as to the main object; but as they sailed quite round
Ireland, and took or destroyed seventeen or eighteen sail of vessels,
they most effectually alarmed England, prevented the great fair at
Chester, occasioned insurance to rise, and even deterred the English
merchants from shipping goods in English bottoms at any rate, so that
in a few weeks forty sail of French ships were loading in the Thames
on freight; an instance never before known.

But upon this, the English Ambassador complained in a higher tone, and
gave us much difficulty; the prizes however were disposed of, though
at a prodigious loss, and Captain Wickes set about repairing and
refitting the Reprisal, which had been obliged to throw over her guns,
and saw some of her beams, to escape a seventy four gun ship, which
chased her and the Lexington on their return from their cruise. But
before he was refitted, orders were sent from Court to detain his
vessel and the Lexington, until further orders. This was owing partly
to Captain Wickes having repeatedly come into the ports of France with
prizes, and refitted his ship for fresh cruises, it being directly
contrary to the treaty, which they pretend to hold sacred, and partly
to the transaction at Dunkirk and the consequent threatenings of the
British Ministry. In this situation Captain Wickes and Captain Johnson
remain at present. Soon after Mr Hodge's arrival, we bought a lugger
at Dover, and sent her to Dunkirk. Mr Hodge went after her and
equipped her with great secrecy, designing a blow in the North Sea. He
sent Captain Cunningham in her, and ordered him to intercept the
packet between England and Holland, and then to cruise northward
towards the Baltic. Cunningham fell in with the packet in a day or two
after leaving Dunkirk, and took her. As she had a prodigious number of
letters on board, he imagined it was proper he should return to
Dunkirk instead of continuing his course; in his return he also took a
brig of some value, and brought both prizes into port. This spread the
alarm far and wide, and gave much real ground of complaint, as he had
been entirely armed and equipped in Dunkirk, and had returned thither
with his prizes. The Ministry, therefore, to appease England ordered
the prizes to be returned, and Cunningham and his crew to be
imprisoned, which gave the English a temporary triumph.

But not discouraged thereby, another cutter was bought and equipped
completely in the port of Dunkirk. Cunningham