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Constitution's Prize Norfolk,VA September 15, 1798


In our last paper we mentioned the arrival of a ship of war, taken by the United States frigate Constitution; we are now enabled to lay before our readers, the following statement, detailed by Capt. Nicholson:
            On the 8th inst, in lat. 33 10, long. 70, at 6 A.M. they discovered a sail to which  they gave chase [sic]; at 10 o’clock they got along side [sic] and fired a shot over her, on which she hoisted British colors and fired a shot to leeward.  The 3d lieutenant was sent on board of her and on searching found they had laid a train of gun powder to the magazine to blow up the ship; the officers were dressed in the French naval uniform, and said they were French royalists, and were bound from Jamaica to Philadelphia; they had a commission from the English government, and a register and clearance from Jamaica, all of which appear to be counterfeit; they have no articles, shipping paper, or log book on board; the crew are made up of seven French officers, Frenchmen, Spaniards, three Englishmen, Portuguese, Italians, one American, Dutch, and several negroes,, in all about 75 men.  A British officer, his lady and two children, and an American gentleman (of Baltimore) are passengers.  She is called the Niger, is built of cedar by the Spaniards, was taken by the British two or three years ago, and sold at Jamaica; she mounts 24 guns, nine and twelve pounders, well coppered, sound, and is a remarkable [sic] fine vessel.  It appears she has a large sum of money on board, as well as 30 hogsheads of sugar and 15 puncheons of rum; the crew have a great deal of money, and every one of them an American made trunk full of good, clothes, &c, which it is supposed they have plundered.
            One of the seamen on board the Constitution has, that seven months ago he belonged to a schooner from Portsmouth (N.H.) which was taken by a French privateer, on board of which the boatswain of the Niger was an officer, who stripped him and the crew naked, and sent them into Guadaloupe.  They have behaved in a cruel manner to the passengers, whom they turned out of the cabin; and, we understand, had attempted to poison them by giving them drugs in their wine.  There was every reason to believe the ship was cruising, as she was not consigned to any person in Philadelphia, and it is supposed has different sets of papers.  They had English and national colors both bent, when boarded by the officers of the Constitution; they sailed from Port Royal to Port Antonio with a few hands, and took the remainder on board at that place.
            It also appears that they could not stay at Jamaica, in consequence of a proclamation issued by the government of which the sub-joined are the leads:
            The commander in chief has, with the advice of the privy council, issued a proclamation, under the assize bill, passed last session, ordering that, as of the 1st day of September next all vessels having French people on board arriving at Port Royal from Santo Domingo, shall not be suffered to pass the forts until the French passengers are carried on shore and examined with regard to their principles before John Ramsay, and Dennis O’Farrell, Esqs., appointed by the proclamation, commissioners if police, who ill judge whether they are proper persons to have certificates granted them to go at large in the island--  All all French people of every description, now here, (denizens and naturalized subjects excepted) are to repair before the honorable John Jaques [sic], Kean Osborne, Simon Taylor, Henry Shirley, and Alexander Shaw, Esqs., to be examined by them and to receive from them police tickets, otherwise to e considered improper person to reside in  this island; and every French person traveling in this island without a police ticket is to be taken up and carried before any Justice of the Peace, and in the case of his or her not giving a satisfactory reason for his or her being without it, and the magistrate have reason to suppose he or she is going about with sinister views, to keep him or her in safe custody and send notice  thereof to the commander in chief.
            Lieut. Claiborne is making preparations to receive the prisoners at Fort Norfolk, where they will be landed in two or three days.
            By a gentleman passenger we learn, that the Niger, three days after she was out, retook the outward bound Jamaica ships Favorite and Bou??? Park, captured a short time before by a French privateer, and sent them into Port Antonio.
            By this same gentleman we are informed, that Jeremie was evacuated by the British; and they had accounts at Jamaica, that there had recommenced the evacuation of Cap Nichola Mole.

Fort Norfolk Documents

Before 1794, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1797, 1798, 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1813, 1814, 1815, 1816, 1817, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

Source of Information

Worcester Gazette (Massachusetts) 3 October 1798