[Footnote 4: "The royal ship called the Ganj-i sawai, than which there was no larger in the port of Surat, used to sail every year for the House of God [at Mecca, or to Jiddah, its port]. It was now bringing back to Surat fifty-two lacs of rupees in silver and gold, the produce of the sale of Indian goods at Mocha and Jedda." Khafi Khan, ubi sup.]

[Footnote 5: Urdu nakhoda, captain or master of a vessel.]

[Footnote 6: The Mogul's governor of Surat, Itimad Khan.]

[Footnote 7: Suwali, the port of Surat.]

[Footnote 8: Caravanserai, or place for public business.]

[Footnote 9: Agent or envoy.]

[Footnote 10: Urdu umarā, grandee of the great Mogul's court.]

[Footnote 11: Urdu sīdī, a title given in western India to African Mohammedans of high position under the Mogul. The particular sīdī here mentioned was probably Kazim Khan, admiral to the Mogul.]

On the 28th past, We received a Letter from the President and Councill by the Governour's permission, Coppy of which is enclosed with a Coppy of Our Answer. Wee have also wrote the Governour a Second time and the Vockanavis, Cozze and Hurcorra,[12] and have sent a Letter to the King, Asset Cawn, and the Cozyse[13] att Court, endeavouring as much as possible to allay the heat, by clearing our innocency, and have promised that if Our Shipping arrives according to Expectation, that wee will send one or two next Season to Mocho and Judda to convoy their Fleet.

[Footnote 12: News-writer (wakanavis), civil judge (kāzī, cadi), and messenger.]

[Footnote 13: Kazis.]

Wee are informed, that one English man in Surrat carrying to Prison, was so wounded by the Rabble, that he dyed three days after, and that severall others were barbarously used. it is certain the Pyrates, which these People affirm were all English, did do very barbarously by the People of the Gunsway and Abdul Gofors Ship, to make them confess where their Money was, and there happened to be a great Umbraws Wife (as Wee hear) related to the King, returning from her Pilgrimage to Mecha, in her old age. She they abused very much, and forced severall other Women, which Caused one person of Quality, his Wife and Nurse, to kill themselves to prevent the Husbands seing them (and their being) ravished. All this will raise a black Cloud att Court, which We wish may not produce a severe storme.

The Pyrates, being neglected of all hands, begin to grow formidable, and if some Course be nott taken to destroy them, they will yearly increase, having found their trade so beneficiall, and how soon the Companys servants, as well as their Trade, may be sacrificed to revenge the Quarrell of the Sufferers, they know not.

61. Letter from Venice. May 25, 1696.[1]

[Footnote 1: London, Privy Council, Unbound Papers, 1:46, accompanying our no. 58.]

Coja[2] Panous Calendar has received a Letter from his Friend at Venice, dated the 25th May last, S.V., which advises him That he received a Letter from Spahaune[3] dated the 16th of December last, which sayes that Four ships, one of the Mogulls, and Three belonging to the Merchants, were coming from Mocha and Juddah to Surratt, mett with a Pyrate who took them and Plundered them of the Gold and Silver and goods on board them, and then let the ships go, who arriving at Surratt complained thereof to the Governour, and that the Pyrate was under English Colours. The Governour thereupon setts Guards upon the Companies House and sends up the Account to the Mogull.

[Footnote 2: Persian khōjah, scribe.]

[Footnote 3: Ispahan.]

Coja's Letter does not give an Account when the Ships returned to Surratt, but believes it must be in the beginning of September, that being the time when Ships return from Mocha to Surratt.

62. Abstract, Letters from Ireland. June 16-July 7, 1696.[1]

[Footnote 1: London, Privy Council, Unbound Papers, 1:46, accompanying our no. 58.]

An Abstract of Letters relating to the Sloop Isaac of Providence, whereof Captain Thomas Hollandsworth Commander.[2]

[Footnote 2: Providence here means New Providence in the Bahamas. Hollingsworth was one of those who came from Madagascar to New Providence in the Fancy with Every. Calendar of State Papers, Colonial, 1700, pp. 278, 411.]

Thomas Bell Esqr., Sheriff of the County of Mayo, in his Letter of the 16th of June 1696 says That on the 7th instant came into Westport[3] a small Vessell of about 30 tuns, whereof he had no account till the 14th, upon which he immediately went thither, and only found the Master, whom they call Captain Thomas Hollinsworth, and two men more on board. That they had no other Loading but Gold and Silver, which they conveyd away, and sold the Ship to one Thomas Yeeden and Lawrence Deane of Gallway, Merchants. It was a very considerable Sume they had, of which Mr. Bell desires the Government may be informd, that he may have further direction therein; And adds that he found two baggs of about Forty pound worth of Mony not passable in this Kingdom,[4] in the hands of the said Mr. Yeeden and Mr. Dean, and took their Bond of a hundred pound to have the same forthcomeing to answer the Governments pleasure.

[Footnote 3: A seaport in northwestern Ireland, co. Mayo, about 40 miles north of Galway in a direct line, but a much larger distance around the coast.]

[Footnote 4: Foreign coin; e.g., Indian or Arabian.]

The said Mr. Bell in his Letter of the 20th of June further says, That since the writing of the above Letter he mett two of the Crew belonging to the said Vessell, by name, James Trumble and Edward Foreside, in whose hands he found about 200 l., and seizd on their persons and goods, but found none of the said Guilt or Bullion in their Custody, and now hath them with their said goods in his hands, and hopes to find a great deale more of the said Guilt and Bullion in the Country, or those that carry it away, the common report being that the said Ship was worth Twenty Thousand pounds in Gold, Silver and Bullion; And further adds That he receivd a Warrant from Sir Henry Bingham, Barronet,[5] and John Bingham, Esquire, requiring him forthwith to produce the said Trumble and Foreside with their Goods before them, which he obeyd and will give a further account per next post.

[Footnote 5: The third baronet, grand-uncle of the first earl of Lucan.]

Mr. Farmer Glover, Generall Supervisor of the Revenue, in his Letter of the 25th of June from Gallway says, That having had some Account of a sloop being putt into Westport he hastned thither, but she was gon thence (the day before he gott there) towards Gallway; On examinacion he found she came from New Providence in America by Cocquett[6] from thence, had on board Three Tunn and a half of Brazelett[7] Wood and a great quantity of Coyne and Bullion; It is likewise reported that before her Arrivall at Westport she putt into a place calld Ackill[8] and there landed severall Passengers and Goods; That the Officer at Westport says he dischargd at one time 32 baggs and one Cask of Mony, each as much as a man could well lift from the ground; That there are severall Reports in the Country, some saying she was a Privateer, others a Buckaneer, or that she had Landed some of the Assassinators,[8a] which no doubt but their way of comeing into the Country gave great cause of Suspition, for as soon as they had Landed they offerd any Rates for Horses—Ten pounds for a Garran[9] not worth Forty shillings and Thirty shillings in Silver for a Guinea for lightness of carriage;[10] That on these consideracions he seizd the Sloop untill Bond was given according to Law; That she is sold to two Merchants of Gallway and designd to be fraighted out soon.

[Footnote 6: In old days, a certificate from customs officials that merchandise on board had paid its duties.]

[Footnote 7: Braziletto, a dyewood.]

[Footnote 8: The Isle of Achill lies off the Irish coast, northwest of Westport.]

[Footnote 8a: Conspirators for the assassination of King William, in connection with the plot headed by Robert Charnock and Sir George Barclay. Several had been executed this spring, but some were at large.]

[Footnote 9: An inferior Irish horse.]

[Footnote 10: I.e., because the gold was so much lighter to carry. In 1695, 30 shillings for a guinea would not have been an unusual price in London (Great Britain then had the silver standard), but the Recoinage Act passed in January, 1696, had enacted that it should be penal to give or take more than 22 shillings for a guinea.]

Mr. Lee the Collector of Gallway, in his Letter of the 26th of June, gives an Account That the Sloop that lay at Westport is come into the Harbour of Gallway; That the Master hath made Report of his Ship and Invoyced upon Oath at the Custom House, and entred into Bond with Security not to depart without Lycence as usuall; That the Master says each person on board took his share of the Silver and Gold and went away with it, That Mony paying no Duty, and being frightned in thither by a Privateer, there being no place there to make a Report, he could not hinder the men to carry off their Fortunes, but on Oath denys the knowledge of any other Goods whatsoever; That the Officer placed on board swears that since he came thither he did not see dischargd or carried out of the Ship any Goods whatsoever but Mony and Melted Silver, of which they took out 32 baggs and one small Cask; That he opened severall of the baggs, in which were Dollars,[11] and that this quantity belongd to two men and the Master, the rest being carried away and the men gon, they have brought part of their Mony hither by Land, And that the Sheriff hath caused part of it to be Lodgd in the Country untill further Order. The said Mr. Lee has also inclosed a Copie of the Masters Pass and Clearings at the Custom House in Providence, And that the Captain of the Sloop brought a Pacquett for His Majestie and deliverd into the Post Office in Gallway.

[Footnote 11: I.e., presumably, Spanish money.]

Mr. Vanderlure, Collector at Ballinrobe,[12] in his Letter of the 2d of July writes, That he has usd all Lawfull ways and means to discover what Goods were Landed on that Coast where the Sloop from New Providence arrivd, which was near Westport, but before that she sett on Shoar at Ackill head about a dozen Passengers, English and Scotch, who had a considerable quantity of Gold and Silver Coyne with some Bullion. most part of the latter they parted with at Westport and elswhere, but as for any thing else he cannot learn they had; That he has in his keeping in a small bagg about 5 l. worth of broken Silver belonging to Mr. Currin and Mr. Samuel Bull and likewise about 9 l. worth of course melted Silver Securd with one Mr. John Swaile in Foxford,[13] which also belongs to them, which they alleadg they brought from the aforesaid Passengers; That there is one Crawford, a dweller in Foxford, who told the said Mr. Vanderlure and others, That there was one of the Passengers who had some peices of Muslin[14] in a bagg. the said Crafford absented himself when Mr. Glover and Mr. Cade were at Foxford to examin that matter, but there is a Summons left at his house to appear at Gallway on Munday next to give his Testimony and knowledge therein; That assoon as the said Mr. Vanderlure had notice of that Sloop being in that part of the Country he desird the Surveyor to send an Express to Mr. Lee, the Collector of Gallway, to acquaint him of the Vessell's Arrivall, which accordingly was don and an Officer sent from Gallway who went in the Vessell thither; That two of the Ships Crew are st[op]t and in Custody of the High Sheriff of the County of Mayo by a Warrant from Major Owen Vaughan, a Justice of Peace, upon an Information of one of the Passengers That that Sloop was the King's Pacquett Boat. they have 2700 plate Cobbs[15] in the sheriffs hands, which he secured when he Seizd the said persons. It is said they have about 100 worth of the Coyne. The names of the said Seizd persons are Edward Foreside and James Trumble, who desire themselves and cash might be removd to Dublin, to answer what shall be laid to their Charge.

