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765. Mem.—"Mr. Wren was to tell you the Eagle ketch was
ready at Portsmouth to pass with the packet to Nova Scotia but
wants money, which my Lord Anglesey is to be desired may be
paid for the purpose." Fragment by Sir Joseph Williamson. [Col.
Papers, Vol. 35, No. 77.] |
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766. Mem.— A. An alien stranger dies in Jamaica possessed of
real and personal estate, which it is alleged escheated to his
Majesty. B. Obtains a grant thereof from his Majesty and
demands possession. C. Who is in possession, pretends title by a
grant from the late Governor Sir Tho. Lynch. Now B. would know
whether his Majesty granted escheats to Sir Tho. Lynch in his
Commission or not. ½ p. [Col. Papers, Vol. 35, No. 76.] |
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767. Mem.— That Mr. Secretary Williamson be shown the
abstracts of letters from Hamburgh and Amsterdam, and also the
paragraphs written by the Company (Royal African) to their agent
about Fredericksberg. And to acquaint him that that place is no
castle but five or six thatched houses with mud walls; only some
guns are planted upon heaps of stones which are washed almost
down every time of the rains. But lying upon a hill overlooking
our fort, and less than a mile distant, it may be dangerous to suffer
the Hollander to possess it. Also at Cabo Corso the Danes have a
house. The Danes have a fort at Acra called Christiansberg which
it is likely they will part with, also if they part with Fredericksberg the former may be more useful for trade. Annexed, |
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767. i. Extracts of letters respecting a design of the Dutch to take
Fredericksberg in Guinea from the Danes. That they
have sent out four ships to surprise that place. To
persuade those of Fredericksberg to deliver it into the
hands of the English rather than let it come into possession of the Hollanders. It is understood the Danes'
house, built upon some part of English ground, is fallen
down, to hinder the rebuilding, and as it is believed they
will never be able to set out another ship "whereby to
make an appearance of being a company," a ship they had
lately laden with a full stock was cast away and lost.
To treat with their agent to deliver up any or all the
places the Danes have upon the coast, and take possession
if to be had on reasonable terms. If he cannot prevail
with the Danish agent to give up possession of the fort,
then try with a gratuity to incite the Natives to obstruct
the Dutch, and anticipate them in their design, getting
possession for the (Royal African) Company. 1675,
March-Nov. 1½ pp, [Col. Papers, Vol. 35, Nos. 78, 79.] |
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768. Description of rivers, capes, places, and towns in Africa,
"in 6 deg. 50 m., N. lat.," also the trade and advantages of each
place, being elephants' teeth, rice, gold, slaves, corn, &c. They
include Cape Mount, Cape Mount Surada, the river Cestos Languenl, Buffo, Sino, Wappo, Grand Cettra, Cape Palmas. Quaqna
Coast; Druen, river Andrea, Cape Lahow. Gold Coast; river
Ashenee, Cape Apolonia, Axemi, a Dutch castle of 14 or 16 guns,
built by the Portuguese, a river by it is said to have a quantity
of gold; Butterne, a Dutch castle, also a factory, with 6 or 8 guns
in a stone fort; Anto, where is trade for corn, gold, and slaves.
We had a fort there formerly of 12 guns, but it was blown up by
De Ruyter; we have since had a factory in a negro's house.
Succunde, 4 miles from Anto, where we have a factory in a
negro's house. At Shuma the Dutch have a small castle of 10 or
14 guns; in this river all their ships wood and water, and supplies
the mine with wood, good trade for gold and slaves. At Comenda
the Dutch and we have factories in negroes' houses. Castle
S. George de Mina, the Dutch chief castle, with commonly 180 to
200 white soldiers and about 46 guns mounted; a horse pistol shot
from it they have a castle on top of a hill called St. Agoe, of
24 guns, which commands the Mine Castle. Cape Corso, where is
our castle. Fredericksberg, chief of the Danes' factories, a small mile
eastward of Cape Corso, only a few thatched houses and 2 or
3 platforms, with 12 or 14 small guns. Nassau, at Morea, is a
brick fort of 16 or 18 brass guns, built by the States of Holland,
and given the Company before they took Castle de Mina from the
Portuguese. At Anathan, 7 miles from Morea, we had a fort there
formerly of 12 or 14 guns, which for want of repair is fallen down,
but the guns remain except Agent. Mellish hath fetched them
away. Annamabo, where was a small fort built by the Swedes,
but in possession of the Dutch when we took it from them, was
blown up, and a small charge will rebuild it. May land or go
aboard if wars, in spite of Natives. Agga, where was formerly a
Dutch castle, but blown up by the English, who have had a factory
there ever since. Cormantin Castle, of 24 or 26 guns, now in
possession of the Dutch. Wyamba, we had a fort formerly here,
but went to ruin in time of civil wars at home; it would be the
best place of trade on the coast if the Natives would let the inland
merchants pass quitely through their country, which they never
could be brought to, living most of all on plundering their neighbours and on hire for serving others in war; good place for slaves
and corn. At Accra, 10 leagues from Wyamba, the Dutch have a
fort of 6 or 8 guns, the Danes a fort of 8 or 10 guns called
Christiansberg, and we have a factoury here, a good place for trade
of good gold and plenty of slaves. Best time of the year to arrive
on the Grain Coast, Quaqua Coast, and Gold Coast. Distances of
sundry places from Cape Corso Castle. 4 pp. [Col. Papers, Vol. 35,
No. 80.] |
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769. "Observations in the year 1675 by me (Sir John Berry),
then commanding H.M.S. Bristol, in relation to the trade and
inhabitants of Newfoundland" (see ante, No. 744). That by the
King's instructions he commanded all the inhabitants to remove
either home or into some of the Plantations, though Mr. Parrott
and others have abused his Majesty with contrary relations,
"which I utterly disown." 1, The strongly garrisoned French
fortifications in Placentia and other parts are for securing their
fishing trade only, and not for the beaver trade as pretended, for
no Indians ever come to those parts. 2, The commanders of the
fishing ships destroy the stages, &c, for firing, that they make their
voyages before their followers, and not by the inhabitants as is
pretended. 3, That, in 1675, 45 of the chief western masters said
that, if the planters were removed, the trade would be utterly
destroyed, for reasons which follow, the tenth and last being that,
if the inhabitants are taken off and the French left solely in pos
session to enlarge their fisheries as they please, they will in a short.
time invest themselves of the whole at least of Ferryland and
St. John's, where harbours are almost naturally fortified, to the
disadvantage of trade, if not the loss of all. Conceives the disorders are such as throwing stones and ballast into the harbours,
the destruction of thousands of trees by barking them to cover
their stages, houses, and cook rooms, besides firing; that there will
be no regularity in the fishery in Newfoundland until it be settled
under Government. 3 pp. [Col. Papers, Vol. 35, No. 81.] |
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770. Duplicate of the preceding signed by Sir John Berry.
Endorsed, "Rec. 18 Aug. 1676. Read 5 Dec. 1676." [Col. Papers,
Vol. XXXV., No. 82.] |
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771. An Act passed in the island of Montserrat restraining
Physicians' high fees and fixing rum works. Printed in "Acts of
Assembly passed in the island of Montserrat from 1668 to 1740
inclusive. London, 1740." [Col. Entry Bk., Vol. LV, p. 32.] |
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772. Map of the Windward and Leeward Islands in America,
from Porto Rico to Trinidad, showing the English islands coloured
red, the French green, the Spanish yellow, and Indian black. One
sheet. [Col. Entry Bk., Vol. XLVI., frontispiece.] |
