. August 25, 1698._[1]

[Footnote 1: Public Record Office, C.O. 323:2, no. 131. It is endorsed
"Copy of a Deposition of Samuel Perkins relating to Pirates in the
East Indies Communicated to the Board [of Trade] by Mr. Secretary
Vernon" (secretary of state). Samuel Perkins of Ipswich,
Massachusetts, had been one of that town's contingent in King Philip's
War, and died in Ipswich, an old man, in 1738.]

The Examination of Samuel Perkins, of Ipswich in New England, taken
upon oath before me Ralph Marshall Esquire, one of his Majesties
Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex and Citty and
Liberty of Westminster, this 25th day of August Anno Domini 1698.

This Informant upon his Oath saith, That about 5 years since he went
aboard the ship _Resolution_, Captain Robert Glover an Irishman
Commander, (who had 18 Guns and 60 men), to see his Uncle Elisha
Skilling, who was Boatswain of the said Ship but is since Dead, who
detained him in the said Ship together with a French Maletto[2] Boy,
which ship sailed from New England in the night to the Isle of May,
where they took in Salt, and thence sailed to Cape Coast in
Guinnea,[3] where a Dutch man of War took 11 men from them, but
returned 9 of them again, keeping the other two as Hostages, in case
they meddled with any Dutchmen. From thence they sailed to Cape Lopaz
and so to Madagascar, where they victualled and cleaned, and thence
sailed into the Red Sea, where they lay waiting for some India ships,
but missing them went to an Island called Succatore[4] in the Mouth of
the red Sea, where they bought Provisions and so went to Rajapore,[5]
where they took a small Muscat man with 12 Guns laden with Dates and
Rice, in the Harbour; in taking whereof they killed some of her men,
and sent the Muscatt man by Captain Glover (with whom the rest of the
_Resolutions_ Crew had a quarrell)[6] to Madagascar, and then chose
one Richard Shivers a Dutchman for their Commander, and then sailed to
Mangelore,[7] where they took a small ship belonging to the Moors,
laden with Rice and Fish, some of which they Plundered and then let
her goe. from thence they went to Callicut,[8] where they took 4 ships
belonging to the Moors at Anchor in the Road, and sent ashore to know
if the Country would Ransome them. But there being a design among the
Countrey people to retake their own ship and the said ship
_Resolution_, with some Grabbs[9] or Boats sent off, They fired two of
the said Prizes and run