64 A. I^. Verrill — lielationH hetween Bermuda, etc. 



warlike Manner, and by and witb the said Brigantine and the crew thereof, by 

 force of Arms, to attack, seize and take the Ships and other Vessels belonging 

 to the Inhabitants of Great-Britain, or any of them, with the Tackle, Apparel, 

 Furniture and Liulings, on the High Seas, or between high-water and low-water 

 Marks, and to bring the same to some convenient Ports in the said Colonies, in 

 Order that the Courts, which are or shall be there appointed to hear and deter- 

 mine Causes civil and maritime, may proceed in due Form to condemn the said 

 Captures, if they be adjudged lawful Prize ; the said George Ord having given 

 Bond, with sufficient Sureties, that nothing be done by the said George Ord or 

 any of the Officers, Mariners or Company thereof contrary to, or inconsistant 

 with the Usages and Customs of Nations, and the Instructions, a Copy of which 

 is herewith delivered to him. And we will and require all our Officers whatso- 

 ever to give Succour and Assistance to the said George Ord in the Premises. 

 This Commission shall continue in force until the Congress shall issne Orders to 



the Contrary. 



By Order of the Congress. 



JOHN HANCOCK, President 

 Dated at Philadelphia 



the 4't' day of Decem*- 1776. 



That the Assembly and people of Bevniii(la were fuH}^ justified in 

 their quarrels with Gov. Geo. James Bruere is obvious from the facts 

 that are recorded in histor3'^, showing plainly his tyrannical charac- 

 ter and merciless disposition. Doubtless there were multitudes of 

 other grievances well known to his contemporaries.* It was under 

 his regime that the disgraceful and fatal treatment of the American 

 prisoners of war. took place, and for which he was, no doubt, mainly 

 responsible. 



The privateers took large numbers of prisoners. They were 

 crowded into the small unsanitary jail at, St. George's, till the con- 

 ditions became too horrible to relate. f Consequently a malignant 

 "jail fever" broke out in the jail, exentualh'^ spreading, in lVVO-80, 

 over all the islands, causing untold suffering and hundreds of deaths, 

 both among the natives and prisoners. 



* Debates of the Assembly were not open to the public till 1784 ; the first 

 newspaper. The Bermuda Gazette, was started Jan., 1784, under Gov. Brown. 

 fSee "The Bermuda Is.," ed. I, p. 104. 



