Introduction
Les pièces reproduites ci-dessous sont deux plaintes de l'ambassadeur d'Espagne au roi d'Angleterre concernant surtout les attaques des flibustiers jamaïquains contre les colonies espagnoles. Elles sont suivies de la réplique du comte de Carlisle, gouverneur de la Jamaique alors en Angleterre. Le grand pirate français, dont il est question dans la première lettre de Ronquillos, est le capitaine Champagne, prisonnier des Espagnols depuis 1668, mais libéré quelques semaines avant la rédaction de la plainte du diplomate espagnol. Dans la seconde plainte, les capitaines Pem et Heohapireray sont respectivement Thomas Paine et William Wright, deux Anglais notoirement connus pour faire la course sous commission française.
Don Pedro de Ronquillos, Spanish ambassador, to the King [traduction anglaise de l'original espagnol] Windsor, September 6, 1680. The Governor of the province of Carthagena reports that a barque arrived at that port sent by the Governor of Jamaica, with a letter from himself and the Governor of Tortue, whereby he was informed from Vincent Sebastian, Governor of the province of Santa Martha, and the other persons who were taken in the invasion made by pirates upon that provinces and are still in the island of Tortue, that those governors demand a Frenchman, a great pirate, who is prisoner at Carthagena, and also 4,000 pieces of eight for the liberty of of Vincent Sebastian and the other prisoners of Santa Martha. Now nothing can be more contrary to the treaty than to demand ransom for prisoners that are subjects, especially after an invasion made against all reason such as that of Santa Martha. For though it be said that Frenchmen dit it, yet it is certain that English were with them, and that they sailed with their prisoners to the port of Jamaica, where the Governor ought to have chastised your Majesty's subjects and not consented to demand ransom for them. The ambassador, therefore, hopes that your Majesty will order the liberation of Vincent Sebastian and his fellow prisoners without any ransom. Further, Don Francisco de la Guerra de la Vega, Governor of Santiago de Cuba, reports that about September 1678, a bilandra of the Isle of Jamaica arrived in that port on pretence of delivering a packet of letters to the Governor; but the ship being searched was found to contain five slaves, and other things brought with the intention of trading with them. The Governor thereupon ordered him to depart immediately (having first delivered an answer and allowed the ship to be victualled), without suffering anything to be landed, recommending the Governor of Jamaica at the same time that he would take care to prevent such exorbitances on the part of Jamaican subjects on those coasts, as prejudicial to the service of the King of Spain, and fraught with ill consequences. The ambassador, therefore, begs your Majesty to enjoin on the Governor of Jamaica to be very careful that the inhabitants forbear to carry on this unlawful trade. source: P.R.O. Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series: America and West Indies, 1677-1680: no. 1497. Don Pedro de Ronquillos, Spanish ambassador to the King [traduction anglaise de l'original espagnol] Windsor, September 6, 1680. Sir Henry Goodrick, your Majesty's envoy to my master, has delivered a memorial complaining of a breach of the Treaty between the two Crowns concerning America, and alleging that the Admiral of Carthagena seized by force some English vessels belonging to Jamaica, took away their cargo, imprisoned the master, obliged them by torture and threats to deliver bills of sale, and in case of refusal detained them until with hunger, irons, and other ill-usage, he had obtained it; adding that this has been verified on oaths before Lord Carlisle who reported it to your Majesty, particularly the losses and sufferings of Paul Abney - how the admiral seized him, confiscated his vessel with her cargo of cacao, and obliged him by threats and cruelties to sign a bill of sale, and how Paul Abney saw at the same time six other masters of English vessels on board the Admiral treated by him in the same manner. All this Sir Henry Goodrick has represented by your Majesty's orders, and prayed that the Admiral might be punished, the injured English subjects indemnified, and the Spanish Governors instructed to subject the English to no more such treatment. His Catholic Majesty ordered the Council of the Indies to examine the matter, from whose report it appears: In September-October 1679 the Governors of Havana and Caracas, and Don Antonio Quintana of the Armada of Barloventon (styled by your envoy Admiral of Carthagena), gave an account of the prizes they had taken, sending likewise authentic instruments of the hostilities committed in the Spanish dominions by different privateers, By these instruments it does not appear that the prize demanded in your Majesty's name was taken by the Armada, while of the three taken, one was French, one Dutch, and the thirs a derelict, judged by her cargo to be English. This derelict proves that the English deal not sincerely in sailing along the coast of Santa Catalina (where she was found), for such a course leads to none of your Majesty's possessions, and lies to leeward of the Colonies to which they are permitted to go; nor is there any place on that coast for some distance where a ship may refit, whereas they had before them islands and havens proper to it. As to the captain and crew detained by the Admiral, it appears that the ship was not that alluded by your envoy. Presumably they made use of this supposition on behalf of the prize taken by the French, as your Majesty's subjects made use of commission of the Governor of Tortue in their piracy, which is clearly proved by the declaration of an inhabitant of the Isle of Margarita whom they carried prisoner with them several days. Your Majesty will perceive hereby how little ground there is for this complaint, and look upon it as a captious information of the real facts. The Captain of the Armada of Barlovento, having given notice of his intention to winter in the Havana, reports no capture of an English prize on his voyage, but only that he met two English ships, and, though finding by their course and cargo