Early in the Year before this Voyage Major General Gibbons went with others over to Piscatua, to have a Conference about Church Matters; and Mr. Alexander Shapley was one on the Part of the Settlers in Piscatua, and who had but returned from England the Fall before. At this Meeting, probably, they fixed on the Time and Manner of executing the Design, which they had before concerted. This whole Affair was concerted in an obscure Part, the Affair not known to the People of Boston, as it was more to the Purpose of those who undertook it to keep it a Secret; and probably Major Gibbons was more inclined it should be so, as he had before met with two Disappointments. The Characters of the Persons were such, as by whom it is very reasonable to suppose such an Expedition might be undertaken. Mr. Alexander Shapley was a Merchant, a lively, active, enterprising Man; sufficient to this Purpose hath been said of his Brother: And we may add to the Character of Major General Gibbons, it was said of him, that he was much of a Gentleman, a brave, social and friendly Man, had the latter End of the Year 1639 a Commission to be Captain of the Fort, was one of the Council, also concerned in Church Matters, as appears from Records. But during the Time that this Voyage was making, that worthy Pastor of Boston and great Antiquarian Mr. Prince, who, from a generous Disposition to get at the Truth, used extraordinary Industry in this Affair, by searching the Records in the old Church there in the Year 1752, could not find his Hand set to any Thing, or any Matters relating to Major General Gibbons, tho' he found Papers signed by him frequently before, and other Transactions in which he is mentioned to be concerned, also after the Time of this Voyage, and the only Objection that he could find was, that the Wife of Major General Gibbons must have had a seven Months Child, if he went on such Voyage, as it was a Custom in the Church of Boston, at that Time, that the Child should be brought to be baptized the Sunday after it was born; and by the Register it appears that this was the Case, according to the Time that it must be supposed he returned.
The Name was Edward Gibbons; and Seimor is a Mistake of the Translator, not observing that as de Fonte respectfully stiles Shapley Captain, he would not mention the Owner by his Christian Name only, a fine Gentleman and a Major General, but stiles him agreeable thereto after the Spanish Manner Sennor; and this Mistake of the Translator, as to the Name, and not observing that the Major General and the Owner were one and the same Person, shews that the Translator and Editors knew nothing of the Persons mentioned.
What is said of the largest Colony in New England, called the Maltechusets: The Dominions of New England consisted, at that Time, of the Colonies of Plymouth, Massachusets, and Connecticut, of which Massachusets was the largest, as New Hampshire, Piscatua, and the Province of Main, were under its Jurisdiction: And it is a little remarkable that the Admiral should call it the Maltechusets; he apprehended it a Mistake, though so exact as to the Names Shapley and Gibbons; seems to have given the Alteration agreeable to his own Ideas, and that it must have Reference to Malta.
The old Man told them the Ship was of New England, from the Town called Boston, which was the only Place where they could fit out properly or conveniently, the Part where Shapley lived consisting only of a few scattered Houses, and as it was very frequent from Boston to make Voyages to the Northward, their true Design for further Discoveries might remain a Secret to all but themselves.
De Fonte's Address to Gibbons as the Owner, represented so on this Occasion to serve the Purpose, though the Vessel seems to have been Alexander Shapley's, implies that he understood, or took the Advantage on finding they had been trading with the Indians, that they had two Purposes in their Undertaking, to discover a Passage, and to trade. As to the first, de Fonte tells him he had an Order to make a Prize of any People seeking a West or North-west Passage, speaking in general Terms, not of them only, so concealing the Advice he had received as to their particular undertaking of this Discovery; nor could it be peculiarly understood as to the Subjects of England, for the Danes also, to their immortal Honour, had before attempted the same Discovery; and in Consequence let him know that the Part he was in was of the Dominions of the Crown of Spain, as his Commission could be of no Force beyond the Extent of that Dominion. De Fonte's Address likewise implied, that as he would consider them only as Traders, that he would not make Prisoners of them on that Account; but expected after this Adventure that others would learn to keep nearer home, for Fear of falling into a like Accident, and meeting not with the same favourable Treatment. Nevertheless he takes effectual Measures to embarrass them on their Return, and obliges them to stay no longer in those Parts, as he takes from them what de Fonte calls a small Present of Provisions, which he had no Need on, but he knew they might, and as to which, the Affair of Provisions, he gave such an Attention to, through the Course of his Voyage; and though small what he accepted in respect to the Subsistance of those he had with him, yet as the Sequel will shew, was afterwards the Occasion of infinite Distress to the Boston People. The Gift in return, which is pompously mentioned at twelve Hundred Pieces of Eight, when we consider the Price Things bore of this Sort where he purchased it, in Peru, as he estimates by Pieces of Eight, the Manner of Valuation in those Parts, would not be to Gibbons a Hundred Pounds Sterling; and the Present to the Seamen must be considered as in lieu of these Provisions; and by this Means of mutual Presents countenanced what was absolutely extorted by Force, as was the Case with Shapley, as to his Charts and Journals, which he would not have parted with, but constrained through Fear; and by his English Seamen de Fonte could let them know that the Provisions, Charts, and Journals would be acceptable. He executed his Design in this Manner, that if the Boston People returned there could be no proper Foundation for the Court of England to take Umbrage at his Proceeding.
