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shipp ''Beniamin'' whereof hee as aforesai … shipp ''Beniamin'' whereof hee as aforesaid was commander, which shipp<br />
''Beniamin'' nor this deponent or any of her company thereof nor as hee beleeveth<br />
any of the said other shipps or companies, offered any affront injury or<br />
provocation to any dutch shipps or companies in those parts.
To the seaventeenth and 18th articles of the said allegation hee saith and deposeth that<br />
on or about the thirteenth of November (old stile) 1656 the said shipp the<br />
''Beniamin'' in service of severall of the members of the said company who<br />
were owners and imployers of her, in her course of proceeding for Surat<br />
comming off Capa R[?aules] neare Goa about nine of the clock in the morning<br />
of the said day, this deponent her commander descried two shipps to the<br />
Northward off {at} se, and the ''Beniamin'' having the winde at South East<br />
and stearing away North and by West nearing them,<br />
this deponent preceived that they lay at an anchor with their sailes loose<br />
which gave him cause to suspect that they were french men of<br />
warr, hee having before at Masulipatam bin advised that foure<br />
or ffive ffrench men of warr were come into India, and<br />
were suspected to lie on the coast of India, Wherefore hee<br />
endeavoured to gaine Goa with his said shipp and lading to<br />
prevent their assault, and about [XXXXX] come almost thwart the<br />
outmost Iland of Marmag[?a]n off the port of Goa, and having [?pradd] her<br />
English States colours, the winde veering out Southerly<br />
the said two shipps being to seabord of her [?forthwith GUTTER]<br />
weighed and pursued, without (for present) showing any colours<br />
but some space afterwards namely about halfe an houre after the<br />
said pursute soe begun, this deponent looking h[?ard] fully [?out GUTTER]<br />
perceived upon the poope of the head most shipp, a white Ensigne<br />
which confirmed his former suspittion of their being ffrench,<br />
But saith that about an houre after, the<br />
said head most shipp nearing the ''Beniamin'', put abroad the<br />
Hollands colours, and fired severall guns at her, having still<br />
the English colours displayed, faire to be seene, which still increased<br />
this deponents suspition that they were ffranch (sic), howbeit<br />
upon their approach, this deponent and company not knowing<br />
but that they might be hollanders, and not willing to give<br />
them any affence (sic), at their second shott made from the<br />
headmost shipp, halled up the ''Beniamines'' mainesaile to<br />
stay for them, and the third shott struck, and tooke in the<br />
''Beniamins'' Topgallant sailes, and at the fourth lowered<br />
her Top sailes to the slings being halfe mast<br />
downe, and furled her spritsaile and other small<br />
sailes, and asoone as the said shipp came within call, this<br />
deponent went upon the poope of the ''Beniamin'' and<br />
haled him, asking (in the small [XXXX XXXXX) whence youre shipp<br />
but instead of a civill answer, this deponent received nore<br />
other but foule language as S[kallam], Hontsfoot, Steart and<br />
the like, the captaine of the said approaching shipp therein [XXXX GUTTER]<br />
brandishing his naked sword and adding such fell countenance<br />
threats and gestures as if hee would cut this deponent and company<br />
in peeces, and commanded them to come by the Lee, to which<br />
this deponent answered, that hee would soe doe, if they<br />
thehee would soe doe, if they<br />
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