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Mate Back to Back, and while that was doing, both of them begged with the utmoſt Earneſtneſs, and uſed the moſt ſolemn Intreaties, that they would at leaſt allow them a few Minutes to ſay their Prayers, and beg Mercy of God for the various Sins and Offences of their Lives: But it did not move them, (though all the reſt were dead, and no Danger could be apprehended from them two alone) for the bound Perſons were hurry’d up and thrown into the Sea.
The Maſſacre being finiſhed, they waſhed themſelves a little from the Blood, and ſearched the Cheſts and Lockers, and all Places about the Ship, and then ſet down in the Captain’s Cabin, and refreſhed themſelves with ſome Rum they found there, and (as Roche confeſſed) were never merrier in their Lives. They inveſted Roche with the Command of the Ship, and calling him Captain, talked over their Liquor, what rare Actions they would perform about Cape Briton, Sable Iſle, and the Banks of Newfoundland, whither they deſigned to go as ſoon as they had recruited their Company, and got a better Ship, which they propoſed ſpeedily to do.
Roche taking upon himſelf the Command of the Veſſel, Andrew Cullen was to paſs for a Merchant or Super-cargo; but when they bethought themſelves, that they were in Danger of being diſcovered by the Papers of the Ship, relating to the Cargo, as Bills of Lading, &c. therefore they eraſe and take out the Name of the French Maſter, and inſtead thereof, inſerted the Name of Roche, ſo that it ſtood in the Ship’s Papers, Peter Roche Maſter; that then having ſo few Hands on Board, they contrived if they met any Ships, to give out, that they had loſt ſome Hands by their being waſhed overboard in a Storm, and by that Means ſcreen themſelves from being ſuſpected of having committed ſome ſuch wicked Act, by Reaſon of the Fewneſs of
