Christopher Langman

“ The Carpenter pleaded his Right to be one, because he built it; the Captain pleaded to be another, which was agreed to; and the Boatswain was thought fit to be one, because he spoke the Indian Language; but at last [Pg 14] it was concluded that the Mate, the Captain's Brother, Charles Whitworth, and George White, should be the Men; and we carried the Boat to the Shore, where we launch'd her, putting on Board such of the Carpenter's Tools as we had sav'd from the Wreck, in order to build a better when we came on Shore. ”

“ As soon as the Mate recover'd, we all and every of us declare, and give our Oath, That this is the real Truth, and the said Master's Protest to be false; which we now before the Worshipful Justice of the Peace disavow and give our Oaths, That this is the Truth and that if the said Master had taken the Mate's Advice, the Ship, with God's Assistance, might have been in Boston Harbour several Days before she was lost. ”

“ And this Deponent saith, That if the Ship had missed that Misfortune, she would have run ashore on the Main Land, which he believes was the Master's Design: And on the said Rock we should have been lost our selves, had not the Mate Langman, who was then bleeding and cutting down the Mast (under God) sav'd our Lives; in which Island the Cook was frozen to Death, and the Carpenter dying next having been reduced to Hunger, the Master skinned him and cut him up, and they eat him, when Two of the Ship's Company went on Shore on a Raft ”

“ The Captain said that was the first Land we had made, wherein he was justly contradicted by the Mate, which caus'd some Words between 'em: For in Truth we made Cape Sables a Week before; and if we had kept our Course then, according to the Opinion of the Mate and Ship's Company, we had, in all Probability, arriv'd safe the next Day at Boston, but the Master laying the Ship by, and the next Day proving moderate Weather, and the Wind coming to the West, we stood away to the North, and so it was a Week before we made Cape Porpus, which was the same Day we were lost ”

“ And the said George White for himself saith, That on the 7th of August 1710, they departed with the said Ship Nottingham from the Nore, on the Voyage to Killybags and New England, that in Prosecution of the Voyage on the 21st Day of August, in the Year aforesaid, there appear'd off the Coast of Ireland two Ships to the Leeward, to which the said John Dean would have bore down, but that the Deponent Langman and the Men believ'd they were Privateers, and advis'd to the contrary, and would not consent to his bearing down. ”

“ Some more of our Men escap'd to the Shore by help of the Mast, as the others had done, and call'd to us to make haste and follow them, which we did, and by the Blessing of God got safe to the Rock, though not without much Danger, being forced to crawl upon our Hands and Knees we were so heavy with Water, and the Rock so slippery. ”

“ After which he desired the Captain and the rest to go ashore before he attempted it himself; but finding [Pg 11] them all dead-hearted, the Mate, who cou'd not swim, as the Captain alledges, got on Shore by the Mast as abovemention'd. The Captain is also false in asserting that he attempted to save his Money, Brandy, Ammunition, &c. for our Relief, since he had not the Value of one Guinea aboard in Money. It is equally false that he tore his Arms and Fingers in such a lamentable manner in climbing up the Rock; for not one Man was hurt in getting ashore. ”

“ After this Discourse, our Captain went to go off in the Boat, but it overset, so that we were forc'd to take up the Canoe, and carry it all over the Rock, to seek for a smooth Place to put her off again, which we did after the Man had staid with us Two or Three Hours. He promised to come with a better Boat to carry us off, but lost his Vessel as he came near the Shore, and narrowly escaped with his own and his Mens [Pg 22] Lives ”

“ Besides, he put us to short Allowance, so that we had but one Quart of Water per Head in twenty four Hours, and had nothing to eat but salt Beef, which made us so dry that we were forc'd to drink the Rain Water that run off the Deck. ”

“ It is also untrue, that the Captain order'd his Skin, Head, Hands, &c. to be buried in the Sea, for these we left on the Island when we came off. Nor is there any more Truth in the Care which the Captain ascribes to himself, in hindring us to eat too much of the Corps lest it should prejudice our Health, for we all agreed, the [Pg 20] Night before we come off, to limit our selves, lest our Deliverers should be detain'd from coming to us. And as to our Tempers being alter'd after the eating of humane Flesh, as the Captain charges us, p. ”