Letter from Colonel Quary, Judge of the Admiralty in Pennsylvania, to the Lords of Trade, about Pirates.

[From P. R. O. B. T., Proprieties, Vol. 3, C. 30.]

L're from Coll Quary to ye Board, ab' Pirates arrived in Pennsylvania & other places.'

Right Hon ble

June 1st 1699

The Inclos'd is a Coppie of my last since wch there is arrived into this Governm' about 60 Pirates in a Ship directly from Malligasco, they are part of Kids Gang about 20 of them have quitted ye Ship & are Landed in this Goverm' about 16 more of them are Landed at Cape May in ye Goverm' of West Jersey, the rest of them are still on board the Ship wch lies at Anchor near ye Cape of this Goverm1 waiteing for Sloops from NewYorke to unload her. She is very rich Ship all hur Loading is rich East India Baile Goods to a very great vallue, besides abundance of money ye Cap' of the Ship is one Shelly of New Yorke & the Ship belong to merchants of that place, the Goods are all purchased from the Pyrats at Malligasco which pernitious trade is yt wch gives encouragem to ye Pirats to continue in those parts haveing a Market for all the Goods they Plunder & Robb in the Red Sea & severall other parts of East India; I had yerly notice of their arrival & went down the River. I quickly Seased two of these Pirats & Convey'd them safe to Burlington Goale in yo Province of West Jersey where they will be secure, had I brought them to this Goverm' I could not expect but that they would have been set at liberty as several of

1 As recorded, this and the two succeeding letters are preceded by abstracts, in which, under different headings, designated by the letters of the alphabet, the subjects treated of are briefly pointed out. These abstracts it has not been thought necessary to print.-ED.

ye Pirats of Averys Crew ware; as soon as ever I had Lodged them two men in ye Goale: I went in pursute of two more of those Rogues & followed them so close y' I Lodged them in Philadelph3 went Immediately to ye Lieftenant Gover Markham. I gave his hon' a p'ticuler acco' of these Pirates I told him how many was Lodged in this Government & that p'ticularly there was two of them in this Town weh I would Imediately apprehend in case he would order y Constables to assist me wh he did & accordingly I went & seased them & Lodged them safe in the Goale, how Long they will be kept there I know not I likewise discover'd their mony & Goods weh he hath taken into his hands. I did on behalfe of the Lds of the Admiralty desire that y Pirates Goods might be Lodged in the posession & Jurisdiction of ye Admiralty it being granted by the Crowne to ye Lord high Admiral of England, but he refus'd it, nor would he so much as let me take an acco' of the money & Goods, though I secur'd both it & and the Pirats wthout any trouble of ye Goverm1 I tould him weh way all the rest of ye Rogues might be Secur'd & wth all propos'd to him that if he would press one of the Vessells that then lay before the Town & raise me forty men I would Immediately Seize the Ship & bring hur & all in her up to ye Town or forffit my life, but all I said would not prevaile wth him, its a very miserable thing to live under a Goverm' Consisting of upwards of Seven thousand men capable to bear Arms where there is no Militia or any other means to defend the Kings Subjects or serve his Majestie let the occasion be never so great. I have sent express to ye Govers of Virginia & Maryland and also to all ye Govers to the Northwards, the Gover' of the Jerseys is very ready & active on this occation he hath provided a Sloop & hath man'd & fited hur very well & is now going to Cape May in order to secure the Pirats y' are landed there. I goe Downe with him ye next Tide part