that they were engaged on unlawful trade, suffered them to pass freely; and this, notwithstanding that he has experimented the infraction of the peacem in that a small vessel under his charge was taken by him in company of an English frigate, a bark and a flat bottomed boat (piragua). This is affirmed in the declaration of the inhabitant of Margarita aforesaid, which says that the captain of one ship was called Thomas Pem, and the other Heohapireray, both English, and that the men were also English, with a commission from the French Governor of Tortue, and that they had both made the invasion on the Colonies on the coast of Caracas and Rio de la Hacha. By these attempts it is likely that these were the same people who were so bold as to capture the city of Santa Martha, and, not content with plundering it, to carry away the Governor and other prisoners. These same and some other pirates also landed in Honduras, and after many insolencies plundered the King's magazine, and, among other things, carried off a thousand chests of indigo which they are known to have sold in Jamaica as they do the rest of their booty and prizes. These are not the only insolencies of these pirates; they infest the Isles of Barlovento, and have plundered Porto Bello, the most important city on the coast. We understand by certain advises that in Jamaica the pirates thereof met with others of Tortue and Guavos to the number of three hundred, provided themselves with victuals, arms and ammunition, embarked on five ships of middle size (two whereof said to be lost in a storm), and sailed about March last, with one Cook for their captain. They coasted along, anchored in Porto Bello, landed their men and plundered the suburbs. Each man's share amounted to 30l. sterling, but the affair not succeeding, according to their full satisfaction they retired to Jamaica to replenish with supplies, and be ready either for new insolencies on that coast or to sail to Vera Cruz. Thus their invasions already amount to hostilities, to the great damage alike of the King of Spain and of your Majesty, since the advantages of production are lost when the labourers leave cultivation and take to piracy. The Ambassador hopes your Majesty on receiving this information will order satisfaction to be given to the King of Spain and compensation to his subjects, and give effectual commands for the extirpation of these pirates, forbidden them to remain in Jamaica, or to be provided with arms and victuals, or to dispose of their booty therein, or to accept commission from the Governor of Tortue, ordering that no pardon be extended to them. source: P.R.O. Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series: America and West Indies, 1677-1680: no. 1498. Lord Carlisle to Lords of Trade and Plantations [sans date mais lu devant le comité du Commerce et des Plantations le 21 septembre/1er octobre 1680] Answer to the memorials of the Spanish ambassador. The representations made by Sir Henry Goodrick as to the arrest and plunder of Paul Abney by Don Antonio Quintano is truth, being founded not on Abney's deposition only but confirmed to me by threee masters of vessels, William Beartree, John Tood, and Thomas Read, all of whom were prisoners on board Don Antonio Quintano at the time. While Don Antonio continues to deal so roughly with these English, to make prize their ships and goods, and prisoners of their men, no good understanding is possible between the two nations. The depredations and injuries of the privateers are committed by a sort of men without the reach of Government; but the injuries that we suffer from them are from men in office and public employ. It is true that at my first arrival in Jamaica I invited the privateers in, but it was out of kindness to the Spaniard, to endeavour to reclaim them from evil courses. Finding them persevere I presently sent out the frigates whenever I heard of them about Jamaica, and I do believe I have taken while there more of their vessels than Don Antonio in the whole time of his being Admiral, though I could not proceed to punishment of any particular person, having no complaint of the Spaniards against them. It is true that I heard, as news, of the taking of several chests of indigo in the Bay of Honduras. There were some chests of foreign indigo brought into the remote parts of the Island, and these I caused to be searched for, and captured a small quantity. The rest escaped, and some was brought into Port Royal, but in lawful ships and by lawful men (no privateers ever brings any such thing thither) and was therefore admitted to entry by the Customs. As to Vincent Sebastiano, Governor of Santa Martha, and the allegation that I demanded ransom from him, I know so little of the matter that I never heard his name till now nor of any ransom required. I have always shown all kindness and civility to Spaniards arriving at Port Royal, and having even set at liberty Spanish negroes who could prove that they were freeborn in their own country. As to the derelict vessel, she belong to Cook. Though at anchor under British colours and under the command of a Dutch Island near Curaçao, then men stood ashore and looked on, preferring to sacrifice their ship rather than fall into the hands of the Spaniards by whom they knew so many to have been ill-treated and undone. This caused Cook to turn privateer, he having never been so before. I heard of the capture of Porto Bello before my departure, but none of the privateers returned to Jamaica, but sailed straight to the river Darien, and by the King's assistance passed through to the South Seas, where for all I know, two and three hundred of them still remain. Coxon alone, who went with them as their Captain, with five and fifty more, left them in consequence of some drunken quarrel; and these I met with off Point Negril on my passage home. We gave chase with the Hunter frigate in company for twenty-four hours, but he outsailed us and we could not come up with him, but we took two vessels belonging to him forsaken by their crews who were all aboard his ship. source: P.R.O. Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series: America and West Indies, 1677-1680: no. 1516. |
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