Francis Bernard ALS to Charles Read, January 8, 1760

Amboy Jan 28 1760

Sr

Last Night arrived here Mr Kearney from
on board the Hunter Cap Harrison: two days before
they left Port au prince sailed from thence the Betty-
Sally to go thro' the Gulf of Florida in order to
avoid the Men of War, who block up Hispaniola.
Cap Harrison was chased a whole day, when his
fore topmast going over, he was obliged to bring
to the next morning. But having a Philadel-
phia Prize-master on board, the Captn after
a strict examination dismissed him: but decla-
-red, that if it had not been for that, he
would have sent him to Jamaica, tho' he did
not know that he would be condemned.
The Betty-Sally has also a Prize-master on
board, tho', from what I learn, the danger
of the gulf is greater than from the Men of
War in that passage. He sayes, that it was
generally believed at Hispaniola that Coningham
was lost: which I suppose must be so, as he
sailed in October last: that Cap Gardner came
in from the Deleware, in a fine new ship, as
He understood, under a Jersey flag; for he de-
-clared he had not a Philadelphia one. That
the Men of War had sent 2 or 3 returning
flags to Jamaica, as he knew of: and nothing
could escape them. That the number of Phila-
delphia flags was great & had risen the price