[8] An islet among the Virgin Islands, east of St. John, and not far from the Dead Man's Chest. The Windward Passage lies between Haiti and Cuba. Jesuits' bark is cinchona, from which quinine is made.
[9] One of the Bahamas.
[10] Petit Goave, a port in the southern part of Haiti.
[11] Here the fragment ends.
109. Deposition of Thomas FitzGerald and Alexander Mackonochie. May 6, 1717.[1]
The Deposition of Thomas Fitz Gerald, Marriner, aged about nineteen years, and late Mate of the Pink Mary Anne, belonging to Dublin (whereof Andrew Crumsty was lately Commander) and Alexander Mackconothy late Cook of the said Pink, aged fifty five years.
These Depon'ts Testify and say That on the twenty fourth day of April last past, they sailed from Nantasket harbour bound for New York, and on the twenty sixth day of the said month, being friday, in the morning about nine of the clock, they discovered a large Ship, and her Prize, which was a Snow, astern, and the large Ship came up with the said Pink Mary Ann, between nine and ten, and ordered us to strike our Colours, which accordingly we did, and then they shot ahead of us, and braced too, and hoisted out her boat and sent seven Men on board, Armed with their Musquets, pistols and Cutlashes (which Men are now in Boston Goal) and they commanded the said Capt. Crumpsty to take his Papers, and go aboard the said Ship with five of his hands and accordingly the said Crumpsty with five of his Men rowed aboard the said Pyrates Ship, and the seven Men tarryed aboard the Pink, and soon after the Pyrates sent their boat on board the said pink with four hands to get some of the Wine which they were Informed was on board the Pink, and accordingly they hoisted the pinks boat off of the hatches and opened the hatches and then went into the hold, but the Cable being Quoiled in the hatchway, they found it difficult to Come to the Wines in the hold, and so returned to their own Ship without any wine, Except five bottles of green wine which the found in the pinks Cabbin and carryed away, with some of the Cloaths which belonged to the pinks Company, and presently after the pyrates had hoisted their boat on board the great Ship, they gave Orders to the Pyrates on board the pink to steer North Northwest after them, which Course they followed till about four a Clock in the afternoon, and then the large Ship whereof Capt. Samuel Bellame was Commander, and the snow and pink lay too,[2] it being very thick foggy weather, And about half an hour after four a Clock a sloop came up with Capt. Bellames Ship and he hoisted out his boat and sent several men on board the Sloop and soon afterwards, Vizt. about five a Clock, the Commander of the snow bore away, and came under the stern of Capt. Bellames Ship and told him that they saw the Land; And thereupon Capt. Bellame Ordered the Pyrates on board the Pink to steer away North, which they did, and as soon as it began to be dark the sd Capt. Bellames Ship put out a light astern and also the snow and the sloop and the pink had their lights out; and about ten a Clock the weather grew thick and it lightned and rained hard and was so dark, that the pinks Comp. Could not see the shore till they were among the Breakers, when the Depon't Fitz Gerald was at helm, and had lost sight of the Great Ship, Snow and Sloop; and being among the breakers we thought it most proper and necessary to weere[3] the Pink, and before we could trim the head sails we run ashoar opposite to Sluts bush at the back of Stage harbour to the southward of Cape Codd[4] between ten and Eleven a Clock at night, And the seven Pyrates together with the Depon't and a young man named James Donovan tarryed on board the said Pink till break of day[5] and then found the shoar side of the Pink dry and so all of them went on shoar upon the Island called Poachy[6] beach, and there tarryed till about ten a Clock, when two Men came over in a Canno, Namely John Cole[7] and William Smith, who Carryed the seven pyrates over to the Main land, and then Cole came again to the Depon't and Inquired who they (meaning the pyrates) were, and the Depon't Mackconothy Answered they were pyrates and had taken the said pink, and soon after the said John Cole Informed Mr. Justice Done of Barnstable[8] thereof, by virtue of whose Warrant the said seven Pyrates were Apprehended, and the Depon'ts Journeyed with them to Boston, where they are now in Custody of the Keeper of His Maj'ties Goal as is aforesaid. And further the Depon'ts say not; but that the said Pink is Bilged on shoare, so that it is impossible to get her off.
Thos. Fitz Gerald
signum
Alexander X Mackconothy