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MAY, 1902.]
THE WRECK OF THE "DODDINGTON," 1755.
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good a Man as I was, and as We Were all Upon a Footing, thought it Only Reasonable they should be Consulted, And a Great deal mort of Such Discourse. Howsoever it Ended desireing I would Continue to direct them.
About a Month After this. Mr Collett Happen to go into the Carpenters Tent, at a Time When Chisholm & the Carpenter was drinking Some Brandy and Water, of which they Asked him to partake; which he did and drank Success to Our Undertakings. With all my Heart Answerd the Carpenter, and am glad we Are all Alive, that came A shore. This Startled Mr Collett a little, but not Seeming to Understand Whut he meant, Say!! it was a very Wholesome Air Or Some would have been dead, Eating Such Trash as we Were Obliged to do sometimes. Yes Answerd he I beleive the Air is Very good, Notwithstanding that you may thank god, you Are Alive, for not long ago, there was some who designed to have Murtherd Mr Jones your Self, & the Other 3; Adding there was Only one Mans Consent wanting, And it would Certainly have been done, which was' Jno King that Refused And Say! he would Dye first before he would suffer it to be done. And Two days ago told me of it, I desire you'l Keep what have told You & Secret, and when we get from hence and Come to another place will tell you More of it, but we Never Afterwards Found him in So good a Humour, as When he told MT Collett the Above Mentioned, so that am quite Ignorant who the Villains Are Who was to have been the Executioners.
The Next thing we was Inform'd of was That the Kings & the Honble Companys packetts was to be burnt, least it Might be Hurtful to them at Mozenbeys, besides they Suspected Our papers was in it. Lester the Montross Asked Severall to Assist him to do it, but they Refused being Afraid it would be found out, And the Kings Pacquet being there, it would bang them.
Being at Work Upon the Wreck on day Was Surprized to See MoDoull Coming towards me in Great Confusion, and it was some time before he could Speak. At length he told me, they were Murdering Mr Collett in the Tent. I left what was About Immediately, And as was Walking Over the Island Asked him the Meaning of it. He told me that Some had been Complaining There Baggs had been Robbd and Mr Collett Advizeing to Search all in the Tent, was Taken up by King, Saying that his Should Be Search'd first, Adding that he was the Greates theif Ashore; Which provoke! Mr Collett to Strike him, And King Retarn it. When MODowel left the Tent Severall Others had got Round him Crying ---Thresh him, damn bim, learn him to Strike Again. Howsoever by The Time I Came it was all Over and Collett was gone from the Tent, I thought it Needless to take any Notice of it, for they were Quite Masters, and in all probability, Should have come off no Better than Mr. Collett; 60 Returnd back to make an End of what I was About
About a fortnight before we Left the Island a Fresh Rapture Broke Out; Powell being discover! by one of the People with a Bottle of Brandy, which he knew must be Out of The Sea Stock. Therefore Came and Made his Complaint to me, tho not without Consulting the Rest first. I Sent for Powell and Told him what was laid to his Charge, which putt him in a great Passion, denying that he Ever Touch it. Those who accused him durst not prove it, being desired to Hold their Tongues by King and Some More of them. Powell was Extreemly Offended, that I should Call him to Account for any such thing, Saying he did not know a more Likelyer a person than myself to do Such a thing ; Adding that one day when Every body was gone to gather Eggs, Excepting Mr Webb and my Seli, we had drank out of a Case Bottle, Which he had Found a little before Under Mr Webbs Hammock. Being Accused of a Fraud which I Never thought of provoked me so that I could not] Help 'Striking him, which he Returned, and Grabbed fast Hold of me. He was Soon Undermost, and the Carpenter as soon Informed of it, Who Came Running into the Tent, and Came Immediatly to Me, being Disengaged from Powell before he came in, which
