of the Council of Safety, 1776. 563

in the year 1775, he did receive five hundred and fourteen
bushels of salt for M^r James Lloyd Chamberlaine and put it
into the house above mentioned at Plain dealing and that
between the month of October and Christmas of the same
year he the deponent did measure and sell all the salt out of
the aforesaid house which he received as before mentioned at
three shillings p^r Bushel And that at the time while that salt
was measuring and selling James Lloyd Chamberlaine afore-
said, did caution the Deponent not to mix the new received
salt which was his, with the old salt that was before in the
house as that did not belong to him, but to Tommy Chamber-
laine a minor
And the deponent further saith that the family at Plaindeal-
ing used out of the aforesaid salt nearly at the rate of twelve
bushels p^r Annum, untill the 28^th day of December in the year
1776, when a number of men armed with guns and clubs came
about 8 o'clock in the morning and enquired for him the
deponent who immediately went out to them, and enquiring
their business, was told by one of them who appeared to be their
leader, that they heard there was a quantity of salt there that
their business was to buy some of it for which they would pay.
The Deponent told them that he had very little salt, that the
salt which was there was for the use of the family and not at
his disposal, nor even under his care, he advised them to
speak to M^r Chamberlaine which when they objected to he
offered to send to M^r Chamberlaine himself, to which they
answered that they would not wait so long, they some of them
swore that they knew the key was kept there, that salt they
would have and if the key was not delivered to them they
would break the door, they then asked the Deponent's wife
for the key and she refused to deliver it to them upon which
refusal some of them said it would be the worse if the key was
not deliverd at the same time the most active said, come
along, come along we have talked long enough, let us be
doing or nearly the same word. At which they all of them
went to the door of the house where the salt lay (except
Jeremiah Colston, who appeared to be their leader and who
continued still to propose for the key that they might not be
under necessity as he said of breaking the door) some picked up
large stones others shook the door and some seem'd to stand
as centinels with their guns in their hands. The deponent's
wife being allarmed and fearing that other mischief might be
done ran to the door and told Jere. Colston that she would
open the door and show the salt upon which M^r Jere. Colston
called out to the others to stop. And the Deponent's wife
opened the door and Jere. Colston with most of the others
went into the house where the Salt lay. the deponent being

C.S.C.