Q. Did Corbit express great grief and concern when he was assured that the lieutenant was killed? No.

Q. by the Governour B[ernard]. Was it after Corbit knew of lieutenant's death that he said he would kill you? Yes.

Q. by Governour. Do you believe the prisoners heard the lieutenant forbid Silley and 'em to fire? I do.

Q. by Governour. Did you hear Corbit complain of the first pistol, and the answer? Yes. The ball missed Corbit, if there was one in it. Corbit said to lieutenant, see what your men have done. Well, says the lieutenant, come out, and you shall have what satisfaction you please.

Q. by Mr. Otis. Are you sure there was but one pistol discharged before the lieutenant fell? But one.

Q. by prisoner, to Mr. Bowen. Did the lieutenant draw his sword and thrust it down several times into the place where the prisoners were? No.

Q. by Otis to Bowen. Did you consider yourself with Mr. Panton as searching for goods, or as a press gang? Ans. As searching for goods. First I searched for men, and then for goods.

Q. Whether any of the party searched the fore peak for goods after the men were out? I don't know that they did. Peacock and Stanhope. No. We went on board the Rose before the men were out.

Q. to Bowen, Peacock and Stanhope. Did you hear 'em frequently say they did not want to hurt 'em if they 'd leave 'em? Bowen did; the other two did not.

Q. Mr. Bowen. I believe at different times I might hear 'em all say that [they] would kill, etc. Corbit said he would put his lamp out first, and the other might say to the same purpose. I believe some of the others did. It was not always said with the same voice. I can't tell who took the candle from the lieutenant. I am certain Corbit said he would shoot with gun loaden with slugs and primed, and they all joined in it. Pierce Fanning presented the musquet, but who the fish gig or, who cried fire, I can't say. I saw nobody have the musquet but Simms. The same man presented it at Sinclair and snapped it three times. Corbit said he knew him to be a lieutenant. Can't say that any other did. There was a noise.

Q. by Mr. Fitch. Whether Mr. Panton had sword, or pistol, or any arms while in the hold — main hold? He came down unarmed, without his sword. He took the pistol from Silley some time after, as mentioned before. Silley had loaded it, or it [might] have been another, for the lieutenant blew the priming out, and gave it to one of the crew. He had time to go from side to side between, for Mr. Panton called him to him.

Bowen see him take the pistol from Silley, but did not see him blow the priming out. Stanhope saw him with a sword at the scuttle, but not in the hold. I did not see him.

WILLIAM PETTYGREW. Physician. I saw the body before it was buried, soon after the vessel came up to the wharf. He came by his death, I suppose, by the wound he received in his neck, about three inches long and of a triangular figure; cut the carotid artery and jugular vein. I suppose three inches in depth. There are two jugular veins on each side of the neck.

Q. by me. Are the artery and vein three inches deep? I suppose it must have penetrated three inches, for the natural elasticity of the artery and vein would have given way.

ROBERT BRICE, surgeon's mate. Knew the lieutenant. I saw him about half an hour before he died. His death, I apprehend, [was] occasioned by a triangular wound in the left side of his neck. It must have been the immediate occasion of his neck [death]. The two jugulars, on the left side, and the carotid artery were cut through. The wound went down in an oblique direction. There is an external and internal jugular vein. One could have known the wound by the instrument that gave it. There must have been force used in drawing it back, as the surface of the wound was lacerated.

JAMES SILLEY, a private marine. I went on board the brig in the boat the second boat. I was one that rowed. I went immediately down in the hold with Mr. Peacock and the master at arms. Mr. Panton ordered us to open the bulkhead.

Q. by Governour Bernard. Did you fire a pistol? Yes, I fired a pistol. The prisoners ordered us upon our peril not to approach the apartment; if we did, they would kill us. They'd be the death of the first man that should attempt to break in there. The pistol I fired was loaded with powder only. It was given to me, I don't know by whom, for a pistol only with powder. I did not load it, and don't know [who did]. He don't know by whom it was given to 'em, but believe it was the master at arms. I fired it at the time when I was taking hold of the musquet that was presented thro the bulkhead. I don't know that I presented it at one any more than another. I had no reason for firing it, but in confusion, with no intention at all. I catched at the musquet, and fired at the same time with the other hand.

Q. How near was the mouth of your pistol to Corbit's face? I don't know. It must be very nigh him, I believe, by the explosion. Corbit said, this is not good usage. Mr. Panton said he would shew him the man when he came on board. Then a cartridge was given me by Sinclair, and I loaded the pistol again. The musquet

was pointed thro the bulkhead again. I seized it and kept it in my hand for above two minutes, but the prisoners got it from me, two of 'em. I soon went over to the larboard side where the master at arms was. The lieutenant demanded me to give him the pistol; accordingly I did. I then assisted the master at arms in breaking down more of the bulkhead with pretence of getting in. The prisoners then desired us to keep off upon their peril, for they would not be pressed. I remember Corbit very well. The others said, keep clear, gentlemen, at your peril, for we will not be pressed. Corbit then said, you lieutenant, stand clear; if you don't I'll be the death of you. The lieutenant made answer, you may depend upon it, if you kill any one, you'll be hanged for it. They, Corbit, then often attempted shoving thro with the harpoon, the whole of 'em desiring us to stand clear. Soon upon it I heard another pistol go off, and the cry of a man. Looking about I saw the people all going out of the hold, and no one there but I and the master at arms. Some time after Getsus [?] came out and said the lieutenant was dead. The prisoners said it was no such thing.

