be made during his said Cruize, without
the formality of a Prosecution, in order that all unnecessary Charges
may as much as possible be avoided.

XV. That it shall not be lawful for the said Officers and Company, or
either of them, to demand or sue for the Prize-Money so to become due
to them, or any Part thereof, until fourteen Days after the Sale of
such Prize or Prizes, the Settlement of the Accounts relating to the
said Cruize, and the actual Receipt of the Money by the Agent
appointed to manage the Affairs of the said Cruize.

XVI. That if it should happen, that the said Briganteen, by Means of
any Fight, Attack, or Engagement, be lost, sunk or disabled, so as she
may be thereby rendered unfit for any further Service as a private
Vessel of War to cruize; that then, and in such Case, the owner of
said Brigantine, shall be entitled to take to himself, and for his own
sole Use and Property, any Ship or Vessel taken during the Cruize,
with her Guns, Tackle, Furniture, Ammunition and Apparel, not
exceeding the Value of the Brigantine at the Time of her Sailing;
which Ship or Vessel so taken shall be to the Owner in Lieu of the
said Brigantine.

XVII. That in Case of the Death of the Commander, the next in Place
shall strictly observe and comply with the Rules, Orders, Restrictions
and Agreements, between the owner of the said Brigantine and the said
Commander.

God Save the King, and Success to the _Mars_, and all her brave Crew.

_203. Certificate of a Negro's Freedom. June 26, 1762._[1]

[Footnote 1: From the papers of the New York vice-admiralty court,
book III. The document is not signed, but a translation written on the
back of it is signed Lagardien, to which is added a note: "Mons.
Lagardien is a Gentleman of an Estate near the Cape [_i.e._, Cap
Francois] in St. Domingo and came hither for his Health about the
latter End of Octob. last". July 24, the provincial council gives a
pass to "Mons. De Laugardiere" to proceed to Bristol, England, in the
snow _Belle Sauvage_. _Cal. Hist. MSS. N.Y._, II. 734. Judge Hough
informs me that, negroes found on captured vessels being often sold as
prize, attempts to obtain their freedom, as in the present case, were
often made, and that these attempts were usually unsuccessful in the
earlier period of the court's existence, successful in the later.]

Je Soussigne Certifie que le negre apelle laville, qui se trouve
actuellement prisonnier a la nouvelle York, Est Libre d