Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/301

 it proving to be a French built Ship of 32 Guns, called the Ranger.

Iaac Sun, Ralph Baldrick, Daniel Maclauglin.

When the Evidence had been heard, the Prioners were called upon to anwer, how they came on Board this Pyrate Ship; and their Reaon for o audacious a Reitance, as had been made againt the King’s Ship.

To this, each, in his Reply, owned himelf to be one of thoe taken out of the Ranger; that he had igned their pyratical Articles, and hared in their Plunder, ome few only accepted, who had been there too hort a Time. But that neither in this igning, or haring, nor in the Reitance had been made againt his Majety’s Ship, had they been Voluntiers, but had acted in thee everal Parts, from a Terror of Death; which a Law amongt them, was to be the Portion of thoe who refued. The Court then ask’d, who made thoe Laws? How thoe Guns came to be fired? Or why they had not deerted their Stations, and mutinied, when o fair a Propect of Redemption offered? They replied till, with the ame Anwers, and could extenuate their Crimes, with no other Plea, than being forced Men. Wherefore the Court were of Opinion, that the Indictment, as it charged them with an unlawful Attack and Reitance of the King’s Ship, was ufficiently proved; but then it being undeniably evident, that many of thee Prioners had been forced, and ome of them of very hort tanding, they did, on mature Deliberation, come to this merciful Reolution;

That they would hear further Evidence for, or againt, each Peron ingly, in Relation to thoe Parts of the Indictment, which declared them Vo-