Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 11.pdf/149

 128

but it is indisputable that he allowed con siderable precious time to pass before he ordered an armed vessel " to proceed with all speed to the Cape of Nantucket." Meanwhile Governor Leverett, in Boston, having only an imperfect knowledge of where and what Nantucket was and fearing the Dutch vessel might have some hidden mission for aiding King Philip's war which then was raging, lost no time in sending a frigate to aid the Venture. The frigate reached Nantucket three days after the island court had given its famous decision and in open defiance thereof pro ceeded to put the Venture in condition for immediate departure. Mary Coffin asked the captain of the frigate and Isaac Melyne to supper the night before they were to sail. The variety of dishes that remarkable woman managed to prepare still remains as an island tradition, and the best pieces of China and pewter ware, borrowed from all the English faction, gave an air of affluence to the table well calculated to impress upon their guests the standing and importance of the Coffin family. Out of a full heart and love of Boston Colony, Mary told these potentates of the political isolation of the island and how earnestly the people longed to be annexed to New England and to be rid of the Dutch. The captain of the frigate listened with sur prise and finally he promised to report this interesting condition at Boston. James Coffin decided to make a voyage to Boston in company with the frigate and the Venture. He accordingly took orders from all his fellow-townsmen, including Edward Macy, who commissioned him to bring back a large quantity of rum. The incident shows how these statesmen did not allow the vital issues of politics to interfere with their amicable relations. They fished, smoked and drank rum together with com fort and mutual benefit. It should also be said that Mary Coffin and Rebecca Macy borrowed salt and sugar of each other and

with all friendliness even drank tea and tasted gossip together when not engaged in the more serious duties of political agitation. So the Venture, the frigate and the Swallow, Coffin's boat, all sailed away to Boston and the Dutch town of Sherburne considered the matter disposed of and pro ceeded to catch fish quite as though nothing unusual had happened. Nantucket might still have remained a part of New York had not the Dutch Gov ernor, in compliance with Edward Macy's request, proceeded to meddle. Some three weeks after the departure of the Venture a Dutch frigate came to her aid. Macy told the captain of the English frigate's interfer ence, which caused him to charge the town of Sherburne with gross disloyalty to Hol land and even to threaten punishment. The fishermen protested their loyalty and re ceived the threats of punishment with such evident skepticism that the Dutch captain could only swear in a tongue which had no meaning for Nantucket ears. So he sailed away and Nantucket again turned her atten tion to catching fish. Even then Nantucket might have remained Dutch had it not hap pened that James Coffin was just rounding Cape Cod, bringing a winter's supply of salt, sugar and rum to the island. Then it was that Holland made that fatal mistake which cost her the allegiance of a sturdy people. The frigate seized the Swallow and carried her to New York, taking along James Coffin and his companions as prisoners. Arrived at the Dutch capitol, the Gover nor only ridiculed their indignant protests and assertions of loyalty, charged them with the Venture's escape and in payment con fiscated the Swallow and her cargo and sent Coffin and his men empty-handed back to New England. Their misfortune was shared by the whole town and it created an overwhelmingly English sentiment. Edward Macy mourned for his rum and refused to be comforted. Rebecca Macy told Mary Coffin things of