Hee Chose & Named Such Of My Men As Hee Pleas'd, & I Would Not Choose
Any Others.
I sufferr'd him to come with me to the water side, & I made the
ninth man that went upon this Expedition, with an Englishman of Mr.
Bridgar's to bee a wittness of the busenesse.
Being arriv'd within half a league of the fort, I left the Englishman with
one frenchman, ordering they should not stirr without farther order; at the
same time I sent 2 of my men directly to the fort to the Southward of the
Island, & I planted myself with my other 5 men at the North point of the
same Island to observe what they did that I sent to the fort. They were
stop't by 3 Englishmen armed, that asked if they had any letters from their
master. My people answer'd, according to my Instructions, that hee was
coming along with mee; that being weary, wee stay'd behind; that they came
a litle before for some brandy which they offerr'd to carry. The Englishmen
would needs doe the office, & my 2 men stay'd in the fort. Hee that was
hostage had orders to seize on the Court of Gard Dore, one of them newly
come to seize the Dore of the House, & the 3 was to goe in & out, that in
case the dessigne was discover'd hee might stopp the passage of the Dore
with Blocks of wood, to hinder it from being shutt & to give me freedom to
enter unto their assistance; but there needed not so much adoe, for I
enter'd into the fort before thos that were appointed to defend it were
aware. The Lieutenant was startled at seeing me, & asked "wher his master
was; it was high time to appear & act." I answered the Lieutenant "it
matter'd not where his master was, but to tell me what men hee had & to
call them out;" & my men being enter'd the fort & all together, I told thos
that were present the cause of my coming, that I intended to bee Master of
the place, & that 'twas too late to dispute. I commanded them to bring me
the Keys of the Fort & all their Arms, & to tell mee if they had any Powder
in their chests, & how much, referring myself unto what they should say.
They made no resistance, but brought me their Arms, & as for Powder, they
said they had none. I took possession of the Fort in the name of the King
of ffrance, & from thence was conducted by the Lieutenant to take
possession of the shipp also in the same name, which I did without any
resistance; & whilst I was doing all this, young Guillem's men seemed to
rejoyce at it rather then to bee troubled, complaining of him for their Ill
usage, & that hee had kill'd his Supercargo. But a Scotchman, one of the
crew, to shew his zeale, made his Escape & run through the woods towards
Mr. Bridgar's House to give him notice of what pas't. I sent 2 of my
nimblest men to run after him, but they could not overtake him, being gon 4
hours before them. Hee arrived at Mr. Bridgar's house, who upon the
relation of the Scotchman resolved to come surprise me.
In the meane while I gave my Brother notice of all that past, & that I
feared a Scotchman might occasion me some troble that had got away unto Mr.
Bridgar, & that I feared I might bee too deeply ingadg'd unless hee
presently gave me the assistance of 4 men, having more English prisoners to
keep than I had french men with me. I was not deceiv'd in my conjecture. At
midnight one of our Doggs alarm'd our sentinell, who told me hee heard a
noise on board the shipp. I caus'd my People to handle their armes, & shut
up the English in the cabins under the Gard of 2 of my men. I with 4 others
went out to goe to the shipp. I found men armed on board, & required them
to lay downe their arms & to yeeld. There was 4 that submitted & some
others got away in the dark. My men would have fired, but I hinder'd them,
for which they murmur'd against me. I led the prisoners away to the fort &
examin'd them one after another. I found they were of Mr. Bridgar's people,
& that hee was to have ben of the number, but hee stay'd half a League
behind to see the success of the businesse. The last of the Prisoners I
examin'd was the Scotch man that had made his escape when I took the fort;
& knowing hee was the only cause that Mr. Bridgar ingadg'd in the
businesse, I would revenge me in making him afraid.
I caus'd him to bee ty'd to a stake & told that hee should bee hang'd next
day. I caus'd the other prisoners, his comrades, to bee very kindly
treated; & having no farther dessigne but to make the Scotch man afraide, I
made one advise him to desire the Lewtenant of the fort to begg me to spare
his life, which hee did, & easily obtain'd his request, although hee was
something startled, not knowing what I meant to doe with him. The 4 men I
desired of my Brother-in-Law arrived during these transactions, & by this
supply finding myself strong enough to resist whatever Mr. Bridgar could
doe against me, I wrote unto him & desired to know if hee did avow what his
men had don, whom I detain'd Prisoners, who had Broke the 2 Dores & the
deck of the shipp to take away the Powder. Hee made me a very dubious
answer, complaining against me that I had not ben true unto him, having
concealed this matter from him. Hee writ me also that having suffitient
orders for taking all vessells that came into those parts to Trade, hee
would have joyned with me in seizing of this; but seeing the purchas was
fal'n into my hands, hee hoped hee should share with mee in it.
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