326 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



[Sub-lnclosure.] 



By this public instrument of declaration and protest, be it known 

 that William Stover, of York, in the county of York and State of 

 Maine, mariner, and late master or skipper of the schooner called the 

 Charles, of York aforesaid, of the burden of forty tons or thereabouts, 

 owned by George Moody, of said York, merchant; and Josiah Stover, 

 Solomon Avery, Theodore Webber, jr., William Simpson, jr., and 

 Hanson Forgerson, all of York aforesaid, fishermen, employed and 

 engaged on board said schooner for the present fishing season, person- 

 ally appeared and came before me, Alexander Mclntire, notary public 

 within and for the county of York and State of Maine, who did on 

 this tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight 

 hundred and twenty-three, severally solemnly protest and declare, 

 allege and affirm that having previously engaged with the said George 

 Moody, the owner of said schooner Charles, to go in her for the 

 present fishing season, and said vessel being fitted out in York with 

 all things necessary to prosecute said fishing voyage and under fishing 

 license, we sailed from said York on the 4th day of May last past on 

 our said voyage, and in prosecution of our said voyage we sailed to 

 the coast of Nova Scotia and came to anchor for the first time after 

 leaving York, about eight leagues south-south-east from Shelburne 

 on said Nova Scotia coast, on Thursday the 8th day of May, at which 

 place we lay till Friday morning, May 9th, at about nine o'clock. 

 The wind blowing very fresh from the ESE. and a heavy sea, we 

 found that we could no longer lay at anchor, but found that we were 

 drifting fast to leeward, and fearing an approaching storm, which 

 actually took place the following day, we were obliged to put into 

 Shelburne for a harbor to avoid the winds and seas. We caught 

 sixty-eight codfish and three herring only while we lay at anchor as 

 before mentioned, which were all the fish we caught after we left 

 York. We got into Shelburne about 12 o'clock at noon on the same 

 day and came to anchor. About an hour after we came to anchor in 

 Shelburne, the British gun-brig called the Argus, which, as we were 

 told, was commanded by Captain Arabin, hove in sight and soon 

 after came into Shelburne and came to anchor, having previously 

 sent her barge manned with an officer and six men to us, who boarded 

 us, took possession of our schooner and ordered us to heave up our 

 anchor immediately and go alongside of the British brig. The 

 master or skipper was ordered to go on board said brig with the 

 schooner's papers, and after being detained on board said brig about 

 a quarter of an hour was sent on board the schooner again, having had 

 his papers taken from him. The boat was taken from off our deck 

 and carried alongside the said brig the same day. We lay alongside 

 said brig till Monday, the 12th day of May, when four of our crew, 

 namely, William Simpson, jr., Theodore Webber, jr., Solomon Avery 

 and Hanson Forgerson, were taken from the schooner and put aboard 

 the said brig; and two officers and seven men were put aboard the 

 schooner, and the said master or skipper and Josiah Stover were kept 

 on board said schooner. The officers and men put on board said 

 schooner were armed with small arms and cutlasses, victualed for 

 twenty days. 



The brig proceeded to St. John's, where she landed the said William 

 Simpson, jr., Theodore Webber, jr., Solomon Avery and Hanson 