The Generosity of de Fonte so exceeding what their Present and the Charts and Journals could be worth, would be considered as to make them some Satisfaction for their Disappointment; for the Fears they had been put into, and their being detained there; the Gift of Wine, might be from a Respect to Major General Gibbons, as an Officer, whom de Fonte stiles modest, tho' he might perceive it to be the Effect of his Uneasiness on being thus intercepted. In all other Respects, what he gave was a Debt which the Crown of Spain would pay, would be considered as Money advanced in their Service; a Sum of no Consideration with them, as he had met with these People, procured their Charts by which they got into the Secret, by what Way they had advanced so far, and probably very particular Charts and Journals of the other Voyagers whom Gibbons was acquainted with; and he would endeavour to be furnished with all Materials which he could probably procure before that he set out. It would be greatly commended by the Court of Spain the artful Management of de Fonte in distressing these People, and not with a seeming Intention, and giving an absolute Discouragement to other Adventurers, who would be afraid of falling into the Spaniards Hands, whom it would be supposed constantly frequented those Parts.
De Fonte only mentions the Issue of this Affair, what would be immediately necessary for the Court to know; he mentions no intervening Circumstances, nor what Time there was between their Examination and the Presents, whether he or they sailed first, but it must be supposed they were more than a Day together, and that de Fonte would see them out of those Parts, as, if they had staid longer, they might probably have supplied themselves well with Provisions, and proceeded further; but as they were circumstanced, they would be put under a Necessity to set out for home, would be glad to leave him the first Opportunity; and as de Fonte seems to be waiting for a Wind, which he had the sixth of August, and it had in the interim been fair for the Boston People, they were certainly gone before that de Fonte set out on his Return.
In the Ecclesiastical History of New England, by the Reverend Cotton Mather, published at London in 1702, in Folio, in his Account of wonderful Sea Deliverances, Book the sixth, is The wonderful Story of Major Gibbons.
