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diff --git a/37992-h/37992-h.htm b/37992-h/37992-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1ab201c --- /dev/null +++ b/37992-h/37992-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4561 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> +<title>The King of Pirates</title> +<!-- AUTHOR="Daniel Defoe" --> +<!-- LANGUAGE="en" --> + +<style type='text/css'> +body { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; } +h1 { text-align: center; margin-top: 1%; margin-bottom: 5%;} +h2 { text-align: center; margin-top: 5%; margin-bottom: 5%; page-break-before: always} +p { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 0%; + margin-top: 0%; + margin-bottom: 0%; + text-align: justify; + text-indent: 1em; + } +p.noindent { text-indent: 0; } +p.revind { + margin-left: 1em; + text-indent: -1em; +} +p.right { text-indent: 0; + text-align: right; + margin-left: 8%; margin-right: 4%; + margin-top: 0%; margin-bottom: 2%; + } + +p.signature {text-indent: 0%; + text-align: left; + margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 0%; + margin-top: 1%; margin-bottom: 2%; + } +p.address {text-indent: 0%; + text-align: left; + text-indent: 2em; + } +p.blockquote {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 8%; margin-right: 4%; + margin-top: 2%; margin-bottom: 2%; + } +p.center { text-indent: 0%; text-align: center; margin-top: 1%; margin-bottom: 1%; } + +p.firstwo { text-indent: 0 } +p.first { text-indent: 0 } + +span.small { font-size:small; } +span.sc { font-variant:small-caps; } +span.large { font-size:large; } +span.spaced { letter-spacing:.1em; } +span.hidden { display:none; } + +.leftpic { float: left; clear: left; } + +.centerpic { + text-align: center; + text-indent: 0%; + display: block; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +a:link { text-decoration: none; color: rgb(10%,30%,60%); } +a:visited { text-decoration: none; color: rgb(10%,30%,60%); } +a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } +a:active { text-decoration: underline; } + +ul { margin-left: 0; padding-left: 0; } +.trnote { + font-family: sans-serif; + font-size: small; + background-color: #ccc; + color: #000; + border: black 1px dotted; + margin: 2em; + padding: 1em; + page-break-before: always; +} +li { text-align: left; margin: 0; text-indent: -3em; margin-left: 3em; } +.trnote ul li { list-style-type: none; } + +</style> +</head> + +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The King of Pirates, by Daniel Defoe + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The King of Pirates + Being an Account of the Famous Enterprises of Captain + Avery, the Mock King of Madagascar + +Author: Daniel Defoe + +Release Date: November 12, 2011 [EBook #37992] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KING OF PIRATES *** + + + + +Produced by Jens Sadowski (This file was produced from +images generously made available by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + +<div class="centerpic"><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="Title page"/></div> + +<p style="page-break-before:always"> </p> +<p > </p> +<div class="trnote"> +<p class="center"> +<a href="#Notes">Transcriber's notes</a> to be found at the end of the book. +</p> +</div> + +<h1> +<span class="spaced small">THE</span><br /> +King of <span class="spaced">PIRATES</span>: +</h1> + +<p class="center"> +<span class="spaced">BEING AN<br /> +<span class="large">ACCOUNT</span><br /> +OF THE</span><br /> +<span class="large">Famous <span class="spaced sc">Enterprises</span></span><br /> +OF<br /> +<span class="large">Captain <span class="spaced"><i>AVERY</i></span>,</span><br /> +The Mock <span class="spaced sc">King</span> of <i>Madagascar</i>. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center"> +WITH +</p> +<p> </p> + +<p class="center"> +His <span class="spaced sc">Rambles</span> and <span class="spaced sc">Piracies</span>; wherein<br /> +all the Sham <span class="spaced sc">Accounts</span> formerly<br /> +publish'd of him, are detected. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:small"> +<i>In Two <span class="spaced">LETTERS</span> from himself;<br /> +one during his Stay at</i> Madagascar, <i>and<br /> +one since his Escape from thence.</i> +</p> +<p> </p> + +<p class="center"> +<span class="spaced"><i>LONDON</i></span>,<br /> +<span class="small"> +Printed for <i>A. Bettesworth</i> in <i>Pater-noster Row</i>, <i>C. King</i><br /> +in <i>Westminster-Hall</i>, <i>J. Brotherton</i> and <i>W. Meadows</i> in <i>Cornhill</i>,<br /> +<i>W. Chetwood</i> in <i>Covent-Garden</i>, and sold by <i>W. Boreham</i> in<br /> +<i>Pater-noster Row</i>, 1720. +</span> +</p> + +<p class="right"><span class="small"> +(Price 1 <i>s.</i> 6 <i>d.</i>) +</span> +</p> + +<!-- page iii --> + +<h2 class="chapter" id="chapter-1"> +<span class="centerpic" id="img-i003"><img src="images/i003.jpg" alt="Illustration i003" /></span> +THE PREFACE</h2> + +<p class="first"><span class="leftpic" id="dropO"><img src="images/dropO.jpg" alt="O" /></span> +<span class="hidden">O</span><i>NE of the particular Advantages +of the following Letters from +Captain </i>Avery<i>, is, the Satisfaction +they will give the Readers +how much they have been impos’d upon in +the former ridiculous and extravagant +Accounts which have been put upon the +World in what has been publish’d already.</i> +</p> + +<p><i>It has been enough to the Writers of +this Man’s Life, as they call it, that they +could put any Thing together, to make a +kind of monstrous unheard of Story, as romantick +as the Reports that have been +spread about of him; and the more those +Stories appear’d monstrous and incredible, +the more suitable they seem’d to be to what +the World would have been made to expect +of Captain </i>Avery<i>.</i> +</p> +<!-- page iv --> + +<p><i>There is always a great Deference between +what Men say of themselves, and +what others say for them, when they come +to write Historically of the Transactions +of their Lives.</i> +</p> + +<p><i>The Publisher of these Letters recommends +this Performance to the Readers, to +make their Judgment of the Difference +between them and the extravagant Stories +already told, and which is most likely to be +genuine; and, as they verily believe these +Letters to be the best and truest Account +of Captain </i>Avery<i>’s Piracies, that ever +has or ever will come to the Knowledge +of the World, they recommend them as +such, and doubt not but they will answer +for themselves in the Reading.</i> +</p> + +<p><i>The Account given of Captain </i>Avery<i>’s +taking the Great Mogul’s Daughter, ravishing +and murdering her, and all the +Ladies of her Retinue, is so differently +related here, and so extravagantly related +before, that it cannot but be a Satisfaction +to the most unconcern’d Reader, to +find such a horrible Piece of Villainy as the +other was suppos’d to be, not to have been +committed in the World.</i> +</p> +<!-- page v --> + +<p><i>On the contrary, we find here, that except +plundering that Princess of her Jewels +and Money to a prodigious Value, a +Thing which, falling into the Hands of +Freebooters, every one that had the Misfortune +to fall into such Hands would +expect: But, that excepting this, the +Lady was used with all the Decency and +Humanity, and, perhaps, with more than +ever Women, falling among Pirates, had +found before; especially considering that, +by Report, she was a most beautiful and +agreeable Person herself, as were also +several of those about her.</i> +</p> + +<p><i>The Booty taken with her, tho’ infinitely +great in itself, yet has been so magnify’d +beyond common Sense, that it makes all +the rest that has been said of those Things +ridiculous and absurd.</i> +</p> + +<p><i>The like Absurdity in the former Relations +of this Matter, is that of the +making an Offer of I know not how many +Millions to the late Queen, for Captain +</i>Avery<i>’s Pardon, with a Petition to the +Queen, and her Majesty’s negative Answer; +all which are as much true as his +being Master of so many Millions if Money, +<!-- page vi --> +which he nor his Gang never had; +and of his being proclaim’d King of </i>Madagascar<i>; +marrying the Mogul’s Daughter, +and the like: And, by the Bye, it +was but ill laid together of those who +publish’d, that he first ravish’d her, then +murder’d her, and then marry’d her; all +which are very remarkable for the recommending +the Thing to those that read +it.</i> +</p> + +<p><i>If these Stories are explain’d here, +and duly expos’d, and the History of Captain +</i>Avery<i> set in a fairer Light, the End +is answer’d; and of this the Readers are +to be the only Judges: But this may be +said, without any Arrogance, that this +Story, stripp’d of all the romantick, improbable, +and impossible Parts of it, looks +more like the History of Captain </i>Avery<i>, +than any Thing yet publish’d ever has +done; and, if it is not prov’d that the +Captain wrote these Letters himself, the +Publisher says, None but the Captain himself +will ever be able to mend them.</i> +</p> +<!-- page 001 --> + +<h2 class="chapter" id="chapter-2"> +<span class="centerpic" id="img-001"><img src="images/001.jpg" alt="Illustration 001" /></span> +THE King of PIRATES.</h2> + +<p class="first"><span class="leftpic" id="dropY"><img src="images/dropY.jpg" alt="Y" /></span> +<span class="hidden">Y</span>OU may be sure I receiv’d with +Resentment enough the Account, +that a most ridiculous Book, entitled, +<i>My Life and Adventures</i>, had +been publish’d in <i>England</i>, being fully +assur’d nothing of Truth could be +contain’d in such a Work; and tho’ it may be true, +that my extravagant Story may be the proper +Foundation of a Romance, yet as no Man has a +Title to publish it better than I have to expose +and contradict it, I send you this by one of my +particular Friends, who having an Opportunity of +returning into <i>England</i>, has promis’d to convey it +faithfully to you; by which, at least, two Things +shall be made good to the World; first, that they +shall be satisfy’d in the scandalous and unjust +Manner in which others have already treated me, +and it shall give, in the mean Time, a larger Account +of what may at present be fit to be made +publick, of my unhappy tho’ successful Adventures. +</p> +<!-- page 002 --> + +<p>I shall not trouble my Friends with any Thing +of my Original and first Introduction into the +World, I leave it to you to add from yourself +what you think proper to be known on that +Subject; only this I enjoin you to take Notice of, +that the Account printed of me, with all the Particulars +of my Marriage, my being defrauded, and +leaving my Family and native Country on that +Account, is a meer Fable and a made Story, to +embellish, as the Writer of it perhaps suppos’d, the +rest of his Story, or perhaps to fill up the Book, +that it might swell to a Magnitude which his +barren Invention could not supply. +</p> + +<p>In the present Account, I have taken no Notice +of my Birth, Infancy, Youth, or any of that Part; +which, as it was the most useless Part of my +Years to myself so ’tis the most useless to any +one that shall read this Work to know, being +altogether barren of any Thing remarkable in it +self, or instructing to others: It is sufficient to +me to let the World know, as above, that the +former Accounts, made publick, are utterly false, +and to begin my Account of myself at a Period +which may be more useful and entertaining. +</p> + +<p>It may be true, that I may represent some Particulars +of my Life, in this Tract, with Reserve, or +Enlargement, such as may be sufficient to conceal +any Thing in my present Circumstance that +ought to be conceal’d and reserv’d, with Respect +to my own Safety; and therefore, if on Pretence +of Justice the busy World should look for me in +one Part of the World when I am in another, +search for my new Kingdom in <i>Madagascar</i>, and +should not find it, or search for my Settlement +on one Side of the Island, when it lies on another, +they must not take this ill; for Self-preservation +<!