222 Claiborne's Petition and

P. R. O.

Colonial
Papers.

could not as he veriely beleveth in the experience of men under-
standing in theis affaires be bought provided and performed
for or with lesse or so little Chardge then the said Claiborne
did, and that yf anie stranger had come thither unexperienced
in theis affaires and had bene to pay for such labors as this
deponent and others performed for the said Claiborne and are
mentioned in the said accompts the said Plantation and traid
could not have bene upheld and mainteyned for much more
then is expressed in the said accompts All which the premisses
this deponent averreth beleiveth he being all the tyme ac-
quainted with those affaires and lived and was ymployed most
of the tyme with the said Claiborne and was privie to the pro-
cedings thereof And further deposeth that concerning the
Trucking stuffe and the procede thereof mentioned in the twoe
last pages of the said Accompts, he this deponent remembreth
not justly being so long past the particuler quantities traided
for yearly by the said Claiborne, Butt to his this deponent's
best remembrance beleveth, that the first yeare Beaver 1632
bought after the fire which there happened, for tobacco and
burnt trucke with other Trucke procured by the said Claiborne
from Virginia and the dutch plantation was not above to this
deponent's best remembrance 350 skinnes or nere thereabouts,
And the second yeare beaver 1633 not above 900 or 1000
skinnes, At the buyeing of manie whereof this deponent was
present, and the articulate dutch Cloth being but 19 pecs to the
best of this deponent's remembrance, this deponent conceiveth
that the same with the other Trucke which then the said Claiborne
had could not amount unto above the nomber aforesaid of 900.
or 1000. Beavers, and for all the yeares followeing this deponent
was privie, and knoweth yt to be true that the traid did growe
dearer and dearer, and the said Claiborne to this deponents
knowledge did give greater raits and presents then he had
done formerly to induce the Indians to sell their Beaver unto
him, and this deponent knoweth yt to be true that the ordinarie
price of beaver in the yeare aforesaid in Virginia among the
English hath bene formerly 7^s 8^s or 9^s a pound, and at this
tyme about the same raits, And that the ymproper Trucke
mentioned in the said accompts to the value of above £300. in
dutch hoes, kettles, coats, blanckitts scrapers and such like
would have yeilded much more in dutch Cloth. And further
deposeth that severall sommes and disbursements laid out by
this deponent and the said Claborne are not mentioned in the
articulate second schedule which this deponent intendeth to
demand and recover of the said Claiborne.

Ad 1 2. dicit et deponit, That the said Claiborne did carrie

and procure to be carried by the boates of this deponent and
others into the Ile of Kent about 28. or 30. neate Cattell as is