behaviour in his whole Voyage. Another reason why I took
him not up sooner was that he had brought his wife and Children hither
in the Sloop with him, who I believed he would not easily forsake. He
being examined twice or thrice by me and the Councel, and also some of
his men, I observed he seemed much disturbed, And the last time we
examined him I fancied he looked as if he were upon the wing, and
resolved to run away, and the Gentlemen of the Councel had some of
them the same thought with mine, so that I took their Consent in
seizing and committing him.[6] But the officers appointed to seize his
men were so careless as to let 3 or 4 of his men escape, which
troubled me the more because they were old New-York Pyrates. The next
thing the Councel 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
Councel, Two Merchants, and the Deputy Collector, whose names are to
the inclosed Inventory of the goods and Treasure. They searched Kidd's
Lodging, and found hid and made up in Two sea-beds, a bag of gold dust
and Ingots of the value of about 1000 L. 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 litle bags of
gold; all particulars are, I believe, very justly and exactly set down
in the Inventory. For my part, I have medled with no manner of thing,
but put every thing under the management of the Councel, and into the
Custody of the before mentioned Committee, that I might be free from
the Suspicion and Censure of the World. The enameled box mentioned in
the beginning of the Inventory is that which Kidd made a present of to
my wife by Mr. Campbel, which I delivered in Councel 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 Bristoll Stone;[7] if it were true,
it would be worth about 40 L. 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 is nobody here that
understands Jewels. If the Box and all that is in it were right, they
cannot be worth above 60 L.

[Footnote 4: Doc. no. 75.]

[Footnote 5: Pe