The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-12 00:00:00

MEMORANDUM.

In consequence of the reports of the piracies committed on
the coast of Cuba, I was ordered by Commodore Sir Robert
Mends to give escort in the pinnace of the Iphigenia to the
Zephyr and Sarah, two English merchant vessels about to start
from the Havannah. In the pinnace were, besides Myself, Mr.
William Pedder, passed as midshipman, Mr. A. Lane, assist-
ant-surgeon, a cockswain, fourteen seamen, and four Marines.
The Zephyr was a brig of about 300 tons, the master's name
Harrison ; Mr. George Thomas, a Lieutenant in the Navy,
was acting as mate The Sarah was a small schooner out of
Nassau, New Providence, laden with bale goods; her owner,
Lieutenant Podmore, Royal Navy, was on board of her.
Neither the Sarah nor the Zephyr had guns or ammunition.
As it was not unlikely that an attempt to board these vessels
might be made by the pirates, provided the pinnace were
not seen, I went on board the Zephyr, as she, being much
larger than the Sarah, afforded a better ambush for my boat
when hauled up alongside. We got outside the Moro of Ha-
vannah by 7 a.m., and by sun-set the vessels were considered
as sufficiently distant from the land to require no longer my
convoy ; but deeming that I ought to prolong as much as pos-
sible our chance of getting hold of a pirate, I decided upon not
quitting until day-light the next morning. The Sarah was in
consequence directed to keep close to us, to fire a musket if she
saw any thing suspicious, and was supplied with ammunition for
that purpose. At day-light, being between Matanzas and the
Double-headed Shot, two schooners were seen to windward; one
was recognized as the Sarah running down to us ; the other, a
large two top-sailed schooner, having the appearance of a cruiser,
was edging down to the Sarah. About a quarter of an nour af-
ter the stranger hoisted American colours, and fired a musket.
The Sarah hoisted English colours and hove to. Stranger luffed
to, down boat, and sent on board the Sarah, then furled and
kept away for the Zephyr, hoisted her colours. As she ap-
proached we hove to, I got into my pinnace with my crew, and
requested Mr. Thomas to let me know when the schooner was
nearly in the wake of the brig, I stood by to shove off to board
her in the pinnace, because, if she proved honest, all would be
right ; and if she was otherwise, we stood a good chance of sur-
prising her, as the plan we were upon was a novel one on that
coast. Mr. Thomas let me know when she was about pistol
shot distance in the wake of the brig, I shoved off, and boarded
her on the larboard quarter without resistance, for we were
on board too quickly for them to have prepared for it even if
they had been so inclined. As we boarded, some hands abaft
were busy hawling down the American colours, and hoisting
the red, yellow, and blue ensign of Columbia. As her crew
appeared rather numerous, I put about fifteen of them in irons,
and then proceeded to examine what I had got hold• of. She
proved to be the schooner Maria, out of Pampata, Margaritta,
her tonnage about 200 tons, having eight guns and forty men.
The Captain of her (named Baker) produced a commission
from the Republic of Columbia, authorizing him to capture
Spanish vessels, together with a roll of public instructions in
the Spanish language. The letter of instructions from the
owner which accompanied this memorandum, was found in the
Captain's trunk, together with the original of which it is the
duplicate.
Shortly after we got on board the privateer, a large ship was
seen a-head. The Captain of the privateer told me it was a
vessel which he had boarded the evening before. I got the
master of her on board the. Maria and questioned him. He
told me that the boarding officer of. the privateer had treated
him politely, paid him for some potatoes with which he had
supplied him, and detained him no longer than a few minutes
to examine his papers. I likewise sent Mr. Pedderun board
the Neutrality, for I thought it possible that this might
not be the master of her, but one of the prize-masters of
the Maria. Mr. Pedder questioned the crew, andleported
himself satisfied that there was no deception. I requested
Lieutenant Podmore, the owner of the Sarah, to come on
board, that I might have his evidence respecting the board-
ing officer of the privateer. He reported that his conduct
had been perfectly correct. I had strictly examined the privateer
whether there were any bale goods on board, or any thing that
looked like plunder. Finding nothing of that kind, and deem-
ing myself unauthorized to detain her unless I could establish
some act of egression against our commerce. I thought myself
bound, in the absence of any circumstance of a criminatory
nature, to let her go : so, having released the men 1,1),R1 put in
irons, I shoved off from her about one o'clock P. P.M. and pur-
sued my way in thedphigenia's pinnace to Havanna); where I
arrived about noon the following day. •
PRINGLE STOKES,
Lieutenant of his Majesty's ship Iphigenia.