'America and West Indies: May 1686', in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 12 1685-1688 and Addenda 1653-1687

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

182-200

text excerpt

[The deposition of Captain George St Loe of HMS Dartmouth (item 678. V.) concerns the same event described below by Bisse including the date of the skirmish, 27 April 1686, starting at 7pm]

Deposition of Thomas Bisse, senior, Deputy-Governor of Tortola and the Virgin Islands. I was away from Tortola and had deputed my son to act in my stead, when I heard that a Spanish pirate was cruising among the Virgin Islands, designing to rob the inhabitants of negroes. I therefore embarked in H.M.S. Dartmouth for Tortola, and found myself and the rest of the inhabitants robbed and ruined. At San Juan de Porto Rico I demanded satisfaction of the Governor, but he professed to know nothing of the ship, though he promised to seize her if she came in. Several of the inhabitants however told us that she was fitted out in the port and was daily expected. […] As soon as our cables were cut and sails set, we were about before the wind, which was light. We were not above pistol-shot distance from their cannon, which played upon us immediately, together with volleys of small shot. I judge we had sixty great shot fired at us before we discharged a gun, but when we began we followed it close "with drums, shouts and holloas," till we were out of range. It is surprising that our loss was not greater.

excerpt from ''America and West Indies: May 1686', in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 12 1685-1688 and Addenda 1653-1687' pp. 182-200 (231 words)

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1547040234655