iding ask why they Cut away their Masts, and soe left them,
Supposeing they had left them nothing to help themselves, for they
threw over Board a Spare topmast which lay upon the Deck, but by
providence their foremast and Sailes and Rigging thereof hung by their
Side unknown to the Pirates, wherewith they fitted Jewry Masts[6] and
found a Compass under some old Oakcum, with which on Sunday night the
28th Day of Aprill they got into the Capes and are now in Accomack:[7]
but took away all Letters, Papers, Bookes, Certificates and
Cocquits,[8] and would not leave any manner of writings, soe as they
have no thing to Shew, tooke away his Carpenter, and another man, and
took away his Long boat, and Complained for want of Powder and
tobacco, and beat this Depont. after they had Stript him, that if an
Irishmen had not Interceeded he beleves they would have kild him with
the flat of their Curtle-axes,[9] the Cruelty being used to them by
french men, and saw no Englishmen, all which and much more barbarity
this Depont. affirmeth to be truth

WM. FLETCHER.

Sworn the second Day
of May 1700 before
Cha. Scarburgh.

[Footnote 2: A pink was a vessel having a narrow stern, bulging sides,
and a flattish bottom.]

[Footnote 3: The crew of _La Paix_ is reported in the trial to
comprise three Dutchmen, one Swede, one Norwegian, one Englishman, the
rest French or from the French islands.]

[Footnote 4: _La Paix._]

[Footnote 5: Bowsprit.]

[Footnote 6: A jury-mast is a temporary mast set up as a substitute.]

[Footnote 7: On the Eastern Shore of Virginia, across the Chesapeake.]

[Footnote 8: A ship's cocket was a custom-house certificate that the
merchandise had been duly entered and had paid duty.]

[Footnote 9: A perversion of "cutlasses".]

_93. Charles Scarburgh to Governor Nicholson. May 3, 1700._[1]

[Footnote 1: Bodleian Library, MS. Rawlinson A. 271, f. 48. Col.
Charles Scarburgh or Scarborough was the chief magnate of the Eastern
Shore, and a member of the governor's council.]

_Excellent Sir_

I have Enclosed sent you the Deposition of Wm. Fletcher, which I
suppose may be a more particular accot. then any your Excell'y may
receive. he ad's that the Pirates boasted much of their great strength
by sea, and that there were sufficient of them to repell any force
that would be sent against them, and used many enticements to perswade
his men to goe with them: and I Doubt it will be impossible to secure
the Navigat