July 13. Look out for pirates !!  

I, Nathan Janett, having lately undertaken to pilot the schr. Farmer's Fancy, belonging to Messrs. Dameron and Williams, merchants of this city, from hence to Pascagoula river, do certify, that in the prosecution of said voyage, on the south end of Dauphin Island I discovered a large topsail schr. mounting upwards of 20 guns, and manned accordingly, which I at first supposed to be a U. S. marine vessel, and that she was probably lying off and on for a pilot-being myself a pilot and well acquainted with this coast, & fearful that the said vessel might be in distress, I determined upon stretching to the westward to ascertain the fact, and after nearing the said vessel, and being convinced that she was not a public armed vessel as I supposed she was, I informed the crew & those on board that I was afraid the said vessel was a pirate. Immediately after this I discovered a brig at anchor, and also a small sloop, near the said schr. all which vessels appeared to be full of men. 

I then distinctly saw the brig lower two of her boats, which were manned directly, and rowed hard to cut me off from the land-one of the boats however returned to the schr. but the other kept up the chase, and having neared us within hailing distance, they accordingly hailed me, first in Spanish then in French, but having no answer given they then hailed me in broken English and said they wanted a pilot. I asked them what was their brig and the other vessels with her; they said they could not tell until they first boarded me. Having prepared myself and everyone on board with such disposable arms as we could find, I told the crew of said boat that if they did not immediately desist I would fire into them; and upon seeing my crew ready to do so, they left me. 

Being now nearly abreast of and close to the three vessels, and thinking it impossible to escape them, I lowered my boat, the vessel moving on slowly at the same time, until I perceived myself out of reach of their guns. Whereupon the schr. armed a large launch and dispatched her after me; and the wind springing up at that moment in my favor, I was able to elude the pursuit by running into Lake Bogue, between Petit Boye and Horne Island, and so proceeded onto the mouth of Pascagoula River. I ought to add that upon my first nearing the said schr. I hoisted my colors, but she showed none until after she had dispatched the launch in support of the small boat, she then showed a jack, but I could not discover what it was. During the whole time that the said vessels were in sight of me, I could discover their boats passing and repassing from one to another. They fired several shots at me while endeavoring to make my escape - and on the next morning I distinctly heard a smart cannonading in the direction of said vessel. 

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Mobile Gazette, July 13, 1820