I was favoured with a good passage, and arrived safe in Boston, a subject of the most intent speculation; how it was managed to clear out, a _cargo of Spanish goods_, from Gibralter, under the _British orders in Council_.--But, I had made a good voyage for all concerned, & return’d to my family. I remained but a short time with my family, when I received a letter from Mess^{r} Bixby, Vallintine & co, requesting that I would go on to New York, & take charge of a Ship, belonging to them, called the W^{m.} Tell, for a voyage to Europe--accordingly, I went to Boston, and after receiving instructions from my Owners, I took the stage for N. York and took charge of Ship, & fitted her, with all posible dispatch for sea--I then proceeded to Alexandria in Virginia, where I loaded the ship with Flour, and went for Cadiz, in Spain, where I sold my Cargo, Ballasted the ship with stones, and returned to Norfolk in Virginia--where I found letters from my Owners with provisions, from Boston, for another voyage, and orders to go up to Alexandria & load--but, as a part of my crew wished their discharge and others were to be shipped to supply their places, a few days detention was unavoidable-- [Sidenote: Mr. Madison’s Embargo] While this process was in opperation, a most violent _storm_ came on, & as I had discharg’d the most of the crew, I was on board the Ship, assisting in secureing the ship to the Wharf, when M^{r.} Fisk, the Merchant with whoom I advised, came down the wharf & told me, that he had just received a _dispatch_ from M^{r.} Randolph, in Congress, saying to him, _what you do, must be done quickly_ for the embargo will be upon you, on Sunday at 10 A M.--it was now Fryday P. M, & a violent storm, well,” said M^{r.} F, what can we do Cobb, why said I, if we can hold the ship to the wharf, while it blows so hard, I shall be glad--We can, however, see, where we can git the cargo, & if it is fair to morrow much may be done--In fact much must be accomplish’d in order to effect our object _viz. to cheat the Embargo_. We had about 100 Tons of stone Ballast on board, which must be landed, upward of 3000 bbls of Flour, to take in and stow away, provisions, wood & water to take on board, a crew to ship, to clear at the custom H. and, to git the ship to sea, before the embargo gits possession--and all this must be done, between Saturday morn” at day light, & sunday morn at 10 ^{[o:]}Clock, in the month of Dec^{r.}--We found, upon enquiry, that, we cou’d have our supply of Flour from a block of stores, direct along side of the Ship, & by giving ⅜^{th} of a dollar extra, we had liberty, if stopped by the embargo, to return it--