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to be with Five Men in a Boat at the wreck of the Milo, that in this work he had every Day a Bottle of Spirits, which he gave entirely to the Men and took none himself, with as much Bread and Meat as they chose to Eat, and frequently a Kettle of Tea Boiled for Nourishing Drink, that I have frequently been at the West End and have seen how the people lived, that they had the same kind of provisions that I had, and the other people on the Island, which was good and plenty of it, clean Clothed, and a Clean Table Laid for them three times a Day, with plenty of Milk & Butter with sometimes Liquor, and except that some Meat that was sent here was not very good, which I frequently heard him Complain of, that we had more Fresh Meat this year on the Island than I ever knew before, and I have been here altogether about Ten Years, And that Meat this is not good cannot be Cooked good, And that I have never seen, nor heard, Mr Darby, Strike, Kick, or Threaten, or use any Harsh or Bad language, to him, or to any other Man, notwithstanding I think his Patience was pretty well tryed this Season, but he has shown kindness, and attention to the wants of every Man as far as has laid in his Power; the [Service?] has been unavoidably hard upon us all this Season, and we have done what we could, and in Justice I do not think that there is any [thing?] for a Reasonable Man to Complain of, and I have always thought that Nicholls was an Artful, designing Man; I have always got all my Portion in full of whatever liquor came on the Island, I have never got any belonging to the other people. I know Mr Darby uses none in his Family, and I am Satisfied that every Man has got his full proportion of the Liquor sent here for them;

As Witness my hand at Sable Island, this 14th day of Feb.y 1848.

[signature] John Stevens

[jurat at lower left]
Sworn to before me
this 14th Day of Feby 1848
Joseph Darby, one of H.M. Justices
of the Peace for this District