-- page 003 --> +being the supreme Law of Nature, all Things of +this Kind must submit to that. +</p> + +<p>In Order then to come immediately to my +Story, I shall, without any Circumlocutions, give +you Leave to tell the World, that being bred to +the Sea from a Youth, none of those romantick +Introductions publish’d had any Share in my Adventures, +or were any way the Cause of my taking +the Courses I have since been embark’d in: But as +in several Parts of my wandring Life I had seen +something of the immense Wealth, which the Buccaneers, +and other Adventurers, met with in their +scouring about the World for Purchase, I had, for +a long Time, meditated in my Thoughts to get +possess’d of a good Ship for that Purpose, if I +could, and to try my Fortune. I had been some +Years in the Bay of <i>Campeachy</i>, and tho’ with Patience +I endur’d the Fatigue of that laborious Life, +yet it was as visible to others as to myself, that I +was not form’d by Nature for a Logwood-Cutter, +any more than I was for a Foremast-man; and +therefore Night and Day I apply’d myself to study +how I should dismiss myself from that Drudgery, +and get to be, first or last, Master of a good +Ship, which was the utmost of my Ambition at +that Time; resolving, in the mean Time, that +when ever any such Thing should happen, I would +try my Fortune in the Cruising Trade, but would +be sure not to prey upon my own Countrymen. +</p> + +<p>It was many Years after this before I could +bring my Purposes to pass; and I serv’d, first, in +some of the Adventures of Captain <i>Sharp</i>, Captain +<i>Sawkins</i>, and others, in their bold Adventures in +the South Seas, where I got a very good Booty; +was at the taking of <i>Puna</i>, where we were oblig’d +to leave infinite Wealth behind us, for want of +being able to bring it away; and after several +Adventures in those Seas, was among that Party +<!-- page 004 --> +who fought their Way Sword in Hand thro’ all +the Detachments of the <i>Spaniards</i>, in the Journey +over Land, cross the Isthmus of <i>Darien</i>, to the +North Seas; and when other of our Men gat away, +some one Way, some another, I, with twelve more +of our Men, by Help of a <i>Periagua</i>, gat into the +Bay of <i>Campeachy</i>, where we fell very honestly to +cutting of Logwood, not for Want, but to employ +ourselves till we could make off. +</p> + +<p>Here three of our Men dy’d, and we that were +left, shar’d their Money among us; and having +stay’d here two Years, without seeing any Way of +Escape that I dar’d to trust to, I at last, with two +of our Men, who spoke <i>Spanish</i> perfectly well, made +a desperate Attempt to travel over Land to L— +having bury’d all our Money, (which was worth +eight thousand Pieces of Eight a Man, tho’ most +of it in Gold) in a Pit in the Earth which we +dug twelve Foot deep, and where it would have +lyen still, for no Man knew where to look for it; +but we had an Opportunity to come at it again +some Years after. +</p> + +<p>We travell’d along the Sea-shore five Days together, +the Weather exceeding hot, and did not +doubt but we should so disguise ourselves as to be +taken for <i>Spaniards</i>; but our better Fortune provided +otherwise for us, for the sixth Day of our +March we found a Canoe lying on the Shore with +no one in her: We found, however, several Things +in her, which told us plainly that she belong’d +to some <i>Englishmen</i> who were on Shore; so we resolv’d +to sit down by her and wait: By and by +we heard the <i>Englishmen</i>, who were seven in Number, +and were coming back to their Boat, having +been up the Country to an <i>Ingenio</i>, where they had +gotten great Quantities of Provision, and were +<!-- page 005 --> +bringing it down to their Boat which they had +left on the Shore, (with the Help of five <i>Indians</i>, of +whom they had bought it) not thinking there was +any People thereabouts: When they saw us, not +knowing who we were, they were just going to +fire at us; when I, perceiving it, held up a white +Flag as high as I could reach it, which was, in +short, only a Piece of an old Linnen Wastcoat +which I had on, and pull’d it off for the Occasion; +upon this, however, they forbore firing at +us, and when they came nearer to us, they could +easily see that we were their own Countrymen: +They enquir’d of us what we came there for; we +told them, we had travell’d from <i>Campeachy</i>, +where being tir’d with the Hardships of our Fortune, +and not getting any Vessel to carry us +where we durst go, we were even desperate, and +cared not what became of us; so that had not they +came to us thus happily, we should have put our +selves into the Hands of the <i>Spaniards</i> rather than +have perish’d where we were. +</p> + +<p>They took us into their Boat, and afterwards +carry’d us on Board their Ship; when we came +there, we found they were a worse Sort of Wanderers +than ourselves, for tho’ we had been a Kind +of Pyrates, known and declar’d Enemies to the +<i>Spaniards</i>, yet it was to them only, and to no +other; for we never offer’d to rob any of our other +<i>European</i> Nations, either <i>Dutch</i> or <i>French</i>, much +less <i>English</i>; but now we were listed in the Service +of the Devil indeed, and, like him, were at War +with all Mankind. +</p> + +<p>However, we not only were oblig’d to sort +with them, while with them, but in a little Time the +Novelty of the Crime wore off, and we grew harden’d +<!-- page 006 --> +to it, like the rest: And in this Service I +spent four Years more of my Time. +</p> + +<p>Our Captain in this Pirate Ship was nam’d <i>Nichols</i>, +but we call’d him Captain <i>Redhand</i>; it seems +it was a <i>Scots</i> Sailor gave him that Name, when +he was not the Head of the Crew, because he was +so bloody a Wretch, that he scarce ever was at +the taking any Prize, but he had a Hand in some +Butchery or other. +</p> + +<p>They were hard put to it for fresh Provisions, +or they would not have sent thus up into the +Country a single Canoe; and when I came on +Board they were so straiten’d, that, by my +Advice, they resolv’d to go to the Isle of <i>Cuba</i> +to kill wild Beef, of which the South Side of the +Island is so full: Accordingly we sail’d thither +directly. +</p> + +<p>The Vessel carry’d sixteen Guns, but was fitted +to carry twenty two, and there was on Board one +hundred and sixty stout Fellows, as bold and as +case-harden’d for the Work as ever I met with +upon any Occasion whatever: We victual’d in +this Place for eight Months, by our Calculation; but +our Cook, who had the Management of the Salting +and Pickling the Beef, order’d his Matters so, +that had he been let alone he would have starv’d +us all, and poison’d us too; for as we are oblig’d +to hunt the black Cattle in the Island sometimes +a great while before we can shoot them, it should +be observ’d, that the Flesh of those that are heated +before they are kill’d, is not fit to be pickled or +salted up for Keeping. +</p> + +<p>But this Man happening to pickle up the Beef, +without Regard to this particular Distinction, most +of the Beef, so pickled, stunk before we left the +<!-- page 007 --> +Place, so that we were oblig’d to throw it all +away: The Men then said it was impossible to +salt any Beef in those hot Countries, so as to preserve +it, and would have had us given it over, +and ha’ gone to the Coast of <i>New England</i>, or <i>New +York</i>, for Provisions; but I soon convinc’d them +of the Mistake, and by only using the Caution, +<i>viz.</i> not to salt up any Beef of those Cattle that +had been hunted, we cur’d one hundred and forty +Barrels of very good Beef, and such as lasted +us a very great while. +</p> + +<p>I began to be of some Repute among them upon +this Occasion, and <i>Redhand</i> took me into the Cabin +with him to consult upon all Emergencies, +and gave me the Name of Captain, though I had +then no Command: By this Means I gave him +an Account of all my Adventures in the South +Seas, and what a prodigious Booty we got there +with Captain <i>Goignet</i>, the <i>Frenchman</i>, and with +Captain <i>Sharp</i>, and others; encouraging him to +make an Attempt that Way, and proposing to +him to go away to the <i>Brasils</i>, and so round by +the Straits of <i>Magellan</i>, or <i>Cape Horn</i>. +</p> + +<p>However, in this he was more prudent than I, +and told me, that not only the Strength but the +Force of his Ship was too small, not but that he +had Men enough, as he said very well, but he +wanted more Guns, and a better Ship; for indeed +the Ship we were in was but a weak crazy Boat for +so long a Voyage: So he said he approv’d my Project +very well, but that he thought we should try to +take some more substantial Vessel for the Business: +And says he, if we could but take a good stout +Ship, fit to carry thirty Guns, and a Sloop, or +Brigantine, he would go with all his Heart. +</p> +<!-- page 008 --> + +<p>This I could not but approve of; so we form’d +the Scheme of the Design, and he call’d all his +Men together, and propos’d it to them, and they +all approv’d it with a general Consent; and I had +the Honour of being the Contriver of the Voyage. +From this Time we resolv’d, some how or other, +to get a better Ship under us, and it was not long +before an Opportunity presented to our Mind. +</p> + +<p>Being now upon the Coast of the Island of <i>Cuba</i>, +we stood away West, coasting the Island, and +so went away for <i>Florida</i>, where we cruis’d among +the Islands, and in the Wake of the Gulph; +but nothing presented a great while; at length +we spy’d a Sail, which prov’d an <i>English</i> homeward +bound Ship from <i>Jamaica</i>: We immediately +chac’d her, and came up with her; she was a +stout Ship, and the Captain defended her very +well; and had she not been a comber’d deep Ship, +being full loaded, so that they could scarce come +at their Guns, we should have had our Hands +full of her. But when they found what we were, +and that, being full of Men, we were resolv’d to +be on Board them, and that we had hoisted the +black Flag, a Signal that we would give them no +Quarter, they began to sink in their Spirits, and +soon after cry’d Quarter, offering to yield: <i>Redhand</i> +would have given them no Quarter, but, +according to his usual Practice, would have thrown +the Men all into the Sea; but I prevail’d with him +to give them Quarter, and good Usage too; and so +they yielded; and a very rich Prize it was, only +that we knew not what to do with the Cargo. +</p> + +<p>When we came to consider more seriously the +Circumstances we were in by taking this Ship, +and what we should do with her, we found, that she +was not only deep loaden, but was a very heavy +<!