The enclosed letter comeing accidentally into my hands I thought it might no unservisable to send you a Copy of itt: that you might see what trade is caried on att New Yorke.

To W POPPLE ESQ

Idem

J. BASSE

Το

S:

[Enclosed in the foregoing.]

Mr Delancie or in his absens to
Mr John Barbarie Mecht [Merchant?]

M. Delancy &

IN NEW YORKE

Cape May: May 27th 1699

I am just now come to Anchor at Cape May: Since I left you to Cape Bon-Esperance, from thence I went to St Maries on Madicascar: There I sold yo' goods for 17 Bales of Muslin fine & Course; and 24 Bales of White Callicues: one Ton of Elephants Teeth: about 2 or 3 hundred wt of Opium; 1 Bale painted Callicues & Which goods I have now on Board. Sometime afterward I took on board 75 Passengers: And went to Port Dolphin, there 24 went a shore: I victualed ye Shyip and bought a few negroes: & some Pigs of tooth & Egg:' from thence I went to Cyan and Landed 22 Passengers: The remainder are now on board: and most of them designe for Virginia: & the Horekills with Andrew Graverard who is here with us, I have for their Passages vzt about Twelve thousand peices of Eight: and about Three Thousand Lyon Dollars: I heare M Godfray is not here by M: Graverard and that

1 Tusenay: a metal.

there is no Man of Warr at New York: and expect to meet no Letter here from you, which if I do shall follow yo' order, otherwise designe to come to Sandy Hook, where I shall expect your diligence & Care for ye securing the Goods vz: My Carpenter, The Taylor & one man more is dead: Tho: Pringle & 3 men more left me at Madigascar; If you think fitt you may acquaint my Wife of my Arrivall, for I have not writt to her. Edward Burkmaster is on board here. Capt Burges Arrived at St Maries that day I saild from thence hath sold his goods very well. No other Vessell Arrived whilst I was there: I have but 23 Negroes on board for Accot of ye Owners. Each Bale of Musline One with ye other, I bought for 100 pcs in a Bale. The Callicue for 120 pees in a Bale. I desire you to send by ye Bearer to me to Cape May. If I should be stopt by Contrary Winds here, Otherwise shall be very soon at Sandy Hooke Our Shyip is very fowle & Leaky. Make what dispatch you can for fear some of my passengers should discover us. I have hindred M Graverard on his Voyage to Virginia to Pylott us in here, It being a dangerous place & verry foggy rainy weather, for which I must pay him. I think it needlesse to Enlarge any more at p'sent, But wish all was safe a Shore, Then doubt not but ye voyage would prove to content, which hath been ye utmost care of S! Yo! Humble Servant GILES SHELLEY'

A true Copie
J. BASSE

1 The Lords of Trade, in transmitting a copy of this letter to the Lords Justices, under date of Aug. 10th, commenting upon its contents, observe:- "The foresaid Shelley is one of the four former-mentioned ships fitted out from New York in June, 1698, and his cargo outwards, according to an extract of the Books of Entries there, transmitted to us by the Earl of Bellomont, seems to be but of very small and inconsiderable value; but the returns mentioned in the same letter, and especially the freight for twenty-nine men (which seems to be the number brought by him to America, after the landing of forty-six others in India) viz.: 12,000 pieces of Eight, and 3,000 Lion dollars for their passage, are exceeding great, and must needes

From Collector Goodman at Perth Amboy, to the Commissioners of the Customs; Goods seized by him had been rescued by armed men.

[From P. R. O. B. T. Proprieties Vol. 4, D. 15.]

Perth Amboy: June 27th 1699

May it Please your Hons

In mine to Your hors the 10th of December I gave Your hon an Account of the Carrying away of the Ship hester to York and the generall discouragement Wee have mett with here (Since that Time) in matter of Trade; I am now to inform Your hon's That the Ship Nassaw Capt Shelly Commander lately come from Madagascar, & since run a ground on Long Island Shoare near York, Landed some goods in this Province of which having Informac'on Saturday the 24th Instant I went and obtained a Warrant from a Justice of Peace and took with me a Constable in Order to search the house where the goods lay in the Town of Woodbridge The Master of the house abused the Constable & denyed my Authority & refused to lett the Constable break open the Door to search, which he would not suffer him to do. I immediately gott a Warrant from

be computed in the whole to be of many thousand pounds, Which evidently proves the nature of that trade in which such exorbitant advantages are made. '

