June 1778 Thursday 4th:
[Roenock1 SWbS distance about 4 Miles]
at 5 AM saw a Sail ahead gave Chace ½ pt: 6 Spoke the Chace which proved to be the Active Privateer Sloop from New York2 ½ pt. 9 saw a Sail NWt: gave Chace at ½ pt. 11 Saw Several Vessels lying within Ockerccock bar3 at Noon the Entrance of the bar bore NWt: distance about 3 or 4 Miles—
[Roenock SWbS distance about 4 Miles]
Light Breezes & Clear Wr: at 2 PM gave Chace to a Small Sloop which came out of Ockerccock & Stood SWt: at 6 fired several Guns & Small arms at the Chace. 7 she brot: too sent a Prize Mastr: & 5 Men on board her4 at 7 in 2nd: Reefs Topls: at 8 a boat made Sail & Stood to the Eastwd: Cape lookout bearing WNWt: about 3 Leagues. at 10 finding the Water Shoal fast hove in Stays but the Ship not going about attempted to Wear on doing of which She Struck on lookout Shoals & there being a high Sea She beat over in 11 feet Water & fell into 4 fm: at the Foresail & topsail but finding the Rudder unhung at the Best Br: from the Bows & let it go which brought her up in 4½ fm: water got the Pinnace out & sent her Sounding5
D, UkLPR, Adm. 51/61, part 1, fol. 30.
1. That is, Roanoke I., North Carolina.
2. Liverpool letter of marque sloop Active, John Powell, commander.
3. That is, the bar outside Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina.
4. Sloop Fancy, John Steele master, Westmore & Steele owners, on a voyage from Ocracoke Inlet to St. Eustatius with a cargo of tobacco; sent to New York. Howe's Prize List, 30 Oct. 1778, UkLPR, Adm. 1/488, fols. 487–88.
5. The weather became more moderate by morning. Ariel’s rudder had been damaged, but the ship’s carpenters were able to repair it by the afternoon of 5 June. UkLPR, Adm. 51/61, part 1, fol. 31.
