gave to him for his Brigantine though of much more Value than She, and
by the most Judicious in the Country, is supposed to have been
committed to him as one of their Trusties, to Vend the Cargo in that
Colony, a Practice not without precedent in that Colony these several
Years past, if my Information fail not;[6] however, be that as it
will, he comes with this Ship and Cargo into Tarpaulin Cove,[7] a
Place lying between the Province of the Massachussets Bay and Rhode
Island, where (by the by) the Pirates used to come to infest Our
Coasts in April last: And did in a Clandestine Manner advise the said
Joseph Whipple of his arrival.

[Footnote 4: See _Acts P.C. Col._, III. 38-40.]

[Footnote 5: Benjamin Norton of Newport was probably the father of the
Benjamin Norton who in 1741 was commander of the privateer _Revenge_,
and as such figures in docs. nos. 114-162. Col. Joseph Whipple the
younger, afterward deputy governor of Rhode Island.]

[Footnote 6: According to Johnson, _General History of the Pyrates_,
first ed., pp. 183, 187, Roberts took at Dominica "a Dutch Interloper
of 22 Guns and 75 Men" and a Rhode Island brigantine of which one
Norton was master, and at Hispaniola, a little later, "mann'd Nortons
Brigantine, sending the Master away in the Dutch Interloper, not
dissatisfied".]

[Footnote 7: Tarpaulin Cove lies on the east side of Naushon, one of
the Elizabeth Islands.]

And having dropped Anchor there, he fired at, and brought too several
of Our Coasters, upon which a Rumour arose, that the Pirates were on
the Coast, whereby Our Coasters, except his Accomplices who understood
better, were deterred for some Days from Falling within his reach, And
in the interim, the aforesaid Whipple, with One Christopher Almy, and
One Pease, also considerable Traders of New Port in Rhode Island, with
some others, did improve that Opportunity, and carried off and
conveyed about 30 of the Negroes, with considerable Quantities of the
Sugars, Cocoa, etc., partly in Sloops sent out by them for that
purpose, and partly in such others as they intrusted therewith, and a
great part of which was by the said Almy and Whipple directed to
Providence Plantacion and recommended to the Care and Conduct of One
Whipple,[8] Brother to the said Joseph, that Place being their
Ordinary Mart and Recepticles for such Cargoes. But so many
accessaries were concerned, and the Cargo so considerable, the Secret
was Discovered, and thereupon the Off