aloupe, we saw a large ship at
anchor on a bank about a mile from the land, with the British ensign
at her peak, and a pennant streaming from her mast-head, sufficient
indications that we had fallen in with one of John Bull's cruisers. But
Captain Turner, conscious that his schooner was an American vessel,
and had been regularly cleared at St. Pierre, with a cargo of rum and
molasses, and there being no suspicious circumstances connected with
her appearance, her cargo, or her papers, apprehended no detention or
trouble from the British man-of-war.

A boat was soon seen to put off from the frigate, and it was not long
before it was alongside the John. An officer stepped on deck, and
politely asked the privilege of examining the ship's papers. This was
accorded. After having ascertained we were from a British port, the
officer coolly remarked it would be necessary to take the schooner
nearer the land and bring her to anchor, in order to institute a
thorough search into the true character of the cargo. He added that the
frigate was stationed there for the express purpose of intercepting and
overhauling such Yankee vessels as might pass along.

A signal was made to the frigate, and two additional boats were
despatched, which took our small vessel in tow, and in less than an hour
we found ourselves at anchor, in thirty fathoms of water, within half
musket shot of an English man-of-war. The launch was soon alongside, the
hatchways were taken off, tackles were rove, and a gang of the frigate's
crew went to work breaking out the cargo and hoisting it into the
launch. After the launch and other boats were laden, they hoisted the
casks on deck, and continued the operations in no gentle manner until
they reached the ground tier. They thus examined every cask, but found
nothing but molasses and rum.

They then commenced "stowing the cargo," as they called it; and the
hogsheads of molasses were tossed into the hold, and handled as roughly
as hogsheads of tobacco. It was about sunset on the following day when
the last cask was stowed. The anchor was then weighed, the sails
set, and the lieutenant, having put into the hands of the captain a
certificate from the commander of the frigate that the schooner had been
searched, for the purpose of preventing a repetition of that agreeable
ceremony, told him he was at liberty to go where he thought proper, and
politely wished him a pleasant voyage.

Our vessel was thus detained twenty-fou