5. Affidavit: the Capture of the Tabasco. July 25 (N.S.), 1649.1 Wy ondergeschreven (alle t'samen gevaren hebbende met d'fregat de la garce daer Capetain op is Willem Albertsz Blaeuvelt, gecruyst hebbende inde West Indisch) attesteeren, getuigen ende verclaren in plaets ende belofte van Solemneelen Eede, des noots synde, hoe dat waer ende waerachtich is, dat wy verovert hebben inde reviere van Tabasko een bercke genaemt Tabasko vande Spanjaerde, welcke spanjaerden ons niet vermaende van eenige vreede noch treves die tusschen den Coninck van Spanje ende haere H. Mo. gemaeckt soude syn geweest, noch dat wy van geene vreede geweeten noch gehoort hebben. Alle t'welcke wy ondergeschreven verclaren alsoo waer ende waerachtich te weesen, presenteerende t'selve, des noots synde, altoos met Eede te verifieeren. Ady desen 25en July a'o 1649. N. Amst. dit ist X marck van HENDRICK ARENTSZ, Luytenant. RAIPH CLARCK. dit merc eefe is gestelt by ANTONY DE MOEDES, Spaenjaert. Translation. We the undersigned, having all voyaged together in the frigate La Garce, of which Willem Albertsz Blaeuvelt is captain, having cruised in the West Indies, testify, witness, and declare, in place and under promise of solemn oath if need be, that it is true and certain, that we captured from the Spaniard, in the river of Tabasko, the bark named Tabasko, which Spaniard did not notify us of any peace or truce concluded between the King of Spain and their High Mightinesses, nor had we known or heard of any New York State Archives, Dutch Manuscripts, vol. III., p. 44. 'A river of southern Mexico, flowing into the Gulf of Campeche; in all but its lower portion it is now called the Grijalva. 3 peace. All which we the undersigned declare to be true and certain, offering also if need be to verify it under oath. This 25th of July, 1649, in New Amsterdam. This is the X mark of HENDRICK ARENTSZ, Lieutenant. KEMPO SYBADA.4 RAIPH CLARCK. This mark eefe is made by 6. Affidavit of Antonio Leon and Fyck Herry. September 27 (N.S.), 1649.1 Copie Compareerde voor my Jacob Hendricksz Kip Clercq by den E. Hr. Dr. Generael ende E. Raaden van Nieu neederlant geadmiteert, Antony Leon geboortich inde Mayorke out 26 Jaaren Spanjaert ende Fyck Herry geboortich van Ierlant in Castilhaven out ontrent 21 Jaaren, passagiers overgecomen uyt Capetain Flip drest syn Barcque inde barcque van Willem Albertsz Blaeuvelt, attesteeren, getuygen ende verclaren, in plaets ende presentatie van Eeden ten versoecke vande Gemeene Reders van d'Fregat de La Garce, daer Capetain op was Willem Blaeuvelt voornoemt: hoe dat waer ende waerachtich is, dat sy attestanten weesende op des selfs Capetain Blaeuvelts barcque, gesien hebben ende hun noch wel bekent is, als dat op den achtienden July 1649 in de Bocht van Compechie alwaer quaem des * The deposition of William Nobel, surgeon of the La Garce (N. Y. Col. Docs., I. 398), shows that the Tabasco, "laden with grains of paradise", was captured on April 22, 1649, and that another prize was taken on July 5, and confirms the narrative given in the next document. Yet peace had been concluded January 30 (N.S.), 1648. Roger Williams writes to John Winthrop, jr., October 25, 1649, referring no doubt to the prize mentioned in the next document, "Blufield is come to Newport and is carrying the ship (his prize) to Munnadoes [Manhattan], having promised the Governor to answer it to the Spaniard if demaunded, because she is taken against the Treves" (truce, peace); Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., fourth ser., VI. 272, 274. The pilot of the privateer. The Records of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, I. 314-319, show Captain Kempo Sybada as dwelling in the next ensuing years at New London and on Block Island, and as suffering in his turn from the depredations of privateers. He died in London in 1659. 