[Footnote 12: About 20 miles southeast of Westport, between that place and Galway.]

[Footnote 13: About 20 miles northeast of Westport.]

[Footnote 14: Muslin (meaning organdie; from Mosul in Mesopotamia) was not then made in Europe, but was brought from India.]

[Footnote 15: Plate means silver. Cob was the name then used in Ireland to designate Spanish pieces of eight (dollars). Sir William Petty, Political Anatomy of Ireland, p. 71.]

Mr. Bartholomew Cade, Surveyor at Ballinrobe, in his Letter of the 2d of July says he has been with Mr. Glover according to the Commissioners directions, and for an account of their proceedings in each particular referrs to Mr. Glovers Letter.

Mr. Glover in his Letter of the 3d of July from Gallway gives an account That he is returned from Ballinrobe District, where he has been making all strict Enquiry about the Sloop putt in at Westport, and says, That as yett there appears no substantiall proof of any Goods Landed lyable to Duty, except such as were taken by the Officer, Mr. Currin, which he says he had seized from them, that the said Mr. Glover has taken them from the officer and deliverd them into the Custom House. As for the 14 pound 3/4 worth of Silver bought by the Officer, it is in Charge with the Collector Mr. Vanderlure. No question but the Master of the Sloop hath forfeited and been lyable to the Penalty according to Law, for by Affidavit of one of his Sailers he proves that at Ackill, where they first landed their Passengers, there being no Officers present, there was taken off board and Landed severall large baggs belonging to the Passengers. what was in the baggs he cannot tell, but that they were stuffed full of something. That the said Mr. Glover had likewise Informacions from severall persons that they heard one George Crawford of Foxford say that he had seen Eight peices of Muslin with some of the Passengers which came out of the Sloop. That he went to Foxford to examin the said Crawford, but he went out of the way so that the said Glover could not see him, but left a Summons at his house for his appearing at Gallway the Munday following.

Mr. Humphry Currin, in his Letter of the 7th of July from Gallway, says, That a small Sloop from the West Indies Landed at Ackill about 10 or 12 Passengers and that he saw them at Westport and one of them was putting something in a bagg which he examined and found 5 yards and 1/2 of Striped Muslin, 2 yards and 1/2 of Cottened Cloth, 2 yards of Quilted Linnen, with 10 small Cravatts and 4 Silk Handkerchiefs, which he then Seizd as lyable to Duty, and said he must carry them to the Custom House of Gallway; That he supposd the Kings share would be remitted and ignorantly gave him the next day 4 Cobbs for it and told him if the Law would allow him more he should have it; That the said Currin shewd the Linnen to Mr. Cade and told him he must go with them to Gallway, but delayd it till after the next Office; That he was advisd to carry the Passengers to a Justice of Peace, which he accordingly did; That he bought for himself and a friend 5 pound of broken silver and 9 pound of melted course Silver and deliverd it to Mr. Glover's Order.

63. Examination of John Dann. August 3, 1696.[1]

[Footnote 1: London, Public Record Office, C.O. 323:2, no. 25 IV. Endorsed: "In closed in Mr. Blackborne Secretary to the East India Company his letter of the 18th December 1696", as to which letter see Calendar of State Papers, Colonial, 1696-1697, pp. 259-264.]

The Examination of John Dann of Rochester, Mariner, taken the 3d of August 1696.

Danns Examination.

This Informant saith that 3 yeares agoe he was Coxwain in the Soldado Prize, That he deserted the said shipp to goe in Sir James Houblons[2] Service, upon an Expedition to the West Indies, under Don Authuro Bourne. hee went on board the James, Captain Gibson Commander, and the whole Company shifted their Ship in the Hope, and went on board the Charles in which they went to the Corunna. The Shipps Company mutinied at Corunna for want of their pay, there being 8 months due to them; some of the men proposed to Captain Every, who was master[3] of the Charles, to carry away the Shipp, which was agreed on and sworne too; accordingly they sayled from the Corunna the 7th of May 1693.[4] when they were gone out they made up about 85 men. Then they asked Captain Gibson, the Commander, whether he was willing to goe with them, which he refusing, they sett him a shoar, with 14 or 15 more.

[Footnote 2: An alderman of London and a director of the Bank of England. "Sir Arthur Bourne, an Irish commander, who has served on board the Spanish fleet 5 years; he is to command 5 English and Dutch men of warr, and sail for the West Indies" (1692). Luttrell, Brief Relation, II. 330.]

[Footnote 3: Navigating officer.]

[Footnote 4: Error for 1694.]

The first place they came to was the Isle of May,[5] where they mett three English Ships and tooke some provisions out of them, with an Anchor and Cable and about 9 men. They went next to the Coast of Guinea, and there they tooke about 5 li. of Gold Dust, under the pretence of Trade; from Guinea they went to Philandepo,[6] where they cleaned their ship and tooke her lower; from thence they went to Princes Island,[7] where they mett with 2 Deanes[8] ships, which they tooke after some restraine. in those Shipps they tooke some small Armes, Chestes of Lynnen and perpetuenes,[9] with about 40 l. in Gold dust and a great quantity of Brandy. they putt them on shoar Except 18 or 20 they tooke with them. they carryed the best of the Danes Shipps with them and burnt the other. They stood then for Cape Lopez, and in the way mett with a small portugeese, laden with slaves from Angola. they tooke some Cloathes and silkes from them and gave them some provisions which they were in want of. att Cape Lopaz they only bought Honey, and sunke the little shipp, the men not being satisfied with the Commander. They went next to Annabo[10] and takeing provisions there they doubled the Cape and sailed to Madagascar, where they tooke more provisions and cleared the ship. from thence they sailed to Johanna,[11] where they mett a small Junke, put her a shore and tooke 40 peices out of her, and had one of their men killed. they only tooke in provisions at Johanna. Three English Merchant ships came downe thither at the same time, but they did not speake with them. They went thence to a place called Paddy,[12] and soe back to Johanna, touching at Comora by the way, where they tooke in provisions. at Johanna they tooke a Junke laden with Rice, which they stood in need of; here they tooke in 13 French men that had been privateering in those Seas under English Colours and had lost their ship at Molila, where it was cast away. Then they resolved to goe for the Red Sea. in the way they mett with two English Privateers, the one called the Dolphin, the other Portsmouth Adventure. The Dolphin, Captaine Want Comander, was a Spanish Bottom, had 60 men on board and was fitted out at the Orkells[13] neare Philadelphia. She came from thence about 2 yeares agoe last January. The Portsmouth Adventure was fitted out at Rhode Island about the same time, Captain Joseph Faro Comander. this ship had about the like number of men and about 6 Gunns each and they joyned Company. They came to an Island called Liparan,[14] at the entrance into the Red Sea, about June last was 12 months. they lay there one night and then 3 sale more of English came to them, One comanded by Thomas Wake[15] fitted out from Boston in New England, another the Pearle Brigantine, William Mues Comander, fitted out of Rhode Island, the third was the Amity Sloop, Thomas Tew Comander,[16] fitted out at New Yorke. they had about 6 Guns each. two of them had 50 men on board and the Brigantine betweene 30 and 40. they all Joyned in partnership, agreeing Captain Every should be the Comander. After they had laine there some time they were apprehensive the Moors shipps would not come downe from Mocha,[16a] soe they sent a pinnace thither, which tooke two Boates. they brought away 2 men, which told them the shipps must come downe. In the meane time they stood into the sea about 3 Leagues and came to an Anchor there, and hearing by the Pinnace the Moors Shipps were ready to come downe they weighed and stood to Leparon againe. After they had lain there 5 or 6 dayes the Moores shipps (being about 25 in number) past by them in the night unseen, though the passage was not above 2 miles over. they[17] was in August last on Saturday night. the next morning they saw a Ketch comeing downe, which they tooke, and by them they heard the ships were gone by, whereupon it was resolved they should all follow them and accordingly they wheighed on Monday, but the Dolphin being an ill sayler they burnt her and tooke the men most of them aboard Captain Every and the Brigantine they tooke in two [tow]. the sloop fell asterne and never came up to them. Captain Wake likewise lagged behind but came up to them afterwards. the Portsmouth kept them company. they steered their Course for Suratt, whether the Moores ships were bound. about 3 dayes before they made Cape St. John[18] they mett with one of the Moores ships, betweene 2 and 300 tons, with 6 Guns, which they tooke, she haveing fired 3 shott. they tooke about 50 or 60,000 l. in that ship in Silver and gold, and kept her with them till they made the land, and comeing to an anchor they espied another ship. they made sale up to her. she had about 40 Guns mounted and as they said 800 men. Shee stood a fight of 3 houres and then yeilded, the men runing into the Hold and there they made their Voyage. They tooke out of that ship soe much Gold and Silver in Coyned money and Plate as made up each mans share with what they had taken before about 1000 l. a man, there being 180 that had their Dividents, the Captain haveing a Double share and the Master a share and a halfe. The Portsmouth did not come into the Fight and therefore had noe Divident, but the Brigantine had, which was taken away from them againe by reason that the Charles's men changing with them Silver for Gold they found the Brigantine men Clippt the Gold, soe they left them only 2000 peices of Eight to buy provisions. They gave a share to the Captain of the Portsmouth and brought him away with them. Captain Want went into his ship and sailed into the Gulph of Persia and the Brigantine (he thinkes) went to the Coast of Ethiopia. Captain Wake went to the Island of St. Maries near Madagascar,[19] intending for the Red Sea the next time the Moores ships were expected from thence. Captain Every resolved to goe streight for the Island of Providence. In the way the men mutinied, some being for carrying her to Kian[20] belonging to the French, neere Brazill, but Captain Every withstood it, there being not above 20 men in the Shipp that Joyned with him. when they came to the Island of Mascareen[21] in the Latitude of 21 they left as many men there as had a mind to stay in that Island, and about March or Aprill last they arrived in the Island of Providence with 113 men on board. they came first to an Anchor off the Island of Thera,[22] and by a sloop sent a Letter to Nicholas Trott, Governor of Providence,[23] to propose bringing their ship thither if they might be assured of Protection and Liberty to goe away, which he promised them. They made a collection of 20 peices of 8 a man and the Captain 40, to present the Governor with, besides Elephants Teeth and some other things to the value of about 1000 l. Then they left their Ship which the Governor had and 46 Guns in her. they bought a sloop which cost them 600 l. Captain Every and about 20 more came in her for England and Every tooke the name of Bridgman; about 23 more of the men bought another Sloop and with the Master, Captain Risby, and the rest of the men went for Carolina.

