of the Council of Safety, 1776. 379

when they were off Merumsico this Deponent with Thomas
Cluff and William Willis were very desirous to return home,
but Levin Townsend told them they had better not, for they
most certainly wou'd be hanged if they did return and advised
them to go down to Norfolk and inlist under Lord Dunmore
as Soldiers and when they were at Merumsico af^d said Levin
Townsend with others went on shore where they killed a beef
and brought on board uncleaned and said they bought it and
immediately pulled the boat on deck and order'd this Depo-
nent with sundry others under the Deck and shut the hatch-
way on them and immediately proceeded for Norfolk and on
the arrival at said place the said Levin Townsend and Isaac
Coston went on board said Lord Dunmore's ship and after
they returned said Levin Townsend asked this Deponent and
others if they wou'd inlist under Lord Dunmore, that if they
wou'd they should have a suit of regimentals, a guinea and a
crown at entrance, with the gun and bayonet and standing
pay, to which proposal this deponent objected, and said he
would return home, said Levin Townsend replied that he
wou'd not return home 'till he took a certain oath, which oath
was administered to this deponent by a person who he under-
stood was a Colonel and that the tenor of said oath as well as
this Deponent can recollect was to bear faith and true allegi-
ance to his Majesty and to abjure all authority of the General
Congress &^c and this deponent further saith that he heard
said Levin Townsend say he was fitting out a Tender to
cruise up and down the bay in order to take prizes and that
Isaac Coston was to be his Lieutenant and that said Levin
Townsend said he shou'd be in a short time up Pocomoke
river where he intended to lay his vessell against the Cypresses
& and then seize the Committee of Worcester in the night whilst
they were asleep and convey them down to Dunmore as
speedily as possible, & further saith that on their return he
heard Cornelius Dickerson say at Accomack County that if
he had thought he wou'd have been taken up he most certainly
never would have left Boston's vessel with whom he went to
Norfolk and further saith that Levin Townsend press^d him
this Depon^t pressed him this deponent to meet and join him
when he came into Pocomoke, also saith that he saw W^m B.
Townsend and Thomas Moore talking very much in private
whilst the said Townsend was in Worcester and that said
W^m B. Townsend advised him whilst in Norfolk to inlist in
Lord Dunmore's service and that he this Deponent heard
Levin Townsend say he expected a large number of men to
join him on his return in Annamessick and that Thomas
Moore af^d went down to Tinley's landing, from which place
this Depon^t embarked and where they parted and that Thomas

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