Introduction
En 1663, les Français se sont rétablis à l'île de la Tortue qu'ils contrôlent officiellement depuis au plus trois ans. Le sieur de La Place y commande alors depuis le départ pour la France de son oncle, Jérémie Deschamps du Rausset, le gouverneur en titre. En juin de cette année-là, le H.M.S. Briar, navire du roi d'Angleterre, se présente dans la rade de la Tortue. Son commandant, le capitaine Henry Ferns, a pour mission de venir enquêter sur la disparition du prince Maurice de Bavière (voir les extraits du journal du voyage de Ferns auc Antilles). Ce dernier, alors que la guerre civile faisait rage en Espagne, était venu chercher la fortune contre les Espagnols en Amérique et aussi querelle aux gouvernements coloniaux des petites Antilles anglaises qui avaient pris le parti du Parlement. Il commandait alors l'un des vaisseau dans une petite flotte royaliste commandée par son frère, le prince Rupert (pour les circonstances de la croisière des deux princes de Bavière en mer des Caraïbes et d'autres témoignages réunis par Ferns sur la disparition du plus jeunes d'entre eux, voir quelques documents relatifs au naufrage du prince Maurice en 1652. Le présent document est une lettre du sieur de La Place adressée au commanditaire de Ferns, le prince Rupert, le frère du disparu et cousin du roi d'Angleterre. L'original, préservé dans les archives britanniques, est en français. Malheureusement je n'ai accès qu'à la traduction anglaise rédigée pour une compilation d'archives contenant, entre autres, des papiers relatifs à l'ambassade de sir Richard Fanshaw en Espagne dans les années 1660. Seule l'adresse de La Place au prince Rubert a été recopiée en français. De plus, cette lettre est suivie de deux dépositions faites par des Français de la Tortue concernant justement le naufrage du prince Maurice suivie de sa captivité à Porto Rico.
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Frederic Deschamps to Prince Rupert [traduction de l'original français] À très haut et très illustre prince Robert et prince du Palatin, duc de Bavary et duc de Combrelant, île de la Tortue, 26 juin 1663. Captain Fernes having arrived in the port of la Tortue where I command for my uncle, the Governor, and having told me that he belonged to you and that you had sent him expressly to learn tidings of your illustrious Prince Maurice, I have done all in my power to obtain intelligence, but am grieved to have to give you the sad news, of which there seems no doubt, that he is dead, as you will see by the deposition which I send you of one of my townspeople, who was then prisoner inn St. Domingo. Also another resident here has told me that he long lived at Porto Rico and had often heard it said the Prince Maurice was dead. Some time ago there was a man here who was at Porto Rico when this noble Prince was lost, who assured me that he was dead, and a Spaniard, coming from Malacre, had a very handsome chevelure fastened on his hat, which was believed to have been that of the Prince himself. This is all the news I can learn. I wish I had better to send you, for although I have not the honour of being known of Your Highness, I have heard so much in your praise in the house of Boulion and odf Duras that I ardently desire to offer you my services. I pray you to forgive a young scholar if there are any faults in this letter and if he does not offer you all the respect and the titles due to you. déposition de Guillaume Beauchamp, 26 juin 1663 [traduction de l'original français] June 26, 1663. Deposition of William Beaucham, Frenchman, that having been captured by the Spaniards he was taken prisoner to the town of St. Domingo, where, after his release, he heard some mariners of a ship from Porto Rico talking to those of St. Domingo upon the shore. Seeing a great Flemish ship in the port the Porto Rico men said it was like the English ship which was lost on the coast of Porto Rico. Those of St. Domingo asked if many had been saved, to which the others replied that not a man was saved, as those that escapeds the sea were all massacred, and that the Prince was lost. The men of St. Domingo asked if they had massacred him too, and one of them replied no, but that they had made him drink a cup of chocolate, which was as much as to say that they had poisoned him. June 26 [autre déposition faite à la Tortue le 26 juin 1663] Being at the Spanish island of Saveana there was one Martin Roubinet, master of a shalop, who had met a priest who told him that Prince Maurice was at Porto Rico, but a Spanish ensign bade him be silent and he heard nothing more. |
| LES ARCHIVES DE LA FLIBUSTE |
| sommaire || summary |
| Le Diable Volant |