Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1749, 45 7

The Examination of William Ahier Master of the Ship two
Brothers taken before the Governor and Council of the
Province of Maryland this 22^d Day of June 1749.

This Examinant being first sworn on the holy Evangels of
Almighty God deposeth and Saith That being with his said
Ship at the Island of S^t Jago One of the Cape De Verd Islands
on or about the 22^d Day of April last past he was with the
Commanding Officer of Port of Pra whose Title was Captain
More Overall, and was acquainted by the means of his Inter-
preter th^t a Certain Captain Davison (whom he described to
be Master of the Ship Mary a Person that had a Short finger
and a woman on board) had stole five Negro Slaves and One
free Man from the said Island, Two of which belonged to the
said Captain More Overall, and that one of the said Negroes
was a Trumpeter and the other a Fiddler and also at the same
time two Letters were delivered to this Examinant, One of
which was directed by this Examinant at the desire of the said
More Overall to the Governor of Maryland and the Other to
the Governor of Virginia...
William Ahier

At a Council held in the Council Chamber on Saturday the
first Day of July in the 35^th year of his Lordships Dominion
Annoq Dni 1749
Present as on 22^d of June

William Cook and Robert Watson appearing at this Board
were examined as follows.

The Examination of William Cook Apprentice to Captain
Davison of the Ship Mary now lying at Anchor in the Prov-
ince of Maryland taken before the Governor & Council of
the said Province this first day of July Anno Dom. 1749.

This Examinant being first sworn on the holy Evangels of
Almighty God deposeth and saith That he with some others

Lib. C. B.
p. 377

rowed from the Island of S^t Iago on board the Ship Mary
One Lope and three Negroes, That some time afterwards this
Examinant went a Shoar again with the said Lope that the
said Lope returned again with his Son and brought three
more Negroes with him who were with the said Lope and son
carried on board the said Ship that this Examinant believes it
might then [be] about nine or Ten a Clock at night, This Ex-
aminant further saith that he was in the Cabin and heard Lope
and the Captain make a Bargain for the said Negroes that he
saw the Captain turn them about and examine them that the
Captain gave Lope a Cheese and a Shirt for one of the Negroes

30

p. 378