rtuguese ship, which he
denied absolutely to the Council and me. I send your Lordships 24
several papers and evidences relating to Capt. Kidd. 'Tis impossible
for me to animadvert and make remarks on the several matters contain'd
in the said papers in the weak condition I am at present...."

My Lord Bellomont was in the grip of the gout at this time, which
misfortune perhaps increased his irritation toward his partner, Captain
William Kidd. In a previous letter to the authorities in London, this
royal governor had explained quite frankly that he was trying to lure
the troublesome pirate into his clutches, and called Emmot, the lawyer,
"a cunning Jacobite, a fast friend of Fletcher's[11] and my avowed
enemie." He also made this interesting statement:

"I must not forget to tell your Lordships that Campbell brought three
or four small Jewels to my Wife which I was to know nothing of, but she
came quickly and discover'd them to me and asked me whether she would
keep them, which I advised her to do for the present, for I reflected
that my showing an over nicety might do hurt before I had made a full
discovery what goods and treasure were in the Sloop....

"Mr. Livingston also came to me in a peremptory manner and demanded up
his Bond and the articles which he seal'd to me upon Kidd's Expedition,
and told me that Kidd swore all the Oaths in the world that unless I
did immediately indemnify Mr. Livingston by giving up his Securities,
he would never bring in that great ship and cargo. I thought this was
such an Impertinence in both Kidd and Livingston that it was time for
me to look about me, and to secure Kidd. I had noticed that he
designed my wife a thousand pounds in gold dust and Ingotts last
Thursday, but I spoil'd his compliment by ordering him to be arrested
and committed that day, showing the Council's orders from Court for
that purpose....

"If I had kept Mr. Secretary Vernon's orders for seizing and securing
Kidd and his associates with all their effects with less secrecy, I had
never got him to come in, for his countrymen, Mr. Graham and
Livingston, would have been sure to caution him to shift for himself
and would have been well paid for their pains."

One by one, Kidd's plans for clearing himself were knocked into a
cocked hat. His lawyer did him no good, his hope of bribing the
Countess of Bellomont with jewels, "gold dust and Ingotts" went wrong,
and his buried treasure of Gardiner's Island wa