Mr. Allerton returned to England, little regarding his bond of £1000 to perform his contract; for though bound to take the ship to London, and to pay £30 per month for her hire, he did neither, for he stopped at Bristol to fit her out again there; and this he did three times. She had been ten months on the former voyage, but he never paid a penny for her hire. It would seem he knew well enough how to deal with Mr. Sherley—he, though he must needs foist her upon the general account, disposing of her as he pleased. And though Mr. Allerton had thus broken his contract in every way, Mr. Sherley goes and sells him both the ship and all her accounts from first to last in a bond for £2000,—in effect he might as well have given her to him,—and not only this, but as good as gives him sanctuary, for he allows him one year to prepare his account and present it to the partners here, and another year to make payment of what should be due upon the account. In the meantime he wrote earnestly to them not to hinder him in his business, or delay him for the sake of the accounts, etc. The result was that in the interim he collected all the money due for freight and any other amounts belonging to her or the Friendship, as his own private debts; and, after all, sold ship, ordnance, fish, and other lading in Spain, as he had first planned, and what became of the money he best knows. Meanwhile their hands were tied and they could, do nothing but look on, till he had transferred everything to other men’s hands, except a few cattle and a little land and a few things he had here at New Plymouth, and so ultimately removed all his belongings, as he had already done himself, from hence. Mr. Hatherley came over again this year upon his own business, and began to make preparations to settle in the country. As appeared later, he had closed out his share in the business, and remained a partner in name only, nor did he trouble about their affairs in any way, except as regards his engagements in connection with the Friendship. In connection with that, and some dealings between Mr. Allerton and him, and some debts that Mr. Allerton owed him on private transactions, he drew up an account of over £2000, and tried to thrust it upon the partners here on the ground that Mr. Allerton had been their agent. But they told him they had been fooled long enough in that way, and showed him that it was no concern of theirs. As for the debts of the Friendship he must expect to meet them. Mr. Pierce did the same, Mr. Allerton having got into his debt also in their private dealings. However, the partners here easily shook off these worries! but Mr. Allerton brought much trouble and vexation upon himself, as he had upon others, for Mr. Denison sued him for the money he had disbursed for one-sixth share in the White Angel, and recovered it with damages.