oh the year was 1778 a letter of mark came from the king to the scummiest vessel i d ever seen god damn them all i was told we d cruise the seas for american gold we d fire no guns shed no tears i m a broken man on a halifax peer the last of barrett s privateers well elcid barrett cried the town for twenty brave men all fisherman who would make for him the antelope s crew the antelopes sloop was a sickening sight she had a list to the port and her sails in rags and the cook in the scuppers with the staggers and jags on the king s birthday we put to sea it was ninety one days to montigo bay pumping like madmen all the way on the ninety sixth day we sailed again when a bloody great yankee hove in sight with our cracked four pounders we made to fight the yankee lay low down with gold she was broad and fat and loose in stays but to catch her took the antelope two whole days  then at length we stood two cables away our cracked four pounders made an awful din but with one fat ball the yank stove us in the antelope shook and pitched on her side well barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs and the maintruck carried off both me legs so here i sit in my twenty third year it s been six years since i sailed away and i just made halifax yesterday 