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Saturday, November 22, 2008

November 22. 1779
Today is thick rainy weather. Some of the prisoners who had been kept on shore and our marines who had been guarding them came on board today as well as a few remaining Americans from the Serapis.

Friday, November 21, 2008

November 21. 1779
Captain Jones was off at Amsterdam and returned during the evening three nights ago. He immediately ordered the crews of the Serapis and Alliance to begin moving gear and stores out of the Serapis into the Alliance. Accordingly we worked until midnight that night and all through the past two days employing Dutch boats to assist us in this move. Today all of the Serapis’ American crew came aboard Alliance with Captain Jones taking command of Alliance from Lt. Degge. Captain Cottineau took possession of the Serapis while another French captain took possession of the Countess of Scarborough with French flags flying at the mast of each today. We understand the haste to make this move came by way of intelligence gained by Captain Jones while at Amsterdam from the French Ambassador that the Dutch who are neutral but not wanting to offend the British were planning to seize our prizes and hand them over to the British. We must find room for all of the former Poor Richards and now we have two sets of officers. This will not be a happy ship.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

November 9. 1779
We continue to lay here at Texel. These past few days we have had dirty, thick weather. Yesterday our cutter was sent on shore from the Serapis carrying the Dutch carpenters. Three of our men deserted when they got on shore. Another two deserted today. We have all been busy for the past couple of weeks, one day ordered to get the Serapis jury mainmast out and a new mainmast in, and the next day the order countermanded to get the jury mast back in again. Our men are quite sickly, some of them near death.