(State Paper Office, Colonial Papers, vol. VI, art. 12.)
XVIII.
27 May (6 June) 1631.
Captaine David Kirke sworne and examined before the right worshipfull Sr. Henry Martin Knight, Judge of his Majesties high Court of the Admiralty uppon certaine Interrogatoryes answereth thereto as followeth.
To the first Interrogatory hee sayeth That true it is, That he was Imployed cheife Comander in two voyages into Canida, in the yeares 1628. and 1629. and the first of those voyages he was sett forth and ymployed at the Chardges of his late father Gervase Kirke and others merchantes of London, and the last of those voyages at the chardges of Sr. William Alexander the yonger, the sayde Gervase Kirke and others theire partners. And this hee affirmeth uppon his oath to be true.
To the second he sayeth That in the first of the said voyages, he tooke from the French all the Country of Canida that they had in possession, except the fort of Cabecke.
To the third he sayeth That in the last voyage when he tooke the sayd fort of Cabecke he had not any notice or knowledge of the late peace concluded betweene England and France.
To the fowerth he sayeth That in the sayde last voyage wherein he tooke the sayde fort of Cabecke, he had a Comission under the broade seale of England, authorizinge him to transplant the French at Canida, and utterly to expell them from that country.
To the fift he sayeth That in the sayd last voyage in the river of Canida he mett whit a French pinnace whereof Emery de Cane was Comander, and that pinnace assalted this examinates shallops and shott at them before this examinate began fight with her. And that pinnace did kill two of this examinates company and hurt and maymed twelve or sixteene others of them.