A letter from Captain John Tosier, commander of His Majesties ship the Hunter at Jamaica with a narrative of his embassy and command in that frigat to the captain general and governour of Havannah, to demand His Majesty of Great Brittains subjects kept prisoners there ... : as also, the miraculous preservation of fifteen English His Majesties subjects, cast away and remaining eighteen days in a long boat at sea in a sad condition, taken up by the said Captain John Tosier.

A Letter from Captain John Tosier, Commander of His Majesties Ship the Hunter at Jamaica; with a Narrative of his Embassy and Command in that Frigat to the Captain General and Governour of Havannah.

SIR,

I Have received your most welcom Letters, and they came not to my hand till the 20th. Instant, because of my being at Sea: For by vertue of his Exellencies the Earl of Car∣lisle Captain General and Governor of Jamaica's order, I failed from hence the 25th. of January last, (as well in Quality of Embassador, as that of my Command) for Havannah to demand from the Captain General of that place His Majesties Subjects of Great Brittain, which were kept worse Slaves then those of Argiers, and so often denyed to several persons of Quality, which have been sent Embassadors from time to time, with Frigats of Fifty Guns and upwards. I gave you some account of this my last; and was much troubled in order to the management of so great an affair and of a concern as that was, (but God be thanked) to the honour of my Master the King of England, for whose service, if I had a 1000 lives, I would sacrifice them all, I obtained that success which was not expected from me by any: For the Spa∣niards were never known to have delivered any English that they took in the West Indies before now. And thousands of people would have ventured most of their Estates against that success

which I brought home with me (blessed be God) for the honour of His Majesty and the English Nation, and the great satisfaction of my Lord and all Jamaica; all which has here been acknow∣ledged for a great peice of service, done not only for the present but future good, there never having been the like president be∣fore: The Particular of which short Negotiation I have here in∣closed, sent you with a List of their Names, to which I refer you.

The next day after I received the Prisoners on board, It plea∣sed God further to Crown our success by the Preservation of Captain Joseph Graves and 14 of his men (all His Majesties Sub∣jects) who were in a long Boat, and had been cast away eighteen dayes before thirty Leagues to the Eastward of the Havannah, and expected nothing but to be utterly lost, or to be Slaves in the Havannah at the best. Captain Graves sailed hence a Month be∣fore I went out, and was bound for London; I believe he will come and see you, and give you thanks for my kindness to him which he owned here.

The great goodness of God is to be observed herein, for the first time I saw this man, he was Dr— and did so much abuse me, that I could hardly endure it, but I was withheld: Yet that it so happened I should be an Instrument to preserve him, you may imagine the great joy we had on Board, I for my good fortune in this undertaking; the poor Slaves for their deliverance, and Captain Graves with his fourteen men for their preservation in all their perils. Between them our Ship got two Names in two dayes, the first was the Blessing of England by the Slaves of Ha∣vannah, and the second the Preservation by the Wrackt men.

And though this Voyage is never made in less then three Months and sometimes in four: We (putting our selves to ½. al∣lowance, having 61 of his Majesties lost Subjects on Board, be∣sides our complement of men) made our Voyage in seven weeks and three dayes. My love and kindness to — &c.

Port-Royal in Jamaica the 28th. of March 1679.

SIR,

I rest Your Affectionate Friend and Servant. JOHN TOSIER.

ON the 25th. of January 1678/9. I Sailed from Port-Royal in Jamaica for the Havannah, upon the North-side of Cuba, with Orders to demand His Majesties Subjects that were there Prisoners. On the 11th. of February I arrived upon the Coast, where I lay off and on two dayes for a settled Weather; on the 13th. I Sailed within two Miles of the Moors Castle, with our Courses in the Brailes, and our Top Sails a Trip, Jack, Ancient and Pendant flying, and sent in my Boat ashore with my List, and Mr. Richard Bere his Excellency the Earl of Carliles Gentle∣man of the Horse, who was sent my Interpreter to the Gover∣nour; as soon as they were within command, the Guard of the Moors Castle commanded them ashore, and put a Serjeant and Souldiers on Board them, who Guarded them up to the Gover∣nour, and left another Guard upon the Boat, that none of the men should come on Shore: I sent by them his Excellencies Let∣ter to the Governour, and to show my Sailing Orders, and to de∣sire his Excellencies leave to enter into, and depart out of that Port of the Havannah with the King of Englands Frigat under my Command at my pleasure, and to have my Salutes answered Gun for Gun: As soon as this was read, the Governour answered them, that all those of the Kings Subjects there, were Pirats, and therefore would deliver none; and as to my coming in, he was very willing, but he must put a Guard upon the Kings Ship; and Salutes, he could not answer so much as one Gun; and then bidding them go three times out of his house, sent them Guarded away to the Boat, and so forced them to Sea at seven a Clock at Night, and very dark upon a dangerous Coast, where they Boagged all Night, whilst I stood off and in, not thinking they would turn them out so late: The next Morning at six a Clock I took up the Boat with this answer, and at Nine sent them a shore again, with full Power and Instruction to tell him, that His Ma∣jesties Ship under my command is well Man'd, where he might be very safe and welcome if he would vouchsafe to give her his Company; and that His Majesty of England never spared his Powder to answer Civilities, nor received such Indignities as