[Footnote 5: Maio, one of the Cape Verde Islands.]

[Footnote 6: Fernando Po, in the Bight of Biafra.]

[Footnote 7: Ilha do Principe. The islands of St. Thome, Principe, and Annobon are fully described, in their then state, in the second edition of Johnson, General History of the Pyrates, pp. 188-204.]

[Footnote 8: Danish. Fourteen of the Danes joined the pirate crew, so says Philip Middleton in a narrative not identical with our no. 64, post (Cal. St. Pap. Col., 1696-1697, p. 261); and the Court of the East India Company, in a letter to the General and Council at Bombay, Aug. 7, 1696, report that Every's motley company "consisted of 52 French, 14 Danes, the rest {104} English, Scottish, and Irish". Beckles Willson, Ledger and Sword, I. 434.]

[Footnote 9: Perpetuana, a durable woolen fabric.]

[Footnote 10: The island of Annobon, in lat. 1 deg. 24' S.; see note 7.]

[Footnote 11: One of the Comoro group of islands, lying between the north point of Madagascar and the mainland of Africa. It may be useful to mention that at this time the East India Company's monopoly of trade in the Indian Ocean had been broken by a declaration of the House of Commons, Jan. 11, 1694, that every British subject had the right to trade with India.]

[Footnote 12: Probably Patta, off British East Africa, but then Portuguese. Comoro is the principal island in the group of which Johanna is one. Molila, below, is most likely Mohelli, another of the group.]

[Footnote 13: Whorekill, i.e. Lewes Creek, Delaware.]

[Footnote 14: Perim, in the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb.]

[Footnote 15: See doc. no. 68, paragraph 8, post.]

[Footnote 16: Tew appears in Jamaica, Rhode Island, and New York, everywhere with an ill reputation. Edward Randolph (Toppan, Edward Randolph, V. 158) declares that from this present voyage he brought L10,000 in gold and silver into Rhode Island. He had gone out with a privateering commission from Governor Fletcher of New York (N.Y. Col. Doc., IV. 310, etc.), though, according to Bellomont, Fletcher must have known of his piratical habits. Fletcher in his not too satisfying "defence" (ibid., IV. 447) says: "This Tew appeared to me not only a man of courage and activity, but of the greatest sence and remembrance of what he had seen, of any seaman I had mett. He was allso what they call a very pleasant man; soe that at some times when the labours of my day were over it was some divertisement as well as information to me, to heare him talke. I wish'd in my mind to make him a sober man, and in particular to reclaime him from a vile habit of swearing. I gave him a booke to that purpose." But it appears from paragraph 9 of our no. 68 that Tew was killed, in the act of piracy, within the year of the issue of his commission, and it is impossible to say how far the reformation of his speech had progressed.]

[Footnote 16a: Mocha lies inside the straits, on the Arabian side of the Red Sea.]

[Footnote 17: This.]

[Footnote 18: Probably Cape Diu.]

[Footnote 19: Off the northeast coast. A celebrated resort of pirates; see Capt. Adam Baldridge's deposition, no. 68, post.]

[Footnote 20: Cayenne, French Guiana. The editor remembers that old New England people, in his boyhood, still pronounced the name Ky-ann.]

[Footnote 21: Now Reunion, then called by the French (to whom it belonged) Bourbon, or Mascaregne, from the Portuguese commander Pedro Mascarenhas, who discovered it in 1512.]

[Footnote 22: Eleuthera.]

[Footnote 23: Governor of the Bahama Islands from 1693 to 1696, when he was removed because of his suspicious dealings with the pirates. He was a cousin of that Chief-Justice Nicholas Trott (1668-1740) who was so great a power in South Carolina, and who in 1718 sentenced Stede Bonnet's company with such severity. See the next document.]

Captain Every alias Bridgman and this Informant landed at Dumfaneky[24] in the North of Ireland towards the latter end of June last, where this Informant parted with Captain Every and heard he went over for Donaghedy in Scotland.[25] when this Informant was at Dublin he heard Every was there, but did not see him. he heard him say he would goe to Exeter when he came into England, being a Plymouth man.

[Footnote 24: Dunfanaghy, co. Donegal, on the north coast of Ireland.]

[Footnote 25: Probably an error for "from Donaghedy to Scotland". Dunaghadee is in Ireland, co. Down, at one of the points nearest to Scotland.]

This Informant says that he parted with Captain Every at Esquire Rays, within 6 miles of Dumfannaky; That the Land water[26] of that Port, one Mawrice Cuttle, gave this Informant a Passe to goe to Dublin for himselfe, 5 men more and 2 boyes, and came along with them to a place called Lidderkenny,[27] and there he would have detained their money but this Informant and another of the Company had liberty to goe to Derry[28] to cleere themselves to Captain Hawkins, but by the way Cuttle agreed with them to lett them goe for three pounds weight in Gold, which they gave him at a place called St. Johnstons,[29] and then they had liberty to goe on to Dublin.

[Footnote 26: Landwaiter.]

[Footnote 27: Letterkenny, co. Donegal.]

[Footnote 28: Londonderry.]

[Footnote 29: St. Johnstown, on the Foyle above Londonderry.]

This Informant heard likewise that the said Cuttle made an agreement with the other men before he lett them goe but he cannot tell what they gave him.

This Informant came from Dublin about 3 weekes agoe and landed at Holyhead and soe to London, where he arrived on Tuesday last. the man that came over with him was Thomas Johnson, who lives neare Chester, and there he left him.

This Informant went to Rochester on Thursday last and was seized there the next morning by meanes of a Maid, who found his Gold Quilted up in his Jackett hanging with his coate. he was carryed before the Mayor, who comitted him to Prison and kept his Jackett, in which and in his pocketts were 1045 l. Zequins[30] and 10 Guineas, which the Mayor now hath in his Custody.

[Footnote 30: A Venetian or Turkish gold coin, worth about nine shillings.]

This informant sayes further that the wife of Adams, who was their Quarter Master, came with them from the Island of Providence, that shee was with Captain Every at Donoughedee and beleives they went over together; as this Informant came to London hee saw this woman at St. Albans, who was goeing into a stage Coach. She told this Informant that shee was goeing to Captaine Bridgmans but would not tell him where he was.

This Informant saith that the Sloope they came home in was given to Joseph Faroe, Comander of the above mencioned Portsmouth Adventure, and that he intended to returne in her to America. the vessell is called the Sea Flower, about 50 Tuns and 4 Guns. This Informant heard she was at Derry.

This Informant sayes that the other Sloop, which Captaine Richy came over in, landed somewhere neare Galloway.[31] hee saw some of the men att Dublin. And this Informant beleives that most of the men which came with Captaine Every to Ireland are now in Dublin.

[Footnote 31: Galway.]

64. Affidavit of Philip Middleton. November 11, 1696.[1]

[Footnote 1: Public Record Office, C.O. 5:1257, no. 47 I. Besides this examination before the London magistrate, Middleton had made a statement, Aug. 4, 1696, to the lords justices of Ireland, fully summarized in Cal. St. Pap. Col., 1696-1697, pp. 260-262; it nearly duplicates that of John Dann, our no. 63, supra. Note also the affidavit of John Elston of New Jersey, another of the crew, in N.J. Archives, first series, II. 223-226.]

Phillip Midleton of London, Mariner, of competent age, deposeth and saith upon his Corporall Oath That he, this Deponent, did serve on board the ship Charles alias Fancy under the command of Henry Every alias Bridgeman in the month of Aprill last, when she arrived at an Island near Providence in America, from whence a Letter was writ to Mr. Nicholas Trott, Governour of Providence, which Letter this Deponent saw and heard it read, and declareth That the Contents were, That, provided he would give them liberty to come on Shoar and depart when they pleased (or words to this purpose), they promised to give the said Governour twenty Peices of Eight and two Peices of Gold a Man and the said Ship, and all that was in her. But this Deponent remembers not the least threatning expression in the said Letter nor did he hear such like words from any of the Ships Crew, onely some of them said that if they were not admitted to come to Providence they would go some where else, and further deposeth That Mr. Governour Trott returned answer to the aforesaid Letter in writeing in very civill termes, assuring Captain Every That he and his Company should be wellcome (or words to this purpose), which said assurance was made good to them by Governour Trott after their arrivall at Providence as effectually as they could desire.[2] This Deponent likewise deposeth, That upon receipt of Mr. Governour Trotts Letter, or in a little space of time after, a Collection was made afore the Mast (at which this Deponent was present) for him the said Governour Trott, to which Captain Every contributed 40 Peices of Eight and four Peices of Gold and every Sailer (being one hundred men besides Boyes) twenty Peices of Eight and two Peices of Gold a man, which sum being collected were sent to Mr. Governour Trott by Robert Chinton, Henry Adams, and two more, whose names this Deponent doth not call to mind, after which the said Captain Every and his Crew sailed in the said ship Charles for Providence, where at their arrivall they delivered up the said ship with what was in her to the said Governour Trott, and accordingly Major Trott took possession of her in the said Governours name and afterwards left her in the custody of the Governours Boatswain and a few Negroes, whose incapacity or number were not sufficient to secure the ship from hurtfull accidents, as this Deponent believes and also was informed, the which was made evident by the ships comeing a shoar about two dayes after Governour Trott was possessed of her, though she had two Anchors at her Bow and one in the hold, at least she had so many Anchors when this Deponent and the rest of the Company quitted the said ship to Mr. Trott. This Deponent also deposeth That so soon as Mr. Trott was in possession of the said ship he sent Boats to bring a shoar the Elephants teeth, the sails, Blocks, etc., that was valuable in the said Ship, And further saith That he saw severall Boats Land which were filled with the aforesaid Commodityes and stores, and that he hath heard severall of the Ship Charles's Crew say and affirm (and which this Deponent also doth believe and partly know) that at the said Ship's arrivall at Providence she had on board fifty Tons of Elephants teeth, forty six Guns mounted, one hundred Barrells of Gunpowder or thereabouts, severall Chests of Buccanneer Guns, besides the small Armes which were for the Ships use, the number of which doth not occur to his mind. He further deposeth to the best of his knowledge and Information the said ship was firm and tight, for whereas he went down into her Hold the same day she arrived at Providence he then could not perceive she made the least water. And further saith that the said Ship came a shoar as aforesaid two dayes after Mr. Trott was possessed of her, he first having taken out of her what was most considerable. this misfortune of the ship happened about noon in the said Governour's sight, as this Deponent (who was an Eye Witness) well knowes. he likewise declares That one named James Browne, with severall others of Providence and also severall that had been of the Ships Crew, upon this occasion profered themselves to undertake weighing her with Casks, But this Deponent never heard that the offers aforesaid were accepted, nor that any means was used to get her off, nor that Governour Trott had any consideration besides that of getting on Shoar what still remained on board. This Deponent also saith That it was generally reported at Providence the Ship was run on Shoar designedly. And this Deponent saith That he left Providence when Captain Every did and that the Sloop in which they went was the last Vessell that carryed from Providence any considerable number of the ship Charles's men and that this Deponent was informed a Packet was sent by Hollandsworths Sloop, which sailed before that in which this Deponent was, in which also he knowes there was another Packet sent, which this Deponent saw and believes 't was from Governour Trott but knowes not to whom they were directed. He further deposeth That neither while he was at Providence nor afterwards he knew or heard that the said ship Charles was bilged, but he remembers that Joseph Dawson, who had been Quarter-Master by Captain Every, was sent on board her just before his departure to fetch some Cask for the use of his Sloop, which Dawson brought on Shoar and then in this Deponents hearing declared That the said ship was not bilged, the water in her being black and stinking and the Cask being wedged in the Ballast. if the Ship had been bilged she would have been full of water whereby he could not have gotten the Cask out. And this Deponent alwaies understood That Sir James Houblon and Company of London owned the said Ship and verily believes Governour Trott knew as much. The said Deponent further deposeth That John Dan, John Sparks and Joseph Dawson arrived in Ireland in Captain Everys Sloop in the Company of this Deponent, which said Sloop departed from Providence about the beginning of last June, and Hollandsworths Sloop about fourteen dayes or three weeks before.

