Sir, Captt. Gorham, Mr. Little, Mr. Cuttler and Mr. Russell, Gentt'men that I have Deputed, have Rid at Least Thirty miles a moung the Inhabtances, whome I have had Information of ther being at the Pirate Rack, and have Gott Concernable Riches out of her. the first men that want Doun to the Rack with the English man that was Saved out of the Rack, I shall Mention their Names to Your Excellency in Order for a Warrant to me for bringing them for boston before Your Excellency, or as You Pleass, Sir, for all thes Pepol are very stife and will not one[2] Nothing of what they Gott, on the Rack. Sir, Fryday 26 April, at 12 night, Pirate Ship Came a shoare. Saturday 27 Instant, at 5 morning, Came the English man that was Saved out of Pirate Ship,[3] Came to the house of Samuell harding, Two miles from the Rack. After a smalle time the saide harding took the English man on his Horse and Carred him to the Rack. thes Two made Serverall Turnes from the Rack to harding house, so they most Gett much Riches. by 10 Clock the same morning their Gott to the Rack a bout 10 men more, and Gott a Great Dell of Riches. Sunday morning, Joseph[4] Doane, Esqr., gott to the Rack but all was Gon of Vallue. Sir, he Comanded the Inhabtances to save what they Could for the King, which was them Things I Rett[5] to Your Excellency before of. Sir, the Curner[6] and his Jurey Putt a stop to serverall Things beloning to the Rack in Part for buering[7] Sixty Two men Came a shoare Dead from the Pirate Rack, the Curner and his Jurey says their Due is Eight Three Pounds. Sir, I am of the mind that the Curner and Jurey should have nothing for buering aney of thes men After they New them to be Pirats, and they had bured but Thirteen before they new them to be Pirats. as Your Excellency Pleass, I humbley Desier Your Excellency Orders to this Afare. the Curner name is Samuell freeman, for his stoping aney of the Rack Goods for Paye is very hard. Sir, the weather has ben very bad, and Great Sea, so we Can Due Nothing as yett on the Rack with my Whale boat and men, but se the Anchor Every Low Watter. Sir, If some Gentt'men ware Commissined here to Give Serverall of them their Oath Concerning the Rack, itt will be of Great Service. Sir, Coll. Ottis[8] and Joseph Doane, Esqr., are Very Good men.
Sir, 72 Dead men are Come a shoare out Pirate ship to this Time.
The men that were Down first at the rack
|
Samuell Harding Joseph Collins Senr. Abiel Harding Samuell Horton | Jonathan Cole Edward Knowles Thomas Wood Samuell Airy |
Sir, Yr Excellency Most
Obd. Servant
Cyprian Southack.
[1] Mass. Archives, vol. 51, pp. 289, 289a.
[2] Own.
[3] Thomas Davis; see his memorial, [doc. no. 114].
[4] See [doc. no. 109], [note 8].
[5] Writ. The money on board the Whidah was claimed by the crown because of its being the product of piracy, not because of the shipwreck, for if man or cat or dog escaped alive from any shipwrecked vessel, its contents were technically not "wreck of the sea", belonging as such to the crown, but were reserved for the owners, with reasonable salvage to the preservers. A recent act, 12 Anne, II., ch. 18, provided that any who secreted goods saved from a wreck should be punished with a fine of treble value; but this act did not run in Massachusetts.