L'épave du Elizabeth and Mary - Ministère de la Culture et des ...

6. Identification de l’épave
February 5, 1691
The blame is divided between the
field-officers and Sir William Phips who
by this time, I suppose, is at Whitehall to
give an account of himself. I am told that
the whole story was sent home a month
ago. It is now three months since the
return of the Expedition, and there is still
no news of five vessels, which had not a
month’s provisions on board. If they are
lost, as it is feared, then there are about a
thousand fighting men dead in this expedition
without a blown struck 40 .
Certains navires ont eu encore plus de problèmes
à regagner Boston. Le 25 avril 1691, deux
soldats de Rowley témoignent du fait qu’ils
étaient à bord de l’Adventure qui fut détourné
jusqu’à la Barbade :
April 25, 1691
The deposition of Phillip Nelson and of
David Benet of Rowly who testifie and say
that they bieng in the Briganteen called by
the name of the Adventure whereof
William Bedlow was commander upon
our return from Cannida, beinge beaten of
from our coasts about the sixteenth day of
December last and so were forced to make
for the Barbados 41 .
Le 9 mai 1690, trois survivants du Mary arrivent
à Boston à bord d’une embarcation de
fortune :
On the twenty-fifth of March, five of the
company resolved to venture out to sea in
their skiff, which they lenghtened out so
far as to make a sort of cabin for two or
three men, and having procured a sail,
they shipped their share of provisions on
board, and steered away for Boston. It was
on the ninth of May before these poor
wretches arrived there, through a thousand
dangers form the Sea and Ice, and
almost starved with hunger and cold;
upon their arrival, a vessel was immediately
dispatched away to the Island and
brought off the few unfortunates wretches
that had been left behind 42 .
Une expédition est immédiatement lancée
pour aller chercher les survivants laissés derrière.
Des directives écrites pour le Capitaine
Raynsford, commandant du sloop Mary, sont
émises le 13 mai 43 . Dix-sept survivants revinrent
à Boston peu de temps après, le 28 juin 44 .
Fait à souligner, le document note que les survivants
ont été « jetés à terre » (cast ashore), la
même expression utilisée pour les naufragés
du Cap-Breton.
Le 25 mai, un édit de la Court of Assistants
pour commencer à aider les familles des soldats
qui n’étaient pas encore revenus nous
informe qu’à cette date, la plupart de ces hommes
provenaient des villages de Dorchester et
de Roxbury :
May 25, 1691
Forasmuch as Several Soldier, and Seamen
lately imployed in the Majesties Service to
Canada, are not yet returned Home,
whose Families stand in need of Supplies
the most of the Soldiery belonging to the
town of Roxbury and Dorchester, It's ordered
that Capt. Saml. Ruggles of Roxbury,
and Captain Samuel Clapp of Dorchester
take present care to procure a List of the
Names of the Said Companies respectively,
together with an Accompt of what
each particular person hasd already been
paid by the Select Men ... and to transmit
Said Lists and Accompts to the Committee
for Debentures 45 .
Les documents les plus révélateurs pour notre
propos nous arrivent après le 2 juin 1691. À
cette date, la General Court ordonne le paiement
des navires perdus lors de l’expédition
et qui ne sont pas revenus :
June 2, 1691
Ordered that all Ships or Vessells that
were impresed for their Majesties Service
in the late Expedition to Canada, that are
not returned, or were lost in the Said expedition,
be paid for by the Country, according
to the Apprizement made by the
Government before Said Vessells were
sent out, and the Owners of said Vessels,
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