On the 8th inst. early in the morning, the enemy from the eastward appeared off Cape Porpoise harbour in a large Brig of 16 guns, and a top-sail schooner of about 12 guns.  Their design seems to have been to take out a large sloop loaded with lumber, with a schooner then in the Cape harbour; and also to plunder the cattle and sheep on the nearest island.  Accordingly the brig sent in her boat with about 36 to 38 men to take out said vessel.  As soon as the sloop perceived their design they directly made them a present of the contents of her cannon and immediately they turned and landed upon a small island which forms the eastern chops of the cape harbour, known by the name of Goat-Island, with two pieces of cannon.  The brig then came into the harbor and fired upon the sloop, which immediately returned the fire, the schooner came to the mouth of the harbor and did likewise.  When the men in the sloop apprehending their efforts would be in vain, putting into the boats, quitted the sloop and went ashore.  The enemy then took possession of the sloop and the schooner, the latter of which they carried out, and sent off.  A southern breeze suddenly arising drove the sloop ashore on the southwesterly point of the island, and the ebbing tide rendered all means ineffectual to get her off.  An alarm was immediately made in the town, and the militia collected as soon as possible on a large island near to, but separated from said Goat-Island, by a narrow channel, known by the name Trots-Island, with two pieces of cannon, within fair musket shot of the enemy, and began to fire upon them therewith.  Many shots were then exchanged.  The enemy perceiving the militia had cannon, began to think it would be impracticable to get out the sloop, and therefore set her on fire.  The militia then thought proper to move on to Goat-Island, where the enemy had landed, and accordingly forded the channel, some to their middle and others to their arms, exposed to the whole force of the enemy's fire, which was furiously hurled in vollies of manifold death on their centre and rear, from the schooner traveling without the mouth of the harbour; which when the enemy on the island perceived, they fled precipitately to their boat.

The militia arrived just as the enemy were putting off from the shore, and poured in their fire upon them with a brisk and lavish hand, while the whole force of the enemy's artillery was levelled at them, and the cannon ball, grape shot and musquetry flew thick around them like showers of hail, which they heroickly sustained, and continued their fire with unremitting vigour and activity on the enemy for five or six hours.  By reason of wind and tide against them, the brig could not go out, but by towing and warping, amidst the continual fire of the militia on the island; and did not accomplish it until just before night, and with great difficulty got under sail with the schooner without the harbour.  By several of our people who were near enough to make observations, and by one whom the enemy had taken some time before, and who was on board the schooner, an eyewitness of the whole affair, we learn, that there were 14 killed in the boat, and 20 wounded, six of whom died of their wounds soon after they were carried on board the schooner; and but three of the whole crew over the gunwale of the brig unhurt; besides four or five killed in a boat carrying out the anchors to warp out the brig.