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the sayd Woodfin and soe knoweth hee is ge … the sayd Woodfin and soe knoweth hee is generally reputed to bee a very<br />
able seaman And further to this article hee cannot depose/
To the 2 article of the sayd allegation hee saith that upon or about the first of<br />
May last the vessell the ''Exeter Merchant'' arlate being returned from a voyage<br />
from parts beyond the seas laden with Currance and Varina Tobaccoe came up<br />
the River of Thames to the lower chayne at Lymehouse where here Company intended<br />
to ride, and at her coming thither the arlate shipp ''ffrancis and Mary'' lay there with<br />
her cable fastned to the sayd chayne, and hee saith the tyde being then much<br />
about high water, the Company of the ''Exeter Merchant'' could not fasten to the<br />
chaye, wherefore some of the Company went with their boate to the ''ffrancis''<br />
''and Mary'' and when they came neere thereto the<br />
arlate Smith the Captaine of her perceiving that they intended to fasten<br />
a hawser to his chaine called to them, and told them that they should not lye<br />
on board of him, but the sayd shipps<br />
company well knowing (as this deponent beleeveth) that it was a usuall thing for laden shipps to fasten to any<br />
shipp lying in the River of Thames for one tyde for the better<br />
preservation of their ladeing, did notwithstanding the sayd Smith was unwilling<br />
and forbadd them to doe soe, fasten a hawser to the sayd ''ffrancis and Marys'' Cable<br />
and hee saith the sayd Smith suffered the same after it was soe fastned to continue<br />
fastned thereto almost an hower, And hee saith that the sayd<br />
hawser being soe fastned Thomas Woodfin commander<br />
of the ''Exeter Merchant'' being then on shoare, (and as hee beleeveth observing<br />
the sayd Smiths unwillingnesse to suffer his Company of the ''Exeter''<br />
''Merchant'' to fasten a hawser o his Cable) tooke a boat, and came presently<br />
on board the ''ffrancis and Mary'', and (as this deponent hath heard the sayd Woodfin<br />
saye) did speake to the sayd Smith in a freindly manner and desyre him that<br />
there might be an other fast made to the boltspritt of the ''ffrancis and Mary'' that<br />
soe the ''Exeter Merchant'' might ride safe till lowe water that shee could make<br />
fast to the chayne, And hee knoweth that it hath bin the custome of the River of<br />
Thames ever since this deponent was a waterman thereof, that a laden shipp coming<br />
into the sayd River might for the securitie of her ladeing make fast to any other<br />
shipp there rideing, for the space of one tyde, although the Company of the shipp<br />
to whome they desyre to make fast, be unwilling to suffer them soe to doe,<br />
and hee saith that this custome is a thing well knowne to most watermen<br />
and sea men who use the River of Thames The premisses hee deposeth for the reasons as aforesayd as alsoe for that hee was onboard the ''Exeter Merchant'' [#]
[# LH MARGIN, AT 90 DEGREES]<br />
and imployed to helpe to bring her from Blackwall to the sayd chayne and by that meanes being<br />
an eye witnes to the premisses
and further saving his subsequent<br />
deposition hee cannot depose/
To the third and 4th articles hee saith that while the premisses soe predeposed of<br />
were soe doeing the tyde began to runnwe a stronge ebbe and<br />
the Company of the ''Exeter Merchant'' (being necessitated<br />
soe to doe for their preservation) did by helpe of the hawser they had fastned<br />
to the ''ffrancis and Mary'' intending to make an other hawser fast to her<br />
Boltspritt or some other part of her, which the sayd Smith perceiving hee did<br />
in an angrie and wilfull manner take a hatchett and contrary to the Custome predeposed of<br />
cut the Custome predeposed of<br />
cut +
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