Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period. Various
rel="nofollow" href="#ulink_bf36fede-a328-5486-aa7a-bc0a1bb5494c">[21] Wooden blocks for extending the stays.
[22] A speek was a large nail; a pintle, then as now, a rudder-pin.
[23] A kind of harpoon.
[24] Hook for sturgeons; dog-irons were probably fire-dogs.
[25] Deep-sea lead (for sounding).
34. Examination of John Johnson. May 5, 1673. [1]
The examination of John Johnson steersman of the frigott commonwealth, Capt. Cornelius Lincourt Comd'r.
December the 15th their stile[2] they came out of Flushing in the above sd Frigott with 20 gunns and ninety six men and boys, bound from Flushing to the Canarie Island, and in their way they tooke a Londoner bound from Malaga laden with fruit, which they sent to the Groyne,[3] and the men they putt on shore at the canaries. from the Canaries we sailed to the Cape de Verd Islands and from thence to Barbados, where they tooke a small French sloope, and from thence we sailed to the Capes of Verginia and in our way we mett with the Providence of Falmouth, which ship we tooke on the 15 day of Aprill, our Stile,[4] in the latitude of the capes, about 30 Leagues to the Eastward. it being a stormy night they drive away under a maine course to the northward. for 2 days afterward they stood in againe to the capes but could not see their frigott, so then we stood away for the Groine, and meet with a small Londoner bound for Verginia, who came abord on us for water, and we took the men being 5 and putt them in to the hold, then he that was Master of the ship went on board the Londoner and those men with him, whome the Londoner carried away, so then we followed them but could not overtake him, so the night following the English that were upon Decke conspireing with them in the hold, in the morneing they tooke the ship from us, and brought us to Piscataqua.
Taken in Boston 5 May 1673 before
John Leverett, Dep. Gov.[5]
[1] Suffolk Court Files, no. 1257, paper 18.
[2] I.e., new style, which the Dutch used.
[3] The name then used by the English for Coruña, in northwestern Spain.
[4] April 5, O.S. See documents 32 and 36.
[5] John Leverett was deputy-governor 1671–1673. Two days later, May 7, 1673, he was elected governor, and so continued till 1679.
35. Declaration of Edward Bant and Others. May 8, 1673. [1]
A Declaration of some Occurrents that happened to us in our late voiadge from London in the Ship Barkely of the saide port, Nicholas Prynne Commander, intended for Virginia, Anno 167⅔.
On the twelfth Aprill 1673 being in saide Ship about the Lattitude of the Capes of Virginia about 80 Leagues distant, wee saw a sail towards Evening, and being in want of provitions, seeing her to be a Fly boate,[2] made towards her and came up with her about Eight a clock and hailed them asking them of whence theire Ship. they answered of Falmoth. wee ask't them from whence they came. they answered from Virginia, and called mee by my name and asked mee how I did. wee asked them what places they loaded at. they answered, in Petuxin River.[3] wee told them wee wanted some provitions. they answered us if we would hoise out our Boate and come on boarde, they would spare us water and other provitions what they could. in order thereunto wee did soe, and I being desired by the Master and Merchant[4] to goe on board with the Boate to Endeavor to gett what provitions I could, our Marchant who was the owner also desired mee to stay, and hee and the Doctor would goe with mee as soon as they had sealed theire letters. Our Master not having ended his writing the marchant desired him to goe on board with us also and to finish his letter there, and accordingly with three more Seamen wee went on board saide Ship, and when wee came there founded severall Dutchmen on board who had the Command of her, they having lately taken her from the English. the Ship was called the Providence, belonging to Falmoth, Thomas Radden having been lately master of her. the saide Dutchman Surprized six of us and kept us prisoners and sent one of our Company with three Dutchmen on board our Ship, who lay by us till the next morning. then the Dutch Commander comanded our Ships' Boate to come on board his Ship againe, which accordingly they did, hee promising our merchant to take out our goods and to give us our Ship againe, in order whereunto hee provided one hogshead of bread to have given us as hee saide and tooke our marchant with him and went on board our Ship, and about halfe an hour after our Ship made sail and Steered to the westward: and then the Dutch men put us who formerly belonged to her down into the hole and made sail after the saide Ship for about two houres, and seeing they could not come up with her stood on theire course againe to the Eastward, and by receiving advice from those Englishmen that were at liberty were combined together for them to make way for our coming up and soe to rush out upon the Dutchmen at once and to Subdue them, for the rescueing of ourselves and Ship, which with god's blessing wee Effected, without loss of life or bloodshed to any, and then agreed among our Selves to come away with saide Ship to New England, which accordingly wee did and after Eleven days passage by reason of contrary wind and foggy weather arrived in Piscataquay River on the 23th Aprill 1673.
Edward Bant, Mate.
John Ressell.
Jonas Lewis.
Att a Court of Assistants on Adjournment the 8th May 1673, Edward Bant, John Russell and Jonas Lewis deposed in Court that having subscribed their names to this declaration that it was the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth:
As Attests Edward Rawson Sec'ty
[1] Suffolk Court Files, no. 1257, paper 12.
[2] A small swift ship of Dutch pattern (originally Vlie boot).
[3] Patuxent River, in Maryland.
[4] I.e., supercargo.
36. Declaration of Henry King and John Champion. May 8, 1673. [1]
A Declaracion of some Occurrents that happened us in our late voiadge from Falmouth intended for Virginia in the Ship Providence