Neare to this same tyme they went to the house of Mr. Thomas Taylor pretending friendshipp and by him they were kindly entertained, but before they departed they murdered ye said Taylor, Mr. Thomas Beadle minister, Mr. Robert Boyers, wounding others with poisoned arrows to death and carried away Mrs Taylor and children, Mrs. Chrew and children, Mrs Lynt[[83]] and children, with many to tedious to relate, and in these and ye like bloody practises they continued untill a peace was proclaimed betwixt our more gracious king, ye Ffrench, and Dutch. All which bloody cruelties were acted and done by ye Chiefs of Indian Warner’s friends, without the least cause or provocation on our part.
And since ye peace made with them by the Lord William Willoughby, although they have been kindly received and entertained by our inhabitants out of respect to the said peace, yett they soon begain their accustomed cruelties fore comeing to Parham Hill plantation in agreeable manner were civilly and librally entertained at their departure murdered several seamen that were taking in tobacco, and planters that were carrying the same to ye boats with out any manner of provocation.
Some of ye said Indians being soone after apprehended at Mountserrat by our generall, who intended to have given them a due reward for ye said murders, but such was our clemency towards them, that if by any means wee could have brought them to live peaceably by us, wee made our humble addresses unto our generall to lett them goe, which we hardly obtained from his Excellency, but no sooner were they loose but they comitted roberies upon ye said Island.
Such hath always been their requitalls of any kindnesses or civilities shewn them, and amongst these Indians were the freinds and associates of the said Indian Warner and by him then interceeded for alledging they were not the persons that had done the said murders, although afterwards appeared that these whom he a called his friends were the men that comitted ye said murder.
And to manifest the truth thereof, one of his nearest allies, in the yeare 1674 came with other Indians to the plantation of Collo Phillip Warner and killed severall Christians and carried away sixteen negroes, and one Christian child, whom they afterwards cruelly murdered, and at the return of the said Indians from this Island, Indian Warner mett them at Guardeloup and craved share of the booty they had brought from Antigua, and afterwards some of ye goods [obliterated] Collo Warner’s boyling house at their being last there comitting of murders aforesaid were found in the village belonging to Indian Warner in Dominica and were brought back by some of Collo Warner’s servants.
Thus hath the said Indian Warner often dealt treacherously, pretending freindshipp, but proving and absolute enemy, not only to this Island, but to our whole nation, for himself declared that he had a Ffrench comission, and said that he would rather serve ye Spaniards then ye English and finding ourselves to be neare our utter ruine by his fraud and treachery, we were constrained humbly to crave ayde of our captain generall to give us his comission to make war against the said Indians, without exception that we might labour by his just power to redeem ourselves from those cruel practices which wee had long laine under, which he was pleased to grant.
We then besought Collo Phillip Warner, our governor to goe in person against them, which at our earnest request he was pleased to undertake and with very great difficulty and hazard did doe such service upon them which hath procured our ease and rest in some measure to this tyme, although not without continnall watching and warding to our great charge and trouble, they still threatening a bloody revenge upon this place.
And it is evident, had not Collo Warner’s party beene quick in giving the first blow, upon those our bloody enemies, he and those with him had received the same measure from our pretended freinds but utter enemies. Who had agreed with those hee called our enemies to destroy Collo Warner and his party and to that end had them at rediness at hand, but God Almighty prevented them, not sufferinge him any longer to raigne in his barbarous practices of which this Island might give a large acompt for neare forty yeares past and whether ye said Indian Warner with his associates received not a due recompense for their villanys and barbarous practices wee appeal to God and all ye world.
| (Signed) | Richard Boraston. | Rowld. Williams. |
| (Autographs) | Jonas Watts. | Paul Hicks. |
| Jacob Hill. | Jere. Watkins. | |
| Saml. Irish. | Richd. Ayres. | |
| Daniel Pellar. | John Cade. | |
| Thomas Beck. | Will Thomas. | |
| Franc. Carlisle. | John Mayer. | |
| 1676 | Tho. Turner. | Samuel Jones. |
May it please your honours,