-- page 009 --> +Sailer, and that, in short, she was not such a Ship as +we wanted; so, upon long Debate, we resolv’d to take +out of her all the Rum, the Indigo, and the Money +we could come at, with about twenty Casks of +Sugar, and twelve of her Guns, with all the Ammunition, +small Arms, Bullets, <i>&c.</i> and let her +go; which was accordingly done, to the great Joy +of the Captain that commanded her: However, +we took in her about six thousand Pounds Sterling +in Pieces of Eight. +</p> + +<p>But the next Prize we met, suited us better on +all Accounts, being a Ship from <i>Kingsale</i> in <i>Ireland</i>, +loaden with Beef, and Butter, and Beer, for +<i>Barbadoes</i>; never was Ship more welcome to Men +in our Circumstances; this was the very Thing +we wanted: We saw the Ship early in the Morning, +at about five Leagues Distance, and we was +three Days in Chace of her; she stood from us, as if +she would have run away for the <i>Cape de Verd</i> +Islands, and two or three Times we thought she +sail’d so well she would have got away from us, +but we had always the good Luck to get Sight of +her in the Morning: She was about 260 Tun, +an <i>English</i> Frigat-built Ship, and had 12 Guns +on Board, but could carry 20. The Commander +was a Quaker, but yet had he been equal to us +in Force, it appear’d by his Countenance he would +not have been afraid of his Flesh, or have baulk’d +using the Carnal Weapon of Offence, <i>viz.</i> the Cannon +Ball. +</p> + +<p>We soon made ourselves Master of this Ship +when once we came up with him, and he was every +Thing that we wanted; so we began to shift our +Guns into her, and shifted about 60 Tun of her +Butter and Beef into our own Frigate; this made +the <i>Irish</i> Vessel be a clear Ship, lighter in the Water, +<!-- page 010 --> +and have more Room on Board for Fight, if Occasion +offer’d. +</p> + +<p>When we had the old Quaking Skipper on Board, +we ask’d him whether he would go along with us; +he gave us no Answer at first; but when we ask’d +him again, he return’d, that he did not know +whether it might be safe for him to answer the +Question: We told him, he should either go or +stay, as he pleas’d; Why then, says he, I had rather +ye will give me Leave to decline it. +</p> + +<p>We gave him Leave, and accordingly set him +on Shore afterwards at <i>Nevis</i>, with ten of his +Men; the rest went along with us as Volunteers, +except the Carpenter and his Mate, and the Surgeon, +those we took by Force: We were now supply’d +as well as Heart could wish, had a large Ship +in our Possession, with Provisions enough for a +little Fleet rather than for a single Ship. So with +this Purchase we went away for the <i>Leeward +Islands</i>, and fain we would have met with +some of the <i>New York</i> or <i>New England</i> Ships, +which generally come loaden with Peas, Flower, +Pork, <i>&c.</i> But it was a long while before any +Thing of that Kind presented. We had promis’d +the <i>Irish</i> Captain to set him on Shore, with his +Company, at <i>Nevis</i>, but we were not willing till +we had done our Business in those Seas, because of +giving the Alarm among the Islands; so we went +away for St. <i>Domingo</i>, and making that Island our +Rendezvous, we cruis’d to the Eastward, in Hopes +of some Purchase; it was not long before we +spy’d a Sail, which prov’d to be a <i>Burmoodas</i> +Sloop, but bound from <i>Virginia</i> or <i>Maryland</i>, with +Flower, Tobacco, and some Malt; the last a +Thing which in particular we knew not what to +do with: However, the Flower and Tobacco was +<!-- page 011 --> +very welcome, and the Sloop no less welcome than +the rest; for she was a very large Vessel, and +carry’d near 60 Tun, and when not so deep loaden, +prov’d an excellent Sailer. Soon after this we met +with another Sloop, but she was bound from <i>Barbadoes</i> +to <i>New England</i>, with Rum, Sugar, and +Molosses: Nothing disturb’d us in taking this +Vessel, but that being willing enough to let her +go; (for as to the Sugar and Molosses, we had neither +Use for them, or Room for them) but to have +let her go, had been to give the Alarm to all the +Coast of <i>North America</i>, and then what we wanted +would never come in our Way. Our Captain, +justly call’d <i>Redhand</i>, or <i>Bloodyhand</i>, was presently +for dispatching them, that they might tell no +Tales; and, indeed, the Necessity of the Method +had very near prevail’d; nor did I much interpose +here, I know not why, but some of the other +Men put him in as good a Way; and that was, +to bring the Sloop to an Anchor under the Lee of +St. <i>Domingo</i>, and take away all her Sails, that she +should not stir till we gave her Leave. +</p> + +<p>We met with no less than five Prizes more +here in about 20 Days Cruise, but none of them +for our Turn; one of them, indeed, was a Vessel +bound to St. <i>Christopher</i>’s with <i>Madera</i> Wine: We +borrow’d about 20 Pipes of the Wine, and let her +go. Another was a <i>New England</i> built Ship, of +about 150 Tun, bound also Home with Sugar and +Molosses, which was good for nothing to us; +however, we gat near 1000 <i>l.</i> on Board her in +Pieces of Eight, and taking away her Sails, as +before, brought her to an Anchor under the Lee +of the Sloop: At last we met with what we wanted, +and this was another Ship of about 100 Tun, +from <i>New England</i>, bound to <i>Barbadoes</i>; she had on +Board 150 Barrels of Flower, about 350 Barrels +<!-- page 012 --> +of Pease, and 10 Tun of Pork barrell’d up +and pickel’d, besides some live Hogs, and some +Horses, and six Tun of Beer. +</p> + +<p>We were now sufficiently provided for; in all +those Prizes we got also about 56 Men, who, by +Choice and Volunteer, agree’d to go along with us, +including the Carpenters and Surgeons, who we +oblig’d always to go; so that we were now above +200 Men, two Ships, and the <i>Burmoodas</i> Sloop; +and giving the other Sloop, and the <i>New England</i> +homeward bound Ship their Sails again, we let +them go; and as to the Malt which we took in the +<i>Burmoodas</i> Sloop, we gave it the last <i>New England</i> +Master, who was going to <i>Barbadoes</i>. +</p> + +<p>We gat in all those Ships, besides the Provisions +above-mention’d, about 200 Musquets and +Pistols, good Store of Cutlasses, about 20 Tun of +Iron Shot and Musquet Ball, and 33 Barrels of +good Powder, which was all very suitable Things +to our Occasions. +</p> + +<p>We were fully satisfy’d, as we said to one another, +now, and concluded that we would stand +away to the Windward, as well as we could, towards +the Coast of <i>Africa</i>, that we might come +in the Wind’s Way for the Coast of <i>Brasil</i>; but +our Frigat (I mean that we were first shipp’d in) +was yet out upon the Cruise, and not come in; so +we came to an Anchor to wait for her, when, behold, +the next Morning she came in with full Sail, +and a Prize in Tow: She had, it seems, been +farther West than her Orders, but had met with +a <i>Spanish</i> Prize, whither bound, or from whence, +I remember we did not enquire, but we found in +her, besides Merchandize, which we had no Occasion +for, 65000 Pieces of Eight in Silver, some +<!-- page 013 --> +Gold, and two Boxes of Pearl of a good Value; +five <i>Dutch</i>, or rather <i>Flemish</i>, Seamen that were on +Board her, were willing to go with us; and as to +the rest of the Cargo, we let her go, only finding +four of her Guns were Brass, we took them into +our Ship, with seven great Jars of Powder, and +some Cannon-Shot, and let her go, using the <i>Spaniards</i> +very civilly. +</p> + +<p>This was a Piece of meer good Fortune to us, and +was so encouraging as nothing could be more, for +it set us up, as we may say; for now we thought +we could never fail of good Fortune, and we resolv’d, +one and all, directly to the South Seas. +</p> + +<p>It was about the Middle of <i>August</i> 1690 that +we set forward, and steering E. by S. and E. S. E. +for about fifteen Days, with the Winds at N. N. W. +variable, we came quickly into the Trade Winds, +with a good Offing, to go clear of all the Islands; +and so we steer’d directly for <i>Cape St. Augustin</i> in +the <i>Brasils</i>, which we made the 22nd of <i>September</i>. +</p> + +<p>We cruis’d some Time upon the Coast, about +the Bay of <i>All Saints</i>, and put in once or twice for +fresh Water, especially at the Island of St. <i>John</i>’s, +where we got good Store of Fish, and some Hogs, +which, for fresh Provisions, was a great Relief to +us: But we gat no Purchase here; for whether it +was that their <i>European</i> Ships were just come in, +or just gone out, we know not, or whether they +suspected what we were, and so kept close within +their Ports, but in thirteen Days that we ply’d off +and on about <i>Fernambuque</i>, and about fourteen +Days more that we spent in coasting along the +<i>Brasil</i> Shore to the South, we met not one Ship, +neither saw a Sail, except of their Fishing-Boats +or small Coasters, who kept close under Shore. +</p> +<!-- page 014 --> + +<p>We cross’d the Line here about the latter End +of <i>September</i>, and found the Air exceeding hot and +unwholsome, the Sun being in the <i>Zenith</i>, and the +Weather very wet and rainy; so we resolv’d to +stand away South, without looking for any more +Purchase on that Side. +</p> + +<p>Accordingly we kept on to the South, having +tolerable good Weather, and keeping the Shore all +the Way in View till we came the Length of St. +<i>Julien</i>, in the Latitude of 48 Degrees, 22 Minutes +South; here we put in again, being the Beginning +of <i>November</i>, and took in fresh Water, and spent +about ten Days, refreshing ourselves, and fitting +our Tackle; all which Time we liv’d upon Penguins +and Seals, of which we kill’d an innumerable +Number; and when we prepar’d to go, we +salted up as many Penguins as we found would +serve our whole Crew, to eat them twice a Week +as long as they would keep. +</p> + +<p>Here we consulted together about going thro’ the +Straits of <i>Magellan</i>; but I put them quite out of Conceit +of making that troublesom and fatieguing Adventure, +the Straits being so hazardous, and so many +Winds requir’d to pass them; and having assur’d +them, that in our Return with <i>Bat Sharp</i>, we went +away to the Latitude of 55 Degrees 30 Minutes, +and then steering due East, came open with the +North Seas in five Days Run, they all agreed +to go that Way. +</p> + +<p>On the 20th of November we weigh’d from Port +<i>Julien</i>, and having a fair Wind at N. E. by E. +led it away merrily, till we came into the Latitude +of 54, when the Wind veering more Northerly, +and then to the N. W. blowing hard, we were +driven into 55 Degrees and half, but lying as near +<!-- page 015 --> +as we could to the Wind, we made some Westward +Way withal: The 3d of <i>December</i> the Wind +came up South, and S. E. by S. being now just as +it were at the Beginning of the Summer Solstice +in that Country. +</p> + +<p>With this Wind, which blew a fresh Gale, we +stood away N. N. W. and soon found ourselves +in open Sea, to the West of <i>America</i>; upon which +we haul’d away N. by E. and N. N. E. and then +N. E. when on the 20th of <i>December</i> we made +the Land, being the Coast of <i>Chili</i>, in the Latitude +of 41 Degrees, about the Height of <i>Baldivia</i>; and +we stood out from hence till we made the Isle of +St. <i>Juan Fernando</i>, where we came to an Anchor, +and went on Shore to get fresh Water; also some +of our Men went a hunting for Goats, of which +we kill’d enough to feed us all with fresh Meat +for all the while we stay’d here, which was +22 Days. [<i>Jan.