[Footnote 2: In his defence, Cal. St. Pap. Col., 1697-1698, p. 506, Governor Trott declares that there were but 60 men resident at New Providence (Nassau) as against 113 (whites) of Every's men. See also Acts of the Privy Council, Colonial, VI. 3.]

A copy of Phillip Middleton's Affidavit made before Sir John Houblon, Knight,[3] the 11th of November last, examined in London this 30th day of January anno 1696/7.

[Footnote 3: Governor of the Bank of England, and lord mayor of London in the earlier part of that year. The owner of the Charles was his brother.]

65. Deposition of Samuel Perkins. August 25, 1698.[1]

[Footnote 1: Public Record Office, C.O. 323:2, no. 131. It is endorsed "Copy of a Deposition of Samuel Perkins relating to Pirates in the East Indies Communicated to the Board [of Trade] by Mr. Secretary Vernon" (secretary of state). Samuel Perkins of Ipswich, Massachusetts, had been one of that town's contingent in King Philip's War, and died in Ipswich, an old man, in 1738.]

The Examination of Samuel Perkins, of Ipswich in New England, taken upon oath before me Ralph Marshall Esquire, one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex and Citty and Liberty of Westminster, this 25th day of August Anno Domini 1698.

This Informant upon his Oath saith, That about 5 years since he went aboard the ship Resolution, Captain Robert Glover an Irishman Commander, (who had 18 Guns and 60 men), to see his Uncle Elisha Skilling, who was Boatswain of the said Ship but is since Dead, who detained him in the said Ship together with a French Maletto[2] Boy, which ship sailed from New England in the night to the Isle of May, where they took in Salt, and thence sailed to Cape Coast in Guinnea,[3] where a Dutch man of War took 11 men from them, but returned 9 of them again, keeping the other two as Hostages, in case they meddled with any Dutchmen. From thence they sailed to Cape Lopaz and so to Madagascar, where they victualled and cleaned, and thence sailed into the Red Sea, where they lay waiting for some India ships, but missing them went to an Island called Succatore[4] in the Mouth of the red Sea, where they bought Provisions and so went to Rajapore,[5] where they took a small Muscat man with 12 Guns laden with Dates and Rice, in the Harbour; in taking whereof they killed some of her men, and sent the Muscatt man by Captain Glover (with whom the rest of the Resolutions Crew had a quarrell)[6] to Madagascar, and then chose one Richard Shivers a Dutchman for their Commander, and then sailed to Mangelore,[7] where they took a small ship belonging to the Moors, laden with Rice and Fish, some of which they Plundered and then let her goe. from thence they went to Callicut,[8] where they took 4 ships belonging to the Moors at Anchor in the Road, and sent ashore to know if the Country would Ransome them. But there being a design among the Countrey people to retake their own ship and the said ship Resolution, with some Grabbs[9] or Boats sent off, They fired two of the said Prizes and run away and left them. Thence they went to Cape Comarine, to cruise for Malocca[10] men, but mist them, and took a Danish ship, out of which they took two men by force and five more came voluntarily aboard, and left the rest aboard the sloop, having first taken severall Piggs of Lead, fire arms, and Gun Powder out of her. from thence they went to the Island Mauretious,[11] where they took in Provisions and so to St. Marys Island near Madagascar, where they met with Captain Hoare an Irishman (since Dead) who was commander of the John and Rebecca,[12] a Pyrate of about 200 Tuns, 14 Guns, belonging to the Road Island, who had with her a Prize (a pritty large ship) belonging to the Mogulls subjects at Suratt, which he had taken at the Gulph of Persia, laden with Bale Goods. there was there also a Brigantine belonging to New York, which came to fetch Negroes, and the hulk of the said ship which Captain Glover carried thither.

[Footnote 2: Mulatto.]

[Footnote 3: Cape Coast Castle, on the Gold Coast.]

[Footnote 4: Sokotra.]

[Footnote 5: Rajpur, a few miles south of Bombay.]

[Footnote 6: See paragraph 10 in Capt. Adam Baldridge's deposition, no. 68, infra.]

[Footnote 7: Further south, on the Canara coast.]

[Footnote 8: Still further south, on the Malabar coast; still on the west coast of Hindustan, of which Cape Comorin, below, is the southernmost point.]

[Footnote 9: Arabic gurab, a large coasting-vessel.]

[Footnote 10: Malacca.]

[Footnote 11: Mauritius, then a Dutch island.]

[Footnote 12: See paragraphs 12, 13, in Capt. Adam Baldridge's deposition, no. 68, infra. Governor Fletcher of New York, July 16, 1695, had given Hoar a commission as a privateer to cruise against the French in the John and Rebecca. Glover and Hoar were brothers-in-law. Cal. St. P. Col., 1697-1698, p. 108.]

The Island St. Maries is a pritty large Island, well inhabited by black people, where one Captain Baldridge[13] (who, as he was informed, had formerly killed a man in Jamaica, and thereupon turned Pirate about 13 years agoe) had built a platforme of a Fort with 22 Guns, which was destroyed, together with Captain Glover and the rest of the Pyrats there, whilst this Informant was at Madagascar about nine months agoe, by the Blacks, who also killed 7 English men and 4 French men in the house where this Informant was at Madagascar, sparing only himself.

[Footnote 13: See document no. 68, post.]

There was then also a party of English in another part of the Island of Madagascar, who defended themselves against the Blacks on an Island in a River there, having some of the blacks on their side, till Captain Baldredge, who was then absent with the said Brigantine (which he had bought and sailed in her to Mascarine,[14] an Island belonging to the French, where he went to sell Prize Goods) returned, and took them off, carryed them to St. Augustines Bay,[15] they paying considerably for their Transportation. This Informant further saith that, before this happened, he run away from the Resolution and remained on the Island of Madagascar as aforesaid, the said ship being gone, as he was told, to the Streights of Mallacca, which is about Tenn months since; That he this Informant was redeemed for a parcell of Gun Powder by those who defended themselves as aforesaid, and went with them aboard the Briggantine, who went first to St. Augustines Bay to putt some men ashore (who had not money to pay for their further passage) and thence sailed to St. Helena, where they arrived about six months agoe, pretending there to be a trading ship belonging to New York, upon which they got water and Provisions.[16] But this Informant run away from the said ship at St. Hellena and concealed himself in the Island till she was gone (who stayed there about 7 or 8 days) and continued there about 3 months till the arrivall of the Sampson there from the East Indies, aboard of which ship he came for England with the consent of the Governor of St. Helena.

[Footnote 14: See document no. 63, note 21.]

[Footnote 15: On the southwest coast of Madagascar.]

[Footnote 16: St. Helena was then already an English island, with about a thousand inhabitants.]

This informant farther saith That he had heard upon Madagascar, That a little before his arrivall there That 14 of the Pyrates (belonging to Captain Tew, Captain Rayner, and Captain Mason and Captain Coats or some of them)[17] had by consent divided themselves into two sevens, to fight for what they had (thinking they had not made a voyage sufficient for so many) and that one of the said Sevens were all killed, and five of the other, so that the two which survived enjoyed the whole Booty. And this Informant further saith, that he hath heard and believeth, that not only the ship Resolution to which he formerly belonged, but also the Mocha Friggat,[18] which run away out of the service of the East India Company, the Charles and Mary, and severall other ships manned by English and other European Nations, were about nine months since, when he came from Madagascar, and still are playing the Pyrates in the Streights of Mallaca, in the Red Sea and other Parts in the East Indies.

SAMUELL PERKINS.

Juratus coram me[19] RA. MARSHALL.

[Footnote 17: All these figure in the accusations against Fletcher in N.Y. Col. Doc., IV.]

[Footnote 18: The Mocha appears also in the Kidd narratives, and continued her career of piracy till 1699, at least.]

[Footnote 19: I.e., sworn before me.]

66. Certificate for John Devin (Bahamas). September (?) 20, 1698.[1]

[Footnote 1: Suffolk Court Files, Boston, no. 3765, paper 2. We find John Devine settled as a chirurgeon in Boston in 1704. N.E. Hist. Gen. Reg., XXXVI. 309.]

New Providence SS.

Whereas in the month of Aprill in the year of our Lord God one Thousand Six hundred and ninety six Capt. Henry Every als Bridgeman came into the Harbor of new Providence with the Shipp Charles als Fancy, which said Capt. Every and his Shipps Crew were few days after their arrivall thought and supposed to be by the Major Part of the Island of Providence to be guilty of piracy upon the open Seas, And that the with in mentioned John Devin was one of the Ships Company, and was lately apprehended and taken as one of the said Pirates in order to be brought to his Tryall, which was accordingly done the 22d of this Instant August, and the Bill being presented against the within mentioned John Devin to the Gran Jury, which sd Grand Jury found the Bill, and afterwards the sd John Devin was brought to the Court, and holding up his hand was arraigned; The Petty Jury being sworne, the Attorney Gen'll opening the matter to the Court and Jury against the sd John Devin, The Petty Jury returning to the Court found the within mentioned John Devin not Guilty, upon which the sd John Devin was cleared by proclomation, as by the publick Entrys doth and may more at large appear:

Whereupon and upon the humble Requestt to me made by the sd John Devin, I, Ellis Lightwood Esq., Chief Judge, have thought fitt to certifie this under my hand, and ordered the publick Seale of this Goverment to be hereunto affixed as a Testimony of his the sd John Devins Innocency relating to the supposed piracy of Capt. Every als Bridgeman in the ship Charles als Fancy.

