Extract out of Captain Henry Ferns' journal (1663)

March 13th, 1662 [23 mars 1663]. Captain Ferns becalmed under the Island Dominica, spoke with a Frenchman, who had been at sea with His Highness Prince Rupert under the command of Captain Coavans in the Honest Seaman, came out of Toulon in her, was in her when she was cast away on the north side of Hispaniola, and has been in the West Indies ever since. Concerning Prince Maurice, he told him that he had heard several people say that His Highness was cast away on the Island of St. German's, and that he was a prisoner at Porta Rica, that he knew the French men that were prisoners at Porta Rica His Highness was there, when and heard them speak of His Highness being prisoner, and that he believed one of them was then in the Island of Turtugeo, that he was at the taking of St. Aego, a league on the north side of Hispaniola three and half years since, where there were two Irishmen. One of them knwew that he belonged to the Honest Seamen, and in discourse of their former voyage told him that he wondered His Highness Prince Rupert would not get his brother Prince Maurice out of prison at Porta Rica, for there he was kept close in the castle called the More. This Frenchman, whose name was Conge, asked him how he knew it. The Irishman told him that it was generally reported at St. Domingo by chiefest of the Spaniards that Prince Rupert's brother was a prisoner at Porta Rica, and Don Whan Morfue [John Murphy], an Irishman in great esteem with the Spaniards, who wore the habit of St. Ageo and is Captain of the fort of St. Jeronymo at St. Domingo, told this Conge several times that if he could tell how to convey a letter to Prince Rupert he would, to inform him what condition his brother was in. Ince the Irishman told this Conge that Don Whan Morfue said that if he knew where to find Prince Rupert he would send him with a letter, but about that time Don Whan Morfue and the President of St. Domingo had a falling out, so that design was laid aside.

25 March, 1663 [4 avril 1663]. Captain Ferns, being at St. Christophers, the Governor there told him how several persons, French and Dutch, reported that in the castle called the More at Porta Rica had been a gentleman prisoner a long time, and the most of them said he was a German, and this he has been told by several French gentlemen.

Abraham Abrahamson told the Governor of St. Christophers and Captain Ferns that about eighteen months past he was at Porta Rica, and then there was but one prisoner in the castle called the More, and as he understood by a mulatto, one that kept a tavern where he lodged, and had lived at Stashous with the Hollanders, that there was a gentleman in prison in the More, how the soldiers told him he was a German and had been long a prisoner before this man came to dwell at Porta Rica.

April 12 [22 avril]. At Tortolea the Deputy-Governor told Captain Ferns that there was a gentlemen, a German, in prison at Porta Rica in the castle called the More, and kept there a long time close prisoner. He was at Porta Rica about ten monts since.

April 30 [10 mai]. At Virgins came to the harbour a French sloop with ten men, who had been at Hispaniola; they were bound for St. Christopher's. The master and most of the company assured Captain Ferns that a great English ship lay wrecked seven leagues to the eastwards of Porta Rica. Matte Jacous, one of them, told him, that he was at Porta Rica three years since a prisoner, there were then eight prisoners, three French and three English, who had run away with a boat from Barbadoes and put in at Porta Rica. The Governor sent them aboard of a Spanish barque and of a great Dutch sloop, and came to anchor by the wreck. When they returned to Porta Rica he heard the Spaniards say it was the ship of Prince Rupert's, that they had taken out of her forty guns besides other things. The master told him that he had heard the Spaniards say it was a ship of Prince Rupert's fleet. This master had been trading with the Spaniards on the south side of St. German's, and heard the people of the village of Quama say that one of Prince Rupert's ships was cast away on their coast of St. German.

May 19 [29 mai]. Being at St. Christopher's, Frederick Gorer, master of a sloop, who had been several times at Porta Rica, told him that there he heard the people say that one of Prince Rupert's ships was cast away on the coast, but the men were all drowned. Captain Ferns replied that it was strange all should be drowned, seeing the wreck lay above water two years. He answered perhaps some might come ashore, but none were brought to the town. The cowkillers were cruel and would kill them, for the King of Spain commands all to be slain that come upon the coast. And asking of him if he had seen anything that was saved of the wreck, he answered that he saw English guns and several other things driven ashore in the bay.

June 14 [24 juin]. Captain Ferns went ashore to the Governor of Tortuga, who had with him a Spaniard, prisoner, an inhabitant of Porta Rica twelve years; has been five years from thence, left his wife and two children there; he said Prince Maurice was cast away on the north side of St. German's, and six leagues to windward of Porta Rica. When he came from Porta Rica His Highness was a prisoner in the castle, the More; there were none suffered to see or speak to him. This was talked privately amongst the people. The Governor sent several boats to the wreck, and brought away many things, ropes, a great anchor, a mast laid by his house. He heard the people say those things were brought from the Prince's ship.

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Annexed to Captain Ferns' journal (1663)

A Spaniard of Porta rica, who was taken at Port de la Plata in the Island of Hispaniola in the year 1660, after having been forced to show the road from the town of St. Iago in the said island, was accused of having massacred the illustrious Prince Maurice. He denied it, but said that in 1652 a great nobleman lost his vessel near Porta Rica, came on to the island with his crew, who were all massacred with the exception of the Lord, who was put in the prison of the Inquisition by order of the Governor, he forbidding his being called the Prince, and not wishing him to be known.

La Brose, a filibuster, being prisoner on the island of Porta Rica in the yars 1656 and 1657, said that the common report was that there was a great Lord in prison, who had lost his ship, and that it was Prince Maurice.

A French sailor, whose barque traded to Porta Rica, pointing out a woman, whose husband was in the Inquisition at Porta Rica, said that there was a much greater Lord than he in that same prison.