</i> 11.] +</p> + +<p>During this Stay we sent the Sloop out to Cruise, +but she came back without seeing any Vessel; +after which we order’d her out again more to the +North, but she was scarce gone a League, when +she made a Signal that she saw a Sail, and that +we should come out to help them; accordingly +the Frigat put to Sea after them, but making no +Signal for us to follow, we lay still, and work’d +hard at cleaning our Ship, shifting some of the +Rigging, and the like. +</p> + +<p>We heard no more of them in three Days, which +made us repent sorely that we had not gone all +three together; but the third Day they came +back, tho’ without any Prize, as we thought, but +gave us an Account that they had chac’d a great +Ship and a Bark all Night, and the next Day; +<!-- page 016 --> +that they took the Bark the Evening before, but +found little in her of Value; that the great Ship +ran on Shore among some Rocks, where they +durst not go in after her, but that manning out +their Boats, they got on Shore so soon, that the +Men belonging to her durst not land; that then +they threaten’d to burn the Ship as she lay, and +burn them all in her, if they did not come on +Shore and surrender: They offer’d to surrender, +giving them their Liberty, which our Men would +not promise at first; but after some Parly, and +arguing on both Sides, our Men agreed thus far, +that they should remain Prisoners for so long as +we were in those Seas, but that as soon as we +came to the Height of <i>Panama</i>, or if we resolv’d to +return sooner, then they should be set at Liberty; +and to these hard Conditions they yielded. +</p> + +<p>Our Men found in the Ship 6 Brass Guns, 200 +Sacks of Meal, some Fruit, and the Value of +160000 Pieces of Eight in Gold of <i>Chili</i>, as good +as any in the World: It was a glittering Sight, +and enough to dazzle the Eyes of those that look’d +on it, to see such a Quantity of Gold laid all of a +Heap together, and we began to embrace one another +in Congratulation of our good Fortune. +</p> + +<p>We brought the Prisoners all to the Island +<i>Fernando</i>, where we used them very well, built +little Houses for them, gave them Bread, and +Meat, and every Thing they wanted; and gave +them Powder and Ball to kill Goats with, which +they were fully satisfy’d with, and kill’d a great +many for us too. +</p> + +<p>We continu’d to Cruise [<i>Feb.</i> 2] hereabout, +but without finding any other Prize for near three +Weeks more; so we resolv’d to go up as high as +<!-- page 017 --> +<i>Puna</i>, the Place where I had been so lucky before; +and we assur’d our Prisoners, that in about two +Months we would return, and relieve them; but +they chose rather to be on Board us, so we took +them all in again, and kept on with an easy Sail, +at a proper Distance from Land, that we might +not be known, and the Alarm given; for as to the +Ship which we had taken, and which was stranded +among the Rocks, as we had taken all the Men +out of her, the People on the Shore, when they +should find her, could think no other than that +she was driven on Shore by a Storm, and that all +the People were drown’d, or all escap’d and +gone; and there was no Doubt but that the Ship +would beat to Pieces in a very few Days. +</p> + +<p>We kept, I say, at a Distance from the Shore, +to prevent giving the Alarm; but it was a needless +Caution, for the Country was all alarm’d on +another Account, <i>viz.</i> about an 130 bold Buccaneers +had made their Way over Land, not at +the Isthmus of <i>Darien</i>, as usual, but from <i>Granada</i>, +on the Lake of <i>Nicaragua</i> to the North of +<i>Panama</i>, by which, tho’ the Way was longer, and +the Country not so practicable as at the ordinary +Passage, yet they were unmolested, for they surpriz’d +the Country; and whereas the <i>Spaniards</i>, +looking for them at the old Passage, had drawn +Entrenchments, planted Guns, and posted Men +at the Passages of the Mountains, to intercept +them and cut them off, here they met with no +<i>Spaniards</i>, nor any other Obstruction in their +Way, but coming to the South Sea had Time, +undiscover’d, to build themselves Canoes and +Periaguas, and did a great deal of Mischief upon +the Shore, having been follow’d, among the rest, +by 80 Men more, commanded by one <i>Guilotte</i>, a +<i>Frenchman</i>, an old Buccaneer; so that they were +<!-- page 018 --> +now 210 Men; and they were not long at Sea +before they took two <i>Spanish</i> Barks going from +<i>Guatimala</i> to <i>Panama</i>, loaden with Meal, Coco, and +other Provisions; so that now they were a Fleet +of two Barks, with several Canoes, and Periaguas, +but no Guns, nor any more Ammunition +than every one carry’d at first at their Backs. +</p> + +<p>However, this Troop of Desperadoes had alarm’d +all the Coast, and Expresses both by Sea +and Land were dispatch’d, to warn the Towns on +the Coast to be upon their Guard, all the way from +<i>Panama</i> to <i>Lima</i>; but as they were represented +to be only such Freebooters as I have said, Ships +of Strength did not desist their Voyages, as they +found Occasion, as we shall observe presently: +We were now gotten into the Latitude of 10, 11, +and 12 Degrees and a Half; but, in our overmuch +Caution, had kept out so far to Sea, that we +miss’d every Thing which would otherwise have +fallen into our Hands; but we were better inform’d +quickly, as you shall hear. +</p> + +<p>Early in the Morning, one of our Men being on +the Missen-top, cry’d, A Sail, a Sail; it prov’d to be +a small Vessel standing just after us; and as we understood +afterwards, did so, believing that we +were some of the King’s Ships looking after +the Buccaneers. As we understood she was a-Stern +of us, we shorten’d Sail, and hung out the <i>Spanish</i> +Colours, separating ourselves, to make him +suppose we were cruising for the Buccaneers, and +did not look for him; however, when we saw him +come forward, but stretching in a little towards +the Shore, we took Care to be so much to Starboard +that he could not escape us that Way; +and when he was a little nearer, the Sloop plainly chac’d +him, and in a little Time came up +<!-- page 019 --> +with him, and took him: We had little Goods in +the Vessel, their chief Loading being Meal and +Corn for <i>Panama</i>, but the Master happen’d to have +6000 Pieces of Eight in his Cabin, which was +good Booty. +</p> + +<p>But that which was better than all this to us was, +that the Master gave us an Account of two Ships +which were behind, and were under Sail for <i>Lima</i> +or <i>Panama</i>; the one having the Revenues of the +Kingdom of <i>Chili</i>, and the other having a great +Quantity of Silver, going from <i>Puna</i> to <i>Lima</i>, to +be forwarded from thence to <i>Panama</i>, and that +they kept together, being Ships of Force, to protect +one another; how they did it we soon saw +the Effects of. +</p> + +<p>Upon this Intelligence we were very joyful, +and assur’d the Master, that if we found it so, +we would give him his Vessel again, and all his +Goods, except his Money, as for That, we told him, +such People as we never return’d it any Body: +However, the Man’s Intelligence prov’d good, for +the very next Day, as we were standing South-West, +our <i>Spanish</i> Colours being out, as above, we spy’d one +of the Ships, and soon after the other; we found +they had discover’d us also, and that being doubtful +what to make of us, they tack’d and stood +Eastward to get nearer the Land; we did the +like, and as we found there was no letting them +go that Way but that we should be sure to lose +them, we soon let them know that we were resolv’d +to speak with them. +</p> + +<p>The biggest Ship, which was three Leagues +a-Stern of the other, crowded in for the Shore with +all the Sail, she could make, and it was easy for +us to see that she would escape us; for as she was a +<!-- page 020 --> +great deal farther in with the Land than the other +when we first gave Chace, so in about three Hours +we saw the Land plain a-Head of us, and that the +great Ship would get into Port before we could +reach her. +</p> + +<p>Upon this we stretch’d a-Head with all the Sail +we could make, and the Sloop, which crowded also +very hard, and out-went us, engag’d the small +Ship at least an Hour before we could come up: +But she could make little of it, for the <i>Spanish</i> +Ship having 12 Guns and 6 Patereroes, would +have been too many for the Sloop if we had +not come up: However, at length, our biggest +Ship came up also, and, running up under her Quarter, +gave her our whole Broadside; at which she +struck immediately, and the <i>Spaniards</i> cry’d, <i>Quarter</i>, +and <i>Miserecordia</i>; Upon this, our Sloop’s Men +enter’d her presently, and secur’d her. +</p> + +<p>In the Beginning oft his Action, it seems, our +<i>Redhand</i> Captain was so provok’d at losing the +greater Prize, which, as he thought, had all the +Money on Board, that he swore he would not +spare one of the Dogs, (so he call’d the <i>Spaniards</i> +in the other Ship) but he was prevented; and it +was very happy for the <i>Spaniards</i>, that the first +Shot the Ship made towards us, just as we were +running up to pour in our Broadside, I say, the +first Shot took Captain <i>Redhand</i> full on the Breast, +and shot his Head and one Shoulder off, so that +he never spoke more, nor did I find that any one +Man in the Ship shew’d the least Concern for him; +so certain it is, that Cruelty never recommends +any Man among <i>Englishmen</i>; no, tho’ they have +no Share in the suffering under it; but one said, +D—n him, let him go, he was a butcherly Dog; +another said, D—n him, he was a merciless +<!-- page 021 --> +Son of a B—ch; another said, he was a barbarous +Dog, and the like. +</p> + +<p>But to return to the Prize, being now as certain +of the smaller Prize as that we had miss’d +the great one, we began to examine what we had +got; and it is not easy to give an exact Account +of the prodigious Variety of Things we found: +In the first Place, were 116 Chests of Pieces of +Eight in Specie, 72 Bars of Silver, 15 Bags of +wrought Plate, which a Fryer that was on Board +would have perswaded us, for the Sake of the +Blessed Virgin, to have return’d, being, as he said, +consecrated Plate to the Honour of the holy +Church, the Virgin <i>Mary</i>, and St. <i>Martin</i>; but, as +it happen’d, he could not perswade us to it; also +we found about 60000 Ounces of Gold, some in +little Wedges, some in Dust. We found several +other Things of Value, but not to be nam’d with +the rest. +</p> + +<p>Being thus made surprisingly rich, we began +to think what Course we should steer next; for as +the great Ship, which was escap’d, would certainly +alarm the Country, we might be sure we +should meet with no more Purchase at Sea, and +we were not very fond of landing, to attack any +Town on Shore. In this Consultation ’tis to be +observ’d, that I was, by the unanimous Consent +of all the Crew, made Captain of the great Ship, +and of the whole Crew; the whole Voyage hither, +and every Part of it, having, for some Time +before, been chiefly manag’d by my Direction, or +at least by my Advice. +</p> + +<p>The first Thing I propos’d to them all, was, +seeing we had met with such good Luck, and that +we could not expect much more, and if we stay’d +longer in these Seas, should find it very hard to +<!