to this Crowne, Payinge the Customes of sd. Prizes, according to the Rates of the Custome Houses of this Kingdome. Wherefore I Request all Kings, Princes, Potentats, Lords, Republicks, states, theire Leiftenants, Generalls, Admirals, Governours of there provinces, Citties and Portts, Captaines And Corporals of Warr, to give to the said Charles de Bils all the Assistance, helpe and favour, Passage and Entrance into theire Portts, with his said shipp, people, prizes and all things theire unto pertaininge, offerringe my selfe in the like occasion to doe the same, and Command my Governours, Generalls, officers of Warr, to lett them goe and passe with there prizes as long time as shall be nessesarie, for Confirmation of w'ch I commanded this letter Pattent to bee past, signed and sealed with the great seale of my Armes. Given in the Cittie of Lisbone the tenth day of february. Written by Antonio Marques In the Yeare of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ one thousand six hundred fifty Eightt. Diogo Ferres Bravo Caused itt to bee written. QUEENE.2 And because said Charles de Bills Presen[t]inge himselfe before mee, Declareinge hee had lost said patent, desireinge mee to favour him to Command to passe him Another With safety [?] I commanded itt to bee past him outt of the Register Booke, W'ch Is the same declared above. given in lisbone the tenth of September six hundred sixty two.

frances Pereira da cunha caused itt to bee written. (Sealed with

the Armes

of portugall.)

THE KING.2

The Patent by w'ch your Mag'tie was pleased to nominate Charles de Bils for captaine of a warr shipp of One Hundred tonnes, w'ch hee offerred to furnish att his owne Cost with such Boates as hee shall thinke nessesarie and to provide them with Gunnes, People, Ammunitions, and victuals that hee thinks needfull. Reformed. By Your Mag'tie.

"When the original commission was issued the king was a minor, and it was signed by his mother the queen regent, Donha Luiza; but in June, 1662, by a palace revolution, King Alfonso assumed authority.

15. Commission from de Bils to John Douglas. September 20 (N.S.), 1662.1

By his mag'ties decree of the tenth of october 657, And Dispach of the counsell of the 8th of september 662. Itt Is Registred In the 22 Booke of the s[ecre]taria of Warr,

fol. 72.

Wee, Charles de Bils, Captaine by the King our Lord, by virtue of my fore written Patent, Sealed with The great Seale and Signed by his mag'tie, Constitute and doe Constitute D. John Duglas for Commander of my shipp Called st. John In my name and as if I were Personally Presentt to make Warr With the Enimies of this Crowne of Portugall, Accordingly And in the same manner as it Is declared In my Patent, for Effectinge of W'ch I grant to the said my Constituted all the Powers to mee granted, for Confirmacion of w'ch I deliver him this my Patent signed with my hand and Sealed with the seale of my Armes. made In lisbone the twentieth of september one thousand Six hundred sixty two. CHARLES DE BILS.

Wee the under written doe testyfie that the Aboves'd and what is Conteyned on the other Side 2 is a true translation of a Comission Graunted by the Queene of Portugall and afterwards Confirmed by the King of that Country unto Charles de Bills and afterwards Assigned over by Sayd Charles de Bills unto Capt John Duglas as witnes our hands

16. Deposition of William Browne. June 24, 1664.1

The deposicion of William Browne, passenger with Mr Robert Cooke, in the Blow Dove, and now prisoner aboard Capt. Jno. Dowglass:

That when hee was demaunded of the said Capt. John Dowglass where the said Shipp did belong unto, that the said William Browne did saye that hee heard the Mr say, severall times, that the said Shipp did belong unto Amsterdam, and that the said Shipp was bound for Amsterdam, and that most of the company 2 were Scotts:

3

2ly. That the said William Browne did see when a Jewe did shipp aboarde some goods, and that a Jewe did marke it, and that a Jewe did dispose of the goods which the Shipp brought from Holland and that Jewes name was Isaac Cardozo, and that after the Shipp was taken it was the Mr.'s desire for to bee put ashoare, and his company likewise, for the Mr. of the said Shipp was wounded and the Capt., meeting with a vessell bound for Port Royall in Jameka, did graunt leave to the said Mr. and most of his company for to goe in her for the said Port: as witness my hand this 24. of June 1664:

Taken uppon Oath this 12. of July 1664 in Portsmouth, in Pascatayvay River, in Newe-England, in America; before

mee

BRIAN PENDLETON,
Comisioner.

