us with Dutch coullors flying, and presently affter wee saw a vessell with French Coullors, upon which wee concluded All to be French and thatt wee ware betrayed and should bee taken; thereupon Capt. Rodregross Commanded every man to his Arms and to fight for his life. But as soone as Capt. Mosely[7] Came up with us, hee haveing the English Coullors out, Hee bid us A Maine for the King of England, and I myselfe Loured the Maine Sayle three or foure foot doune, at which Capt. Rodregross was very angry with me and Commanded me to hoyse it againe, which I Refused to doe; and there upon I went forward and Laye before the windles tell the vessell was taken; And when the Capt. yeelded, I Edward Youringe Lett fall the Anchor; I being very glad that I was freed from the Bondage and Slavery I was in untell the vessell was taken by Capt. Moseley; I being all the voyage Comanded, as occasion presented, to goe a Shoare with John Farmer to cott wood and fetch watter to carry aboard; notwithstanding one halfe of the vessell was my owne; and also I stand Still ingaged for one halfe of the Cargoe thatt was Carryed out from Boston.
Now all these premises being searyously pondred by this honord Courte of Assistants, with the prudent and upright management of the Gent'men of the Jury, Together with the testimonyes I have redy to give in, I hope will thereby Evidently Appeare thatt I am not guiltie of Pyracy or any Acttyons tending thereto, as is Layed to me in my Charge, And I being over powered by the Privateers thatt did tyranize over me, I was forced contrary to my minde and will to doe whatt I did during the time I was with the Privateers upon A voyage to the Eastward; for the true determination of which and of my being Concerned therein I freely and willingly Leave my Selfe to the wise, Judicious and Righteous proceedings of this Honoured Courte and Gentlemen of the Jury, hopeing the Lord will Cleare up my Innocency as to the matter of Factt, I being Conscious to my owne Innocency. So desiring the Lord to direct you In your Proceeding that Right may take place, not att all doubtting butt thatt your Honors will soe dilligenttly search in to the Cause thatt the Innosent may Bee Cleeared and the Guilty Suffer, according to merritt, so wishin you all happienes, And for the Continewance of which I shall ever Pray, etc., Subscribe my Selfe your Faithfull Subjectt and Searvantt In all Hummillitye
Edward Youreing.[8]
Boston the 24th of May
1675.
[1] Suffolk Court Files, no. 1390, paper 2. The name is more often found with the spelling Uring.
[2] Naskeag; see note 5 to document 41.
[3] Captain of a small Boston vessel; his letter to the owner is in the Maine Documentary History, second ser., VI. 42–43.
[4] I.e., lower your topsail, in token of surrender.
[5] Machias.
[6] The Trial, of Kittery, belonging to Maj. Nicholas Shapleigh; Doc. Hist., VI. 46–47.
[7] Sent by the Massachusetts government to suppress these pirates.
[8] Of one of the Dutchmen concerned in this episode of piracy, Cornelius Andersen, Hutchinson relates, quoting a contemporary letter, that, being under sentence of death for piracy, but pardoned on condition of enlisting in King Philip's War, "He pursued Phillip so hard that he got his cap and now wears it. The general, finding him a brave man, sent him with a command of twelve men to scout, with orders to return in three hours on pain of death; he met 60 Indians hauling their canoes ashore: he killed 13 and took 8 alive, and pursued the rest as far as he could go for swamps, and on his return burnt all the canoes … and a short time after was sent out on a like design and brought in 12 Indians alive and two scalps." History of Massachusetts Bay, I. 263.
BRANDENBURG PRIVATEERS.
43. Seignelay to Colbert. May 8 (N.S.), 1679. [1]
Copie of a Letter to M. Colbert from the Marquis de Segnelay about two Brandenbourg Privateers armed for the American Islands. 8 May 1679 N.S., received 9 May V.S.[2]
Le Roy ayant esté informé à la fin du mois passé que deux particuliers avoient fait depuis peu un armement dans les Portes de Zelande, et qu'ils en essoient partis avec deux Vaisseaux armez en guerre pour aller dans les Isles d'Amerique faire la guerre a ses Sujets sous la Commission de Monsieur l'Electeur de Brandenbourg, Sa Majesté fit partir pour les dites Isles M. le Comte d'Estrées avec une escadre de quatorze vaisseaux pour les prendre ou couler à fonds. Et comme il est porté par le 9me Article du traitté de suspension d'armez que vous aves signé le 3e de ce mois avec l'Ambassadeur de ce Prince, que le comerce sera libre tant par eau que par terre, Sa Majesté veut que vous proposiez au dit Seigneur l'Ambassadeur de donner ordre aux Capitaines des dites deux fregates de ne rien entreprendre au prejudice du dit Traitté contre les Vasseaux des Subjects de Sa Majesté. Et en ce cas Elle fera scavoir audit Seigneur Comte d'Estrées, que son intention est qu'il laisse la liberté aux dites deux fregates, de naviguer par tout ou bon leur semblera. J'attendray ce qu'il vous plaira de me faire scavoir sur ce sujet, pour en rendre compte à Sa Majesté, etc.
à St. Germaine en l'aye
le 8me May 1679.
Translation.
The King having been informed at the end of the past month that two individuals had lately fitted out in the ports of Zeeland, and had sailed thence with two vessels, armed for warfare, to go to the islands of America, and make war upon his subjects under commission from my lord the Elector of Brandenburg, his Majesty is sending my lord the Count d'Estrées with a squadron of fourteen vessels to seize or sink them.[3] And as it is provided by the ninth article of the treaty of armistice which you signed on the 3d of this month with the ambassador of that prince, that commerce shall be free by water as well as by land,[4] his Majesty desires that you should propose to the said lord ambassador that he give orders to the captains of the aforesaid two frigates to undertake nothing to the prejudice of the said treaty, against the vessels of his Majesty's subjects. And in that case he will communicate to the said lord Count d'Estrées his intention that he shall leave the said two frigates free to sail wherever they think fit.[5] I shall await whatever information you may be pleased to send me on this subject, in order to report it to his Majesty, etc.
St. Germain-en-Laye, May 8, 1679.
[1] British Museum, Harleian MSS., 1517, fol. 232. Probably an intercepted letter. Colbert was the great prime minister of Louis XIV.; Seignelay, Colbert's