-- page 022 --> +revictual our Ships, and might have our Retreat +cut off by <i>Spanish</i> Men of war; (five of which we +heard were sent out after the other Buccaneers) +we should make the best of our Way to the South, +and get about into the North Seas, where we +were out of all Danger. +</p> + +<p>In Consequence of this Advice, which was generally +approv’d, we stood away directly South; and +the Wind blowing pretty fair at N. N. E. a merry +Gale, we stood directly for the Isle of <i>Juan Fernando</i>, +carrying our rich Prize with us. +</p> + +<p>We arriv’d here the Beginning of <i>June</i>, having +been just six Months in those Seas. We were surpriz’d, +when coming to the Island, we found two +Ships at an Anchor close under the Lee of the +Rocks, and two little Periaguas farther in, near +the Shore; but being resolv’d to see what they +were, we found, to our Satisfaction, they were the +Buccaneers of whom I have spoken above: The +Story is too long to enter upon here; but in short, +without Guns, without Ship, and only coming +over Land with their Fusees in their Hands, they +had rang’d these Seas, had taken several Prizes, +and some pretty rich, and had got two pretty +handsome Barks, one carry’d six Guns, and the +other four; they had shar’d, as they told us, about +400 Pieces of Eight a Man, besides one Thing +they had which we were willing to buy of them; +they had about 100 Jarrs of Gunpowder, which +they took out of a Store Ship going to <i>Lima</i>. +</p> + +<p>If we was glad to meet them, you may be sure +they were glad to meet with us, and so we began +to sort together as one Company, only they +were loth to give over and return, as we were +and which we had now resolv’d on. +</p> +<!-- page 023 --> + +<p>We were so rich ourselves, and so fully satisfy’d +with what we had taken, that we began to be +bountiful to our Countrymen; and indeed they +dealt so generously with us, that we could not +but be inclin’d to do them some Good, for when +we talk’d of buying their Gunpowder, they very +frankly gave us 50 Jarrs of it <i>gratis</i>. +</p> + +<p>I took this so kindly, that I call’d a little +Council among ourselves, and propos’d to send the +poor Rogues 50 Barrels of our Beef, which we +could very well spare; and our Company agreeing +to it, we did so, which made their Hearts +glad; for it was very good, and they had not +tasted good Salt-beef for a long Time; and with +it we sent them two Hogsheads of Rum: This +made them so hearty to us, that they sent two +of their Company to compliment us, to offer to +enter themselves on Board us, and to go with us +all the World over. +</p> + +<p>We did not so readily agree to this at first, +because we had no new Enterprize<a id="corr-1"></a> in View; but +however, as they sent us Word they had chosen +me so unanimously for their Captain, I propos’d +to our Men to remove ourselves, and all our +Goods, into the great Ship and the Sloop, and so +take the honest Fellows into the Fregat, which +now had no less than 22 Guns, and would hold +them all, and then they might sail with us, or +go upon any Adventures of their own, as we +should agree. +</p> + +<p>Accordingly we did so, and gave them that +Ship, with all her Guns and Ammunition, but +made one of our own Men Captain, which they +consented to, and so we became all one Body. +</p> +<!-- page 024 --> + +<p>Here also we shar’d our Booty, which was great +indeed to a Profusion; and as keeping such a Treasure +in every Man’s particular private Possession, +would have occasion’d Gaming, Quarrelling, and +perhaps Thieving and Pilfering, I order’d that so +many small Chests should be made as there were +Men in the Ship, and every Man’s Treasure was +nail’d up in these Chests, and the Chests all stow’d +in the Hold, with every Man’s Name upon his +Chest, not to be touch’d but by general Order, +and to prevent Gaming, I prevail’d with them to +make a Law or Agreement, and everyone to set +their Hands to it; by which they agreed, That +if any Man play’d for any more Money than he +had in his Keeping, the Winner should not be +paid whatever the Loser run in Debt, but the +Chest containing every Man’s Dividend, should +be all his own, to be deliver’d whole to him; +and the Offender, whenever he left the Ship, if +he would pay any Gaming Debts afterward, +that was another Case; but such Debts should +never be paid while he continu’d in that Company. +</p> + +<p>By this Means also we secur’d the Ship’s Crew +keeping together; for if any Man left the Ship +now, he was sure to leave about 6000 Pieces of +Eight behind him, to be shar’d among the rest of +the Ship’s Company, which few of them car’d +to do. +</p> + +<p>As we were now all embark’d together, the +next Question was, Whither we should go? As +for our Crew, we were so rich, that our Men were +all for going back again, and so to make off to +some of the <i>Leeward Islands</i>, that we might get +a-Shore privately with our Booty: But as we had +shipp’d our new Comrades on Board a good Ship, +<!-- page 025 --> +it would be very hard to oblige them to go back +without any Purchace, for that would be to give +them a Ship to do them no Good, but to carry +them back to <i>Europe</i> just as they came out from +thence, <i>viz.</i> with no Money in their Pockets. +</p> + +<p>Upon these Considerations we came to this +Resolution, That they should go out to Sea and +Cruise the Height of <i>Lima</i>, and try their Fortune, +and that we would stay 60 Days for them +at <i>Juan Fernando</i>. +</p> + +<p>Upon this Agreement they went away very +joyful, and we fell to work to new rig our Ship, +mending our Sails, and cleaning our Bottom. +Here we employ’d ourselves a Month very hard +at Work; our Carpenters also took down some of +the Ship’s upper Work, and built it, as we +thought, more to the Advantage of Sailing; so +that we had more Room within, and yet did +not lie so high. +</p> + +<p>During this Time we had a Tent set up on +Shore, and 50 of our Men employ’d themselves +wholly in killing Goats and Fowls for our fresh +Provisions; and one of our Men understanding we +had some Malt left on Board the Ship, which +was taken in one of the Prizes, set up a great +Kettle on Shore, and went to work to Brewing, +and, to our great Satisfaction, brew’d us some very +good Beer; but we wanted Bottles to keep it +in, after it had stood a while in the Cask. +</p> + +<p>However, he brew’d us very good Small Beer, +for present Use; and instead of Hops he found +some wild Wormwood growing on the Island, +which gave it no unpleasant Taste, and made it +very agreeable to us. +</p> +<!-- page 026 --> + +<p>Before the Time was expir’d, our Frigat sent a +Sloop to us, which they had taken, to give us +Notice that they were in a small Creek near the +Mould of the River <i>Guyaquil</i>, on the Coast of <i>Peru</i>, +in the Latitude of 22 Degrees. They had a +great Booty in View, there being two Ships in the +River of <i>Guyaquil</i>, and two more expected to pass +by from <i>Lima</i>, in which was a great Quantity of +Plate; that they waited there for them, and begg’d +we would not think the Time long; but that if we +should go away, they desir’d that we would fix up +a Post, with a Piece of Lead on it, signifying where +they should come to us, and wherever it was, +East or West, North or South, they would follow +us with all the Sail they could make. +</p> + +<p>A little while after this, they sent another +Sloop, which they had taken also; and she brought +a vast Treasure in Silver and very rich Goods, +which they had got in plundering a Town on the +Continent; and they order’d the Sloop to wait +for them at the Island where we lay, till their +Return: But they were so eager in the Pursuit of +their Game, that they could not think of coming +back yet, neither could we blame them, they +having such great Things in View: So we resolv’d, +in Pursuit of our former Resolution, to be +gone; and after several Consultations among our +selves in what Part of the World we should pitch +our Tent, we broke up at first without any +Conclusion. +</p> + +<p>We were all of the Opinion, that our Treasure +was so great, that wherever we went, we +should be a Prey to the Government of that Place; +that it was impossible to go all on Shore, and +be conceal’d; and that we should be so jealous of +one another, that we should certainly betray one +<!-- page 027 --> +another, everyone for fear of his Fellow, that is to +say, for fear the other should tell first. Some therefore +propos’d our going about the South Point of Cape +<i>Horne</i>, and that then, going away to the Gulph of +<i>Mexico</i>, we should go on Shore at the Bay of <i>Campeachy</i>, +and from thence disperse ourselves as well +as we could, and every one go his own Way. +</p> + +<p>I was willing enough to have gone thither, because +of the Treasure I had left there under +Ground; but still I concluded we were (as I have +said) too rich to go on Shore any where to separate, +for every Man of us had too much Wealth +to carry about us; and if we separated, the first +Number of Men any of us should meet with, that +were strong enough to do it, would take it from +us, and so we should but just expose ourselves to +be murder’d for that Money we had gotten at so +much Hazard. +</p> + +<p>Some propos’d then our going to the Coast of +<i>Virgina</i>, and go some on Shore in one Place, and +some in another privately, and so travelling to +the Sea-Ports where there were most People, we +might be conceal’d, and by Degrees reduce our +selves to a private Capacity, every one shifting +Home as well as they could. This I acknowledge +might be done, if we were sure none of us would +be false one to another; but while Tales might +be told, and the Teller of the Tale was sure to +save his own Life and Treasure, and make his +Peace at the Expence of his Comrade’s, there was +no Safety; and they might be sure, that as the +Money would render them suspected wherever +they came, so they would be examin’d, and what +by faltering in their Story, and by being cross-examin’d, +kept apart, and the one being made to +believe the other had betray’d him, and told all, +<!-- page 028 --> +when indeed he might have said nothing to hurt +him, the Truth of Fact would be dragg’d out by +Piece-meal, till they would certainly at last come +to the Gallows. +</p> + +<p>These Objections were equally just, to what +Nation or Place soever we could think of going: +So that upon the whole, we concluded there was +no Safety for us but by keeping all together, and +going to some Part of the World where we +might be strong enough to defend ourselves, or +be so conceal’d till we might find out some Way +of Escape that we might not now be so well +able to think of. +</p> + +<p>In the Middle of all these Consultations, in +which I freely own I was at a Loss, and could +not tell which Way to advise, an old Sailor stood +up, and told us, if we would be advis’d by him, +there was a Part of the World where he had +been, where we might all settle ourselves undisturb’d, +and live very comfortably and plentifully, +till we could find out some Way how to +dispose of ourselves better; and that we might +easily be strong enough for the Inhabitants, who +would at first, perhaps, attack us, but that afterwards +they would sort very well with us, and +supply us with all Sorts of Provisions very plentifully; +and this was the Island of <i>Madagascar</i>: +He told us we might live very well there. He +gave us a large Account of the Country, the Climate, +the People, the Plenty of Provisions which +was to be had there, especially of black Cattle, +of which, he said, there was an infinite Number, +and consequently a Plenty of Milk, of which so +many other Things was made: In a Word, he +read us so many Lectures upon the Goodness of +the Place, and the Conveniency of living there, +<!