Right Honourable Sir
Your Letter of the 23d of November last[2] in relacion to that notorious Pirate Captain Kidd came safe to our hands, and shall take particular care to put the same in execucion, and in order thereto have sent copies thereof to the Lieutenant or Deputy Governor of each respective Island under this Government; since which wee have had this following account of the said Kidd (vizt.) That he lately came from Mallagascoe in a large Gennouese vessell of about Foure hundred Tonns, Thirty Guns mounted, and eighty men,[3] and in his way for these partes his men mutinyed, and thirty of them lost theire Lives; That his vessell is very Leaky; and that they are very much in want of Provisions; And that severall of his men have deserted him soe that he has not above five and twenty or thirty hands on board; about twenty dayes since he touched at Anguilla, a small Island under this Government, where he Tarryed about foure houres; but being refused succour Sailed thence for the Island of St. Thomas (an Island belonging to the Crowne of Denmarke)[4] and Anchored off that Harbour three dayes, in which time he treated with them alsoe for releife; but the Governor absolutely Denying him, he bore away farther to Leeward (as it is beleived) for Porto Rico or Crabb Island;[5] upon which advice wee forthwith ordered his Majesties Shipp Queeneburrough, now attending this Government, Captain Rupert Billingsly Commander, to make the best of his way after him; and in case he mett with him to secure him with his men, vessell and effects, and bring them upp hither, That no Imbezlement may be made, but that they may be secured till wee have given you advice thereof, and his majesties pleasure relateing thereto can be knowne. Wee shall by the first conveniencie transmitt the like account of him to the Governor of Jamaica, soe that if he goes farther to Leeward Due care may be taken to secure him there; As for those men who have deserted him, wee have taken all possible care to apprehend them, especially if they come within the districts of this Government, and hope on returne of his majesties Friggatt shall be able to give you a more ample account hereof.
Wee are with all due Respects
Right Honorable
Your most obedient humble servants
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Jno. Smargin. Richd. Abbott. |
Wm. Burt. Mich. Smith. Dan. Smith. |
Nevis the 18th May 1699
[1] Public Record Office, C.O. 152:3, no. 21. This letter conveyed to the British government its first knowledge of the return of Captain Kidd to the western hemisphere. The Leeward Islands—Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Christopher, the most important being Nevis—constituted at this time one government, though with subordinate administration in the several islands. The governor having died, the council, of which William Burt was president, was acting as governor till a new governor should arrive. Burt and the other signers of this letter were all of Nevis. James Vernon, to whom the letter is addressed, was secretary of state; he was the father of Admiral Vernon, for whom Mount Vernon was named.
[2] Printed in the Commons Journal, XIII. 16. It was the circular letter to colonial governors ordering them to apprehend Kidd.
[3] The Quedah Merchant; see post. She is here spoken of as Genoese, but other documents of the time speak of her as "Moorish built."
[4] And now belonging to the United States. On Kidd at St. Thomas, see [document no. 83], post.