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& some gone with their familys in their boats and lay upon the river & further they threatened tocome and burn this City & that M r Dela Prearie had arms in his house for fifty men.
2*y. That we had Certain information that there was Eighty or a hundred men coming from boston & other places that were hunted away, no doubt not for their goodnes & that there were several ofthem Irish & Papist & the Governor had desighed to take them in the fort y 4 which they would notsuffer—
3 d . That a good part of the Soldiers that were in the fort already were papist & that they thoughtthemselves not secure, to be so guarded & if it be so that but half a Company should be permitted tokeep guard, they would not he above ten or fifteen men in the fort & therefore they thought them-selves not secure in the fort so weak
4 th . That the same day there was Complaint made that Co 1 Dongan, his Brigantine was fittedout with a considerable Quantity of Guns & amonitions & made Water and provisions & that herw r hole loading was no other than if she had been designed for some warlike design & notwithstandingwas Suffered to depart this port without interruption, these reasons did obleidge us to Come withthe whole company to secure ourselves, the best we could, against the fears that were put upon us,The Answer from Co 1 Bayard to the Company As to the matter of Staten Island , it was falsefor I have (saith he) Spoke with a boatman that came from Staten Island & he informed me, that allwas at peace & Quiet upon the Island & for M La Prearie if you, find more than two guns in hishouse, I will give you twenty Pounds, & if you be afraid you shall go to night & see if you will,& I will lend you my boat—And as for the Barkantine I have been aboard myself &see, she is loadedwith pipes staves & flower and designed for the Maderia as for the Guns the Captain told me that if Iwould give him security, that if he was taken by the Turk or any of his people to redeem them,that then he would leave his guns, but I thought that might cost possibly three or four thousandpounds if Such a thing should fall out & would not venture to give Such Security, and the guns arehis own, & I could not take any mans goods by force besides the Captain Swears that if any come aboard he will cut them over the pate, or Knock their brains out.
As for the other reasons, the Papists in the fort and those Soldiers comming from Boston he
made no other answer this that the governor was an honest man & as for the Papists were few &insignificant, & that we were very Unwise to afraid of them, I will lend you my boat to night, ifyou will go to Staten Island & Satisfy yourselves, four or five of us answered we were willing to go,then he said I think it is better to let it alone till to Morrow Morning & then I will lend you myboat—And so accordingly we went the next Morning to Staten Island were the first news we hadwas, that they were afraid to Lay in their beds for fear of the Papists & that they heard that M r Dela Prearie’s house there were arms for a hundred men, we Spoke to M r Vincent a frenchman,that had left his house & had taken his family in his boat & went and lay upon the river for fear of
these relations, M r Mark told us that about eighteen or Nineteen Persons had run from their
houses about the Place where he lived & lay in the woods through these fears—■
The above relation I am ready to depose upon my Oath as witness my hand
Signed Bartho: Le Roux
Sworn before Me the day and Year as first above written Signed Jacob Leisler
I do declare I was present & do testify to the truth of what is above written
Signed Peter White
Sworn before me the day & year as first above written Signed Jacob Leisler
Recorded amongst the records of the Committee of Safety the 26 th day of 7 b0r 1689
p r me Signed Abraham Gouverneur Cl k Committee