-- page 029 --> +that we were, one and all, eager to go thither, +and concluded upon it. +</p> + +<p>Accordingly, having little left to do, (for we +had been in a sailing Posture some Weeks) we left +word with the Officer who commanded the Sloop, +and with all his Men, that they should come +after us to <i>Madagascar</i>; and our Men were not +wanting to let them know all our Reasons for +going thither, as well as the Difficulties we found +of going any where else, which had so fully possess’d +them with the Hopes of farther Advantage, +that they promis’d for the rest that they would +all follow us. +</p> + +<p>However, as we all calculated the Length of +the Voyage, and that our Water, and perhaps +our Provisions might not hold out so far, but +especially our Water, we agreed, that having +pass’d Cape <i>Horn</i>, and got into the North Seas, +we would steer Northward up the East Shore of +<i>America</i> till we came to St. <i>Julien</i>, where we +would stay at least fourteen Days to take in Water, +and to store ourselves with Seals and Penguins, +which would greatly eek out our Ship’s +Stores; and that then we should cross the great +<i>Atlantick</i> Ocean in a milder Latitude than if we +went directly, and stood immediately over from +the Passage about the Cape, which must be, at +least, in 55 or 56, and perhaps, as the Weather +might be, would be in the Latitude of 60 or 61. +</p> + +<p>With this Resolution, and under these Measures, +we set Sail from the Island of St. <i>Juan +Fernando</i> the 23d of <i>September</i>, (being the same +there as our <i>March</i> is here) and keeping the Coast +of <i>Chili</i> on Board, had good Weather for about a +Fortnight, [<i>Octob.</i> 14.] till we came into the Latitude +<!-- page 030 --> +of 44 Degrees South; when finding the Wind +come squally off the Shore from among the +Mountains, we were oblig’d to keep farther out at +Sea, where the Winds were less uncertain; and +some Calms we met with, till about the Middle of +<i>October</i>, [16.] when the Wind springing up at N. +N. W. a pretty moderate Gale, we jogg’d S. E. +and S. S. E. till we came into the Latitude of +55 Degrees; and the 16th of <i>November</i>, found our +selves in 59 Degrees, the Weather exceeding cold +and severe. But the Wind holding fair, we held +in with the Land, and steering E. S. E. we held +that Course till we thought ourselves entirely clear +of the Land, and enter’d into the North Sea, or +<i>Atlantick Ocean</i>; and then changing our Course, +we steer’d N. and N. N. E. but the Wind blowing +still at N. N. W. a pretty stiff Gale, we could +make nothing of it till we made the Land in the +Latitude of 52 Degrees; and when we came close +under Shore, we found the Winds variable; so we +made still N. under the Lee of the Shore, and +made the Point of St. <i>Julien</i> the 13th of November, +having been a Year and seven Days since we +parted from thence on our Voyage Outwardbound. +</p> + +<p>Here we rested ourselves, took in fresh Water, +and began to kill Seals and Fowls of several Sorts, +but especially Penguins, which this Place is noted +for; and here we stay’d, in Hopes our Fregate +would arrive, but we heard no News of her; so, at +Parting, we set up a Post, with this Inscription, +done on a Plate of Lead, with our Names upon +the Lead, and these Words; +</p> + +<p class="center"><i>Gone to Madagascar</i>, <i>December</i> 10, 1692. +</p> + +<p class="noindent">(Being in that Latitude the longest Day in the +Year;) and I doubt not but the Post may stand +there still. +</p> +<!-- page 031 --> + +<p>From hence we launch’d out into the vast <i>Atlantick +Ocean</i>, steering our Coast E. by N. and E. +N. E. till we had sail’d, by our Account, about +470 Leagues, taking our Meridian Distance, or +Departure, from St. <i>Julian</i>. And here a strong Gale +springing up at S. E. by E. and E. S. E. encreasing +afterwards to a violent Storm, we were forc’d by +it to the Norward, as high as the <i>Tropick</i>; not +that it blew a Storm all the while, but it blew +so steady, and so very hard, for near 20 Days +together, that we were carry’d quite out of our intended +Course: After we had weather’d this, we began +to recover ourselves again, making still East; +and endeavouring to get to the Southward, we had +yet another hard Gale of Wind at S. and S. S. E. so +strong, that we could make nothing of it at all; +whereupon it was resolv’d, if we could, to make the +Island of St. <i>Helena</i>, which in about three Weeks +more we very happily came to, on the 17th of +<i>January</i>. +</p> + +<p>It was to our great Satisfaction that we found +no Ships at all here, and we resolv’d not by any +Means to let the Governor on Shore know our +Ship’s Name, or any of our Officers Names; and +I believe our Men were very true to one another +in that Point, but they were not at all shy of +letting them know upon what Account we +were, <i>&c.</i> so that if he could have gotten any +of us in his Power, as we were afterwards told +he endeavour’d by two or three Ambuscades +to do, we should have pass’d our Time but very +indifferently; for which, when we went away, +we let him know we would not have fail’d to +have beat his little Port about his Ears. +</p> + +<p>We stay’d no longer here than just serv’d to refresh +ourselves, and supply our Want of fresh +<!-- page 032 --> +Water; the Wind presenting fair, <i>Feb.</i> 2. 1692, we +set Sail, and (not to trouble my Story with the Particulars +of the Voyage, in which nothing remarkable +occur’d) we doubled the Cape the 13th of <i>March</i>, +and passing on without coming to an Anchor, or +discovering ourselves, we made directly to the +Island of <i>Madagascar</i>, where we arriv’d the 7th of +<i>April</i>; the Sloop, to our particular Satisfaction, +keeping in Company all the Way, and bearing the +Sea as well as our Ship upon all Occasions. +</p> + +<p>To this Time I had met with nothing but good +Fortune; Success answer’d every Attempt, and +follow’d every Undertaking, and we scarce knew +what it was to be disappointed; but we had an +Interval of our Fortunes to meet with in this +Place: We arriv’d, as above, at the Island on the +13th of <i>March</i>, but we did not care to make the +South Part of the Island our Retreat; nor was it +a proper Place for our Business, which was to +take Possession of a private secure Place to make +a Refuge of: So after staying some Time where +we put in, which was on the Point of Land a +little to the South of Cape St.<i> Augustine</i>, and +taking in Water and Provisions there, we stood +away to the North, and keeping the Island in +View, went on till we came to the Latitude of +14 Degrees: Here we met with a very terrible +Tornado, or <i>Hurricane</i>, which, after we had beat +the Sea as long as we could, oblig’d us to run directly +for the Shore to save our Lives as well as +we could, in Hopes of finding some Harbour or +Bay where we might run in, or at least might go +into smooth Water till the Storm was over. +</p> + +<p>The Sloop was more put to it than we were +in the great Ship, and being oblig’d to run afore +it, a little sooner than we did, she serv’d for a +<!-- page 033 --> +Pilot-Boat to us which follow’d; in a Word, she run +in under the Lee of a great Head-land, which +jetted far out into the Sea, and stood very high +also, and came to an Anchor in three Fathom and +a half Water: We follow’d her, but not with the +same good Luck, tho’ we came to an Anchor too, as +we thought, safe enough; but the Sea going very +high, our Anchor came Home in the Night, and +we drove on Shore in the Dark among the Rocks, +in spight of all we were able to do. +</p> + +<p>Thus we lost the most fortunate Ship that ever +Man sail’d with; however, making Signals of +Distress to the Sloop, and by the Assistance of our +own Boat, we sav’d our Lives; and the Storm +abating in the Morning, we had Time to save +many Things, particularly our Guns, and most of +our Ammunition; and, which was more than all +the rest, we sav’d our Treasure: Tho’ I mention +the saving our Guns first, yet they were the last +Things we sav’d, being oblig’d to break the upper +Deck of the Ship up for them. +</p> + +<p>Being thus got on Shore, and having built us +some Huts for our Conveniency, we had nothing +before us but a View of fixing our Habitations in +the Country; for tho’ we had the Sloop, we could +propose little Advantage by her; for as to cruising +for Booty among the <i>Arabians</i> or <i>Indians</i>, we had +neither Room, for it or Inclination to it; and as +for attacking any <i>European</i> Ship, the Sloop was +in no Condition to do it, tho’ we had all been +on Board; for every Body knows that all the Ships +trading from <i>Europe</i> to the <i>East-Indies</i>, were Ships +of Force, and too strong for us; so that, in short, we +had nothing in View for several Months but how +to settle ourselves here, and live as comfortably +<!-- page 034 --> +and as well as we could, till something or other +might offer for our Deliverance. +</p> + +<p>In this Condition we remain’d on Shore above +eight Months, during which Time we built us a +little Town, and fortify’d it by the Direction of +one of our Gunners, who was a very good Engineer, +in a very clever and regular Manner, +placing a very strong double Palisado round the +Foot of our Works, and a very large Ditch without +our Palisado, and a third Palisado beyond the +Ditch, like a Counterscarp or Cover’d-way; besides +this, we rais’d a large Battery next to the +Sea, with a Line of 24 Guns plac’d before it, and +thus we thought ourselves in a Condition to defend +ourselves against any Force that could attempt +us in that Part of the World. +</p> + +<p>And besides all this, the Place on which our +Habitation was built, being an Island, there was +no coming easily at us by Land. +</p> + +<p>But I was far from being easy in this Situation +of our Affairs; so I made a Proposal to our Men +one Day, that tho’ we were well enough in our +Habitation, and wanted for nothing, yet since +we had a Sloop here, and a Boat so good as she +was, ’twas Pity she should lye and perish there, +but we should send her Abroad, and see what +might happen; that perhaps it might be our good +Luck to surprise some Ship or other for our Turn, +and so we might all go to Sea again: The Proposal +was well enough relish’d at first Word, but the +great Mischief of all was like to be this, That we +should all go together by the Ears upon the Question +who should go in her: My secret Design +was laid, that I was resolv’d to go in her myself, +and that she should not go without me; but when +<!