A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 617 



yellow wood trees were severall names or letters putt thereon, and 

 that the tree the cross and brass plate was upon was cute downe 

 about ffifty years since, as this depont. is informed. And this 

 depont. ffurther sayth hee hath seen the same tree under water 

 within these few yeares and can goe to the said tree at any time, 

 and this depont. ffurther sayth that the place where these trees 

 stood has alwayes been called by the name off Brassen Valley from 

 ye several markes of brass sett and left there by the Spaniards, and 

 this depont. further sayth that he hath often heard the successour 

 of one Mr. Carter* say that the said Carter had found a considerable 

 quantity of Ambergreese on the Cooper's Island, and he the sd. 

 Carter carried the said Ambergreece for England and presented 

 the Company or Propriets. of Bermuda, with a good part thereof, 

 upon which the said Company would have settled upon the said 

 Carter a certaine Island in Bermuda called Davids Island, but the 

 said Carter rather asked of them the Island called Cooper's Island 

 for that he beleeved he might discover much treasure there hid, 

 which Cooper's Island was conferred on him & the Island called 

 Davids Island by him refused, though twenty times the iutrinsick 

 vallue. Samuel Brangman." 



"Sworne this 27th of Novembr. 1693, before his Excellency the 

 Governor, John Goddard." 



There is also, a deposition by Mr. Joseph Ming, a grandson of 

 Christopher Carter, which is practically identical in parts with that 

 of Capt. Brangman. Mr. Ming was then (1693) still living on 

 Cooper's Island. It is possible that the ambergris referred to as 

 found by Mr. Carter and taken to London, may have pertained to the 

 original large mass, found in 1610. There was evidently some inter- 

 esting secret history, connected with this transaction, which probably 

 will never be known, for Governor Butler intimated that the land 

 was given by the Company " in gift for three lives," to Mr. Carter, 

 who had begun "to undertake some dangerous courses," by the 

 advice of others. At a later period, however, Cooper's Island was 

 considered as public lands, though a "royal lease" to Carter is men- 

 tioned, and also a deed in 1627 of the property rights to Capt. 

 Folgate, by the heirs of Carter, soon after his death. (See p. 546.) 



* This was Christopher Carter, one of the three men of Sir Geo. Somers' 

 party, who remained on the islands for two years (1610-12), prior to the settle- 

 ment. (See pp. 517, 546, and note to next deposition.) 



