617 A. E. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 205 
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 flifty 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 intrinsick 
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. ) 
