Jeremia Hibert Cap^n. del corsario Bostones nombrado el Habuque, apreso sobre Santander al Bergantin Ingles nombrado la Bretaña, que Salio con carga de Bacallao, y grasa del Puerto de S^n. Juan en Terrenoba para Bilbao, y le introduso en el de San Sevatian, à principio de Diziembre, à Cargo del Cabo de presa Juan Allen, y de otros nuebe marineros Bostoneses, en quatro de este mes de Diziembre—fueron Comparecidos ante el Comandante Genéral de S^n. Sebastian, el Marques de Basecourt, à quexa que le paso Su SS^rio: D^n. Juan Joseph de horè, de Venir aquel Navio Sin los despachos necesarios, para Su libre navegacion, y en particular Sin Patente Rol de Pasaporte, ni Carta de Sanidad.

Juan Allen Vario en Su primera declaracion, todo el hecho Verdadero, y dixo, que era procedente del Puerto de Nubrey en la nueba Ynglaterra, de donde habia Salido para San Sebastian, Con Su Navio, à Consignacion de Bermingham,¹ y Se le arresto el mismo dia, con Su tripulacion, y embargo la nabe nombrando depositario del rendim^to: de toda Su carga al citado Secretario. Otros tres marineros declararon lo mismo que el cobo Allen, el quarto que es Juan Baison, descubrio el hecho Cierto, diciendo que Su Nabio no benia de Comercio, ni en los terminos declarados hasta entonces, Si no que era presa hecha pro dicho Corsario, à Cinco leguas de Santander Y que Su puño, y lettra Se finjieron el conocimiento de la carga, el diario y la Carta de Sanidad que Se les hallo, y que los papeles Verdaderos del Navio, los habia recoxido el corsario: a esta declaracion Siguieron los demas marineros, y el mismo Allen, y los otros tres hicieron lo mismo, reformando, la anterior, y presentandose Voluntariomente para apartarze de la primera.

à pocos dias se presento en San Sebastian, D^n: Juan Emery, y entrego los papeles Verdaderos de la Presa, recoxidos por el corsario, y quito toda duda de la Pirateria, y otros Sospechas Voluntarias presentose tambien en el mismo mes de Diziembre, ò principios de henero, Juan Wood cap^n. apresado del Bergantin la Bretaña, laqual reclamo, diciendo, que en la distancia de tres millas, ò una legua Corta de Santander, habiacido apresado, Con quebrantamiento de la inmunidad territorial de Su Magestad Catholica, y que el Corsario le obligo Violentamente la misma mañana del apresamiento, à firmar un papel en que reconocia havercido apresado à distancia de tres leguas de tierra, en lo que se conformo Su Pilotto Jorge Chrispin, Esto mismo dixeron de otra declaracion, que confesando la misma distancia de las tres leguas, hicieron en Santoña en 12: de Diziembre despues de su apresamiento, Verificado en 29: de Noviembre.

El Cap^n: Juan Wood no tiene para Su defensa otros escudo que este de la distancia Supuesta de las tres millas, pero Se le tiene combencido que no fué asi, Si no en la de tres leguas, por dos documentos escritos de Su propio puño: el primero en la declaracion que dio firmada tambien de Su Pilotto Jorge Chrispin, Confesando la misma mañana del apresamiento haber hasta la tierra la Citada distancia de tres liguas, la que Se confirmo Con otra igual de Joseph Navarro, Practico de la lancha de Santander, que Se hallo presente al rendimiento del Bergantin, el Segundo, es la relacion que algunos dias despues Se le hallo à dho Juan Wood, escria tambien de Su puño, Con todas las Circunstancias reserbadamente Su govierno, y de las Dueños del Navio, en que Confiesa la Cittada distancia de las tres leguas. El tercero es la declaracion que Wood, su Pilotto, y tripulacion dieron à los Catorze dias despues de dho apresamiento, ante el ess^no. de Santoña, laqual Se halla corroborada con los testigos Manuel Gomez, y Patricio MacMahon, ambos interpretes de la lengua Ynglesa, y con el Ess^no. de Santoña, que presencio el acto Voluntario, y libre de los apresados, y Su reconocimiento de la distancia de tres leguas.