17. Deposition of Marcus Claesz. June 24, 1664.1

The deposicion of Markus Claise of Rotterdam borne, passenger in the Blow Dove, when shee was taken, and now prisoner aboarde Capt. John Dowglass.

8

'Mass. Archives, vol. 60, p. 218a.

2 Crew.

At Port Royal, Jamaica. The Blue Dove was taken between Jamaica and Hispaniola, while sailing for Amsterdam.

men.

Brian Pendleton was a selectman of Portsmouth, and one of its leading

'Mass. Archives, vol. 60. p. 218.

That when hee was demaunded of the said Capt. John Dowglass where the Shipp did belong unto, that hee the said Markus Claise did say that the said Shipp did belong unto Amsterdam, and that the Shipp was bound for Amsterdam when shee was taken, and that the Jewes were aboarde before wee set saile, and that most of the Company were Scotts, and after that the said Shipp was taken that the Mr., Robert Cooke, and most of his company did desire of the Capt. to goe ashoare uppon Jameka, and the Capt. meeting with a Barke bound for Port Royall in Jameka did graunt them leave, according to theire desire, to goe in her to the aforesaid Port at Jameka: as witnes my hand this 24. day of June 1664.

Taken uppon Oath this 12. of July 1664 in Pascatayvay River, in Newe-England, in America, before mee:

BRIAN PENDLETON,

Comisioner.

18. Deposition of Bartholomew Martin. June 24, 1664.1

The deposicion of Bartholomewe Martin, Spaniard, passenger and now aboarde of Capt. John Dowglass:

That when hee was demaunded of the said Capt. John Dowglass whither hee knewe if the Shipp did belong unto the Jewes, hee answered that hee heard Isaac Cardozo a Jewe tell him privately that the Shipp did belong unto his father in Amsterdam, and that shee was Assigned unto him by his father from Amsterdam, and that the said Bartholomewe Martin did see the Jewes bring Quicksilver, and that hee knowes it is the same which was taken in the Blew Dove: as witness my hand this 24. day of June 1664. Taken uppon Oath this 12. of July 1664 in Portsmouth, in Pascatayvay River, in Newe-England, in America, before

mee:

BRIAN PENDLETON,
Comisioner.

1

Mass. Archives, vol. 60, p. 217a.

19. Commission to James Oliver and Others. July 16, 1664.1

Being Credibly Informed of the Arrivall of a ship at Piscatage manned with persons who have Given just cause of suspition and are suspected to have seazed the said ship in a way of piracy or in a undue and Illegall manner, Now that his Maj'ty may have his rights and dues preserved, his Good Subjects the Right owners and proprietors of ship and Goods releived wht [without] any such violent seizures

These are therefore in his Maj'tys name to Authorize and Require yow, Capt. James Olliver, Capt. Edward Hutchinson, upon Receipt hereof forth with to repaire to the sd River of piscatage and there to Apply yourselves to Capt. Brian pendleton and mr. Richard Cutts, who are hereby Alike Authorized and Joyned in Comission with yow, who together or any three of yow are hereby Impowred and Required to make seazure of the Comander, officers and Company of the said ship, whither in piscatage River or in any other Harbor, port or place within this Jurisdiction, in Case they shall Refuse to submitt themselves to your comand Relating to a due triall, to secure the said ship and Goods, and having so secured them yow are to Convey the said persons, shipp and Goods to Boston, that so a due proceeding may be had and made therein according to law and Justice, And that yow may be fully enabled to dischardg the trust here Comitted to yow, All officers and Comanders both by

'Mass. Archives, vol. 60, p. 220. Of the persons commissioned, Oliver was a prominent merchant in Boston; Hutchinson was a son of Anne Hutchinson, and was killed in King Philip's War; Pendleton and Cutts were selectmen of Portsmouth. The signatures are those of "Richard Bellingham, Deputy" (Governor), and Francis Willoughby of the Court of Assistants; see document 27. Four days later, July 20, 1664, Samuel Maverick, coming out from England as one of the four commissioners to regulate New England, writes to Capt. Thomas Breedon from Portsmouth, "It hapned, that as wee were ready to come in, There went out from hence a Pinck [small ship with narrow stern], taken as a prize by a ship of Jamaica, but by authority from the Governor of the Massachusetts, the prize was as I understand seized upon and those that first took her, secured as prisoners by Capt. Oliver, and carryed for Boston," and he remonstrates against this as a usurpation of the commissioners' authority. N. Y. Col. Doc., III. 65.