Bermuda The Deposition of Captaine Jonathan Stoakes of the Tribe of Sta. Georges being sworne saith That neare Sixty yeares since a Spanish shipp came to an anchore on the West part of Bermuda, in very bad weather, such as noe boates would venture to goe on bord them, and being in such distress and noe help aprochd. them, they contrived some rafts and with great difficulty got on shore westerly, after which the Governr. being informed thereof ordered them to be placed in Sands Tribe and Southampton Tribe, 2 or 3 in a house, and some to ye Towne of St. Georges, some of the said Spaniards were quartered neere this deponts. ffathers house and came dayly there to vissitt some of their brethren and fellow suffers, one of the said visitrs about 50 yeares of age, whose name as he told this depont. was Don Solla Decosta, who informed this depont. that his ffather many yeares agoe came ashore in a rich ship upon Long Point which is since by the inhabitants of Bermuda called Ireland and there putt on shore three chests of money and covered it with their ships hatches and putt up 3 heapes of stones in a tryangle neare the place and likewise put up a cross on a little Island wch. is since called Cross Island, which cross pointed to the place on ye said Island where they had buryed & left their money. This depont. ffurther saith that he had soe great an oppinion of the said Spaniards relation to him that he offered Mr. Richard Mathewlin on whose land the said money was thought to be hid by reason of some silver spoons & money having bin there found, that he would expend tenn pounds if the said Mathewlin would add tenn pounds more to it, in boreing & serching the said place, but the said Mathewlin refused his offer & declared himself unwilling to be at the charge fearing it might cost more than he was willing to expend to make a through serch. JONATHAN STOAKES. Sworne before his Excellency the Governor this 22 day of November, 1693. JOHN GODDARD. APPENDIX L. Resolves of the House of the Assembly "That the ship called the Royal Ann owned by Messrs. Burch and Stiles and a Brigte called the Sally owned by Capt. Paul Paynter be the two vessels for Privateers and that they and each of them be returned to their owners in as good order as when taken into service and that in case the said ship should be taken or otherwise miscarry, that the said Stiles and Burch be paid her value, to be ascertained by the commissioners before sailing, and that if the said Brigte should be taken or otherwise miscarry that the said Capt. Paynter be paid her value to be ascertained by the commissioners before sailing. That cannon and other military stores proper for the said vessels be borrowed and in case of loss to be paid to the lenders their value to be ascertained by the said commissioners. That two hundred men be employed in the said Privateers and that each man be paid on his going on board, the sum of ten dollars. That all prizes taken by the said Privateers be to the owners of the said Privateers and to the several persons on board the said Privateers to be divided according to such rules and proportions as hath been accustomed in Privateers out of these Islands and to be inserted in Articles to be drawn up by the said commissioners. That for the more ease in raising of men that the militia of these Islands be called out at the discretion of his Excellency the Governor. That such persons be appointed to command the said Privateers as to his Excellency the Governor shall seem meet, and that all other officers be appointed by the aforesaid commissioners. That powder and all other such military stores as can be spared be had from out of the Magazine at the discretion of the Govr. That the expences arising for the fitting out of the said Privateers be paid by the publick by a law laying a tax on all the Real and Personal Estates of the Inhabitants of these Islands. That the sum of one thousand pounds currency be immediately borrowed by the said commissioners or a majority of them and that a legal interest be paid for the same until the said sum of one thousand pounds be repaid. That the said Privateers shall not be out from these Islands above the space of one month." APPENDIX M. Isocrates: Pamphlet on the Bahama Jurisdiction, p. 20-21. The Earl of Hillsborough aware of the peculiar privileges of the Bermudians, by usage and enjoyment to gather salt unmolested, but, very naturally from the origin of the Turks Islands' agent, considering him as connected with the Bahama Governor, Mr. Shirley, writes to Governor Shirley the following mandatory letter from Whitehall, July 20, 1768." Sir, As I have reason to believe, from intelligence received through different channels, that his Majesty's subjects of the Bermuda Islands have been obstructed and restrained in the liberty they have long enjoyed of collecting salt from the ponds in Turks Islands, and exporting it to other places, it will be proper that you should make particular inquiry into the proceedings of Mr. Symmer in this respect, and that you should not countenance any regulations which may have the effect to restrain any of his |