'Among remarkable Sea Deliverances, no less than three several Writers have published that wherein Major Edward Gibbons was concerned. A Vessel bound from Boston to some other Parts of America, was, through the Continuance of contrary Winds, kept so long at Sea, that the People aboard were in extreme straits for Want of Provision, and seeing that nothing here below could afford them any Relief, they looked upwards unto Heaven, in humble and fervent Supplications. The Winds continuing still as they were, one of the Company made a sorrowful Motion that they should, by a Lot, single out One to die, and by Death to satisfy the ravenous Hunger of the rest. After many a doleful and fearful Debate upon this Motion, they came to a Result, that it must be done! The Lot is cast; one of the Company is taken; but where is the Executioner that shall do the terrible Office upon a poor Innocent? It is a Death now to think who shall act this bloody Part in the Tragedy: But before they fall upon this involuntary and unnatural Execution, they once more went unto their zealous Prayers; and, behold, while they were calling upon God, he answered them, for there leaped a mighty Fish into their Boat, which, to their double Joy, not only quieted their outrageous Hunger, but also gave them some Token of a further Deliverance: However, the Fish is quickly eaten; the horrible Famine returns, the horrible Distress is renewed; a black Despair again seizes their Spirits: For another Morsel they come to a second Lot, which fell upon another Person; but still they cannot find an Executioner: They once again fall to their importunate Prayers; and, behold, a second Answer from above; a great Bird lights, and fixes itself on the mast; one of the Men spies it, and there it stands until he took it by the Wing with his Hand. This was a second Life from the Dead. This Fowl, with the Omen of a further Deliverance in it, was a sweet Feast unto them. Still their Disappointments follow them; they can see no Land; they know not where they are: Irresistable Hunger once more pinches them: They have no Hope to be saved but by a third Miracle: They return to another Lot; but before they go to the Heart-breaking Talk of slaying the Person under Designation, they repeat their Addresses unto the God of Heaven, their former Friend in Adversity; and now they look and look again, but there is nothing: Their Devotions are concluded, and nothing appears; yet they hoped, yet they staid, yet they lingered: At last one of them spies a Ship, which put a new Hope and Life into them all: They bear up with their Ship; they man their Longboat; they go to board the Vessel, and are admitted. It proves a French Pyrate: Major Gibbons Petitions for a little Bread, and offers all for it; but the Commander was one who had formerly received considerable Kindnesses of Major Gibbons at Boston, and now replied chearfully, Major Gibbons, not an Hair of you, or your Company, shall perish if it lies in my Power to preserve you. Accordingly he supplied their Necessities, and they made a comfortable End of their Voyage.'
There are nine other Accounts, in each of which the Places the Persons were bound to are particularly mentioned. In this Account (the Design being only to shew the wonderful Deliverance of Gibbons) Dr. Mather could not mention the Place to which the Voyage had been made in any other Manner, than to some other Parts of America, which hath an exact Correspondence with the Voyage in which Major Gibbons was intercepted by de Fonte; for that Voyage was properly to several Parts, not being to one particular Part of America; which Parts were, at that Time, nameless. It is said further, that their Misfortune was occasioned by contrary Winds. De Fonte had a fair Wind from the sixth of August to the fifth of September, and for a longer Time, so contrary to the Boston Ship; afterwards they had the Wind again contrary, when they came into the Ocean, being North-west or to Westward of it, as they could see no Land; the Land expected to be seen may be supposed the Land of Newfoundland, or they were to Eastward and Southward of the Gulph of St. Lawrence: And which Account of the Weather is agreeable to the Time of the Year that they were there, the latter End of September, or Beginning of October, being the Equinoctial Gales. Also as to the Fish which must have been a Sturgeon, which Fish frequently jump into Boats; and shews, as the Boat was out, that they had then moderate Weather, but contrary; though a hard Gale succeeded, as one of the Birds of Passage, which are also then going to Southward, was blown off the Coast and tired, rested on the Mast. Far be it from me to reckon these as mere Accidents, and not the Assistances of the Almighty, but a Relief which the Almighty sent them by Contingencies which are natural: And as to the Ship, which was a French Pirate, she had probably come with a fresh Wind out of the Gulph of St. Lawrence, and Standing to Eastward of Sables to clear that Island and Nautuchet, for which she had a fair Wind; and it is said the Commander had an Acquaintance with Major Gibbons, and received Favours from him at Boston; but I must add an Anecdote, to shew that there might also be another Reason assigned, which would not be suitable to be published with that Account; Alexander Shapley had used to hold a Correspondence with these Kind of Gentry, as is evident from a severe Censure on him on that Account, recorded in the Council Book at Boston. It was a Ship that Major Gibbons was in when intercepted by de Fonte; and this Account also mentions a Ship. After the Death of Major Gibbons, his Family, according to the Account of a very ancient Gentlewoman at Boston, removed to Bermuda; which Lady, who was near ninety Years of Age, had some traditional Account of the Major having been such a Voyage to discover a new Way to the East Indies, and suffered much from the Snow and Ice, went through a great many Hardships, and, she said, she thought it was from Boston that he set out. The Persons discovered by Mons. Groseliers, at what he calls an English Settlement, near Port Nelson, as it is now termed, were Benjamin the Son of Captain Zachary Gillam, and some others, from Boston, who were the same Year taken to Canada, whose Journal of that Voyage the Author hath seen, and this Circumstance is mentioned in it, which Persons have been mistaken for Major Gibbons and his Company.