à Juan Wood, no le queda en esta causa otro recurso, que el de esta distancia combencida debidamete y reconocida por Suficiente, en Su propia impugnacion a los que han manejado de oficio este negocio, les quedan muchos cargos en la falta de formalidades y mal Varato con que Se ha Vendido toda la Carga de Navio. el Cabo Allen, es culpanto por la Subplantacion de papeles que es lo unico que Justifica algun motibo p^a: el procedimiento contra el, pero no Contra el Navio, y Su Carga, en perjuicio del apresado lexitimo.

[Translation]

[San Sebastián, Spain, April 1778]

Jeremiah Hibbert, Captain of the Boston privateer named the Hawke, captured off Santander the English Brigantine named the Britannia, which sailed with a Cargo of Codfish and lard from the Port of St. John in Newfoundland for Bilbao, and brought it into the port of San Sebastián, on the first of December, under charge of prize master John Allen, and nine other Boston sailors, on the fourth of this month of December they were brought before the Commandant General of San Sebastián, the Marques de Bassecourt, on the complaint, presented by his Secretary, Don Juan Joseph de Horè, of the said ship’s coming without the ship’s papers required for its free navigation, and in particular without its Register, Permit for Sailing, or Bill of Health.

In his first declaration John Allen lied, and said, that he had left from Newburyport in new England, whence he sailed for San Sebastián, with his Ship, Consigned to Bermingham,¹ and he was arrested the same day, with his crew, and the vessel seized and with all its cargo delivered into the hands of the said Secretary. Three of the sailors declared the same as the master Allen, the fourth, who is John Baison, revealed the truth, saying that his Ship did not come as a trader, nor from the place declared up until then, Rather, that it was a prize made by the said Privateer, Five leagues from Santander and that he forged the bill of lading, the logbook and the Bill of Health that were found, and that the authentic ship’s papers were retained in the privateer: the remaining sailors confirmed this declaration, as did Allen, and the other three did the same, revising the earlier one, and appearing voluntarily to recant it.

A few days later John Emery presented himself at San Sebastián and delivered the authentic papers of the prize, retained by the privateer, and resolved all doubt about the Piracy, and other spontaneous suspicions that arose as well in the same month of December; on the first of January, John Wood, the captain of the captured Brigantine Britannia reclaimed it, contending that it had been taken at a distance of three miles, or one league from Santander, in violation of the territorial immunity of his Catholic Majesty, and that the Privateer coerced him the morning of the cap- ture to sign a paper in which he acknowledged having been taken at a distance of three leagues from land, to which his Pilot, George Chrispin, agreed; likewise in another declaration, done in Santoña on 12 December, after the capture, which was verified [as having taken place] on 29 November, they acknowledged same distance of three leagues.

Captain John Wood has no other defense than this alleged distance of three miles, but there is reason to believe that it was not so, but at three leagues, because of two documents written by his own hand: the first in the declaration that his Pilot George Chrispin also signed, confessing the day of the capture to have been the said distance of three leagues from land, which was confirmed by another as well, Joseph Navarro, pilot of the launch of Santander, who was present at the delivery of the Brigantine; the Second is the complete account that a few days afterward the said John Wood himself secretly wrote to his government and to the owners of the Ship, in which he Acknowledged the distance as being three leagues. The third is the declaration that Wood, his Pilot, and crew gave Four days after the said capture, before the notary of Santoña, which was corroborated by witnesses Manuel Gomez and Patrick MacMahon, both English interpreters, and by the Santoña notary, in which the captives acting voluntarily and freely acknowledged the distance as three leagues.

To John Wood, there remains in this case no other recourse regarding this distance, duly proven and recognized as Sufficient, than that of refuting what he did officially in handling this affair; there remain many charges in the want of formalities and low price respecting the sale of all the cargo of the vessel, Master Allen is culpable for the substitution of papers, which Justifies only the proceeding against him, but not against the Vessel and its Cargo to the detriment of it as a legitimate capture.