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<DATE>2014-08-11</DATE>
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<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140513.apex.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B27950">
<STC T="W">P1066B</STC>
<STC T="G">816.m.7[80]</STC>
<STC T="C">R226257</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99886595</BIBNO>
<VID>187508</VID>
</IDG><!-- alt.stc G816.m.7[80] --><!-- alt.stc CR226257 -->
<TEXT LANG="eng">
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<DIV1 TYPE="statement">
<PB N="1" REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>A COPY OF Mon&s;ieur <HI>Peire</HI>'s Certificate, Sent by him To Captain Desborow;</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">CONCERNING <HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> PONTI<HI>'s Five Ships appearing off</HI> St. John<HI>'s Port in</HI> Newfoundland, <HI>Tran&s;lated into</HI> Engli&s;h <HI>from the Original, which is ready to be produced.</HI></HEAD>
<FLOATEXT LANG="eng" TYPE="certificate">
<P>I Under-written, heretofore part Owner of the Ship called the <HI>Warlike,</HI> Mon|&s;ieur <HI>John la Grange</HI> of <HI>Rochel,</HI> Commander, do Certify to whom it may be|long, That on the <HI>15th</HI> day of <HI>May</HI> la&s;t we &s;ailed from the Road of <HI>Rochel,</HI> un|der the Convoy of the Squadron Commanded by Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Ne&s;mond,</HI> Lieute|nant General of the <HI>Marines</HI> in <HI>France,</HI> and along with the <HI>Canada</HI> Fleet, for which place the fore&s;aid Ship the <HI>Warlike</HI> was Bound: and having accompanied the afore|&s;aid Squadron Forty five Days, we were afterwards parted from it by Fogs and con|trary Winds, which when I found, I ordered Captain <HI>La Grange</HI> to Steer his Cour&s;e towards <HI>Placentia</HI> in <HI>Newfoundland,</HI> at which place Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ne&s;mond</HI> had appoint|ed us to Randezvouze, in Ca&s;e we &s;hould be &s;eparated from one another. And it happened, that on the <HI>15th</HI> of <HI>July,</HI> of the &s;ame Year, while we were upon the great Bank, we met by break of Day the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Squadron, Commanded by Cap|tain <HI>Norris,</HI> being Ten Men of War in Number (including the <HI>Mary-Galley)</HI> and two Fire&s;hips, the which pur&s;ued us for &s;ome time, and at la&s;t con&s;trained us to &s;trike our Sails. After which the &s;aid Captain <HI>Norris,</HI> hearing that Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Ne&s;mond</HI> was at Sea, he thought fit to retire to St. <HI>John</HI>'s Harbour, where Colonel <HI>Gib&s;on</HI> was with part of his Regiment, to &s;ecure the &s;aid Harbour again&s;t the Attacks of the <HI>French.</HI></P>
<P>I do moreover declare, That about Eight or Ten Days after the <HI>French</HI> Squadron Commanded by Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Ponti,</HI> coming from <HI>Carthagina,</HI> who wanted to take in Fre&s;h Water, according to the Account given us by Mon&s;. <HI>Povilharmout,</HI> En&s;ign of a Man of War, and other Per&s;ons who were with him, &s;ent by Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ponti</HI> in a Shal|lop, again&s;t the Shallop belonging to the <HI>Portland,</HI> who had been &s;ent to di&s;cover the &s;aid Squadron, and the above&s;aid Mon&s;ieur <HI>Povilharmout</HI> meeting with a Storm, and not being able to overtake any of the Ships of his own Squadron, was forced to Surrender him&s;elf a Pri&s;oner of War in the Hands of the <HI>Engli&s;h,</HI> on the afore&s;aid Coa&s;t of <HI>Newfoundland,</HI> where having been brought on Board the <HI>Monk,</HI> Captain <HI>Norris</HI> Comodore; and being ask'd what he knew, the Comodore ordered the Cap|tain of the <HI>Mary-Galley,</HI> to go out of St. <HI>John's</HI> Haven, in order to view the &s;aid Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Ponti</HI>'s Squadron, which after &s;ome time he met Sailing for <HI>France;</HI> Mon|&s;ieur <HI>Ponti</HI> &s;eeing him&s;elf Di&s;covered, and knowing that there was a Fleet of <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Men of War, put out his Lights, for Rea&s;ons unknown to me, which the Captain of the <HI>Mary-Galley</HI> acquainted Captain <HI>Norris</HI> with, who could have ea&s;ily gone out, and taken advantage of Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ponti</HI>'s Weakne&s;s, who was not able to Fight; the