ELLIS LIGHTWOOD

[September (?)] the 20th Anno Dom 1698 [ blank ] LEIGHTON per Dom. Regem. Coppy examined by ELISHA COOKE, Clerk.[2]

[Footnote 2: Elisha Cooke the younger, clerk of the superior court of Massachusetts from 1702 to 1718.]

67. Certificate for John Devin (Massachusetts). October 25, 1698.[1]

[Footnote 1: Suffolk Court Files, Boston, no. 3765, paper 1.]

New England. Anno Rs. Gulielmi 3d Decim.[2]

[Footnote 2: I.e., anno decimo Regis Gulielmi Tertii, "in the tenth year of King William III."]

At a Court of assize and General Goal Delivery holden at Boston for the County of Suffolk, within his Maj'ties Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, upon the 25th Day of Octo'r 1698.

John Devin, Chyrurgion, bound over by Recogniscance unto this Court, to answer what should be objected ag'st him on his Maj'ties behalf as being one of the Company belonging to the Ship Charles al's Fancey, Henry Every al's Bridgeman Command'r, at the time when several acts of Piracy were committed by the sd Every al's Bridgeman and Company in the aforesd Ship, upon the high Seas of India and Persia, and for aiding and assisting in the sd Piracys and shareing in the Plunder so piratically taken.

The sd Jno. Devin, being called, appeared and produced a Certificate und'r the hand of Ellis Lightwood Esq., chief Judge of the Island of Providence, and the Public Seal of the Government there, Importing that the sd Devin had lately been indicted, arraigned and tryed for the same matters and Facts (whereof he is now inquired) In the Kings Court within the sd Island of Providence and found not guilty by the Jury, and clear'd by Proclamation, which afore cited Certificate being read and other the proceedings in the case in the sd Court at Providence, Proclamation was made, and nothing of further charge or Evidence appearing against the sd Jno. Devin, he was openly acquitted. Which at Request of sd Devin and by ord'r of his Maj'ties Justices of Assize etc. is hereby Certified under the Seal of the sd Court. Dated at Boston the Second day of November, Anno predict.[3]

[Footnote 3: I.e., anno predicto, "in the year aforesaid".]

68. Deposition of Adam Baldridge. May 5, 1699.[1]

[Footnote 1: Public Record Office, C.O. 5:1042, no. 30 II. An endorsement shows that it was sent to the Lords of Trade with Bellomont's letter of May 15, 1699, which is printed in N.Y. Col. Doc., IV. 518-526. Capt. Adam Baldridge, as will be seen from some of the preceding narratives, had kept a rendezvous for pirates at St. Mary's Island, but he had now settled down as a respectable citizen of New York. Bellomont thought well of him at first (he "appears to be a sober man and reported wealthy"), but was warned by the Board of Trade of his connection with piracy, and later (note 19, post) had fuller information from Kidd. Ibid., IV. 333, 552.]

1. July the 17th 1690. I, Adam Baldridge, arrived at the Island of St. Maries in the ship fortune, Richard Conyers Commander, and on the 7th of January 1690/1 I left the ship, being minded to settle among the Negros at St. Maries with two men more, but the ship went to Port Dolphin[2] and was Cast away, April the 15th 1691, and halfe the men drownded and halfe saved their lives and got a shore, but I continued with the Negros at St. Maries and went to War with them. before my goeing to War one of the men dyed that went a shore with me, and the other being discouraged went on board againe and none continued with me but my Prentice John King. March the 9th they sailed for Bonnovolo on Madagascar, 16 Leagues from St. Maries, where they stopt to take in Rice. after I went to war six men more left the Ship, whereof two of them dyed about three weeks after they went ashore and the rest dyed since. In May 91 I returned from War and brought 70 head of Cattel and some slaves. then I had a house built and settled upon St. Maries, where great store of Negros resorted to me from the Island Madagascar and settled the Island St. Maries, where I lived quietly with them, helping them to redeem their Wives and Children that were taken before my coming to St. Maries by other Negros to the northward of us about 60 Leagues.

[Footnote 2: Fort Dauphin, at the southeast point of Madagascar, built by the French.]

2. October 13, 1691. Arrived the Batchelors delight, Captain Georg Raynor[3] Commander, Burden 180 Tons or there abouts, 14 Guns, 70 or 80 men, that had made a voyage into the Red Seas and taken a ship belonging to the Moors, as the men did report, where they took as much money as made the whole share run about 1100 l. a man. they Careened at St. Maries, and while they Careened I supplyed them with Cattel for their present spending and they gave me for my Cattel a quantity of Beads, five great Guns for a fortification, some powder and shott, and six Barrells of flower, about 70 barrs of Iron. the ship belonged to Jamaica and set saile from St. Maries November the 4th 1691, bound for Port Dolphin on Madagascar to take in their provision, and December 91 they set saile from Port Dolphin bound for America, where I have heard since they arrived at Carolina and Complyed with the owners, giveing them for Ruin of the Ship three thousand pounds, as I have heard since.

[Footnote 3: Josiah Rayner was associated with Tew, later with Every; Fletcher had, for a bribe, it was said, released his chest of treasure brought to New York.]

3. October 14th 1692. Arrived the Nassaw, Captain Edward Coats Commander, Burden 170 Ton or there about, 16 Guns, 70 men, whereof about 30 of the men stayed at Madagascar, being most of them concerned in taking the Hack boat at the Isle of May Colonel Shrymton over [owner?], the said Hack boat was lost at St. Augustin. Captain Coats Careened at St. Maries, and whilst careening I supplyed them with Cattel for their present spending, and the Negros with fowls, Rice and Yams, and for the Cattel I had two Chists and one Jarr of powder, six great guns and a Quantity of great Shott, some spicks[4] and nails, five Bolts of Duck and some Twine, a hogshead of flower. the ship most of her belonged to the Company, as they said. Captain Coats set saile from St. Maries in November 92, bound for Port Dolphin on Madagascar, and victualed there and in December set saile for New-York. Captain Coats made about 500 l. a man in the red Seas.[5]

[Footnote 4: Spikes.]

[Footnote 5: In April, 1693, this Coats, in a ship now called the Jacob, anchored near the east end of Long Island, and sent men to bargain with Governor Fletcher for permission to enter and for protection. They promised the governor L700 and secured protection, though in the end the owners gave him the ship instead. N.Y. Col. Doc., IV. 223, 310, 386-388; Cal. St. P. Col., 1697-1698, pp. 227-228.]

4. August 7th 1693. Arrived the Ship Charles, John Churcher master, from New York, Mr. Fred. Phillips, owner,[6] sent to bring me severall sorts of goods. She had two Cargos in her, one Consigned to said Master to dispose of, and one to me, containing as followeth: 44 paire of shooes and pumps, 6 Dozen of worsted and threed stockens, 3 dozen of speckled shirts and Breaches, 12 hatts, some Carpenters Tools, 5 Barrells of Rum, four Quarter Caskes of Madera Wine, ten Cases of Spirits, Two old Stills full of hols, one worme, Two Grindstones, Two Cross Sawes and one Whip saw, three Jarrs of oyle, two small Iron Potts, three Barrells of Cannon powder, some books, Catechisms, primers and horne books, two Bibles, and some garden Seeds, three Dozen of howes,[7] and I returned for the said goods 1100 pieces 8/8 and Dollers, 34 Slaves, 15 head of Cattel, 57 barrs of Iron. October the 5th he set sail from St. Maries, after having sold parte of his Cargo to the White men upon Madagascar, to Mauratan to take in Slaves.

[Footnote 6: Frederick Philipse (1626-1702), the richest trader in New York, but perhaps not the most scrupulous; see Henry C. Murphy, in his edition of the Journal of a Voyage to New York in 1679-80 of Jasper Danckaerts, pp. 362-365. The ship in which the two Labadist missionaries, Danckaerts and Sluyter, came to America was also named Charles and owned by Philipse. It was in this year 1693 that Governor Fletcher instituted for him the Philipse Manor. Mary Philipse, who won the affections of young Major George Washington, was his great-granddaughter. It was said that Baldridge's establishment in Madagascar was sustained by Philipse's capital, to obtain for the latter a share in the profits of piracy. Cal. St. P. Col., 1697-1698, p. 108.]

[Footnote 7: Hoes.]

5. October 19, 1693. Arrived the ship Amity, Captain Thomas Tew Commander,[8] Burden 70 Tons, 8 Guns, 60 men, haveing taken a Ship in the Red Seas that did belong to the Moors, as the men did report, they took as much money in her as made the whole share run 1200 l. a man. they Careened at St. Maries and had some cattel from me, but for their victualing and Sea Store they bought from the Negros. I sold Captain Tew and his Company some of the goods brought in the Charles from New York. the Sloop belonged most of her to Bermudas. Captain Tew set saile from St. Maries December the 23d 1693, bound for America.

[Footnote 8: See doc. no. 63, note 16, ante.]

6. August, 1695. Arrived the Charming Mary from Barbados, Captain Richard Glover Commander,[9] Mr. John Beckford marchant and part owner. the most of the ship belonged to Barbados, the Owners Colonel Russel, Judge Coats, and the Nisames [?]. She was burden about 200 Tons, 16 Guns, 80 men. she had severall sort of goods on board. I bought the most of them. She careened at St. Maries and in October she set saile from St. Maries for Madagascar to take in Rice and Slaves.

[Footnote 9: See doc. no. 65.]

7. August 1695. Arrived the ship Katherine from New York, Captain Tho. Mostyn Commander and Super Cargo,[10] Mr. Fred. Phillips Owner, the Ship Burden about 160 Tons, noe Guns, near 20 men. She had severall sorts of goods in her. she sold the most to the White men upon Madagascar, where he had Careened. he set saile from St. Maries for Mauratan on Madagascar to take in his Rice and Slaves.

[Footnote 10: Another of those commissioned by Fletcher. Having no guns, the vessel must have been intended for illegal trade rather than for warfare.]

