176

23-2 1809

Esteemed Friend Wm. [Rotoh?] Jr. at the Request of
GWG of the [?] & Jos Pulita alias Jo Brown I may
inform that Jo says he ships in the President Brock
Morter at Bedford a whale Voyage & after Being on the
Voyage Several months Round Cape Horn & but s[?]all
Success the Crew Uneasy & some with the Scurvey they went
in to the Island of St Mary's & Landed 30 men to Regain
their health he at that time Doing Ships Duty & Getting of
Water he Received an act from the Carpenter that if he went on
on Bord again he was to be Put in Irons &c. as he had Done
nothing he Refused to adhere to the Carpenters' advice &
Returned on Board & then one of the officers Told him to Put
his Clothes in the Bote for Shore by the Capt's orders & keep
out of sight otherwise he would fare Bad he then obeyed
orders & Put all his cloths in the Bote & Capt Came on Deck &
Took the [wast?] Bote he & others the other Bote & went on shore
for what Reason he could not Tell Except that having a
Verry Durty Boy he had Threatened to whip the Boy if he Did
not Clean out the Locker & keep more Clean - when the Boy
said he would match him & informed against him that
that he never heard of Before Previous to this he was Quite
Ignorant as Respecting the other 3 mens accusations --
the ship saild & was gone 2 months & 10 Days & Returnd
the Capt sending [?] [?] word if he would Collect some apples
& Bring Down to the Beach he should be rewarded he
accordingly Collected & carried to the Place appointed
What apples he could Never Keeping out of Sight
as he had Done nothing to Deter him altho the other 3
men [?] somwhat concealed & that the officers when
went on shore was armed & when they were in sight
would fire at them when they Landed for the apples
he appeared & they Bound him & Carried him on Bord
& Stript him [?] Except his shirt & that they h[?]ld
over his head & [Lastet?] him up & the mate & second mate
alternately whipd him untill they were Both weary
with a Cat the Capt at this time on Bord the
Sterling Capt Starbucks & from that the act he gives
he was in a woful condition & then they [Loosed?] him
Unable to stand or walk from that they Burnt up
their huts & Destroyed a Tin Pan or Two & Every
thing [?] [att?] [abe?] & left them in such Distress
that when Night Came he Prayed for Death