off the payment aforesaid, this examinant kept more in the country than he would otherwise have done; then, on Forbes finding this, he pursued examinant up to Flatbush, and not finding him there, pursued him to Polhemus, about four miles from Jamaica, in order to get his money; that this examinant, finding there was no way to get rid of him, told him that on Monday examinant would come to town and pay him his money, which was accordingly done, viz: one hundred and fourteen pounds eight shillings, and examinant then hoped that he should not be plagued with him any more; that the next day examinant again came to town, and had been in his house but a few minutes when Forbes came into examinant’s office; that examinant told him he must never come into examinant’s office any more, on which he went away without saying a word; that John Young, the examinant’s clerk, was present and then in the said office, and that examinant has not seen the said Forbes since; that at the times when the said Forbes called on the examinant as aforesaid, he mentioned to this examinant a scheme he had of taking possession of one of the batteries when the fleet arrived, and another scheme of cutting down King’s bridge; that this examinant desired his friend above-mentioned to advise and beg the said Forbes to desist from the said measures and give them over; that this examinant has never since or before received from Governour Tryon any other sum whatever for any such purposes whatever. That shortly before the time when this examinant paid the aforesaid money to the said Forbes, this examinant was at Waldron’s Ferry, standing near John Carpenter’s sloop, and that the said Forbes, being in company with one Sergeant Graham, turned off from the said Graham and came up to this examinant; that this examinant asked him where he had been; he answered that he had been to look at all the fortifications; examinant asked him whether be was not afraid of being taken up by the sentries, to which he replied that he was not, for that he could go there whenever he pleased. That about the time when this examinant paid the money aforesaid to Forbes, this examinant being in his office, a man in regimentals came in, which alarmed this examinant; that he asked him whether he wanted this examinant; he asked examinant whether he was the Mayor, to which examinant replied he was, and asked him what he wanted; he observed to this examinant, that examinant did not know him, for that he had never seen him before; examinant said he did not know him; he told examinant he was one of General Washington’s Guards, and meant to serve the King; examinant told him he had nothing to do with inlisting men for the King; he said he had inlisted some that morning himself, and was about to pull a paper out of his pocket, in order to show examinant their names; that examinant told him he did not want to know their names, and had nothing to do with them, and advised him to return to his quarters, for that if he was discovered he would be brought to the gallows; on which he went away, and examinant has neither seen nor heard of him since. That another man, a little before the time last-mentioned, who said he came from the country, and knew examinant’s father and brother, came to this examinant to see if he could not get on board the ship; examinant asked him why he left his home; he said he had been so persecuted he could not stay; examinant advised him to return and keep himself quiet, and that examinant imagined nobody would hurt him; that he replied he must and would gel on board some how or other, for that he did not dare to go back; examinant then asked his name, which he told him was Forbes; examinant told him then that he did not know of a likelier person to serve him than a namesake of his that was in town; he asked examinant if he meant Gilbert Forbes, to which he replied yes; he said he knew him, and went in quest of him; and that examinant has never seen him since. That several other persons, unknown to this examinant, have at different times called on this examinant to inquire how they might get on board the ship, and that examinant always advised them to return home; and since examinant’s interview aforesaid with the Governour, he told such as called upon him for the purpose aforesaid that there was no room for them on board; that many bad been turned away, and that they had better go home. That this examinant has no further knowledge than what he has as aforesaid declared relative to any persons being engaged in the business of inlisting men for the King’s service, or in keeping up a communication between the city and the Governour’s ship or men-of-war at the Narrows. That this examinant does not know otherwise than by sight, and has never spoken or written a line to Peter McLean, a shoemaker in the town, on any subject whatever.

D. MATTHEWS.

New-York, June 23, 1776.—Examined by

William Forbes, of Goshen Precinct, in Orange County, Tanner and Currier, being examined, saith: That he knows Gilbert Forbes, of the city of New-York, gunsmith; that the first time he saw him was in this city, between the Brick Meeting and the Jail; that he heard somebody call him Mr. Forbes; this examinant accosted him and told him that his name was Forbes also; that thereupon they went into Houlding’s tavern and drank together; that he has been at the house of the said Gilbert Forbes, on an invitation from him. That he knows a Sergeant in General Washington’s Guards, but cannot recollect his name; that he became acquainted with him at Corby’s, (an inn-keeper,) near General Washington’s; that this examinant went to Corby’s in company with one James Mason, of Ringwood, who was at work in Corby’s garden; that the Sergeant was a middle-sized, fresh complexioned man—an Englishman; that examinant became acquainted with James Mason at Dutchess County; afterwards saw him at Goshen, and from thence came in company with him to this town; that he told Mason he had been on board the man-of-war last winter, while she lay in the East River; that he never was on board the Dutchess-of-Gordon; that he never said he was on board the Savage when she fired on Staten-Island. That he had heard, and, among others, from the said Mason, that two hundred acres of land were offered by Governour Tryon to each man who would go in the King’s service, and one hundred to the wife, and fifty to each child. That examinant borrowed twenty odd shillings of Mason, and promised to repay him when examinant got money from on board the man-of-war, where he had two brothers-in-law, who had promised to send him money to pay his debts. That he never engaged with Governour Tryon, or with any other person whatever to undertake the business of inlisting soldiers for the King, nor of enticing the. Continental soldiers to leave that service. That he and Mason came to town by way of Elizabethtown, and that at Warwick Mason persuaded one William Benjamin to go along with them. That he knows Peter McLean, a shoemaker, near the Exchange; that examinant applied to him to put him on board the man-of war; that McLean answered he could not do it at all, the sentries were so strict; that examinant then said to McLean that then he would inlist in the Continental service, which he has since done, in Captain Beekman’s Company, of Lasher’s Battalion. That examinant, Mason and Benjamin lodged, the first night they came to town, at Houlding’s; that while they were there Corby was introduced to Benjamin and Mason by Gilbert Forbes; Corby took them to his house, where this examinant has seen them, in company with Gilbert Forbes and the aforesaid Sergeant of the Guards. This examinant saw the said Sergeant and Gilbert Forbes administer oaths of secrecy to Mason and two or three soldiers; that Corby was present when the said soldiers were sworn as aforesaid. That after McLean had, as aforesaid, told this examinant that he knew not how to get on board the man-of-war, McLean recommended him to David Matthews, Esq., as a proper person to direct him how to get on board the man-of-war; that examinant accordingly went to Mr. Matthews and told him that McLean had directed examinant to him as a proper person to tell him how he should get on board the man-of-war, and that there was a lad (meaning Mason) who had come down from Ringwood, that wanted to go along; that Mr. Matthews told him it was too dangerous for him to say anything about it, but that he would direct him to one that could get him on board, and sent this examinant for that purpose to Gilbert Forbes; that this examinant accordingly applied to the said Gilbert Forbes, and that Forbes said he could not do anything in it till he had seen Corby; that shortly after the said Gilbert Forbes told this examinant that he had seen Corby, and that Corby said he would get examinant on board in a few days; that