<PB N="2" REF="2"> Remainder of his Men being almo&s;t all Sick, and the other lo&s;t in the Expedition a|gain&s;t <HI>Carthagina.</HI></P>
<P>And (as I was informed on board the <HI>Guarnzey,</HI> Captain <HI>Rophey</HI> Commander, where I was a Pri&s;oner with many other <HI>French)</HI> Captain <HI>Norris</HI> Commanded, that &s;ome &s;hould go a Cruizing on the <HI>Great Bank,</HI> in order to take &s;ome Prizes, if po&s;|&s;ible. The Captain of the <HI>Mary Galley</HI> went thither, where he met Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ne&s;mond</HI>'s Squadron, which was a Cruizing in tho&s;e Parts; and having avoided it, he came and made his Report to Captain <HI>Norris,</HI> at the afore&s;aid St. <HI>Johns,</HI> bringing back with him a &s;mall Prize, which he took from the <HI>French.</HI></P>
<P>I farther declare, that after the Arrival of the <HI>Mary Galley,</HI> the &s;aid Captain <HI>Nor|ris,</HI> in order to excu&s;e him&s;elf of the Fault he had committed in not pur&s;uing the &s;aid Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ponti,</HI> and lay it on the Captain of the <HI>Mary Galley,</HI> pretending he had not given him all the nece&s;&s;ary Informations, he called his Council of War toge|ther, and broke the &s;aid Captain of the <HI>Mary Galley,</HI> and put Captain <HI>Clesby</HI> in his room, in Te&s;timony whereof, I have &s;et my Name to this Pre&s;ent, being a faithful and true Account.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Dover,</HI> <DATE>28 <HI>Jan.</HI> 1698.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>PEIRE.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</FLOATEXT>
<P>IT is humbly hoped, That this Certificate will convince all Per&s;ons, that there was no rea&s;onable Ground for Captain <HI>Norris</HI> to &s;uppo&s;e that Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ne&s;mond</HI> intended to go to St. <HI>John</HI>'s Port, unle&s;s he had Intelligence that the Squadron Com|manded by Captain <HI>Norris,</HI> was to be there.</P>
<P>For it appeared by the Intelligence from Pri&s;oners, who were part of Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ne&s;mond</HI>'s Squadron, that he was to convoy the Ships bound for <HI>Canada</HI> and <HI>Placentia,</HI> to &s;trengthen and &s;upply tho&s;e Places with what was wanting: and the Pri&s;oners did not &s;o much as mention, that Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ne&s;mond</HI> intended for St. <HI>Johns,</HI> and until his Arrival at <HI>Placentia,</HI> he could not know that St. <HI>John</HI>'s Port was again quitted by the <HI>French,</HI> &s;ince that was not done until he was actually &s;ailed from <HI>France;</HI> nor did we know it, until our Arrival there.</P>
<P>And there was no imaginable Ground to &s;uppo&s;e that the <HI>French</HI> had Notice of our De&s;ign for St. <HI>Johns:</HI> For all the Orders given by Captain <HI>Norris</HI> to Captain <HI>Desborow,</HI> and others, did only mention a Foreign Voyage, and not whither we were bound; nor did we know till after we were at Sea.</P>
<P>But if Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ne&s;mond</HI> had known of our being at St. <HI>John</HI>'s, it is highly im|probable that he &s;hould &s;eparate his Squadron, and &s;end only Five of his Ships to lye Eight Days before St. <HI>John</HI>'s, and in <HI>Con&s;umption Bay;</HI> which, in all probability, would have been taken or de&s;troyed, before the re&s;t could have come to their Re|lief, if all our Ships had been in Condition, and we had had Re&s;olution to have attackt them.</P>
<P>Therefore it is humbly &s;ubmitted, whether Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ne&s;mond</HI>'s being Bound for <HI>Placentia,</HI> (which is about Fifty Leagues from St. <HI>John</HI>'s) could be a &s;ufficient Rea|&s;on to dis-believe and invalidate all the plain Advices and Evidences that the Five Ships &s;een off St. <HI>John</HI>'s, were part of Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ponti</HI>'s Squadron.</P>
<P>Quere, Whether at any time it has been known, When a Flag-Officer hath appear'd forward to fight an Enemy, his Captains have refus'd?</P>
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