Introduction
Le prince Rupert est probablement le non Espagnol le plus illustre à jamais avoir croisé dans la mer des Caraïbes durant le XVIIe siècle. Fils de l'Électeur Palatin Frédéric V qui fut aussi brièvement roi élu de Bohême au tout début de la guerre de Trente ans, il était par sa mère le neveu du roi d'Angleterre Charles I, dans le camp duquel il combattit lors de la guerre civile jusqu'à son bannissement du sol britanniquement par le Parlement en 1646. Deux ans plus tard, Rupert prend le commandement d'une petite flotte royaliste, que celle du Parlement, commandée par l'amiral Blake, prend en chasse jusqu'en Méditerranée. Chassé des mers européennes, en 1651 et 1652, il se livre, aux Açores puis dans les Antilles, au brigandage sur mer surtout contre le commerce anglais. Dès 1653, il rentre en France où son cousin le prince de Galles, le futur Charles II d'Angleterre, tient sa cour en exil. Il ne ramène que quelques prises de ses entreprises de pillage en Amérique. À vouloir jouer les flibustiers, Rupert en a perdu son frère cadet, le prince Maurice. En effet, celui-ci commandant l'un des vaisseaux de leur petite flotte s'est échoué au large de Porto Rico. Rupert devra cependant attendre la restoration de la monarchie en Angleterre (1660) pour faire la lumière sur la disparition de son frère. En effet, dix ans après les faits, Rupert obtient de son cousin Charles II l'envoi de la frégate royale The Briar pour tenter de délivrer des mains des Espagnols qui l'auraient capturés. Mais le prince Maurice est mort. Le document, reproduit ici et peu connu, contient quelques dépositions recueillis, entre autres, par le capitaine Ferns, commandant le H.M.S. Briar, lors de son voyage aux Antilles en 1663. La déposition la plus intéressante, non pas tant par son connu que par son auteur est celle d'«Anthony Dee Pee» corruption anglaise d'Antoine Dupuis, qui sera, trois ans plus tard, l'un des capitaines de l'Olonnais lors de l'expédition de Maracaïbo, qui fut enregistrée à l'île de la Tortue où Ferns fit escale. Pour d'autres détails sur l'enquête du capitaine Ferns, voir aussi quelques extraits du journal de celui-ci et la lettre du gouverneur adjoint de la Tortue au prince Rupert.
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Relations concerning His Highness Prince Maurice (1662-1663) The information of Margaret Hazard, of Gosport, near Portsmouth, who by her letter of the 4th of January, 1661, to her husband, Captain Robert Hazard, then in London, and since by another letter of the 8th of January, 1661, writ that one Thomas Masters, of Godshill, in the Isle of Wight, told her - Richard Bushell and his wife being present - that he came from the Caraccas in the West Indies, where he saw Joshua Clarke - a person that was in the same ship with His Highness Prince Maurice - and left him well there, which Joshua Clarke informed him that their ship was wrecked, and that he with two more were saved on an island in the West Indies, and how the Spaniards coming thither to water took them prisoners, and carried them to the Caraccas, where an English surgeon, taking good liking to this Clarke, preserved him. This Thomas Masters was since brought to Mr. Coventry to give him relation concerning this business, who told him that he was twice with this Joshua Clarke after his escape in the West Indies, and that the ship which Prince Maurice was in was wrecked on the Virgin's Islands, and that on a piece of the wreck he with two others were saved, and afterwards were taken by the Spaniards as above related, where he is still a prisoner. The information of Robert Gildersleeve, of Ipswich, who, with four more, were taken prisoners in the West Indies by the Spaniards and carried to Havanna in Cuba, where in the same prison he found six Frenchmen prisoners, who had made an escape from Porta Rica, and afterwards were retaken and brought thither. These Frenchmen told him that when they were prisoners in Porta Rica they heard one make moan in a room next to them, which occasioned them to use means by a cleft or hole in the wall to discover who it was, who speaking very good English and French, and by this relation of being wrecked and cast upon an island in the West Indies and brought thither prisoner by the Spaniards, and other circumstances, they believed him to be some person of quality. Captain Fearns relates that one Powell, a prisoner at Havanna, taken at the same time with the aforesaid Robert Gildersleeve by the Spanaird, informed Mr. Benisfield, then Governor of St. Christofers, in the presence of this Fearns, that those Frenchmen before mentioned by Gildersleeve told him that they spoke to Prince Maurice, who was in a dungeon next wall to them where they were imprisoned in Porta