ine, so that I took their consent in
seizing and committing him. But the officers appointed to seize his
men were so careless as to let three or four of his men escape which
troubled me the more because they were old N. York Pyrates. The next
thing the Council and I did was to appoint a Committee of trusty
persons to search for the goods and treasure brought by Kidd and to
secure what they should find till the King's pleasure should be known
as to the disposition thereof, as my orders from Mr. Secretary Vernon
import. The said Committee were made up of two Gentlemen of the
Council, two merchants, and the Deputy Collector, whose names are to
the enclosed Inventory of the goods and treasure.

"They searched Kidd's lodgings and found hid and made up in two sea
beds a bag of gold dust and Ingots of the value of about 1000 pounds
and a bag of silver, part money and part pieces and piggs of silver,
value as set down in the said Inventory. In the above bag of gold were
several little bags of gold; all particulars are very justly and
exactly set down in the Inventory. For my part I have meddled with no
matter of thing under the management of the Council, and into the
Custody of the aforementioned Committee, that I might be free from the
suspicion and censure of the world.

"The enamel'd box mentioned in the beginning of the Inventory is that
which Kidd made a present of to my wife by Mr. Campbell, which I
delivered in Council to the said Committee to keep with the rest of the
treasure. There was in it a stone ring which we take to be a Bristol
stone. If it was true[5] it would be worth about 40 pounds, and there
was a small stone unset which we believe is also counterfeit, and a
sort of a Locket with four sparks which seem to be right diamonds: for
there's nobody that understands Jewels[6] ... box and all that's in it
were right, they cannot be worth above 60 pounds.

"Your Lordships will see in the middle of the Inventory a parcel of
treasure and Jewels delivered up by Mr. Gardiner of Gardiner's Island
in the province of New York and at the East end of Nassau Island, the
recovery and saving of which treasure is owing to my own care and
quickness. I heard by the greatest accident in the world the day Capt.
Kidd was committed, that a man[6] ... offered 30 pounds for a sloop to
carry him to Gardiner's Island, and Kidd having owned to burying some
gold on that Island (though he never mentioned to us any jewels nor do
I