the means of Preserving their Liberty were they Ever So Desirous of it and are kept in Such a miserable manner as never to know the Blessings of it. I say these things have Convinc^d me of the Notorious Violation of the Rights of Mankind and which I think no Rational Man will Ever try to Justify.
America my Earnest Prayer is that thou mayst preserve thy Own Freedom from any Insolvent Invaders who may attempt to Rob the of the Same--but be Sure to let Slavery of all kinds ever be Banish^d from thy habbittations.
Fins Camsiocelo.
SONGS.
A SEAMAN"S SONG.
1
Come all you Joval Seaman, with Courage Stout & bold that Value more your Honour, than Mysers do their Gold When we Receive Our Orders, we are Oblig^d to go O"er the Main to Proud Spain, Let the Winds Blow high or Low.
2
It was the fifteenth of September, from Spithead we Sat Sail we had Rumbla in our Company, Blest with a Pleasant Gale we Sailed away together, for the Bay of Biscay, o Going along Storms Come on, and the winds Began to Blow.
3
The winds and Storms increas^d the b.u.mbla Bore away and left the Cantaborough, for No Longer Could She Stay & when they Came to Gibralter, they told the People So that they thought we were Lost, in the Bay of Biscay, O.
4
But as Providence would have it, it was not quite so Bad But first we lost our Missen Mast, and then went off our Flag the Next we Lost our Main Mast, one of our Guns also With five Men, Drowned then, in the Bay of Biscay, O.
5
The Next we Lost our foremast, which was a Dreadfull Stroke and in our Larboar Quarter, a Great hole there was Broke and then the Seas come Roleing in, our Gun Room it Did flow Thus we Rold and we told, in the Bay of Biscay, O.
6
It was Dark and Stormy Weather, Sad and Gloomy Night Our Captain on the Quarter Deck, that Day was kill^d Outrite the Rings that on his fingers were, in Pieces burst Also Thus we were in Dispare, in the Bay of Biscay, O.
7
But when we Came to Gibralter, and lay in our New Hold the People they Came flocking Down, our Ship for to Behold they Said it was the Dismalest Sight, that Ever they Did know We never Pind, But Drunk Wine, till we Drowned all our Woe.
A COUNTRY SONG.
1