Q. Mr. Panton said he gave no orders to fire.

Q. by prisoners. Did we not tell 'em we wanted nothing but our liberty, and not to hurt any of their people? I heard some of them say, they wanted nothing but their liberty, and would hurt nobody if they did not hurt them.

Q. Whether some of the boat's crew did not say, if we did not come out they would blow our brains out, or shoot us? I believe there was words of the kind passed by both sides—a great deal of that.

Q. Did not I give the prisoner a piece of bread, and say that I wanted not to hurt him, or any man? Yes.

Q. by me. The lieutenant said he had a deputation to search, and would search there; that also the prisoners said there was no prohibited goods there.

Q. Did the lieutenant, or any of his party, search in any part of the main hold for prohibited goods? I did not see 'em.

Q. Did you apprehend your business was to search for prohibited goods or to impress men? I understood that I came on board in order to help Mr. Panton search for prohibited goods, or to impress men, as he gave orders.

JOHN BEMBRIDGE.

Witnesses for the prisoners: Thomas Power, master; Hugh Hill, mate; John Roney and James McGlocklin, mariners, on board the Pitt Packet.

Dr. GREEN then read the following paper:

SOME NOTES ON PIRACY.

Few persons of the present day are aware how extensively piracy prevailed two centuries ago. There was no part of the high seas that was free from the depredation of roving robbers. At times they threatened towns on the coast, and at others they attacked ships on mid-ocean; and they seem to have followed their lawless pursuits at will. When caught, there was little delay in bringing them to trial and securing a conviction; and trivial technicality in forms played no part in reaching results. At times there were multiple executions, and in the community there was no morbid sentimentality shown for the miserable wretches. Not the least of their torture was sitting in the meeting-house on the Sunday before execution and listening to their own funeral sermons, when the minister told them what they might expect in the next world if they got their just dues. On June 30, 1704, six poor victims were hung, on the Boston side of the Charles River bank, for piracy and murder; and there was a great crowd to witness the tragedy. Among the spectators on this occasion was Chief-Justice Sewall, one of the judges of the Admiralty Court which had convicted the pirates, who did not think it beneath his dignity to be present. It was then considered a public duty to invest the scene of execution with as much awe as possible, and it was thought that official station would emphasize this feeling.

The following extract from "The Boston News-Letter," August 21, 1721, shows how in early times piratical craft, heavily manned and carrying many guns, sailed the high seas and pursued their unlawful calling. The vessel was taken somewhere in the Sargasso Sea, off the coast of Africa.

These are to Certifie all Persons concerned that on the 7th Day of May last, William Russel Master of the Ship Mary of Charlstown, in his Voyage from Madera to Surranam in the Lat. 22 Deg. and 27 N. and Long. 25 and 27 W. from London was taken by a Pirate Ship upwards of 50 Guns, Commanded by Capt. Roberts, about 300 Men, who robb'd him of part of his Cargo, and Forced away from him two of his Men, against his and their own consent, viz. Thomas Russel born in Lexintown near Charlstown and the other Thomas Winchol born in Portsmouth, New-Hampshire in New England.

I have been led to make these introductory remarks on account of a manuscript recently given to the Library by Mrs. William B. Rogers, eldest daughter and sole surviving child of Mr. James Savage, who was for more than sixty years a member of this Society and for fourteen years its President. It consists of an extract from a letter written by her uncle William Savage to her father, dated at Havana, December 31, 1818, giving an account of the capture by pirates of the ship Emma Sophia, off the Florida coast, of which vessel he was supercargo. Since the receipt of the paper from Mrs. Rogers I have found in the "Boston Daily Advertiser," February 3, 1819, a fuller version of the letter; and for that reason I here follow the copy as given in the newspaper. Anything that relates to Mr. Savage or his family will always be in order at these meetings. At the unveiling of his bust in this room, on April 12, 1906, Mr. Adams, the President, said that "with the single exception of Mr. Winthrop no member of the Society since its beginning has left upon it so deep and individual an impression" as Mr. Savage has.

The account appears on the second page of the Advertiser, under the heading of "Marine Journal," as follows:

MEMORANDA.

The vessel mentioned in yesterday's paper, as having been plundered off Florida, is the Hamburgh ship Emma Sophia, Capt. Frahm the supercargo is Mr. William Savage, of this town. It is stated in the Charleston papers that she is insured at Lloyd's.

We have been favoured with the following extract, giving further particulars:

Extract of a letter from a gentleman of this town, supercargo of the ship Emma Sophia, dated Havana, 31st Dec. 1818.

On Saturday 19th inst. between the Bahama Bank and Key Sal Bank we were boarded and taken possession of by a small schr. of about 30 tons, having one gun mounted on a pivot and 30 men. She manned us with twelve men, Spaniards, French, Germans and Americans, and carried us towards the Florida coast. Being arrived on the coast nearly opposite to Havana, the privateer went in shore to reconnoitre, and our ship lay off and on. Next morning she returned with two small vessels, a schooner and sloop. We then all four steered over the reef towards the small islands, and on Tuesday afternoon were brought to anchor in a little harbour