Boon Island: including Contemporary Accounts of the Wreck of the Nottingham Galley (13 page)

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Authors: Kenneth Roberts,Jack Bales,Richard Warner

Tags: #Survival After Airplane Accidents; Shipwrecks; Etc., #Nottingham (Galley) - Fiction, #Transportation, #Historical, #Boon Island (Me.) - Fiction, #Boon Island, #18th Century, #Survival After Airplane Accidents; Shipwrecks; Etc - Fiction, #Survival After Airplane Accidents; Shipwrecks; Etc, #Shipwrecks, #Fiction, #Literary, #Sea Stories, #Historical Fiction, #Shipwrecks - Maine - Boon Island - History - 18th Century - Fiction, #test, #Boon Island (Me.), #General, #Maine, #History

BOOK: Boon Island: including Contemporary Accounts of the Wreck of the Nottingham Galley
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Page 57
Gentlemen took great Care of us, and would not suffer us to eat or drink but a little at a time, lest it should do us hurt. Night we arrived at Piscataqua in New England, where we were all provided for, and had a Doctor appointed to look after us. We were Ten who came ashore, Two of us having died on the Island, and Two being lost that were sent off on the Raft. The Names of those that were sav'd are John Dean, Captain; Christopher Langman, Mate; Christopher Gray, Gunner; Nicholas Mellan, Boatswain; George White, Charles Whitworth, Henry Dean, Charles Graystock, William Saver, and the Captain's Boy, who had Part of his Foot cut off to prevent a Mortification, and several others were lame. Thus we were delivered by the Goodness of God (for which we praise his Name) after we had been Twenty Four Days upon that Desolate Island in the Distress above mentioned, having nothing to shelter us but a sorry Tent that could not keep us from wet, and was once in Danger of being carryed off by the high Tide, which obliged us to remove it to the highest Part of the Rock. We had nothing to lie on but the Stones, and very few Cloathes to cover us; which, together with our Hunger, made our Lives a Burden to us.
Some Days after our Arrival, the Captain drew up a Protest, which was sign'd by the Mate, being then very ill of a Flux and Fever; and also by the Boatswain Geo. White, who was also ill, and declared that he did it for fear of being put out of his Lodgings by the Captain, while he was both sick and lame. But as soon as the Deponents recover'd, they declar'd the Captain's Protest to be false, &c. as may be seen by the Depositions hereunto annex'd.
The Captain falsely ascribes to himself, p. [35], the first Discovery of the Sloop that came to relieve us, whereas it was first discover'd by Christopher Gray, the Gunner, he being sent out on purpose by the Mate, who the Night before had dreamt of the Sloop's Arrival. The Captain likewise falsely magnifies his
 
Page 58
own Danger of being drowned; when the Canoe was overset, since the Water then was scarce half a Yard deep; and instead of being thankful to God for his own and our Deliverance, he returned with the Dog to his Vomit, and behav'd himself so brutishly, that his Friend Captain Purver was obliged to turn him out of his House. He was so little sensible of the Merciful Deliverance from the Danger he had escaped, that he barbarously told the Children in his Lodging, he would have made a Frigasy of them, if he had had 'em in Boon Island; which frighten'd the People that heard him; and made them esteem him a Brute, as he was. He likewise wrong'd us of what the Good People gave us towards our Relief, and applyed it to his own and his Brother's Use; and particularly when Captain John Wentworth gave several of our Men good Cloaths, Captain Dean came and order'd them the worst that could be had; and was likewise so barbarous as to get us turn'd out of our lodgings, before we were able to shift for our selves.
All this we avouch to be Truth, and have no other End in publishing it, but to testify our Thankfulness to God for his Great Deliverance, and to give others Warning not to trust their Lives or Estates in the Hands of so wicked and brutish a Man.
For the Truth of what we have deliver'd, we refer to the Affidavits subjoined, which we made concerning this Matter both in New England, and since our Arrival at London.
AN ACCOUNT OF OUR INTENDED VOYAGE,
AND SOME ACCIDENTS THAT HAPPEN'D
THEREIN FROM THE RIVER OF THAMES TO
IRELAND, IN THE
NOTTINGHAM GALLEY
,
JOHN DEAN MASTER.
August the 7th, 1710. we sail'd from the Nore in company with her Majesty's Ship Sheerness, she then being appointed a Con-
 
Page 59
voy for the North Britain Fleet, which we parted from off of Whitby, and made the best of our Way.
The 21st ditto we saw two Sail, and that they gave chace to us, they being to the Leeward of us about Three Leagues. It being then the Master's Watch on the Deck, he called the Mate, and told him,
That he saw Two Privateers
. As soon as the Mate came on the Deck, he desired the Master to run in Shore to the Windward of the Island of Arran, we then being about Two Leagues to the Windward of it. But the said Master would have gone in to Leeward, which we could not have done without speaking with the aforesaid Ships; and he proposed it several times; but the Mate nor none of the Ship's Company would consent to it, but told him,
That if he did, we could not possibly escape the Enemy
. Charles Whitworth then said in the hearing of the Boatswain and some others of the Ship's Company,
That he had rather be taken than not, for he had Two Hundred Pounds Insured;
he having an Eighth Part of the Ship, as he said.
The Master the next Day would have gone ashore and left the Ship, and put a Chest and several other things in the Boat. The Mate told him,
That he would not consent to any such Thing, for he then saw no Danger of being Taken,
and told the said Master,
That it was early in the Morning, and but Seven Leagues from our Port, and a fair Wind to run along the Shore
. The said Master was then heard to say by the Boatswain and several of the Ship's Company,
That, if he thought the Insurance would be paid, he would immediately run her ashore
. So that we all plainly saw that he was willing to lose the said Ship. The Mate told him,
That if he would, by God's Assistance he might fetch his Port before Night, if he would make Sail; but if he had a Design to give the Ship away, he might
. The said Master found the Mate was not willing to what he proposed, and that he could not obtain his Desire, he made Sail, and about Six or Seven in the Evening we arrived at our desired Port Killybags, where we took in 30 Tons of Butter and 300 and odd Cheeses.
 
