Page 192
An.1685
French Commiffions to Privateers.
hearts content. Captain Gronet, to retalliate this kind- nefs, offered Captain Davis and Captain Swan, each of them a new Commiffion from the Governor of Petit Guavres. It has been ufual for many years paft, for the Governor of Petit Guavres to fend blank Com- miffions to Sea by many of his Captains, with orders to difpofe of them to whom they faw convenient. Thofe of Petit-Guavres by this means making them- felves the Sanctuary and Afylum of all People of de- fperate Fortunes ; and increafing their own Wealth, and the Strength and Reputation of their Party thereby. Captain Davis accepted of one, having be- fore only an old Commiffion, which fell to him by Inheritance at the deceafe of Captain Cook; who took it from Captain Thriftian, together with his Bark, as is before mentioned. But Captain Swan re- fufed it, faying he had an order from the Duke of York, neither to give offence to the Spaniards, nor to receive any affront from them; and that he had been injured by them at Baldivia, where they had kill'd fome of his Men, and wounded feveral more; fo that he thought he had a lawful Commiffion of his own to right himfelf. I never read any of thefe French Commiffions while I was in thefe Seas, nor did I then know the import of them : but I have learnt fince, that the Tenour of them is, to give a Liberty to fifh, fowl, and hunt. The occafion of this is, that the Ifland of Hifpaniola, where the Garrifon of Petit- Guavres is, belongs partly to the French, and partly to the Spaniards ; and in time of Peace thefe Commiffi- ons are given as a Warrant to thofe of each fide to protect them from the adverfe Party: but in effect the French do not reftrain them to Hifpaniola, but make them a pretence for a general ravage in any part of America, by Sea or Land.
Having thus difpofed of our Affociates, we intend- ed to fail towards the Gulf of St. Michael, to feek Captain Townley; who by this time we thought might