8. December 7th 1695. Arrived the Ship Susanna, Captain Thomas Weak[11] Commander, burden about 100 Tons, 10 Guns, 70 men. they fitted out from Boston and Rhoad Island and had been in the Red seas but made noe voyage by reason they mist the moors fleet. they Careened at St. Maries and I sold them part of the goods bought of Mr. John Beckford out of the Charming Mary and spaired them some Cattel, but for the most part they were supplyed by the Negros. they stayed at St. Maries till the middle of April, where the Captain and Master and most of his men dyed. the rest of the men that were left alive after the Sickness Carried the Ship to St. Augustin, where they left her and went In Captain Hore for the Red Sea.

[Footnote 11: Or Wake.]

9. December 11th 1695. Arrived the Sloop Amity, haveing no Captain, her former Captain Thomas Tew being killed by a great Shott from a Moors ship,[12] John Yarland master, Burden seventy Ton, 8 Guns, as before described, and about 60 men. They stayed but five dayes at St. Maries and set saile to seek the Charming Mary and they met her at Mauratan on Madagascar and took her, giveing Captain Glover the Sloop to carry him and his men home and all that he had, keeping nothing but the ship. they made a new Commander after they had taken the ship, one Captain Bobbington. after they had taken the ship they went into St. Augustine Bay and there fitted the ship and went into the Indies to make a voyage and I have heard since that they were trapaned and taken by the Moors.

[Footnote 12: See doc. no. 63, note 16, ante.]

10. December 29 1695. Arrived a Moors Ship, taken by the Resolution and given to Captain Robert Glover and 24 of his men that was not willing to goe a privateering upon the Coasts of Indies, to carrie them away. the Company turned Captain Glover and these 24 men out of the Ship, Captain Glover being parte Owner and Commander of the same and Confined prisoner by his Company upon the Coast of Guinea by reason he would not consent to goe about the Cape of good hope into the Red Sea. the ship was old and would hardly swim with them to St. Maries. when they arrived there they applyed themselves to me. I maintained them in my house with provision till June, that shiping arrived for to carry them home.

11. January 17th 1696/7. Arrived the Brigantine Amity, that was Captain Tew's Sloop from Barbadoes and fitted into a Brigantine by the Owners of the Charming Mary at Barbados, Captain Richard Glover Commander and Super Cargo. the Brigantine discribed when a Sloop. She was laden with severall sorts of goods, part whereof I bought and part sold to the White men upon Madagascar, and parte to Captain Hore and his Company. the Brigantine taken afterwards by the Resolution at St. Maries.

12. February the 13th 1696/7. Arrived Captain John Hor's Prize from the Gulph of Persia and three or four dayes after arrived Captain Hore[13] in the John and Rebeckah, Burden about 180 Tons, 20 Guns, 100 men in ship and prize. The Prize about 300 Ton Laden with Callicoes. I sold some of the goods bought of Glover to Captain Hore and his Company as likewise the white men that lived upon Madagascar and Captain Richard Glover.

[Footnote 13: See doc. no. 65, note 17.]

13. June the —— 1697. Arrived the Resolution, Captain Shivers Commander, Burden near 200 Tons, 90 men, 20 Guns, formerly the ship belonged to Captain Robert Glover but the Company took her from him and turned him and 24 more of his men out of her by reason they were not willing to goe a privateering into the East Indies.[14] they met with a Mosoune[15] at sea and lost all their masts and put into Madagascar about 10 Leagues to the Northward off St. Maries and there masted and fitted their ship, and while they lay there they took the Brigantine Amity for her watter Casks, Sailes and Rigeing and Masts, and turned the Hull a drift upon a Rife.[16] Captain Glover promised to forgive them what was past if they would Let him have his ship again and goe home to America, but they would not except he would goe into the East Indies with them. September the 25th 97 they set saile to the Indies.

[Footnote 14: See doc. no. 65.]

[Footnote 15: Monsoon.]

[Footnote 16: Reef.]

14. June 1697. Arrived the ship Fortune from New York, Captain Thomas Mostyn Commander, and Robert Allison Super Cargo, the Ship Burden 150 Tons or there abouts, 8 Guns, near 20 men, haveing severall sorts of goods aboard, and sold to Captain Hore and Company and to the White men upon Madagascar.

15. June —— 1697. Arrived a Ship from New York, Captain Cornelius Jacobs Comander and Super Cargo, Mr. Fred. Phillips owner, Burden about 150 Ton, 2 Guns, near 20 men, haveing severall sorts of goods a board, and sold to Captain Hore and his Company and to the White men on Madagascar, and four Barrells of Tar to me.[17]

[Footnote 17: When this ship came back, richly laden, Philipse sent out a sloop to meet her, which off the New Jersey coast quietly unloaded all of her cargo but the negroes, and sailed with it to Hamburg. Cal. St. P. Cal., 1697-1698, p. 414.]

16. July the 1st 1697. Arrived the Brigantine Swift from Boston, Mr. Andrew Knott Master[18] and John Johnson Marchant and parte owner, Burden about 40 Tons, 2 Guns, 10 men, haveing severall goods aboard. Some sold to Captain Hore and Company the rest put a shore at St. Maries and left there. A small time after her arrivall I bought three Quarters of her and careened and went out to seek a Trade and to settle a forraign Commers and Trade in severall places on Madagascar. About 8 or 10 dayes after I went from St. Maries the Negros killed about 30 White men upon Madagascar and St. Maries, and took all that they or I had, Captain Mostyn and Captain Jacobs and Captain Hor's Ship and Company being all there at the same time and set saile from St. Maries October 1697 for Madagascar to take in their Slaves and Rice. having made a firm Commerse with the Negros on Madagascar, at my return I met with Captain Mostyn at sea, 60 Leagues of St. Maries. he acquainted me with the Negros riseing and killing the White men. he perswaded me to return back with him and not proceed any further, for there was noe safe goeing to St. Maries. all my men being sick, after good consideracion we agreed to return and goe for America.

[Footnote 18: In 1690 he had commanded a ship in Sir William Phips's unsuccessful expedition against Quebec. For his connection with Kidd, see post, doc. no. 85, note 7.]

The above mentioned men that were killed by the Natives were most of them privateers that had been in the Red Seas and took severall ships there, they were cheifly the occasion of the natives Riseing, by their abuseing of the Natives and takeing their Cattel from them, and were most of them to the best of my knowledge men that came in severall Ships, as Captain Rainor, Captain Coats, Captain Tew, Captain Hore, and the Resolution and Captain Stevens.[19]

ADAM BALDRIDGE.

Sworne before me in New York 5th of May 1699 A.D. PEYSTER[20]

A true copy BELLOMONT.

[Footnote 19: Such is Baldridge's tale of innocence, but Kidd told Bellomont that "Baldridge was the occasion of that Insurrection of the Natives and the death of the pirates, for that having inveigled a great number of the natives of St. Maries, men, women and children, on board a ship or ships he carryed and sold them for slaves to a French Island called Mascarine or Mascaron, which treachery of Baldridges the Natives on the Island revenged on those pirates by cutting their throats."]

[Footnote 20: Abraham de Peyster, a member of the New York council and an assistant judge of the supreme court.]

* * * * *

69. Warrant for Commissioning of Admiralty Judge. April 29, 1697.[1]

[Footnote 1: New York State Archives, Albany: Historical MSS., vol. XLI., p. 60. The commissions of admiralty judges had originally been issued on warrant from the Lord High Admiral. Since 1673, however, except for two brief periods, the latter's duties have always been performed by the "Lords Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral" (Admiralty Board, or Lords of the Admiralty). On April 29, 1697, the board consisted of the two distinguished admirals Sir Edward Russell (created earl of Oxford eight days later) and Sir George Rooke, Sir John Houblon, governor of the Bank of England, Col. James Kendall, ex-governor of Barbados, and four others. The warrant is not addressed to any governor by name; Bellomont was not commissioned (as governor of New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire) till June 18, 1697.]

By the Comiss'rs for Executing the Office of Lord high Admirall of Engl'd. Irel'd. etc.

Whereas, in pursuance of His Ma'tis pleasure signified to Us by the Rt. hon'ble Mr. Secretary Trumbull, Wee have appointed Mr. William Smith to be Judge, Mr. John Tudor Register, Mr. Jarvis Marshall, Marshall, and Mr. James Graham, Advocate of the Vice Admiralty of New-Yorke, and Connuticutt, and East-Jersey:[2] You are therefore hereby Empower'd and directed, to give unto them Commissions for their said Employm'ts respectively; And in case of the death, or inabillity, by sickness, or otherwise, of any of the said persons, You are to appoint others in their roome: and Transmitt to Us the Names of such persons as You do so appoint; Dated at the Admiralty Office this 29th of April 1697.

[Footnote 2: William Smith was already chief-justice of the supreme court of the province, and a member of the council. Jarvis Marshall had been messenger of the council. James Graham was speaker of the assembly, attorney-general, and recorder of the city of New York.]

To his Ma'tis Governour of RUSSELL. New-Yorke and Connuticutt, G. ROOKE. and East-Jersey/ for the time JNO. HOUBLON. being. KENDALL.

By Command of their Lord'ps WM. BRIDGEMAN.

* * * * *

70. Proclamation of Lieut.-Gov. Stoughton. June 4, 1698.[1]

[Footnote 1: Mass. Archives, vol. 62, p. 253. William Stoughton, lieutenant-governor of Massachusetts 1691-1701, acted as governor from the departure of Governor Phips for England in 1694 to the arrival of Governor Bellomont in the province, May 26, 1699. Bellomont in June, 1698, was in New York. In the period to which most of our documents belong there was always an outburst of piracy after the conclusion of a war, because multitudes of privateers found their occupation gone when peace was proclaimed, and some of them were sure to turn to the allied trade of piracy. The peace of Ryswyk, between France and Great Britain, Spain, and Holland, Sept. 20, 1697, had had this effect at the time of Stoughton's proclamation.]

William Stoughton Esqr., Lieutenant Governour and Commander in chief in and over his Ma'tys Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England

To the Sheriff of the County of Suffolke, his Under Sheriff or Deputy or Constables of the respective Towns within the sd County and to each and every of them to whom these presents shall come, Greeting.