66

"That Captain Burgess named in the said letter is another of the four forementioned ships." "That Mr. Stephen Delancy, to whom the said letter is directed, is one of the merchants concerned in the ship Fortune. Capt. Thos. Morton, Commander, mentioned in our foresaid Representation, as seized by the Earl of Bellomont with great difficulty, for the like illegal trade, after that the greatest part of her cargo had been privately conveyed away and so appears to be a person used to those practices." [They notice also the receipt of the two foregoing letters from Colonel Quary and comment upon them and say] were also informed by the said Colonel Quary that there is no act in force in West New Jersey by which those seized in that Province can be tryed and punished there. We humbly offer unto your Excellencies that all the pirates which have been seized or may be seized in Pennsylvania and West New Jersey be sent hither, together with the evidences upon which they have been seized, and which may be of any use for their conviction here, that so they may be tryed and punished according to law." New York Col. Docts. IV., pp 542-544-ED

the same Justice to secure the Master of the house Mathew Moore but he refused to go before the Justice, to answer his Contempt neither could I persuade the Constable he had power to break open the Door, till I had obtained a third warrant for that purpose, and till the Justices of Peace came themselves to see it done, where I found and seized twelve small Bales or Baggs of Calicoes and Muslins and secured them in a Chamber in the house of M Richard Powell att Woodbridge and lay there in the same Chamber and sent to Amboy for a Waggon to carry them away, which came Early Monday Morning. People being so precise here that they will upon no Consideration suffer a Waggon to Travell on the Sabboth day. On Monday about one or two in the Morning, The house & Chamber where I lay was broke open by about Twenty persons disguised armed with Clubs, Pallizadoes & other Weapons of a prodigious biggness, myself threatned my Life, and the goods forcibly carried away; I have not neglected to make all possible Search & Inquiry, but to no purpose, for the people here are all Lawless & have no respect to Government or the Kings Authority but publickly affront the Magistrates, & those who endeavour to Execute the Law.

I must further informe Your Hons that no Officer can act here without immediate power from Your Hon' & it is arrived to that pass, That Wee cannot have a Constable or other Officer to assist in anything for his Ma Service; all or the greatest part of the people do not think themselves oblidged to obey Our Gov! (he as they say) not having the Kings Approbac'on though the Councill shewed me a Letter directed to them from the Proprietors, wherein they asserted that they had presented him to his May and that he was accordingly approved of, and look upon me as sent without power to abuse them, The Extent of this Province is great, & it is not in the power of one Officer to manage the

whole business, when prohibited goods are Landed att severall places att one time near forty miles asunder, and the people joyne together to conceal them.

Those who have rescued the Goods shall not faile of a due prosecution.

Your Hons may understand by the List herewith sent how small the Trade is, occasioned meerly by the Disputes and Uncertaintys ab' our port.

Some Ships are dayly expected from Madagascar and I have settled the best Intelligence possible against their Arrivall and had I sufficient Power & Authority from Your Honours, I could Act with more safety, and Command that Assistance which is now denyed me. They looking upon a Deputac'on from the Surv Generall (and upon himself) to signifye nothing in the meantime I shall pursue my duty, and do all things which by my Office are required from me for his Mas Interest, and towards the Discovery of illegall Trade now very rise [ripe ?] in these Parts. The want of a Custom house here is of great disadvantage and if wee are a Port it will be necessary to have one, otherwise nothing can be secured from the bold Attempts of those People who contemn and bid Defiance to Authority and do not stick to break open the Goale and rescue the Offenders from thence (as they have lately done) att their Pleasure All wch is most humbly submitted to Your Hon by

rs

Your honours most humble Servant
CHARLES GOODMAN'

As to the Magistrates. They have been very ready and willing to assist me, but some late Disturbances have made the People regardless of all Law and Authority.

'Referred by the Commissioners of the Customs Aug. 21st, 1699, to the Lords of the Treasury and by them to the Kings Council, who, on Oct. 23d, referred it back to the Lords of Trade for examination and report.-ED.