Folios 262-263: James Bowen, HMS Argo at sea. Sending duplicates of his letters [not...

Folios 262-263: James Bowen, HMS Argo at sea. Sending duplicates of his letters [not now present] from the Cape Coast dated 19 and 20 December last, describing his progress to that date. Says they then proceeded to leeward, assessing the state of all the forts, completed the ship's wood and water and then sailed south to the 'usual track of the Guineamen' bound for the West Indies. They crossed the equator on New Year's Day, windward of St Thomas's, and on the 11th January made Ascension Island. They anchored and heeled the ship to repair a bad leak and hoping to find some turtles, but there were none. They sailed on the 13th, having left notice of the Peace in a bottle, tied to the flagstaff there. Notes that the Kingston, a guineaman, had left a note of her touching there on 10 December. The morning of the 15th they met and gave chase to three vessels, which proved to be the Ganges, Suffolk, and Union, carrying rice from Bengal and bound for London. He intends to convoy them safe to the north of the equator and then return to his cruising, so long as their provisions hold.