ERSEN.

This libell I Rec'd this 2d of August, 1681.

EDW'D RAWSON, Secret.

_49. Deposition of Samuel Button. August 11, 1681._[1]

[Footnote 1: Suffolk Court Files, no. 2031, paper 8.]

Samuel Button of Boston declareth concerning the Ship now called the
_Salamander_ in this harbour, Marcellus Cock commander. That in April
last was twelve-months' hee was Shipped Carpenter of sd Ship at London
then called the _Wm. and Anne_, Anthony Thorne of London Commander,
mr. George Trumbal of London being their Owner of sd. Ship. wee Sailed
with sd Ship from London to Bilboa where wee cleered our foremast men
and Ship't Biscayers in their steed and from thence Sailed to the
Canary's, where wee loaded brandy and wines, and our sd master there
left the Ship and our Mate mr. Christopher Johnson was put in master,
all the English men being cleered from her but myselfe, wee being
bound for Carthagene,[2] from thence back to Canary's, so to
Carthagene again and from thence to Canary's and from Canary's to
London and proceeding on our voyage wee put in to Sta. Marke in the
west Indies[3] to water; where the Governour forced our Stay to convoy
a Galliote bound to Carthagene, and after wee had been two or three
dayes in the Road, wee espied five Ships lying off and on by the space
of two or three dayes. at length they sent in their pinace with Dutch
colours to the Gov'r to get liberty to wood and water, pretending to
be Dutchmen come to cleer the coast of privateers; upon which the
Gov'r granted them liberty to come in and the same day they came and
anchored by us; they goeing ashore to the Gov'r acquainted him they
were of Middleborough,[4] Flushing, and Amsterdam (as I was informed)
and rode with dutch colours abroad; after they had been there four or
five dayes wee coming to saile in the night, all being buisy, they
laid us on board. wee demanding what they were they answered they were
Frenchmen; wee bad them keepe off, but they entring the Ship, the Ltt.
asked me if I was the Carpenter. I answered "yes," hee said "that's
good, you bee an Englishman. that doth no harme," comanding me to
keepe upon deck, declaring himselfe Capt. of the Ship, and when they
tooke us they shewed no Colours but told me the next day they would
shew me such Colours as I never saw, and then spread their
Brandenburgh Colours, putting our Supra Cargo and all the prisoners
ashore at St. Marke, onely Christopher Johnson a Dutchman our then
Ma[ste]r and mys