Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1749. 459

Ordered that Warrant issue directed to the Sheriff of S^t
Marys County to bring before this Board the aforesaid five
Negroes and one freeman in the following words.

Maryland ss^t
Whereas Information hath been made to Us the Governor
and the Subscribers Members of his Lordships Council of
State met in Council at the City of Annapolis on the first day
of July Anno Domini 1749 That Thomas Davison Mariner
Master of the Ship Mary now Lying in Patuxent River having
in his Voyage from London to this Province touched at the
Island of S^t Iago under the Dominion of the Crown of Portu-
gal, did Clandestinely bring away five Negro Slaves and One
free Man belonging to the said Island into this Province,
where the said Davison hath sold them as Slaves in Manifest
Violation of Justice and Private as well as Publick Faith

These are therefore in hie Lordships Name to Require you

that immediately on Receipt hereof you take the said Negroes
& Freeman into your Custody and bring them before us at
the City of Annapolis and for so doing this shall be your
Sufficient Warrant dated at Annapolis this first day of July
Anno Domini 1749.
Signed by the Governor & all the Members Present.

Lib. C. B.

At a Council held in the Council Chamber on Wednesday
the fifth Day of July in the 35^th year of his Lordps Dominion
Annoq Domini 1749

Present as on the I^st Instant

The Sheriff of S^t Marys County attending with the Freeman
and Negroes according to the direction of his Warrant they
were called in & none of them Speaking English they were
by the best Interpreter that could be got here Examined, and
they all declared that they were brought by Captain Davison
from the Island of S^t Iago into this Country against their Will
Upon the whole It seemed to this Board that Captain
Davison by a clandestine Contract and Assistance of some
Inhabitant of the Island of S^t Jago had Procured the said Free-
man and Negroes to be brought on board his Ship and that
they themselves might have been Prevailed upon by some
Specious Promises to Leave the Island
It is therefore Ordered by this Board that the said Captain
Davison enter into Bond with two Sufficient Sureties in the
Sum of two hundred Pounds Sterling Conditioned as follows.

The Condition of the Above Obligation is such That if the
Six Negroes or Blacks brought by the said Thomas Davison

p. 380