Whereas I am informed That sundry wicked and ill disposed persons, suspected to have committed divers inhumane and hostile Acts and depredations upon the Subjects and Allies of other Princes and States in Forreign parts in Amity with his Ma'ty, are lately landed and set on shore on or about Long Island, Rhode Island and parts adjacent, having brought with them quantitys of Forreign Coynes, silver, Gold, Bullion, Merchandize and other Treasure, Some of which persons (unknown by name) may probably come into this his Ma'tys Province and transport their moneys, Merchandize and Treasure hither,

These are therefore in his Ma'tys name strictly to command and require you to make diligent search within your several Precincts for such suspected persons, and to apprehend and seize every such person or persons, his or their money, gold, bullion, Merchandize and Treasure, and to bring the same before the next Justice of the Peace to be examined and proceeded against as the Law directs. And you are to require and take such a number of persons, with Armes or otherwise, unto your Assistance as you shall think meet for the seizing and apprehending such suspected person or persons aforesd. and carrying him or them before the next Justice or Justices. And all his Ma'tys subjects are required to be aiding and assisting unto you in the Execution of this Warrant, as they will answer their refusal or neglect at their peril. And hereof you or they may not faile. And make return of this Warrant with your doings thereupon. Given under my hand and seal at Armes at Boston the Fourth day of June 1698, In the tenth year of his Ma'tys Reign.

WM. STOUGHTON.



CASE OF WILLIAM KIDD.

71. Deposition of Benjamin Franks. October 20, 1697.[1]

[Footnote 1: Public Record Office, C.O. 323:2, no. 124 I. William Kidd, the most famous pirate in American history, was a Scot, born in Dundee in 1654. In 1689-1690, in command of a captured ship, he took a creditable part in the attacks on Mariegalante and St. Martin's by Captain Hewetson, who at Kidd's trial testified to his bravery; but a few weeks later his men, ex-pirates apparently, ran away with his ship. Cal. St. P. Col., 1689-1692, pp. 122, 226, 227; Hargrave, State Trials, V. 326. In 1689 he settled in New York, where he seems to have been well regarded; in the record of his marriage license, May 16, 1691 (N.E. Hist. Gen. Reg., VI. 63) he is styled "William Kidd, Gentleman," and two days earlier the New York assembly (Journal, ed. 1764, I. 6, 13) voted him a gratuity of L150 for services in connection with the arrival of Governor Sloughter. In 1695, Kidd being then in England, Robert Livingston of New York arranged in London with Lord Bellomont, who had been designated but not yet commissioned as a governor in America, and with others, for a privateering voyage under Kidd's command. Other sharetakers were Sir Edward Russell, first lord of the admiralty, Sir John Somers, lord keeper of the great seal, the Duke of Shrewsbury, secretary of state, and the Earl of Romney, master-general of the ordnance; and the king himself was to receive one-tenth of the profits of the cruise. Kidd's letter of marque, dated Dec. 11, 1695, is in Hargrave's State Trials, V. 307. To it was added, Jan. 26, 1696, ibid., 308, a commission to apprehend pirates. Kidd sailed from England in April, 1696, in the Adventure Galley, 287 tons, 34 guns, 70 men. At New York he increased his crew to 155 men (there is a list of them in Cal. St. Pap. Col., 1700, p. 199), and sailed thence in September for Madagascar and the East Indies. Whether it was by his fault that the Adventure Galley slipped from privateering and the search for pirates into acts of piracy, or whether, as Kidd alleged, his men forced his hand, has been doubted, but it is probable that he shared the guilt. In the summer of 1698 complaints began to come in from India and from the East India Company, and in November, 1698, orders were sent to the governors of colonies in America to apprehend Kidd as a pirate whenever he should appear. The ensuing papers, especially his own narrative and Bellomont's letters, tell the story of his arrival and arrest. As under Massachusetts law he could not be condemned to death for piracy, he was, probably illegally, carried to England in the spring of 1700, and there tried at the Old Bailey for the murder of one of his men and for piracy. After an unfair trial and on insufficient evidence, he was condemned, and was hanged at Execution Dock May 23, 1701.

As to Benjamin Franks, we learn from a deposition of William Cuthbert (Journal of the House of Commons, XIII. 26) that two of Kidd's men deserted him at Carwar because of his attempts and designs toward piracy and his cruel conduct toward his men; Franks, Hebrew jeweller of New York, was apparently one of the two. Apparently he was a Danish subject; Westergaard, Danish West Indies, p. 110.]

The Deposition of Benjamin Franks aged about 47 years (who came out in the Adventure Gally, a Privateer, Captain William Kid Comander) Inhabitant of New York.

Declareth That having lived in Barbadoes and Jamaica and traded in severall parts of the West Indies, meeting of late with great losses of above L12,000 sterling by the Earthquake and Enemyes and through misfortune, came to New York and there finding Captain Kid comeing out with a full Power to the East Indies to take the Pyrates, which he shewed me by the means of my Friends, so resolved to go with him to the East Indies and to remain there at Surrat or any other place where I could best follow my profession, being a Jeweller, for he told me he would put into some of the said Parts. Wee sailed from New York the 6th September 1696 in Company with a Brigantine belonging to Bermudas, bound to the Maderaes. there met with a Brigantine from Barbadoes bound for England who had lost her Mast and Boltsprit, whom Captain Kid assisted with a Mast, Riggin and Canvas, for which kindness [the] Master gave him a few flour Barrells with Sugar. the same Brigantine after she had what she wanted proceeded on her Voyage. And a day or two after wee espyed a Ship whom Wee gave chase to three days and came up with her, found her to be a Portuguez from Brazile bound to the Maderaes. the Captain of the Portuguez pre[sen]ted Captain Kid with a Roll of Brazile Tobacco and some Sugar, in lieu of which Captain Kid sent him a Cheshire Cheese and a Barrell of White Bisket, but through mistake of the Steward the Barrell thought to be Bisket proved to be Cutt and Dry Tobacca. So Wee proceeded to Maderaes and saw the Brigantine in safe that came under our Convoy. wee stayed there one day. before wee departed from thence the Portuguez ship came in. Thence wee went to Bona Vista,[2] took in some Salt, thence to St. Jago, tooke in Water and some Provisions; from St. Jago wee steered our course for Cape Bona Esperanza,[3] but before wee got to the Latitude thereof Wee met with three English Men of War and a Fireship, Captain Warren in the Windso[r] Comodore,[4] Captain Acton in the Advice,[5] the Tyger and Fire Ship I do not know the Commanders names. I was on board the Commodore when he told me that Kids Commission was firm and good and that he would not molest or hinder his proceedings for his puting his hands to his Ears, and discoursing of severall other things of the Voyage amongst the rest the Commodore told Kid he had lost a great many of his men and asked him to spare him some, who answered that he would let him have 20 or 30, and about a day or two after Kid went on board one of the Men of War again and in the Evening came on board his own ship very much disguised with drink and left the Men of War without sparing them the men he promised. Some time after had sight of the Cape, did not put in but went directly for Madagascar and imported at a place called Talleer,[6] where took in some Water and provisions. after our being there some time came a Sail in sight and came to an Anchor in Augustine Bay, upon which wee weighed Anchor and came to her, the two Ports being but a little way distant each from other. We found her to be a Sloop from Barbadoes come to buy Negroes, after which Wee returned to Talleer, our former Port, and the next day the Master of the Sloop came on board Us being very ill when he came. a few dayes after ordered the Sloop to come down to Talleer, and the same day she came down the Owner and Merchant[7] dyed on board of us, and he that succeeded him could by no Means agree with the Master of the Sloop but continually a quarrelling and fighting. Our Captain did what he could to make up the difference between them but to no purpose. So when wee had done getting our provisions etc. on board Wee sailed for Johanna,[8] and the Sloop followed us, and seeing two Ships gave them Chase, found them to be both East India Men and so went in together in Company to Johanna and two India Men came in after. Wee took in Some Water and went to Mohilla[9] to clean our Ship. And this Sloop still followed Us, but our Captain told him severall times to be gone and agree amongst themselves, but they took no notice thereof, continuing with Us all the time of our Stay here, being about 5 weeks, where buryed severall of our Company but the just number I know not. when Wee had been there about 5 weeks a Pinnace came on board of Us with some Men, the quantity I know not, for being mortall sick, the Merchant of the Sloop dyed there too. Wee returned from this place to Johanna and the Sloop in our Company. Wee took in some more water and some French Men, the quantity I know not for I was carryed a shoar sick and lay a shoar all the time wee lay at Johanna. We sailed thence, leaving the Sloop behind Us, directly for India and touched at a place called Motta.[10] there was 5 Junks ashoar and at an Anchor ditto place. our Captain wanted to take in some water, sending the Pinnace ashoar for some, which the Natives refused, upon which our Captain next morning sent both Boats with a matter of 40 Men or thereabouts with Armes, as I heard lying very Sick of a Feaver, Ague and Flux, and that he had bought two Cowes and some dates, and 2 dayes after the People run away into the Mountains, as I heard. after they run away the People sent a shoar, found India Corn and Garravances[11] in great holes, and brought off likewise six of the Natives, of whom four leaped overboard in the Night and swam ashoar. the other two gave {3} Cowes and 2 sheep for their ransom, as I heard of the Seamen, lying very ill. from thence wee went to the Babs[12] and there anchored to wait for the Pyrates, as the Seamen said, but meeting with none, sending the Pinnace out 3 or 4 times, as I heard of the Seamen, but at Carwar ashoar I heard of the Seamen that they was to go to Mocho.[13] after the Pinnace went with the Captain, Quarter-Master came back and gave an account there was 17 Sail, which I heard of the Seamen as I lay very ill. our Captain ordered two men ashoar on one of the Babs. when the Fleet came in sight the Men waved the Jack.[14] the whole Fleet came by the Babs on a Saturday in the evening in the month of August, but the day of the month I do not remember. our Captain weighed and stood amongst the Fleet, as I heard of the Seamen. the next morning at break of day one of the Fleet began to fire at Us, as I heard of the Seamen, which alarming the rest they all did the same. there was one Ship which the Captain said was a Mallabar, pretty near Us, as I heard of the Seamen. then our Captain ordered the People to row up to him, being but little Wind, then the Mallabar fired at Us and our Captain at him severall Guns. at last our Captain perceiving an English and Dutch Colours did all he could to get away. the Captain designed to go to the high Land off St. Johns.[15] meeting with a small Vessell under English Colours he chased her and comanded the Master to come on board and plundered the Ship. I hearing a great noise asked what it was. they told me that our Folks beat the People aboard of the little ship and against night I heard there was a Portuguez. so doing my endeavour to creep up to speak to the Portuguez and asked him what was the best news, he told me that he and the Master was forced to stay on board of our Ship, and that he did belong to Bombay, and that our Captain had taken out some Rice, Raisons and old Cloths and some Money. I heard of the Seamen that our Captain had Information of three ships that had gone out of Aden bound for Callicut being off Carwar, and being in necessity for Wood and Water put in there, at which time I made great intercession to the Captain for leave to go ashoar, which at last I obtained by giving him a Beaver Hat, for he was unwilling to let any go ashoar but whom he thought he could trust, for fear they should run away for most of his people seemed dissatisfyed and would I believe do as I have done in making their Escape if had opportunity, for the Carpenter and his mate with severall others does design to run away with the Pinnace. This I do swear by the old Testament to the best of my knowledge and what I have heard of the Seamen that all the above written is true.

