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I the undersigned being called upon by the Superintendent to State what I know concerning a Man by the name of Robert Nichol a hired Servant on Sable Island do Solemnly Declare, that when the said Nichol first came to the Island, he was very near perishing in assistanting to Ship the Materials of the Affghanistan for want of Cloths to keep him warm, which he confessed to me with his own mouth, and I am confident that Mr Darby immediately afterwards, furnished him from his own Stores ^with good and Sufficient Clothing to keep him Comfortable, and enable him to do his Duty, that I afterwards heard him complain that it was very hard, that they should have to Boil a Kettle of Tea on the Beach, to make a nourishing Drink, where they were breaking up wood about five miles from Home, and had Bread and Meat with them ^ready cooked as a Bite to enable them to remain until Two OClock, and then Quit for the Day and come home to their dinners, that Mr Darby always in speaking about him always spoke favourably of him; that he was a very Indifferent Boat Man; but he was a Mechanic, which I think must have been his only reason for this marked partiality; as he was a very Indifferent hand at any work, but Blacksmiths work; when that unfortunate Ship the Levant was Cast away Nicholls showed Symptoms of old and Inveterate Scurvy, and I believe the first that Mr Darby knew of it some parts of his flesh was Raw, that Mr Darby immediately removed him out of the Boat, and out of the water, and at night he took his Horse and rode to the West End 10 miles, And the next morning early, brought him down Medicines, oatmeal for Gruel, and old Linen to bind around his Sores, and a Pair of soft moleskin under Drawers for him to put on, which he gave him; that for Two or Three Days he done but very little work, he would lay on the Beach, and on Two occasions was asleep on the Beach, that he would Eat and Drink and Smoke his Pipe, and was very Saucy, & abusive to a Coulored Man in the House, and on the Beach, that I have known Mr Darby
to be with