The Inhabitants by the encouragement of the prince of orange (now our gracious King) his 3 declarations for their security have secured the fort for their Mamies, King William & Queen Mary wherein the country has appointed me Commander in Chiefe till further orders from their Ma^'es^ which charge I have executed hitherto to the service of their Mamies & have God be thanked -- brought all things in such a posture tliat next God we are in a capacity of defence, only we are daily occupyed by some popishly & evill affected people which puts us upon many inconveniences & straits & obliges me to have a watching eye over all so it is that the 3^ of november in the niglit arryved here a sloope from Barbadoes commanded by Cap^" Benjamin Blagg he gave me an accompt that six dayes after his departure frem Barbadoes he mett with a french ship he tooke him & keept him for 48 hours & sold the ship to an Irish who was on aboard the s'^ frenchman of warre wherein they permitted the s'' Blagg

LIEUT. GOV. LEISLER. 41

to go 9^ pilot the s'i Irish intending for Maryland but were piloted in this harbour as by the copie enclosed out of the s^ Blaggs Jouinall will appeare N° 1: In the morning I sent two souldiers aboard to seize her as being in the french possessione & had the s^^ Irisli before me who produced a french bill of sale without condemnatione &a pass for them & the vessell whereof inclosed is a copie N" 2 the 4th Novem being the birth day of our gracious King which we did solemnise with bonefires & resting one ox &c. the fifth was gun pouder treason which also we did solemnise with bonefires & burning the pope -- In which tyme I was not willing to confine the s^ Irish, but the sixth I sent for them their chess & papers from which they were detained all that whill where I found a pass from the Earle of Blerock whereof the copie here inclosed n: 3: besides two letters of recommendation both open whereof they were the bearer, here inclosed is the copie n: 4: whereupon I gathered the oflEicers of the Militia & keept counsell of warre being examined by them, they could make no other excuse of their escape from Barbadoes as that they were in debt, but we found them absolute enimies of their Mat'^s therefore was concluded that they were to be sent to Barbadoes to your honor suspecting them to have committed some other crymes, & made an order whereof the copie is here enclosed since we understand they have forced tuo warre men with their warriers & that your honor was much concerned about their ship so that by a warrant I have commanded M"" Thomas Capewell commander of the Bark Constant to take them & to deliver them to your honors order as per copie n: 5: inclosed, being no better meanes to the conduceing to their Mamies service & interest then a friendly amicable & mutuall correspondancy between their severall goverments especially under such circumstances as we now are having first according to our bounden duty upon sight of their Mamies proclamation duly proclaimed their sacred Mamies King William & Queen Mary according to the tenor of the s^ proclamation, doe in the next place sollicite & court your honor to bear us your hearty affection & mutuall good correspondancy as occasion shall requyre m all matters of import conduceing to their Mamies service & the wellefare of their protestant subjects, I shall omit nothing that shall appeare serviceable to your honors intrest, here