[Footnote 3: England and the Dutch were now at war (1653-1654), and the ship if Dutch might be good prize, but there was no war with Spain.]
[Footnote 4: There are several entries regarding it in the _Records of the Essex Quarterly Courts_, I., but under the name of the _Happy Entrance_.]
[Footnote 5: The Commonwealth government.]
This is A true Coppie Compared with the originall
[The words "Jno. Endecott Gov'n'r and the seale of the Colony" appear in the margin.]
_9. Deposition of Matthew Hill. October (?), 1653._[1]
[Footnote 1: Mass. Archives, vol. 60, p. 172a.]
Mathew Hill aged 30 yeares and upwards deposeth and sayth
That upon the seaventh day of May 1653 last past aboute two of the clock in the afternoone of the same day The Prize-men and company that take the Spanish Ship out of Carlile Roade in Barbados,[2] there being at that tyme when shee was taken eight men of the shipps owne company on board when they tooke her (as the Gunner thereof informed this depon't) and that two of them leaped over board, w'ch were taken up by other shipps, and that they tooke thother six men with them, and were expected to have beene sent on shore back againe, but they cume not nor were ever heard of (by any meanes that this depon't could understand of) in foure months tyme whilst this depon't resided in Barbados after the ship was so taken, nor is yet that this depn't heares of. And this depon't further sayth That the Spanyord reported that there was a chest of gold dust six foote long and another chest of Jewells and Pearles, but named not how bigg it was, and seaven hogsheads of peeces of eight,[3] besides all other traffick that was in the said Shipp, And sayth that the Pylate of the said shipp affirmed that if there were Thirty men of them their share would come to one thousand pounds a peece, And also sayth That the Gunner of the said Ship being an Englishman (and this depn'ts country man) informed this depon't That his owne share in the said Shipp was worth eight hundred pounds sterl.
[Footnote 2: Carlisle Road or Bay is the roadstead of Bridgetown, Barbados.]
[Footnote 3: Spanish dollars, pieces of eight reals.]
_10. Deposition of Francis Blackman and John Dukley. October (?), 1653._[1]