cil, made in 1623: "Finding Captain Argall, the setter-of-her-out, departed thence, she withdrew herself instantly from the new Governor's power, and went to the Somer Islands, then discharged her booty, which were a certain number of negroes, all of which, even those that belonged as shares unto the mariners (whereof they have not long since complained in court), were taken and placed on the said Earl's lands, as belonging to his lordship, and so continue."
It is perhaps worth mentioning that it has been asserted that the slaves ascribed to the Dutchman really came from the Treasurer, and that the letters and other Virginia documents relating to the matter were deliberately false, because the Virginians feared the Spanish would come to avenge the raids which the Treasurer had made in the West Indies. But a careful reading of all the available matter on the subject shows no real foundation for the assertion.
As to the Treasurer's career, a word more must be told, because, as has been said, she was the first slaver fitted out in America. She had visited the coast occasionally as a trader between England and the colonies since 1613, but had not been in the slave-trade until 1619. In this voyage to the West Indies she was "manned with the ablest men in the colony" (see "Declaration" of 1623), but on reaching Bermuda she was declared to be unseaworthy. Her arms were taken out of her and she was broken up. The robbing of her crew was a natural incident of the trade, and in after years common enough.
One more question as to the first slave-carrying ships in the American trade remains to be considered — a question that has been raised in connection with
