Saturday morning, was fine weather I had given instructions to the mates, to have purchases up, at each hatchway, the ship having three--to discharge ballast, at the main hatchway, & to receive Flour forward, & abaft, with two gangs of Stevidore in the hold--at about Sunrise, I went up to _lazy corner_, so call’d, & pressed every Negro into my service, that came upon the stand, & sent them on board the ship, untill I thought there were as many, as could work. I then visited the Sailors boarding houses, where I shipped my crew, paid the advane to their landlords, & took their obligations to see each sailor on board, at sun-rise the next morning.--It had now got to be about 12 ^{o}Clock & the ship must be cleared at the Custom house at, or before, one--I accordingly prepared a Manifest & went to the Custom house to clear the Ship--M^{r.} Taylor, the collector, knowing my situation, with the ship; _said_ why Cobb, what is the use of clearing the ship, you cannot git away, the embargo will be here at 10 to morrow morning, & even if you git your ship below, I shall have boats out that will stop you, before you can git 3 leagus to sea. Said I, “_M^{r} Taylor_, will you be so kind as to clear my Ship--Oh yes’ said he, I cannot refuse, (untill the embargo arrives; & accordingly the ship was cleared & I returned on board, & found all things going on well.--finally--to shorten the Story--at 9 that evning, we had on board 3050 Barrels of Flour, our long boat on board in the chocks, water, wood, & provision on board & stowed, a pilot engage, & all in readiness for Sea. [Sidenote: A Feat of Loading] The tide wou’d serve at 8 ^{[o:]}Clock on sunday morn, & we could not go before, & at 10 the embargo was expected--well, “the morn” arrived, the sailors were bro^{t.} on board by their Landlords, the pilot came on board, & at 8 ^{o}Clock we started with a fair wind, down a crooked nerrow river, but the wind dying, our progress was Slow, & when we entered Hampton roads, it had got to be after 11 ^{o.}Clock, and nealy calm--feeling anxious, I kept a sharp look out a stern, & with my glass, I saw about 12, a boat comeing down, under the full opperation of sails & oars--well,’ said I, to the mate, I fear, we are gone--but very soon I saw, to appearance, a fresh breeze coming off from the South shore, I saw that the boat, had already taken it--I then ordered all the light sails set, ready to receive the breeze.--when it reached us, the boat was so near, that with my glass I trace the features of the men--but in 10 munuites after I took it the boat give up the chace & turn’d back, and I went to sea without further molestation.-- By the pilot, I wrote my Owners, informing them of my running away from the Embargo, & then proceeded on for Cadiz, & carraied to that port the first news of the Embargo.