of the way, I hope to give yo! Ldships a good acco of what is don there in few days; I have in my hands 2000 peeces of eight wch I took from the two first Pirates that I Seazed & Lodged in Burlington Goale. I desir'd to know yo' Ldships ord' about it. I have been at Charge in hireing of Boats & Shallops & paying y men in order to ye Seazeing the Pirats wch I hope to be reimburst out of the Effects in my hands, no man can serve yo' L'dships so efectually in giveing ye true aco' of the Piratts mony & Goods as my selfe so that if yo Ldships please to give me yo' order of a Power Ile take care that there be no fraud or abuse so Don to those y' have ye Right to ye Piratts mony & Goods of all the Piratts y' shall be Seazed in these Neighbouring Governm's. I have so often troubl❜d yo' Ldships with Letters giveing an accot of ye Contempts & affronts y' are put upon his Majesty & his authority in this Goverm' & also of the Admiralty Comission in opposition to wch they have set up a Court of Admiralty of theirs, for ye Seazeing trying Ships but haveing never Recd any order or direction from yo' Ldships or ye favour of a Line in answer I am not willing to trouble you more on y Subject; only will take the freedom to mind y' L'dships y' all ye Gentlemen that are Concern'd for the Kings interest & Service in this Governm1 are very uneasy not only upon the acco' of their being affronted & threaten'd by those in y' Government, but to find there is no notice taken of their complaints in England wch Confirm's what yo Quakers here say of M: Penns haveing so great an Intrest at Court y no complaints can be heard against the Goverm1 let them act never so Illegal or Extravigant as for my own part I am easy anough for should this place be allowed to be a free Port I shall receive as much advantage in point of Trade as any man here but I doe assure yo' L'dsps this yt if some speedy Course be not taken it will be impossible to get men to serve

the King here, especially in what relates to the Admiralty there being no Sallerys allow'd to any of them. I have often Writt to yo! Ldships on this and severall other Subjects to wea I humbly begg the favo of an answer wch may be a Guide to me for the future & to render me the more Capable of his Majestie's Service & yo! L'ships wch is the earnest desire of

Yo' Lordships most faithfful Serv

ROB QUARY

From Colonel Quary to the Lords of Trade, about Pirates in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

[From P. R. O. B. T., Proprieties, Vol. 3, C 31.]

L're from Coll Quary to ye Board, ab the arrival of Kidd & other Pirates at Pennsylvania & other places.

Right Honoble

PHILADELPHIA June 6th 1699.

Since my writing the enclosed I have by the assistance of Coll Bass Gov' of the Jerseys apprehended 4 more of the pyrats at Cape May & might have wth ease secured all the rest of them and the ship too, had this Governm given mee the least ayde or Assistance, but they woud not or soe much as issue out a Proclama

1 ROBERT QUARY was Governor of South Carolina in 1684 and 1690, and at one period, intervening, was Secretary of the Province. He afterwards was Judge of the Admiralty in New York and Pennsylvania, and was a member of the council of five of the Colonies at the same time. From the character of his communications to the authorities in England, it is evident that he was an emissary of the Government, charged with the duty of reporting the condition of the respective colonies he visited. While apparently honest in his aims, he was not always wise in his selection of sources of information, and consequently was led sometimes to imbibe erroneous impressions respecting the action of individuals, leading to unexpected difficulties between the officials in England and their subordinates in the colonies. Quary died about 1712.-ED,

tion; but on the contrary the people of this Governm have entertained the pyratts, convey'd them from place to place, furnished them wth provision & liquors, & given them intelligence & sheltered them from justice: & now the greatest part of them are conveyed away in boats to rhoad Island. all those persons that I have employed in searching for & apprehending these pyratts are abused and affronted & called Enemys of the Countrey, for disturbing and hindring honest men (as they are pleased to call the pyrats) from bringing their money & settling amongst them. Yo' Ld'pps were pleased to send to this Governm' a Copy of an Act formerly past in Jamaica relating to Pyrats & Privateers & all ayders & abetters of them wh yo' Ld'pps recommended to bee past into an act here, itt lay asleepe till about 3 weekes agoe, when they thought M: Penn might make good use of itt in England to abuse yo' Ld'pps wth itt if possible, but I am sure when yo' Ld'pps consid❜g the act (a copy of wch is herein inclosed) you will find itt all of a peice wh their former Act, & to bee a true representation of themselves a fayre shew outwardly but nothing but fraud & deceit within And now with yo' Ld'pps favour I will make some remarks upon this meretorious act of theirs-1st the Jamaica Act hath made itt felony for any of the Kings subjects in an hostile manner to serve under any forreigne prince agt any other prince in Amity with his Majesty wthout Lycence, but this Act of theirs hath made noe such provision tho' all the roguery that hath been com'itted by those Sort of men in the West Indies hath been under colour of forreign Comissions. 2dly the Jamaica Act makes all such to bee accessarys & confederates that shall knowingly entertaine harbour conceale trade or hold correspondence with any p'rson or p'rsons that shall bee deemed or adjudged to bee privateers or pyratts &c. but the Act of this Governmt hath taken care to leave out the word (deemed) soe that now