-- page 035 --> +it began to be talk’d of, I discover’d the greatest +seeming Resolution not to stir, but to stay with +the rest, and take Care of the main Chance, that +was to say, the Money. +</p> + +<p>I found, when they saw that I did not propose +to go myself, the Men were much the easier; for +at first they began to think it was only a Project +of mine to run away from them; and so indeed it +was: However, as I did not at first propose to go my +self, so when I came to the Proposal of who should +go, I made a long Discourse to them of the Obligation +they had all to be faithful one to another, +and that those who went in the Sloop, +ought to consider themselves and those that were +with them to be but one Body with those who +were left behind; that their whole Concern ought +to be to get some good Ship to fetch them off: +At last, I concluded, with a Proposal, that who +ever went in the Sloop, should leave his Money +behind in the common Keeping, as it was before; +to remain as a Pledge for his faithful performing +the Voyage, and coming back again to the Company; +and should faithfully swear that wherever +they went, (for as to the Voyage, they were at +full Liberty to go whither they would) they +would certainly endeavour to get back to <i>Madagascar</i>; +and that if they were cast away, stranded, +taken, or whatever befel them, they should never +rest till they got to <i>Madagascar</i>, if it was possible. +</p> + +<p>They all came most readily into this Proposal, +for those who should go into the Sloop, but with +this Alteration in them, (which was easy to be +seen in their Countenances) <i>viz.</i> that from that +Minute there was no striving who should go, +but every Man was willing to stay where they +<!-- page 036 --> +were: This was what I wanted, and I let it rest +for two or three Days; when I took Occasion to tell +them, that seeing they all were sensible that it +was a very good Proposal to send the Sloop out +to Sea, and see what they could do for us, I +thought it was strange they should so generally +shew themselves backward to the Service for fear +of parting from their Money; I told them that +no Man need be afraid, that the whole Body +should agree to take his Money from him without +any pretended Offence, much less when he +should be Abroad for their Service: But however, +as it was my Proposal, and I was always willing +to hazard myself for the Good of them all, so I +was ready to go on the Conditions I had propos’d +to them for others, and I was not afraid to flatter +myself with serving them so well Abroad, that +they should not grudge to restore me my Share of +Money when I came Home, and the like of all +those that went with me. +</p> + +<p>This was so seasonably spoken, and humour’d +so well, that it answer’d my Design effectually, +and I was voted to go <i>nemine contradicente</i>; then +I desir’d they would either draw Lots for who +and who should go with me, or leave it in my +absolute Choice to pick and cull my Men: They +had for some Time agreed to the first; and forty +Blanks were made for those to whose Lot it +should come to draw a Blank to go in the Sloop; +but then it was said, this might neither be a fair +nor an effectual Choice; for Example, if the needful +Number of Officers, and of particular Occupations, +should not happen to be lotted out, the +Sloop might be oblig’d to go out to Sea without +a Surgeon, or without a Carpenter, or without a +Cook, and the like: So, upon second Thoughts, +it was left to me to name my Men; so I chose +<!-- page 037 --> +me out forty stout Fellows, and among them +several who were trusty bold Men, fit for any +thing. +</p> + +<p>Being thus Mann’d, the Sloop rigg’d, and having +clear’d her Bottom, and laid in Provisions enough +for a long Voyage, we set Sail the 3d of <i>January</i> +1694, for the <i>Cape of Good Hope</i>. We very honestly +left our Money, as I said, behind us, only +that we had about the Value of 2000 Pound +in Pieces of Eight allow’d us on Board for any +Exigence that might happen at Sea. +</p> + +<p>We made no Stop at the <i>Cape</i>, or at St. <i>Helena</i>, +tho’ we pass’d in Sight of it, but stood over to the +<i>Caribbee</i> Islands directly, and made the Island of +<i>Tobago</i> the 18th of <i>February</i>, where we took in +fresh Water, which we stood in great Need of, as +you may judge by the Length of the Voyage. We +sought no Purchase, for I had fully convinc’d our +Men, that our Business was not to appear, as we +were used to be, upon the Cruise, but as Traders; +and to that End I propos’d to go away to the Bay +of <i>Campeachy</i>, and load Logwood, under the Pretence +of selling of which we might go any where. +</p> + +<p>It is true, I had another Design here, which +was to recover the Money which my Comrade +and I had bury’d there; and having the Man on +Board with me to whom I had communicated my +Design, we found an Opportunity to come at our +Money with Privacy enough, having so conceal’d +it, as that it would have lain there to the general +Conflagration, if we had not come for it our +selves. +</p> + +<p>My next Resolution was to go for <i>England</i>, only +that I had too many Men, and did not know +<!-- page 038 --> +what to do with them: I told them we could never +pretend to go with a Sloop loaden with Logwood +to any Place, with 40 Men on Board, but +we should be discover’d; but if they would resolve +to put 15 or 16 Men on Shore as private +Seamen, the rest might do well enough; and if +they thought it hard to be set on Shore, I was +content to be one, only that I thought it was very +reasonable that whoever went on Shore should +have some Money given them, and that all +should agree to rendezvous in <i>England</i>, and so +make the best of our Way thither, and there perhaps +we might get a good Ship to go fetch off our +Comrades and our Money. With this Resolution, +sixteen of our Men had three hundred Pieces +of Eight a Man given them, and they went off +thus; the Sloop stood away North, thro’ the Gulph +of <i>Florida</i>, keeping under the Shore of <i>Carolina</i> and +<i>Virginia</i>; so our Men dropp’d off as if they had deserted +the Ship; three of the sixteen run away there, +five more went off at Virginia, three at <i>New York</i>, +three at <i>Road Island</i>, and myself and one more at +<i>New England</i>; and so the Sloop went away for <i>England</i> +with the rest. I got all my Money on Shore +with me, and conceal’d it as well as I could; some +I got Bills for, some I bought Molosses with, and +turn’d the rest into Gold; and dressing myself +not as a common Sailor, but as a Master of a +Ketch, which I had lost in the Bay of <i>Campeachy</i>, +I got Passage on Board one Captain <i>Guillame</i>, +a <i>New England</i> Captain, whose Owner was one +Mr. <i>Johnson</i> a Merchant, living at <i>Hackney</i>, near +<i>London</i>. +</p> + +<p>Being at <i>London</i>, it was but a very few Months +before several of us met again, as I have said we +agreed to do. And being true to our first Design +of going back to our Comrades, we had several +<!-- page 039 --> +close Conferences about the Manner and Figure in +which we should make the Attempt, and we had +some very great Difficulties appear’d in our Way: +First, to have fitted up a small Vessel, it would +be of no Service to us, but be the same Thing as +the Sloop we came in; and if we pretended to a +great Ship, our Money would not hold out; so we +were quite at a Stand in our Councils what to do, +or what Course to take, till at length our Money +still wasting, we grew less able to execute any +Thing we should project. +</p> + +<p>This made us all desperate; when as desperate +Distempers call for desperate Cures, I started a +Proposal which pleas’d them all, and this was, +that I would endeavour among my Acquaintance, +and with what Money I had left, (which was still +sixteen or seventeen hundred Pound) to get the +Command of a good Ship, bearing a quarter +Part, or thereabout, myself; and so having gat +into the Ship, and got a Freight, the rest of our +Gang should all enter on Board as Seamen, and +whatever Voyage we went, or wheresoever we +were bound, we would run away with the Ship +and all the Goods, and so go to our Friends as we +had promis’d. +</p> + +<p>I made several Attempts of this Kind, and once +bought a very good Ship, call’d, <i>The Griffin</i>, of one +<i>Snelgrove</i> a Shipwright, and engag’d the Persons +concern’d to hold a Share in her and fit her out, on +a Voyage for <i>Leghorn</i> and <i>Venice</i>; when it was very +probable the Cargo, to be shipp’d on Board casually +by the Merchant, would be very rich; but +Providence, and the good Fortune of the Owner +prevented this Bargain, for without any Objection +against me, or Discovery of my Design in the least, +he told me afterwards his Wife had an ugly Dream +<!-- page 040 --> +or two about the Ship; once, that it was set on +Fire by Lightning, and he had lost all he had in +it; another Time, that the Men had mutiny’d +and conspir’d to kill him; and that his Wife was +so averse to his being concern’d in it, that it had +always been an unlucky Ship, and that therefore +his Mind was chang’d; that he would sell the +whole Ship, if I would, but he would not hold +any Part of it himself. +</p> + +<p>Tho’ I was very much disappointed at this, yet +I put a very good Face upon it, and told him, I +was very glad to hear him tell me the Particulars +of his Dissatisfaction; for if there was any +Thing in Dreams, and his Wife’s Dream had any +Signification at all, it seem’d to concern me (more +than him) who was to go the Voyage, and command +the Ship; and whether the Ship was to be +burnt, or the Men to mutiny, tho’ Part of the +Loss might be his, who was to stay on Shore, all +the Danger was to be mine, who was to be at Sea +in her; and then, as he had said, she had been +an unlucky Ship to him, it was very likely she +would be so to me; and therefore I thank’d him +for the Discovery, and told him I would not +meddle with her. +</p> + +<p>The Man was uneasy, and began to waver in +his Resolution, and had it not been for the continu’d +Importunities of his Wife, I believe would +have come on again; for People generally encline +to a Thing that is rejected, when they would reject +the same Thing when profer’d: But I knew +it was not my Business to let myself be blow’d +upon, so I kept to my Resolution, and wholly +declin’d that Affair, on Pretence of its having got +an ill Name for an unlucky Ship; and that Name +stuck so to her, that the Owners could never sell +<!-- page 041 --> +her, and, as I have been inform’d since, were +oblig’d to break her up at last. +</p> + +<p>It was a great while I spent with hunting +after a Ship, but was every Way disappointed, +till Money grew short, and the Number of my +Men lessen’d apace, and at last we were reduc’d +to seven, when an Opportunity happen’d in my +Way to go Chief-Mate on Board a stout Ship +bound from <i>London</i> to . . . . . . +</p> + +<p>[<i>N. B. In Things so modern, it is no Way convenient +to write to you particular Circumstances and Names of +Persons, Ships, or Places, because those Things being +in themselves criminal, may be call’d up in Question in a +judicial Way; and therefore I warn the Reader to observe, +that not only all the Names are omitted, but even +the Scene of Action in this criminal Part, is not laid exactly +as Things were acted; least I should give Justice +a Clew to unravel my Story by, which no Body will +blame me for avoiding.