Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7-98. 85

     his longer staying, one of their reasons is the running away of P. R. O.

     the Seamen, through the great incouragement that is given Maryland, 9.

     in Pensilvania; which petition was made publick in the Pro

     vinciall and County Courts, and generally subscribed to; a

     Copy of which I herewith transmit to Your Lordships in No 3

     together with the Copies of severall Depositions &c concern

     ing one Day a privateer, and the Depositions of one Mr

     Charles Hemsly concerning six run away seamen, which did

     belong to the Ship Richard and Sarah of London &c and the

     Copy of a Declaration of my own concerning privateers, and

     Run away seamen being harboured and entertained &c in

     Pensilvania which was approved of by the Justices of the Pro

     vinciall and County Courts &c And also Copys of two Procla

     mations, one concerning seamen's being encouraged by people

     of Pensilvania to goe thither; in the other are enumerated

     the false pretences that are suggested to the people to make

     them leave this Countrey, and goe to the other places: But in

     the said proclamation the Inhabitants are disswaded from

     believing of them. There is also the Copy of a paper con

     cerning privateers and illegal trade, but the latter part is

     written by the Gentleman himself Colit Robert Quarrey the

     same person which I have humbly proposed to be of his

     Majesty's Honourable Councill here. I very much fear that

     if some course be not taken to prevent privateers and Pyrats

     being harboureci and entertained in these parts of the World,

     as also run away seamen; That when please God, the next

     Virginia and Maryland Fleet shall arrive they will be much

     retarded in their loading, if some of them be not forced to

     stay in the Countrey, by reason of the seamens running

     away.

      This Province being long, full of Rivers, and Creeks, and

     but very thinly inhabited towards the Frontiers of Pensilvania,

     I think it almost impossible to prevent seamens running

     away thither And his Majesty hath no Naval Force in this

     province to prevent them: So I am in great hopes that his

     Majesty will be graciously pleased upon Your Lordships

     laying before him my most humble desire of having a small

     Vessell which may by turns cruise in this and Delaware Bay:

     And I shall be then in hopes that some stop may be putt to the

     privateers and pirats; for last summer notwithstanding that

     the 3 men of War and fire ship which were the Convoy to

     the Fleet, and the St Alban's Prize which attended the Gov

     ernment of Virginia were all there; yet the Privateer Day in

     his Brigantine came up within a few miles of this place, and

     himself with 10 or 12 more went on shore, and allarmed all that

     part (thô they did little or no mischief, but when he ran

     away out of Delaware River, he plundered some of the