Walters or Guards on Board any of His Majesties Ships of War, which will be a strange report, when His Majesty shall come to hear of it. And to tell him further, that though I with His Majesties Frigat cannot be admitted upon Honourable Terms, that I sent him word, that his Excellency Charles Earl of Car∣lisle, Captain General and Governour of Jamaica, hath com∣manded me one of the Captains of His Majestie of Great Brittains Ships of War, attending that His Majesties Island of Jamaica, to desire his Excellency in the King of England's Name, and in obe∣dience to the Order of the Catholick King, all the Subjects of His most Excellent Majesty, that are detained Prisoners at the Havannah, that they be forthwith set at Liberty, and delivered to me, to be Transported to the Territories of the King of Eng∣land.

With s••veral other directions, in case of a further denyal to de∣mand a sight of their Commitment upon Record: If Pirats, to send them for Old Spain, and there to be Tryed, and not to be kept in perpetual Slavery; relating the several Complaints made to the King and Councel, of their most barbarous usage to our Nation here with the force of Authority, when at the same time we treat them with all tender kindness in the World, &c.

But before this Latter discourse was ended, the Governour caused the Prisoners to be called over in a back Court near his house, and examined some of them, one after another; who be∣fore he had done, said, though I have no order to deliver them to you, and that I may be blamed, yet take them all with you, and if there be any more, let them come forth immediatly and they shall be discharged, at which Declaration, they all being 46. in number, gave such Cheer-ho, that they made the house ring, saying, God bless the Blessing of England, which they called our Ship; immediatly I hoisted out the long Boat, and had them all on Board in less then three hours: Whereupon I set Sail the next day for the Bay of Mettances to Water, and so to Port-Royal, where I arrived the 20th day of March following, to the great satisfaction of all men here.

A List of all His Majesties Subjects that were Prisoners at Havannah, and received on Board His Majesties Ship the Hunter, under the Command of Captain John Tosier, lying off and on before the Har∣bour, on February 14. 1678/9. And the next day entred into Victu∣aling at half allowance.

	Yrs.	Mths.
1 Mr. William Winford	2	6
2 James Pung.	2	8
3 Francis Redmain.	5
4 Thomas Richardson.	5	6
5 John Evans.	6	7
6 Thomas Cock.	6	7
7 Ralph Graves.	5	6
8 Jonas Johnson.	5	6
9 Ambrose Brown.	6
10 John Kenneday.	5	6
11 Robert Peppin.	5	6
12 Nicholas Gunniop.	4	5
13 Thomas Macket.	4	7
14 Peter Watson.	4	7
15 Thomas Hall.	4
16 Richard Harris.	4
17 John Vaughan.	3	3
18 Robert Mercum.	3	3
19 Joseph Rivers.	5
20 Richard Merrington.	3	3
21 Ambrose Hensree.	3	3
22 Robert Chiffin.	2	10
23 Robert Middleton.	2	10
24 Gilbert Dike.	2	7
25 John Alexander.	2	7
26 John Woodcock.	2	7
27 James Hall.	2	6
28 Morris Smith.	2	6
29 Henry Webber.	2	6
30 William Owens.	2	6
31 Patrick Cairney.	2	6
32 Thomas Mason.	2	1
33 John West.	2	1
34 Benjamin Willis.	2	5
35 Nicholas Stonning.	2	5
36 Cornelius Lachlon.	2	5
37 Thomas Loind.	1	9
38 Noah Parker.	1	9
39 Thomas Butler.	1	9
40 Ambrose Rose.	1	9
41 John Horn.	1	10
42 Hugh May.	1	3
43 Thomas Bishop.	1	3
44 Thomas Maynder.	1	3
45 Thomas Rous.	1	3
46 George Winch.	1	3