Yesterday I was called upon by a Sailor of the name of Charles Blinckhorn, who told me that he lives in West Nottingham in Maryland where he has a Wife & 3 Children, and whither he is now travelling on foot from Boston, where he lately arrived from Sea—

That he sailed as Cook on Board the Brig Betsey commanded by Capn. Joseph Ross out of the Port of Philadelphia in Augt. 1785. That they were taken on the 14th. of Sepr. following by the Algerines, & carried into Algiers—

That the Mar^r^iners were obliged to cast Lots for being put to the Mines or the Gallies or to work at the fortifications— That (after having worked at hard labor for 2 years at Algiers.) he was put on board of a Row Galley commanded by Capn. Lagallow an Algerine—on board of which all the Prisoners were very cruelly used & almost starved—

That a few days after they began their Cruize, (on the 21st of Sepr. 1788) the Galley was taken by Capn. Leghorn a Spaniard, & the Crew carried into New Orleans— where those of the Galley’s crew who were Prisoners to the Algerines were set at Liberty—

That from thence they set sail for the Savannah on which passage the Ship sprung a leak, & all the hands except two were lost, which were himself & John Gaudy, who were taken up in her long boat after having been in it 2 days & 2 nights, by Capn. Robinson in a Schooner bound to Savannah—

So far all the foregoing principal facts that can be supposed to lay in the knowledge of the Subscribers to his Certificate are certified by the said Capn. Robinson, & John Thompson who was part owner of the Brig Betsey (in which this Blinckhorn first put to Sea) as well as by several others at Savannah, who recommend him as an object of Charity to carry him to his Native Country—

That being unable to travel by Land to Maryland, from Savannah (where he was landed by Capn. Robinson) by reason of his bodily indisposition, occasioned by his severe usage among the Algerines, & particularly on account of his lameness (under which he still labours) & not meeting there with any Vessel bound to Phil[adelphi]a. or New-York, he embarked on board of one bound for Boston, whence he is now travelling on foot to Maryland as first mentioned—

That while at Algiers, & working at the Fortifications, he met with a young Man who appeared to him about 25 years of age, of a slender make & tall Stature, & who was kept at very hard labor, who told him that he had been taken by the Algerines during the last War, he being on a Cruizing Voyage in a Privateer—

That his Name was John Livingston, & that he had 2 Brothers, the one named William & the other Brockholst—

That his Father’s Name was also William & that he had lived about 20 years in the Jersies—

That he had (or Blinkhorn thinks he said) 4 sisters & two of them married—

That he (Blinchorn) saw two Men of a more advanced age, at work with this young Man, who were taken at the same time, but whether in the same Vessel or in another in company with her, he does not remember & their names were Reynolds & Minors—

Whether this Man is an Impostor as to what he says relative to my Son is impossible for me to determine; certain it is that he makes such mistakes in his description of his Person, as that he is lame has a cast in his left eye & a scar on his forehead, tho’ he declares that he has frequently messed with him, & with him been harnessed to the same Carriage, as to induce a strong suspicion of his veracity—

But I think that if it could be ascertained that there were two Men on Board of the Saratoga (in which my Son sailed) of the Name of Reynolds, & Minors, (which as she was a Continental Vessel of War, I suppose may be easily ascertained) it might add probability to his Story; tho’ if ^he^ be really a Rogue, he might have informed himself of that fact, the better to colour his imposture—1

If however, you could put me into a way to make enquiry into that Country, I should be much obliged to you; I am sensible of the difficulty of access to that nest of Pyrates— But as the British have a Consul, I think, at Algiers, perhaps a Letter to him from their Consul at New York by the way of London might tend to the discovery— I am Sir your most humble Servant