Page 60
September 25. 1710. we sail'd from this Port, bound for Boston in New England.
December 11. 1710. we being then on the Coast of New England, and close on Board of Cape Porpus, the Mate told him,
That he did not know any business we bad so nigh the Shore, and that it was his better way to bawl further to the Southward
. The said Master would not take his Advice if the Ship went to the Bottom.
At or about Eight this Morning the said Master came to the Mate and knock'd him down with a Block, such as Barbers make Wigs on. We all thought that he had kill'd him, for he lay dead some time, and lost a great deal of Blood.
Between Eight and Nine this Night the Ship run ashore, the Wind at E.S.E. and a moderate Gale. The Mate being then in his Cabbin, and hardly done bleeding, got on the Deck, tho' badly able, and ordered the Masts to be cut away, which we did, and by God's Assistance got all ashore, it being a desolate Land, about Three Leagues from the Main. We then steer'd W. and by S. so that if we had miss'd it we should have run ashore on the Main. This Island is called by the Name of Boon Island. We remained on it Twenty-four Days, and suffered a great deal of Hardship; at which time we were fetched off by a Piscataqua Boat, and carried ashore.
Some Days after the Master drew up a Protest, which the Mate and Boatswain signed, the Mate being then very ill with a Flux and Fever, and the Boatswain and George White declares, That the Protest was false, and hardly a Word of Truth in it, but for fear of being put out of his Lodging, he then being very Sick and Lame, sign'd it.
As soon as the Mate recover'd, we all and every of us declare, and give our Oath, That this is the real Truth, and the said Master's Protest to be false; which we now before the Worshipful Justice of the Peace disavow and give our Oaths, That this is the Truth; and that if the said Master had taken the Mate's Advice,
 
Page 61
the Ship, with God's Assistance, might have been in Boston Harbour several Days before she was lost.
C
HRISTOPHER
L
ANGMAN
, M
ATE
.
N
ICHOLAS
M
ELLIN
, B
OATSWAIN
.
G
EORGE
W
HITE
, S
AILOR
.
Christopher Langman, Nicholas Mellin, and George White, personally appeared before me the Subscriber, one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace at Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire in New England, and Member of Council within the same, this 9th Day of February, 171011. and made Oath to the Truth of what is above written, Captain Dean at the time of taking this Oath being present.
S
AMUEL
P
ENHALLOW
.
Christopher Langman, late Mate of the late Ship called the
Nottingham,
of the Burden of about 120 Tons, whereof John Dean was Master, Nicholas Mellon, Boatswain, and George White Sailor, all belonging to the said Ship, do severally make Oath as followeth,
viz
. And first, the said Christopher Langman for himself saith, The said Ship being designed on a Voyage from London to Killybags, and from thence to New England, she departed from the Nore the 7th of August, 1710. in company with her Majesty's Ship
Sheerness,
which they left off of Whitby. That on the 21st of the same Month they saw Two Sail to the Leeward, which gave chace to the said Ship
Nottingham
for about the space of Three Leagues; in which time, (notwithstanding this Deponent told the said Dean they were Enemies) he often would have bore down upon them; that the Day following they saw the Privateers again, when the said John Dean (contrary to the Will of this Deponent) would have brought the said Ship
Nottingham
 
Page 62
to an Anchor, which if done, she would in all probability have been taken. That they then left the said Privateers, and arrived with their said Ship that Night at Killybags aforesaid, where they deliver'd what Goods were thereto consigned. That on the 29th Day of September, in the Year aforesaid, they departed with the said Ship
Nottingham
from the said Port for Boston in New England. In Prosecution of which Voyage, being on the Coast of New England, the said John Dean, without any Provocation, came to this Deponent and knock'd him down after a very barbarous and inhumane manner, and between Eight and Nine of the Clock at Night of the same Day, the said Ship
Nottingham
was run on Shore on the Coast of New England, (contrary to the Advice of this Deponent) where she, with the chiefest Part of her Cargo, was utterly lost. And lastly, This Deponent believeth, that the said John Dean, according to his Working of the said Ship in the said Voyage, design'd to lose her.
C
HRISTOPHER
L
ANGMAN
And the said Nicholas Mellen for himself saith, That the several Allegations, Matters and Things contained in the aforegoing Deposition of Christopher Langman, are just and true in every Particular thereof. And this Deponent saith, That at the Time they were chased by the said Privateers he was present, and did hear Mr. Charles Whitworth (then on board the said Ship, and adjudged Part Owner thereof) say,
That he would rather the said Ship should be lost than obtain her design'd Port in Safety, having made 200 £. Insurance
. And this Deponent saith,
That the said John Dean at the same time declared, That his Brother Jasper Dean had made 300 £. Insurance;
and immediately after said,
If he thought he could secure the Insurance, he would run the Ship on Shore;
and upon the same

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