And we do hereby strictly charge and command you as you will answer the contrary at your Peril, that you do not, in any Manner, offend or molest our Friends or Allies, their Ships, or Subjects, by Colour or Pretence of these Presents, or the Authority thereby granted. In Witness whereof we have caused our Great Seal of _England_ to be affix'd to these Presents. Given at our Court of _Kensington_, the 26th Day of _January_ 1695, in the seventh Year of our Reign.' Captain _Kid_ had also another Commission, which was called a Commission of Reprisals; for it being then War Time, this Commission was to justify him in the taking of _French_ Merchant Ships, in Case he should meet with any; but as this Commission is nothing to our present Purpose, we shall not burthen the Readers with it. With these two Commissions he sail'd out of _Plymouth_ in _May_ 1696, in the _Adventure_ Gally of thirty Guns, and eighty Men; the Place he first design'd for was _New-York_; in his Voyage thither he took a _French_ Banker, but this was no Act of Pyracy, he having a Commission for that Purpose, as we have just observ'd. When he arrived at _New York_ he put up Articles for engaging more Hands, it being necessary to his Ships Crew, since he proposed to deal with a desperate Enemy: The Terms he offered were, that every Man should have a Share of what was taken, reserving for himself and Owners forty Shares. Upon which Encouragement he soon increas'd his Company to a hundred and fifty five Men. With this Company he sail'd first for _Maderas_, where he took in Wine and some other Necessaries; from thence he proceeded to _Bonavist_, one of the _Cape de Verd Islands_, to furnish the Ship with Salt, and from thence went immediately to St. _Jago_, another of the _Cape de Verd Islands_, in order to stock himself with Provisions. When all this was done, he bent his Course to _Madagascar_, the known Rendezvouz of Pyrates; in his Way he fell in with Captain _Warren_, Commadore of three Men of War; he acquainted them with his Design, kept them Company two or three Days, and then leaving them, made the best Way for _Madagascar_, where he arrived in _February_ 1696, just nine Months from his Departure from _Plymouth_.