BENJAMIN FRANKS.

Bombay the 20th October 1697. Sworn before me:

[Footnote 2: One of the Cape Verde Islands; Santiago is a larger island of the same group, farther south.]

[Footnote 3: The Cape of Good Hope.]

[Footnote 4: Capt. Thomas Warren, R.N.]

[Footnote 5: Capt. Edward Acton, R.N.]

[Footnote 6: Tullear, near St. Augustine's Bay, on the southwest coast of Madagascar.]

[Footnote 7: Supercargo.]

[Footnote 8: See document no. 63, note 11.]

[Footnote 9: Mohelli, another of the Comoro group.]

[Footnote 10: "Matta in the Red Sea," says William Jinkins of Bow, in his deposition in Commons Journal, XIII. 24.]

[Footnote 11: Chick-peas.]

[Footnote 12: The straits of Bab-el-Mandeb.]

[Footnote 13: Mocha; see document no. 63, note 16a. Carwar is on the west coast of Hindustan, some 350 miles south of Bombay.]

[Footnote 14: See document no. 33, note 15.]

[Footnote 15: Probably Diu, in northwest India.]

72. The President and Council of the Leeward Islands to Secretary Vernon. May 18, 1699.[1]

[Footnote 1: Public Record Office, C.O. 152:3, no. 21. This letter conveyed to the British government its first knowledge of the return of Captain Kidd to the western hemisphere. The Leeward Islands—Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Christopher, the most important being Nevis—constituted at this time one government, though with subordinate administration in the several islands. The governor having died, the council, of which William Burt was president, was acting as governor till a new governor should arrive. Burt and the other signers of this letter were all of Nevis. James Vernon, to whom the letter is addressed, was secretary of state; he was the father of Admiral Vernon, for whom Mount Vernon was named.]

Right Honourable Sir

Your Letter of the 23d of November last[2] in relacion to that notorious Pirate Captain Kidd came safe to our hands, and shall take particular care to put the same in execucion, and in order thereto have sent copies thereof to the Lieutenant or Deputy Governor of each respective Island under this Government; since which wee have had this following account of the said Kidd (vizt.) That he lately came from Mallagascoe in a large Gennouese vessell of about Foure hundred Tonns, Thirty Guns mounted, and eighty men,[3] and in his way for these partes his men mutinyed, and thirty of them lost theire Lives; That his vessell is very Leaky; and that they are very much in want of Provisions; And that severall of his men have deserted him soe that he has not above five and twenty or thirty hands on board; about twenty dayes since he touched at Anguilla, a small Island under this Government, where he Tarryed about foure houres; but being refused succour Sailed thence for the Island of St. Thomas (an Island belonging to the Crowne of Denmarke)[4] and Anchored off that Harbour three dayes, in which time he treated with them alsoe for releife; but the Governor absolutely Denying him, he bore away farther to Leeward (as it is beleived) for Porto Rico or Crabb Island;[5] upon which advice wee forthwith ordered his Majesties Shipp Queeneburrough, now attending this Government, Captain Rupert Billingsly Commander, to make the best of his way after him; and in case he mett with him to secure him with his men, vessell and effects, and bring them upp hither, That no Imbezlement may be made, but that they may be secured till wee have given you advice thereof, and his majesties pleasure relateing thereto can be knowne. Wee shall by the first conveniencie transmitt the like account of him to the Governor of Jamaica, soe that if he goes farther to Leeward Due care may be taken to secure him there; As for those men who have deserted him, wee have taken all possible care to apprehend them, especially if they come within the districts of this Government, and hope on returne of his majesties Friggatt shall be able to give you a more ample account hereof.

Wee are with all due Respects

Right Honorable

Your most obedient humble servants

WM. BURT. JNO. SMARGIN. MICH. SMITH. RICHD. ABBOTT. DAN. SMITH.

NEVIS the 18th May 1699

[Footnote 2: Printed in the Commons Journal, XIII. 16. It was the circular letter to colonial governors ordering them to apprehend Kidd.]

[Footnote 3: The Quedah Merchant; see post. She is here spoken of as Genoese, but other documents of the time speak of her as "Moorish built."]

[Footnote 4: And now belonging to the United States. On Kidd at St. Thomas, see document no. 83, post.]

[Footnote 5: Now commonly called Vieques, a small island lying a few miles east of Puerto Rico, and also now belonging to the United States.]

73. Examination of Edward Buckmaster. June 6, 1699.[1]

[Footnote 1: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson MSS., A. 272, fol. 48; also in the Public Record Office, C.O. 5:1042, no. 40 XI. Edward Buckmaster, "one of Shelley's men", was committed June 7, and broke prison Aug. 25. Cal. St. P. Col., 1699, pp. 278, 401. A year later, though he was supposed to be still alive, a rascally chaplain of the fort at New York married his wife to Capt. Adam Baldridge of document no. 68, obtaining a marriage license for "Adam Ball" and adding "-dridge" afterward. N.Y. Col. Doc., IV. 333, 413, 766.]

Taken this 6 June 1699.

The Answer of Edward Buckmaster to severall questions put to him by the Honorable John Nanfan, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor of this province,[2] the said Buckmaster being sworne to answer all such Questions as should be demanded of him.

[Footnote 2: Capt. John Nanfan, a cousin of Bellomont's wife, was lieutenant-governor of New York under him, and administered the province during Bellomont's absence in Massachusetts.]

Impr[imi]s. That the first land they made after they parted from this port in the Adventure Galley, Capt. William Kidd Commander, was the Island of Maderas, from whence they went directly to Madagascar, where they staid about A month to victual and careen. That there were no vessels at Madagascar when they came there. That they sailed from thence to a small Island called Johanna, lying in the Latitude of 12 degrees south, and from thence to Mahela, Lying in the Latitude of 11 degrees south; that they staid at the said Johanna and Mahela two Months where the Natives supplyed them with provisions. That there were four East India ships belonging to the Company at the Island Johanna at the same time they were there, the one called the East India Merchant the second the Maderasse, the third was a fly boat, and the fourth he knows not the name of.

Item. That from thence they sailed along the shore of Magellona[3] in the redd sea but saw no vessels till they came into the Latitude of 12 degrees north. That there they Met with several ships, some with English, some with Dutch, and some with Moors Colours, with whom they sailed in Company for Twenty five dayes but were not on board any of them. That the name of the one was the Scepter,[4] which ship fired a Gunn or Two At Capt. Kidds Galley.

[Footnote 3: Somaliland, probably.]

[Footnote 4: An English frigate. The events that follow are more fully detailed in Kidd's narrative, document no. 76, post.]

Item. That they tooke a ship on the coast of Mallabar that had a french pass, and French Master on board, with two Other white men, he believes them Dutch men, the rest all Moors; she was about 200 Tuns, made no resistance, and that they shared out of her four Bailes of Callicoes each Man. That afterwards the Adventure Galley sunck at Saint Maries, and Kidd and Company went on board the prize.

Item. That Capt. Kidd had made no good voyage, having no money and only 160 Bailes of Callicoes on board.

Item. That he the said Buckmaster Left the said Capt. Kidd the last day of May 1698 and went on board the ship Resolution, Capt. Robert Culliford Comander,[5] as a volunteer before the Mast, and went out Cruising with him but tooke no vessel dureing the voyage though they Continued Cruising from May to December. the said Culliford had forty Gunns mounted and 120 men. he had been in those parts seven yeares on the account.

[Footnote 5: Culliford was a noted pirate, who for a time commanded the Mocha frigate, which had been stolen from the East India Company; and this Resolution was the Mocha renamed, not the Resolution of document no. 68, par. 13.]

Item. That he quitted the said Culliford the Middle of December last and went on board the ship Nasaw, Giles Shelley Master,[6] that went from New yorke to Madagascar to trade there (the said Buckmaster being willing to come home to his family, the said Shelley being bound back to New Yorke), that he gave the said Shelley 100 pieces of Eight for his passage, which was the Comon rate and which sume he believes Fifty more passengers that came from on board pyrate ships at Madagascar and Saint Maries gave to the said Shelley, the said Shelley as he believes well knowing what ships they had been in and what designe they came from.

[Footnote 6: Shelley, fitted out from New York in 1698 by Stephen Delancey and others, was suspected of piracy. In a letter of May 27, 1699, to Delancey, from Cape May, he speaks of bringing in 15,000 dollars of passage money. Cal. St. P. Col., 1699, p. 281. He had lived in New York since 1688. See also doc. no. 85, note 17.]

Item. That the said Shelley sailed from the Island Saint Maries in the East Indies to Chyan[7] where he stayd three or four dayes.

[Footnote 7: Cayenne, probably.]

Item. That five or six of the persons that belonged to Capt. Culliford in the East Indies went on board Capt. Gravenreadt[8] out of Shelleys ship, when she came on this coast at Cape May, which Cape they made on Friday sevennight last.[9] Gravenreadts vessel lay about two miles from Shelleys ship, but the said Gravenreadts came on board shelleys ship, and believes made an agreemt. with the several men he took on board with him for their passages to [blank]: Vizt. Robert English, Jan Spons, Theophilus [blank][10] and two or three Others. That John Elderige, —— Stanton, and Doctor —— Badwain[11] went on shore at Cape May: they also came from on board Culliford.

[Footnote 8: Andreas Gravenraedt of New York. On this very day, June 6, Governor Blakiston of Maryland was seizing him and his ship in the Severn River. Cal. St. P. Col., 1699, p. 287.]

[Footnote 9: May 26.]

[Footnote 10: Turner. He turned king's evidence. See the next document.]

[Footnote 11: Kidd's physician was Robert Bradinham; he also turned king's evidence.]

Item. That they came to Sandy Hook on Fryday last in the Evening, that the said Edward Buckmaster, Paul Swan, Jonathan Evans and Otto van Toyle went on shore at the west end of long Island on Saturday last at seven of the Clock in the Evening, they also belonged to Culliford; that he was at New Utrecht yesterday and came to New Yorke last night. That he has been often in the hold of Shelleys ship dureing the voyage but saw nothing but water Casks, and that he never saw but four Gunns on the Deck since he was on board.

That one Capt. Shivers[12] came to saint Marys with a ship called the soldado of 40 Gunns while Shelley was there, which ship is run ashore.

[Footnote 12: See document no. 68, par. 13.]

That he did not see the Quedaw Merchant nor Capt. Wright.

That he was at Callicut and Carresaw[13] in Kidds ship.

[Footnote 13: Carwar?]

A True Copy. BELLOMONT.