332 Of Capt. Tho. Anstis. 



and Tackle J mounted the Morning Star with 32 

 Pieces of Canroii, mann'd her with a 100 Men, 

 and appointed one John Fenn Captain ; for the Bri- 

 gantine being of far ]efs Force, the Morning Star 

 would have fallen to Anftisy as elder ^Officer, yet 

 he was lb in Love with his own Velfel, (flie being 

 an excellent Sailor^) that he made it his Choice 

 "to ftay in her, and let Fenn^ who was, before, his 

 Gunner, Command the great Ship. 



Now, that they had two good Ships well mann'd, 

 it may be fuppofed they were in a Condition to 

 undertake fbmething bold : But their Government 

 was difturbed by Malecontents, and a Kingdom 

 divided within it lelf cannot ftand they had fuch 

 a Number of new Men amongft them, that feem'd 

 not fo violently enclined for the Game^ that what- 

 ever the Captain propofed, it was certainly carried 

 againft him, fo that they came to no fix'd Refblution 

 for the undertaking any Eiiterprize^ therefore 

 there was nothing to be done, but to break up the 

 Company, which feemed to be the Inclination of 

 the Majority, but the Manner ot doing fo, con- 

 cerned their common Safety ^ to which Purpofe 

 various Means were propofed, at length it was 

 concluded to fend home a Petition to his Majefly 

 f there being then no Aft of Indemnity in Force) 

 for a Pardon, and wait the Iffue --, at the fame Time 

 one "Jonesj Boatfwain of the Good Fonune^ propofed 

 a Place* of fafe Retreat, ic being an uninhabited 

 Illand near Cnba^ which he had been ufed to in the 

 late War, when he went a privateering againft the 

 Spaniards* 



This being approved of, it was unanimoufly 

 refolvedon, and the underwritten Petition drawn 

 up and figned by the whole Company in the Man- 

 ner of what they call a Round Robing that is, the 

 Names were writ in a Circle, to avoid all Appear- 