Rica, and that the Prince desired them to make known his sad condition to his friends by the first opportunity that some means might be used for his release. A relation of John Couper, Englishman born, says that in the year 1655 and in the month of June was at the island called Bieque, otherwise Crab Island, and was there fishing tortuga, and was there surprised in our boat by a Spanish barque, and was carried to the town of St. John de Porta Rica, and was there examined very strictly if you know of any English frigates about the coast, we declared all that we know not of any shipping unpon the coast, but being examined what countrymen we were it was found that I was an Englishmen. There was eight persons of us, and all Dutch but myself and a boy; the boy was examined and threatened, and out of fear told the Governor that I knew what shipping was upon the coast, whereupon I was taken and put upon the rack and threatened to be racked if I woul;d not confess the truth. I told them they might do their pleasure, where upon better consideration took me off the rack and put me into the dungeon, and when I was there one quarter of an hour after they were gone there was one spoke to me in the dungeon in Dutch and asked me what I was. I told him I was an Englishman. I saw nobody, being dark, but at last we come to one another and took me by the hand, asked me whence I came. I told him in Dutch, then he declared to me in English that he was cast away on this coast in a hurricane and brought to the town, and when the Governor examined me and I told him I was cast away in one of the ships belonged to Prince Rupert and five men more were saved, he asked where they were. I told the Governor the people in the country that took us carried them away, and that I had not seen them since, the rest told the people that I was Commander of the ship, so they took me away from the rest, yet I desired them when I was saved that they would not tell what I was, but there is no trust in man. I shall desire you to keep in mind what I say, and if the Governor should examine you not to confess anything, but when you get liberty pray if it be your fortune to meet with any that has any Spaniards prisoners to tell them my conditions, for I am of English parentage, and it may be I may be released. Presently after this relation came people to take me out, so that I could not have any more conference with him, but bid me remember what he said to me; he sighed, and so the guard of soldiers carried me away to the Governor, and there examined again upon the former business, and cleared me and the rest, and I was told the next day that the Governor was angry with the Adjutant for carrying me into the dungeon, it seems that it was a mistake of the Adjutant. This mulatto speaks good Dutch and English. We kept at this mulatto's house fourteen days, and then had liberty to come away. I have related this to several people, but nobody took any notice of it. This I declare as truth, being aboard the Briar, frigate of the King's, May 28th, 1663 [7 juin 1663], and at anchor under St. Peter's Island and against Tortolea, as witness my hand. signed by mark: John Couper witnesses:
The relation of Captain Anthony Dee Pee [Antoine Dupuis], of the city of Nantes, in Brittany says that twelve months since he, being master of the pink called The Tortuga, belonging to the Governor of the Island of Tortuga, says that he took some prisoners on the south side of Cuba, in the port called Porto Prince. And one of these prisoners, being a white man, a Spaniard born, I examined all the prisoners upon several things, but this Paniard gave me a particular relation of Prince Maurice, that it was the general report at the city of the Havanna that Prince Maurice was prisoner at Porta Rica in the castle called the More. In testimony to which has been related to me by this aforesaid Spaniard, I have thereunto set my hand this 13th of June, 1663 [23 juin 1663], in the Island of Tortuga. signed by mark: Anthony Dee Pee [Antoine Dupuis] witnesses:
Captain William Pride and Thomas Row, being in the Governor's house of the Island of Tortuga, and hearing the Governor examine some people concerning His Highness Prince Maurice there, being then there in company a Spaniard, which Spaniard heard one give a relation to the Governor that Prince Maurice was dead, the Spaniard shook his head and made answer that Prince Maurice to his knowledge was living five years ago, and a prisoner in castle of Porta Rica, and the said Spaniard belongs to Porta Rica, and was taken prisoner. We whose names are here under written were ear witnesses to what we do declare. June 15th, 1663 [25 juin 1663]. Nicholas Garner
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