Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1694 97. 499

    of India and Persia, and having afterwards left the sd Ship at Lib. H. D.

    the Island of Providence, had shared the Plunder so by them

    gotten and dispersed themselves Their have thereupon

    thought fit, by Proclamation in his Mats name, to require all

    his Mats Admirails, Comanders & other Officrs at Sea, and all

    Governrs Comanders and other Officers whatsoever in his

    Mats Plantacons, to Secure and Apprehend the sd Henry

    Every als Bridgnian, and other persons Nam'd in the sd Pro

    clamacon, and such others as were with them in the Ship,

    a Copy of which Proclamation you will herewith receive, And

    whereas Information has been likewise given, that divers

    Pyrates and Sea Robbers have of late years gone from Sev

    erall parts of his Mats plantations in America to the Seas of

    India & Persia and other Remote parts upon the like Piraticall

    design's and that Some of them have Return'd home again

    and dispersed themselves in his Mats Plantations, with great

    quantities of Gold and other Plunder. We do hereby in his

    Mats name strictly Require and Comand you, forthwith upon

    Receipt hereof, to Cause the sd Proclamation to be published

    within yor Governmt and tht for the Suppressing as much as

    may be all such Evill Practices for the ffuture, whereby the

    Trade of his Mats good Subjects in fforreign Parts may be

    otherwise greatly disturbed, We do hereby in his Mats name

    Strictly charge and Require you and all his Mats Officers and

    Loving Subjects within yor Governmt to take all possible Care,

    and use all due means for the Seizing and Apprehending all

    such Pyrates and Sea Robbers and such as may be reasonably

    Suspected for the Same, either by Reason of the Great Quan

    tities of Gold & Silver of fforreign Comes they usually have p. 88

    with them, or by other probable Circumstances, And to Cause

    them to be Streightly imprisoned, and their Ships Goods and

    Plunder to be kept in Safe Custody untill upon Returning a

    full Acct unto Us, of the sd Persons, their Ships, Goods and

    Plunder, with the Evidences relating to them, His Mats Pleas

    ure shall be known and Signifyed concerning them, And so

    we bid you very heartily ffarewell, ffrom the Councill Chamber

    in Whitehall the 27th of August 1696.

                           Yor very Loving ifriends

    Capt Genll & Govr in Chief       Tankerville Romney

       of Maryland.      J BoscawenH: Goodricke

                         P: BertiCha: Montague

    Lords of the Sr

    Council for                 . .    .

  Trade &c:  His Mats having been graciously pleased by his

    Lre of Quar- Comission under the Great Seal of England, to

    ries to his Excy    Authorize and Constitute Us his Commrs for pro

    moting the Trade of this Kingdom and for inspect-