Tea Leaves / Being a Collection of Letters and Documents relating to / the shipment of Tea to the American Colonies in the year / 1773, by the East India Tea Company. (With an introduction, / notes, and biographical notices of the Boston Tea Party) - Francis S. Drake

PROTEST.

Cap^t. James Bruce, of the Eleanor, against the Committee at Boston, and others, who Prevented the Landing the Teas.

At Boston, in New England, on the 11^th day of Decem^r., in the year of Our Lord 1773, and in the 14^th year of his Majesty's reign, personally appeared before me, John Monro, Notary Public by royal authority, duly admitted and sworn, James Bruce, master of the ship Eleanor, burthen about 250 tons, and he being sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, deposed and doth depose and say, that on the 1^st day of this instant Decem^r., he arrived with the said ship at Boston aforesaid, then loaded with sundry goods or merchandize from London, amongst which were 84 whole and 34 half chests of tea, consigned to Messrs. Richard Clarke & Sons, Tho^s. and Elisha Hutchinson, Benjamin Faneuil and Joshua Winslow of Boston, merchants, that on the 2^d inst., the deponent was ordered to attend at 11 o'clock in the forenoon of the next day, on a committee of the people of the said town, and he having attended accordingly, was then and there commanded by Mr. Samuel Adams and Jonathan Williams, Esq^r., in presence of, and assembled with, John Rowe, John Hancock, Wm. Phillips and John Pitts, Esq^rs., and a great number of others, in Faneuil Hall, not to land any of the said tea at his peril, but to proceed to Griffin's wharf, in said Boston, and there discharge the rest of his cargo. And that the said deponent was obliged to comply with the said orders, and was and is nightly watched by 25 armed men on board the said ship, appointed, as he supposes and verily believes, to prevent the said teas from being landed.

Wherefore, the said James Bruce, on behalf of himself and all others concerned in the said ship or cargo, did, and I, the said notary public, at his request, and on behalf as aforesaid, do by these presents solemnly protest against the said committee and each of them above mentioned, and against all others voluntarily acting, watching, and proceeding by their directions, and all persons whatsoever opposing and forbidding the landing the tea aforesaid for all, and all manner of damage and damages suffered and to be suffered, by means of the commands, watchings, opposition and prohibition aforesaid. Thus done, protested, and given under my notarial seal, in the presence of Rob^t. Garland Cranch and John Dyar.

In testimoniam veritas,

Jn^o. Monro,

Not. Pub., 11 Jan., 1774.

James Bruce.