_Captain Shovel's Answer_.
May it please Your Majesty,
We, the King of England's captains, return Your Majesty humble
thanks for your kind wishes to us. Your Majesty by this may know,
that we have received your letter, and by it we understand, that
Your Majesty is informed that most of these people that are taken
are not your subjects. We perceive by this, as well as in other
things, how grossly Your Majesty has been deceived by those people
you trust; else, we doubt not, but that, long before this, our
Master, whom God preserve, and Your Majesty had accommodated all
differences, and we should have had a firm peace.
Of those fifty-three slaves that are here, (excepting two or
three,) they are all Moors of their own country, as they themselves
can make appear; but, if they are to be disowned because they are
poor, the Lord help them!! Your Majesty tells us, that we may throw
them overboard, if we please: all this we very well know; but we
are Christians, and they bear the form of men, which is reason
390 enough for us not to do so.
As to Tangier, our Master kept it twenty-one years; and the world
is sensible, that in spite of all your force, he could, if he had
pleased, have continued to keep it to the world's end; for, he
levelled your walls, filled up your harbour, and demolished your
houses, in the face of your Alkaid and his army; and when he had
done, he left your[220] barren country (without the loss of a man)
for your own people to starve in: but our departure from thence,
long before this, we doubt not, but you have repented of. When you
tell us of those mighty ships Your Majesty intends to build and
send to our coast, you must excuse us if we think ourselves the
better judges; for we know, as to shipping, what you are able to
do.
[Footnote 220: The gallant and magnanimous captain was better
acquainted with the coast than with the country, which is any
thing but barren.]
If you think fit to redeem those slaves, at 100 dollars a-piece,
they are at Your Majesty's service, and the rest shall be sent to
you; or, if you think fit to give us so many English in exchange,
we shall be well satisfied; but we think you will hardly comply
with that, for the poorest slave that ever our Master redeemed out
of _your_ country, cost him 200 dollars; and some of these five
times that sum, for he freely extended his charity to all, and
never forgets his people _because they are poor_.
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It is great wonder to us, that you should tax us with unjust
proceedings in taking your ships in time of truce, when Your
Majesty may remember that, during the time your ambassador was in
England, your corsairs took about twenty sail of my Master's ships;
and this very year, you have fitted out all the force in your
kingdom to sea, who have taken several of our ships, and at the
same time pretend to a truce for peace! But some of your ships, for
their unjust dealings, have had their reward, and the rest, when
they shall come to sea, we doubt not but God Almighty will put them
into our hands.
If Your Majesty think fit to send proposals to my Master concerning
peace, I shall take care for the speedy and safe conveyance of the
same. I desire Your Majesty's speedy answer; for I do not intend to
stay long before Salee.
Wishing Your Majesty long life and happiness, I subscribe myself,
Your Majesty's
Most obedient and humble Servant,
CLOUDESLY SHOVEL.
Sept. 1684 A.D.
392