1New York State Archives, Dutch Manuscripts, vol. III., p. 65. avonts een Schip, welcke sy dochten dat het de barcque ofte prys van Blaeuvelt was, waer over Blaeuvelt datelyck seyl maeckte, ende draeyde hem op de Laey, om dat sy haer best soude kennen: welcken blaeuvelt de prinse vlagge van booven ende achteren liet wayen: Hy haer niet verwachtende maer syn best doende om van haer te koomen: des s'nachts ongeveer ten Elf uyren syn sy by hem gekoomen, doen riep blaeuvelts Cartiermeester genaemt Gerrit Hendricksz: Flip, Flip, Maet Flip, welcken geen ant[woor]t en kreegh, roepende, Stryckt voor de Prins van Orangie: Antwoorde, Stryckt voor de Coningh van Spanjen : ende schoot met schut datelyk vier schooten; het vyfde stuck weigerde ende het seste gingh af op Blaeuvelt: sonder dat hy Blaeuvelt Its claer gemaeckt hadde: Welcken Blaeuvelt resolveerde om by de Wint te steecken om naer syn volck te geraecken: alle t'welcke wy attestanten voornoemt verclaren alsoo waer ende waerachtich te weesen, presenteerende t'selve, des versocht synde, met Eede te verstercken. Ady desen 27 September 1649, opt Eylant d'Manhatans In Nieu Neederlant. Was onderteckent by dusdanich merck daer by geschreven: Dit is het merck van Fyck Herry, selfs gestelt: dusdanich teycken daer by geschreven dit is het merck van Antony Leon Spanjaert selfs gestelt. Nevens Albert Cornelisz ende t'merck van Nicolaes Stilwil, byde als getuygen vande waerheyt des bovenstaenden onderteckenden Mercken: onderstont In Kennisse van my, Jacob Kip geadmiteerde Clercq. Naer Collatie is deese met syne principale gedateert ende geteckent als boven accordeerende bevonden by myn Jacob Kip Clercq ten overstaen van Francooys Noyret: ende getuygen, hier toe versocht desen Amst. In N. Neederlandt. Sept 1649 Int fort FRANSSOYS NOIRET, getuyge. Translation. Copy Appeared before me Jacob Hendricksz Kip,2 authorized clerk to the Honorable Director General and Honorable 'From whom Kip's Bay (East River, about Thirty-sixth Street) is named. 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 abovenamed 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, 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, against which is written, "This is the mark of Fyck Herry, made by himself"; a mark of this sort 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, both as witnesses of the genuineness of the above marks; and beneath, "Acknowledged before me, Jacob Kip, authorized clerk". H 5 5 After comparison with its original, dated and signed as Between Mexico and Yucatan. I.e., strike ensign and topsail. Albert Cornelisz was a magistrate of Brooklyn; Nicholas Stilwell, of Gravesend. 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." THE HOLY GHOST. 7. Declaration of the Massachusetts Council, July 20, 1653.1 Att A Counsell held at Boston 20th July 1653. Captaine Robert Harding 2 presenting unto us a certificate in the Dutch language with the seale of Amsterdam affixed to it that the ship called in the certificate the holy ghost togather with the skipper thereof did belong unto the united provinces (Although at the first arrivall of the s'd ship diverse rumors were spread which did render them suspitious to have unjustly surprised the s'd ship) whereupon the Counsell thought it there duty to enquire into the matter, yet having now examined the s'd Captaine and Considerd the Certificate afores'd together with a charter partie found in the s'd ship, Wee doe declare that wee have nothing wherewith to charge the sd Capt. or the company but have discharged the said Captaine and the rest of the company heere, together with their clothes, And therfore doe signify unto them that they have free liberty to enter our harbours where they shall have protection from all in "It was judicially decided later that the Tabasco was not a good prize. A ray of light is cast on Blauvelt's latter end by an item in an enumeration of English buccaneers in 1663 found among the Rawlinson manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, "Captain Blewfield, belonging to Cape Gratia de Dios [Gracia á Diós, Nicaragua], living among the Indians, a barque, 50 men, 3 guns." Haring, Buccaneers, p. 273. 2 'Massachusetts Archives, vol. 60, p. 175. The document is a declaration of the Court of Assistants acting in its executive capacity, as a council. 'Capt. Robert Harding, now of Ratcliff, London, was well known in Boston, being, apparently, the same who came out with Winthrop, went to Rhode Island, was an assistant there, and then returned to England. |