Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents
History
Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents
Pirates; Privateering; United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Sources
Appeared before me Jacob Hendricksz Kip,[2] authorized clerk to the
Honorable Director General and Honorable Council of New Netherland,
Antony Leon, native of Majorca, 26 years old, Spaniard, and Fyck
Herry, native of Castlehaven in Ireland, about 21 years old,
passengers, who came from Captain Flip Drest's bark into the bark of
Willem Albertsz Blaeuvelt, who testify, witness, and declare, in lieu
and on offer of oaths, at the request of the joint owners of the
frigate _La Garce_, of which the above-named Willem Blaeuvelt was
captain, that it is true and certain that they, the deponents, being
in the said Captain Blaeuvelt's bark, saw, and they recollect very
well, that upon July 18, 1649, in the bay of Campechie,[3] there came
in the evening a ship which they thought to be the bark or prize of
Blaeuvelt, whereupon Blaeuvelt immediately made sail, and turned to
the leeward in order that they might the better make her out. The said
Blaeuvelt ran up the Prince's flag above and at the stern, not waiting
for her, but doing his best to get away from her. About eleven o'clock
at night she came up to him, when Blaeuvelt's quartermaster, named
Gerrit Hendricksz, called: "Flip, Flip, mate Flip", but received no
answer and then cried out, "Strike for the Prince of Orange!"[4] [The
Spaniard] answered, "Strike for the King of Spain!" and immediately
fired with cannon four shots. The fifth piece failed to go off. The
sixth shot struck Blaeuvelt's ship, without his having made any
preparations [to fire]; said Blaeuvelt resolved to sail close to the
wind in order to get to his people. All which we deponents aforesaid
declare to be true and certain, offering on demand to confirm the same
by oath. This 27th of September, 1649, on the Island of Manhattan in
New Netherland. Signed with a mark of the following shape, [sideways
H], against which is written, "This is the mark of Fyck Herry, made by
himself"; a mark of this sort [dash, sideways S] against which is
written, "This is the mark of Antony Leon, the Spaniard, made by
himself"; then, "Albert Cornelisz", and the mark of Nicolaes
Stilwil,[5] both as witnesses of the genuineness of the above marks;
and beneath, "Acknowledged before me, Jacob Kip, authorized clerk".
[Footnote 2: From whom Kip's Bay (East River, about Thirty-sixth
Street) is named.]
[Footnote 3: Between Mexico and Yucatan.]
[Footnote 4: _I.e._, strike ensign and topsail.]
[Footnote 5: Albert Cornelisz was a magistrate of Brooklyn; Nicholas
Stilwell, of Gravesend.]
After comparison with its original, dated and signed as above, this
is found to agree, by me, Jacob Kip, clerk, in the presence of
Francooys Noyret and [_blank_] requested as witnesses hereto, this
[_blank_] September, 1649, in Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland.
FRANSSOYS NOIRET, witness.[6]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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