Joseph Antonio Sanches.
Francisco Delgada.
[1] And also for the Dutch Republic; see below. George Glas, in the "Description of the Canary Islands" appended to his translation of Juan Abreu de Galindo, History of the Discovery and Conquest of the Canary Islands (London, 1764), says that the British and Dutch consuls were the only Protestants allowed to dwell in the islands. Santa Cruz was the centre for the foreign trade, and the governor resided there, on Teneriffe, though the bishop and the courts were at Palmas, on the Grand Canary.
[2] Mackay.
[3] Dusourd.
[4] See [doc. no. 165], [note 11].
[5] See ibid.
143. Sentence of Admiralty Judge. September 1, 1740.[1]
Capt. Dixon, who Translated the Several Spanish Papers aforewritten, made Oath in Court that he had Translated them according to the best of his Skill and Judgment.
The Court was then Adjourn'd to the 25th Curr't at 8 a Clock A.M., at which Time it was Opened and both Parties fully heard by their advocates, after which the Court was Adjourn'd to the Thirtieth Curr't at 10 a Clock a.m., at which Time the Judge Decreed the Vessell and Cargo a Lawfull Prize, and on the first of September following delivered his Reasons for Adjudication in Open Court, which is as follows, viz.
I have duly Considered the Preparatory Examinations and all the Papers and Writings which were Sworn to be found and taken in and with the Capture (a Mediterranean Pass excepted) and also the Depositions given in Open Court, and likewise with great Deliberation weighed the Arguments of the Advocates, as well on the part of the Captor as on the part of the Claimant, and it appears to Me that the Sloop Libelled against was a British Bottom, Navigated by British Subjects, and that the Master thereof, Æneas Mackay, on the 11th of July, 1738, had Granted to him for said Sloop by the Right Hono'ble the Lords Commissioners for Executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain a Mediterranean Pass No. 2533, which was found on board the said Sloop at the Time of the Capture. It also appears to Me that the said Master, on the 16th Septr., 1739, by the Name of Æneas Mackay of London, Captain, took the usual Oath of a Porter of the City of Amsterdam; that on the 22d of said Month the said Master before the Magistrates and Rulers of that City made oath that the Vessell aforesd., of which he was then Master, belonged to a House in that Province and afterwards the said Vessell in Holland as to her Clearing, Passport, Visiting, Taxing, etc., was Treated as a Dutch Bottom; that on the 2d of Octobr. following the said Master hired a Chamber in Amsterdam for one year, But in case no one appeared in October following then it should be in the power of the Lessor to Lett the same to another, and he Enter'd the Day following, and shortly after sailed in said Vessell to Teneriffe, from whence in a few Days he and his hands, British Subjects, and after the Proclamation of War, with Two Passes, viz. the said Mediterranean Pass and a Dutch Pass, sailed to Cork in the Kingdom of Ireland, having a Great quantity of Money, as appears by his Journal; there he purchases a Loading, Chiefly Provisions, Clears out for the Maderas, and accordingly had one Sett of Bills of Lading for that Port, to be delivered to William Callanach or to his assigns, who to Me appears to be a fictitious Person, and one other Sett of Bills of Lading for said Cargo to be Deliverd at the Port of C——[2] unto Divernett Freres, who plainly appeard to me then to be two Merch'ts Settled Inhabit'ts at Teneriffe, one of them since dead, the other there still Inhabiting; that on the 15th of January, 1739, the said Vessell was taken, as set forth in the Libel, with the said Papers and the Books of Acco'ts of the said Master, and by which acco'ts it turns out to my Satisfaction if those two Brothers the Devernets were not solely Owners they were Principally so. It further appears that the reason assigned by the Master, when taken, of being so near Teneriffe and setting in for that Port was for Water, when in Truth it's in Proof they were Letting out their Water Secretly, and after Stopt by the Captors there was Water for one hand more than the Crew belonging to the Sloop for three Weeks, which carried them into Madera, and if the Say of some of the Sailors is to be Credited they were Shipped at Corke for Teneriffe; and all this to Demonstration Shews which of those two Setts of Bills of Lading must be understood to be Real. It also appears in Proof, certifyed under the hand of the British Consul at Madera (whose name thereto subscrib'd is owned by the Claimant to be of his proper handwriting), that the said Cargo was there by force Unloaded, by Means Whereof not brought with the Vessell to this Port, So that in fine here is a British Master endeavouring to Commence Dutchman, a British Vessell with two Passes, British and Dutch, and to be occasionally[3] either a British or Dutch Bottom Navigated by British Subjects in time of War with Spain, Sails from Teneriffe with Money to Cork in Ireland, there purchases a Cargo of Provisions bound directly back to our Enemies, makes a false Clearance as if bound to Madera, has two Setts of Bill of Lading, the One which is Real to Deliver the Cargo at a Port part of the Dominions of a Prince in Enmity with us, and to Persons there Inhabiting who appear to be altogether or Principally owners, Carrying the King's Subjects to Enemies, whereby they by Menaces or Corruption or both may be drawn from their Allegiance, and happily is thus taken, and to have it a Question whether it's a Lawfull Capture or not is somewhat Extraordinary, for my part till I am better Informed from Home I shall never Ballance in Cases so Wickedly Contrived and contrary to the Conduct of plain Trading and Simple Honesty, But in Justice to my King and Country always Condemn, and if this Mackay was in Court, notwithstanding all his Subtlety and Double Dealing and his pretended Naturalization Certifyed from Teneriffe, as in the Case, I should order him in Custody till delivered up to the Government. Therefore on the whole I Adjudge and Condemn the Vessell and Cargo Libelled against as a Lawfull Prize, Entirely to belong to and be Divided between and among the Owners of the Sloop that Seized and Took her as aforesaid, and the several Persons which were on Board the same, in such Shares and Proportions as were agreed on with the Owners aforesd. and the persons thus entituled thereto by virtue of such agreement among themselves. And as to the Objection that the Cargo is not brought in the Vessell, the Manner of it's being forced from the Captor is Certified, and that this Court may notwithstanding proceed to Condemnation is not only the practice of the Court, but so known in the Kings Court, as in the Cases the King v. Broom, Brown and Burton v. Francklyn.[4]