Transcript - document 30

Court of Chancery: extract from Alexander Selkirk's deposition to the Examiners' Office, dated 1712.

(Catalogue reference: C 24/1321)

[Margin] Jur[atus] 18 July 1712

1. Pro Cresswell Ar[migero] & ux[ore] c[ontra] Dampier & a[li]o[s]
2. Alexander Selkirke Mariner Aged 32 years or thereab[ou]ts lodging at M[aste]r
3. Thomas Roaquillos house neer St Catherines in the County of Midd[lese]x being
4. p[ro]duced etc Saith.

[Margin] 2

5. That this Dep[onen]t sayled the voyage now in qu[est]ion on board the ship Cinque Ports
6. Galley as Ma[ste]r of her & she was then when she went out of the River of Thames
7. a good new ship in very good Condic[i]on as to Body Masts Sayles Furniture
8. Stores & all other app[er]tences only want[e]d sheathing & was very well fitted out in all things & was
9. reckoned to be then & was as this Dep[onen]t believ[e]s then worth £2000 & she at
10. Kingsale in Irland joyn[e]d in Company with the ship St George in the Juwrry
11. menc[i]oned which was an old ship but in very good Condic[i]on & strong & fitted out for
12. ths[ai]d voyage in all things and stores & was compt[e]d to be worth & was as
13. this Dep[onen]t believ[e]s worth £4000. or thereab[ou]ts reckoning in her Body Masts Tackle
14. Stores & app[er]ten[c]es and this Dep[onen]t saith that Charles Pickring went as Cap[tain] of
15. ths[ai]d Cinque Ports Galley ths[ai] d voyage & Michael Cobham went out
16. agent or Purser of her & the Defe[ndan]t W[illia]m Dampier went out the s[ai]d voyage Capt[ain]
17. of the s[ai]d ship St George & one Morgan was Purser or agent of her the sayd
18. voyage and this Dep[onen]t saith that the first tyme this Dep[onen]t [saw]? [ ] ships Duke and
19. dutchess was when this Dep[onen]t was the s[ai]d voyage upon the Island of John
20. Fernandez in the South Sea & Woods Rogers was the Capt[ain] of ths[ai]d ship Duke
21. & Carlington Vanbrugg was then agent of her & Stephey Courtney was
22. then Capt[ain] of the ship Dutchess but who was agent of her this Dep[onen]t rem[em]bers not
23. and when this Dep[onen]t first saw the ships Duke & Dutchess they were both Good
24. ships & in good Condic[i]on & this Dep[onen]t hath credibly heard they cost fitting out
25. for their voyage to the South Seas £14000 or thereab[out]s & more Saith
26. not to this Juwrry

[Margin] 5.

27. That this Dep[onen]t doth beleeve there were severall orders or Instrucions given by or on the
28. behalfe of the Owners of the ship St George to the Def[endan]t Dampier as Capt[ain] of her
29. when he went out upon the s[ai]d voyage but what in P[ar]ticuler they were this Dep[onen]t
30. cannot now setforth But this Dep[onen]t saith that the s[ai]d ships St George & Cinque Ports
31. Galley sayled in Consortship from Kingsale upon the s[ai]d voyage to the South Seas
32. & that there were Articles or agreem[en]ts made or entred into between the Capt[ain]s &
33. officers or Companys of the s[ai]d ship for regulating themselves in the s[ai]d voyage
34. Alexander Salkirk