[Footnote 17: On Shelley, see doc. no. 73, note 6. Jeremiah Basse was deputy-governor of East and West New Jersey from 1697 to 1699. In a letter of June 9 to Secretary Popple, _N.J. Archives_, first ser., II. 286-287, he describes his activity in manning a sloop and in person capturing four of Shelley's men at Cape May, and committing them to Burlington jail. "In their Chestes are about seaven thousand eight hundred Rix dollars and Venetians, about thirty pound of melted silver, a parcell of Arabian and Christian Gold, some necklases of Amber and Corrall, sundry peaces of India silkes."]
[Footnote 18: If the word is Governor, it should be Secretary.]
[Footnote 19: Francis Brinley, one of the chief Newport merchants; he had been a member of Andros's council.]
[Footnote 20: Robert Gardiner of Newport.]
[Footnote 21: Jahleel Brenton, for many years, beginning in 1691, collector and surveyor of the customs for New England (and thus Gardiner's superior officer) had gone to England as agent of Rhode Island in her boundary dispute with Connecticut. Thomas Weaver, who had been appointed collector for New York, was in London as agent for that province.]
We have advice that Burk an Irishman and Pyrat that committed severall robberies on th[e] [coast] of Newfoundland, is drowned with all his ship's Company, except 7 or 8 persons somewh[ere to the] southward. It is said he perished in the hurrican that was in those Seas about the end of [July and] beginning of August last. It is good news, he was very strong if we may believe report, [and is s]aid to have had a good ship with a 140 men, and 24 guns.
[Bra]dish and Wetherley have a slight extraordinary in attempting to escape, they [made] two attempts since they were last committed, once they broke the floor of the prison and thought to escape that way, but that failing them, within a night or two they filed off their fetters, upon which I ordered them to be manicled, and chained to one another. I believe this new Goaler I have got is honest, otherwise I should be very uneasy for fear these Pyrats should escape....[22]
[Footnote 22: The rest of the letter has nothing to do with Kidd or other pirates.]
Your Lordships most humble and obedient Servant