Boon Island - Kenneth Roberts [21]
We presume Interest only can induce Men to such Villainies, (indeed that pretended in this Case) therefore to let the World see how little we gain (or rather how much we lose) by the Matter in Hand, as also further to expose the malicious and injurious Scandal, we fairly and voluntarily offer: If any Person can make out that Jasper Dean (who own'd 7/8 of the said Ship, besides considerable in Cargoe) or Miles Whitworth (who own'd the other 8th part) or John Dean Commander of the said Ship, they jointly or separatly, or any others for (or on) their Accounts, or for their (or any of their) Use or Advantage, directly or indirectly, or they (or any of them,) for the Use or Benefit of any others, in any Manner whatsoever, have ensur'd or caus'd to be ensur'd, in Britain or elsewhere, any more than £250 to Ireland (which was not paid the Ship arriving safe) and £300 from there to Boston in New England (which paid, and Premium and Office Charges deducted, was no more than 226£ 17s) if any Person can make out more, they are desired to publish it by Way of Advertisement in some common News Paper and we undernam'd do hereby promise to make the utmost Satisfaction, and stand convict to be the greatest Villains in the Universe.
And now, let the World judge whether 'tis reasonable to imagine we shou'd willfully lose a good Ship of 120 Tuns, besides a valuable Interest in Cargoe in such a Place, where the Commander (as well as the Rest) must unavoidably run the utmost Hazard of perishing in the most miserable Manner, and all this to recover £226. 17s. how absurd and ridiculous is such a Sup-
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position, and yet this is the Reproach we at present labour under, so far as to receive daily ignominious Scandals upon our Reputations, and injurious Affronts and Mobbings to our Faces. Yet we solemnly profess, we are not conscious of the least Guilt, nor even in this Account, of the least Errours in Representation.
JASPER DEAN
JOHN DEAN
MILES WHITWORTH
(lately dead)
FINIS
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The Langman Account
A True Account of the
Voyage of the Nottingham-Galley of London,
John Dean Commander, from the River
Thames to New-England,
Near which Place she was cast away on Boon-Island, December 11, 1710. by the Captain's Obstinacy, who endeavour'd to betray her to the French, or run her ashore; with an Account of the Falsehoods in the Captain's Narrative.
And a faithful Relation of the Extremities the Company was reduc'd to for Twenty-four Days on that desolate Rock, where they were forc'd to eat one of their Companions who died, but were at last wonderfully deliver'd,
The whole attested upon Oath, by
Christopher Langman, Mate;
Nicholas Mellen, Boatswain; and
George White, Sailor in the said Ship.
The Preface.
We having been Sufferers in this unfortunate Voyage, had reason to believe, from the Temper of our Captain, who
London; Printed for S. Popping at the Raven in Pater-noster-Row, 1711. (Price Six Pence.)
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treated us barbarously both by Sea and Land, that he would misrepresent the Matter, as we now find he has done in a late Pamphlet by him publish'd, intituled A Narrative of the Sufferings, Preservation, and Deliverance of Captain John Dean, and Company, in the Nottingham Galley of London, &c. London, Printed by R. Tooky, and Sold by S. Popping at the Raven in Pater-noster-Row, and at the Printing Press under the Royal-Exchange.
Our Apprehensions of this made us refuse the Encouragement which was offered us in New England, and resolve to come home that we might have an Opportunity to lay before the World, and before those Gentlemen and others who have lost their Estates and Relations in this unhappy Voyage, the true Causes of our own and their Misfortunes, and how they might, humanely speaking, have been easily avoided, had Captain Dean been either an honest or an able Commander. This we think ourselves oblig'd to do in common Justice, and to prevent others from suffering by him in the like manner.