or, Captain Coats, Captain Tew, Captain Hore,
and the _Resolution_ and Captain Stevens.[19]

ADAM BALDRIDGE.

Sworne before me in New York
5th of May 1699
A.D. PEYSTER[20]

A true copy
BELLOMONT.

[Footnote 19: Such is Baldridge's tale of innocence, but Kidd told
Bellomont that "Baldridge was the occasion of that Insurrection of the
Natives and the death of the pirates, for that having inveigled a
great number of the natives of St. Maries, men, women and children, on
board a ship or ships he carryed and sold them for slaves to a French
Island called Mascarine or Mascaron, which treachery of Baldridges the
Natives on the Island revenged on those pirates by cutting their
throats."]

[Footnote 20: Abraham de Peyster, a member of the New York council and
an assistant judge of the supreme court.]

* * * * *

_69. Warrant for Commissioning of Admiralty Judge. April 29, 1697._[1]

[Footnote 1: New York State Archives, Albany: Historical MSS., vol.
XLI., p. 60. The commissions of admiralty judges had originally been
issued on warrant from the Lord High Admiral. Since 1673, however,
except for two brief periods, the latter's duties have always been
performed by the "Lords Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord
High Admiral" (Admiralty Board, or Lords of the Admiralty). On April
29, 1697, the board consisted of the two distinguished admirals Sir
Edward Russell (created earl of Oxford eight days later) and Sir
George Rooke, Sir John Houblon, governor of the Bank of England, Col.
James Kendall, ex-governor of Barbados, and four others. The warrant
is not addressed to any governor by name; Bellomont was not
commissioned (as governor of New York, Massachusetts, and New
Hampshire) till June 18, 1697.]

By the Comiss'rs for Executing the Office of Lord high Admirall of
Engl'd. Irel'd. etc.

Whereas, in pursuance of His Ma'tis pleasure signified to Us by the
Rt. hon'ble Mr. Secretary Trumbull, Wee have appointed Mr. William
Smith to be Judge, Mr. John Tudor Register, Mr. Jarvis Marshall,
Marshall, and Mr. James Graham, Advocate of the Vice Admiralty of
New-Yorke, and Connuticutt, and East-Jersey:[2] You are therefore
hereby Empower'd and directed, to give unto them Commissions for their
said Employm'ts respectively; And in case of the death, or inabillity,
by sickness, or otherwise, of any of the said persons, You are to
appoint others in their roome: and Transmitt to