</i>] +</p> + +<p>It is enough to tell the Reader, that being put +out to Sea, and being for Conveniency of Wind and +Weather come to an Anchor on the Coast of <i>Spain</i>, +my seven Companions having resolv’d upon our +Measures, and having brought three more of the +Men to confederate with us, we took up Arms +in the middle of the Night, secur’d the Captain, +the Gunner, and the Carpenter, and after that, all +the rest of the Men, and declar’d our Intention: +The Captain and nine Men refus’d to come into +our projected Roguery, (for we gave them their +Choice to go with us, or go on Shore) so we put +them on Shore very civilly, gave the Master his +Books, and every Thing he could carry with +him; and all the rest of the Men agreed to go +along with us. +</p> +<!-- page 042 --> + +<p>As I had resolv’d, before I went on Board, upon +what I purpos’d to do, so I had laid out all the +Money I had left in such Things as I knew I +should want, and had caus’d one of my Men to +pretend he was going to ——— to build or buy +a Ship there, and that he wanted Freight for a +great deal of Cordage, Anchors, eight Guns, Powder +and Ball, with about 20 Tun of Lead and +other bulky Goods, which were all put on Board +as Merchandize. +</p> + +<p>We had not abundance of Bail Goods on Board, +which I was glad of; not that I made any Conscience +or Scruple of carrying them away, if the +Ship had been full of them; but we had no Market +for them: Our first Business was to get a +larger Store of Provision on Board than we had, +our Voyage being long; and having acquainted +the Men with our Design, and promis’d the new +Men a Share of the Wealth we had there, which +made them very hearty to us, we set Sail: We +took in some Beef and Fish, at ——— where we +lay fifteen Days, but out of all Reach of the Castle +or Fort; and having done our Business, sail’d +away for the <i>Canaries</i>, where we took in some +Butts of Wine, and some fresh Water: With the +Guns the Ship had, and those eight I had put on +Board as Merchandize, we had then two and thirty +Guns mounted, bur were but slenderly Mann’d, +tho’ we gat four <i>English</i> Seamen at the <i>Canaries</i>; +but we made up the Loss at <i>Fiall</i>, where we made +bold with three <i>English</i> Ships we found, and partly +by fair Means, and partly by Force, shipp’d twelve +Men there; after which, without any farther +Stop for Men or Stores, we kept the Coast of +<i>Africa</i> on Board ’till we pass’d the Line, and then +stood off to St. <i>Helena</i>. +</p> +<!-- page 043 --> + +<p>Here we took in fresh Water, and some fresh +Provisions, and went directly for the <i>Cape of Good +Hope</i>, which we pass’d, stopping only to fill about +22 Butts of Water, and with a fair Gale +enter’d the Sea of <i>Madagascar</i>, and sailing up the +West Shore, between the Island and the Coast of +<i>Africa</i>, came to an Anchor over against our Settlement, +about two Leagues Distance, and made +the Signal of our Arrival, with firing twice seven +Guns at the Distance of a Two-Minute Glass between +the Seven; when, to our infinite Joy, the +Fort answer’d us, and the Long-boat, the same +that belong’d to our former Ship, came off to +us. +</p> + +<p>We embrac’d one another with inexpressible +Joy, and the next Morning I went on Shore, and +our Men brought our Ship safe into Harbour, +lying within the Defence of our Platform, and +within two Cables length of the Shore, good soft +Ground, and in eleven Fathom Water, having +been three Months and eighteen Days on the +Voyage, and almost three Years absent from the +Place. +</p> + +<p>When I came to look about me here, I found +our Men had encreas’d their Number, and that a +Vessel which had been cruising, that is to say, Pirating +on the Coast of <i>Arabia</i>, having seven +<i>Dutchmen</i>, three <i>Portuguese</i>, and five <i>Englishmen</i> on +Board, had been cast away upon the Northern +Shore of that Island, and had been taken up and +reliev’d by our Men, and liv’d among them. They +told us also of another Crew of <i>European</i> Sailors, +which lay, as we did, on the Main of the Island, +and had lost their Ship and were, as the Islanders +told them, above a hundred Men, but we heard +nothing who they were. +</p> +<!-- page 044 --> + +<p>Some of our Men were dead in the mean Time, +I think about three; and the first Thing I did +was to call a Muster, and see how Things stood +as to Money: I found the Men had been very +true to one another; there lay all the Money, in +Chests piled up as I left it, and every Man’s Money +having his Name upon it: Then acquainting +the rest with the Promise I had made the Men +that came with me, they all agreed to it; so +the Money belonging to the dead Men, and to the +rest of the forty Men who belong’d to the Sloop, +was divided among the Men I brought with me, +as well those who join’d at first, as those we took +in at the <i>Cape de Verd</i>, and the <i>Canaries</i>: And the +Bails of Goods which we found in the Ship, many +of which were valuable for our own Use, we agreed +to give them all to the fifteen Men mention’d +above, who had been sav’d by our Men, and so +to buy what we wanted of those Goods of them, +which made their Hearts glad also. +</p> + +<p>And now we began to consult what Course to +take in the World: As for going to <i>England</i>, +tho’ our Men had a great Mind to be there, yet +none of them knew how to get thither, notwithstanding +I had brought them a Ship; but I, who +had now made myself too publick to think any +more of <i>England</i>, had given over all Views that +Way, and began to cast about for farther Adventures; +for tho’, as I said, we were immensely rich +before, yet I abhorr’d lying still, and burying my +self alive, as I call’d it, among Savages and Barbarians; +besides, some of our Men were young in +the Trade, and had seen nothing; and they lay at +me every Day not to lie still in a Part of the World +where, as they said, such vast Riches might be +gain’d; and that the <i>Dutchmen</i> and <i>Englishmen</i> who +were cast away, as above, and who our Men +<!-- page 045 --> +call’d the <i>Comelings</i>, were continually buzzing in +my Ears what infinite Wealth was to be got, if I +would but make one voyage to the Coast of <i>Malabar</i>, +<i>Coromandel</i>, and the Bay of <i>Bengale</i>; nay, +the three <i>Portuguese</i> Seamen offer’d themselves to +attack and bring off one of their biggest Galleons, +even out of the Road of <i>Goa</i>, on the <i>Malabar</i> +Coast, the Capital of the <i>Portuguese</i> Factories in +the <i>Indies</i>. +</p> + +<p>In a Word, I was overcome with these new +Proposals, and told the rest of my People, I was +resolv’d to go to Sea again, and try my good Fortune; +I was sorry I had not another Ship or +two, but if ever it lay in my Power to master +a good Ship, I would not fail to bring her to +them. +</p> + +<p>While I was thus fitting out upon this new Undertaking, +and the Ship lay ready to Sail, and all +the Men who were design’d for the Voyage, were +on Board, being 85 in Number; among which +were all the Men I brought with me, the 15 +Comelings, and the rest made up out of our old +Number; I say, when I was just upon the Point +of setting Sail, we were all surpriz’d just in the +Grey of the Morning to spy a Sail at Sea; we +knew not what to make of her, but found she was +an <i>European</i> Ship; that she was not a very large +Vessel, yet that she was a Ship of Force too: She +seem’d to shorten Sail, as if she look’d out for +some Harbour; at first Sight I thought she was +<i>English</i>; immediately I resolv’d to slip Anchor and +Cable and go out to Sea and speak with her, if +I could, let her be what she would: As soon as I +was got a little clear of the Land, I fir’d a Gun, +and spread <i>English</i> Colours: She immediately +brought too, fir’d three Guns, and mann’d out her +<!-- page 046 --> +Boat with a Flag of Truce: I did the like, and +the two Boats spoke to one another in about two +Hours, when, to our infinite Joy, we found they +were our Comrades who we left in the South Seas, +and to whom we gave the Fregate at the Isle of +<i>Juan Fernando</i>. +</p> + +<p>Nothing of this Kind could have happen’d more +to our mutual Satisfaction, for tho’ we had long +ago given them over either for Lost, or Lost to +us; and we had no great Need of Company, yet +we were overjoy’d at meeting, and so were they +too. +</p> + +<p>They were in some Distress for Provisions, and +we had Plenty; so we brought their Ship in for +them, gave them a present Supply, and when +we had help’d them to moor and secure the Ship +in the Harbour, we made them lock all their +Hatches and Cabins up, and come on Shore, and +there we feasted them five or six Days, for we +had a Plenty of all Sorts of Provisions, not to be +exhausted; and if we had wanted an hundred Head +of fat Bullocks, we could have had them for asking +for of the Natives, who treated us all along +with all possible Courtesy and Freedom in their +Way. +</p> + +<p>The History of the Adventures and Success +of these Men, from the Time we left them +to the Time of their Arrival at our new Plantation, +was our whole Entertainment for some +Days. I cannot pretend to give the Particulars +by my Memory; but as they came to us <i>Thieves</i>, +they improv’d in their Calling to a great Degree, +and, next to ourselves, had the greatest Success of +any of the Buccaneers whose Story has ever been +made publick. +</p> +<!-- page 047 --> + +<p>I shall not take upon me to vouch the whole +Account of their Actions, neither will this Letter +contain a full History of their Adventures; but if +the Account which they gave us was true, you +may take it thus: +</p> + +<p>First, that having met with good Success after +they left us, and having taken some extraordinary +Purchase, as well in some Vessels they took at Sea, +as in the Plunder of some Towns on the Shore +near <i>Guyaquil</i>, as I have already told you, they +got Information of a large Ship which was loading +the King’s Money at <i>Puna</i>, and had Orders +to sail with it to <i>Lima</i>, in order to its being +carry’d from thence to <i>Panama</i> by the Fleet, under +the Convoy of the <i>Flotilla</i>, or Squadron of +Men of War, which the King’s Governor at <i>Panama</i> +had sent to prevent their being insulted by the +Pirates, which they had Intelligence were on the +Coast; by which, we suppose, they meant us who +were gone, for they could have no Notion of these +Men then. +</p> + +<p>Upon this Intelligence they cruis’d off and on +upon the Coast for near a Month, keeping always +to the Southward of <i>Lima</i>, because they would +not fall in the Way of the said <i>Flotilla</i>, and so +be overpower’d and miss of their Prize: At last +they met with what they look’d for, that is to +say, they met with the great Ship abovenam’d: +But to their great Misfortune and Disappointment, +(as they first thought it to be) she had with her +a Man of War for her Convoy, and two other +Merchant Ships in her Company. +</p> + +<p>The Buccaneers had with them the Sloop which +they first sent to us for our Intelligence, and +which they made a little Fregate of, carrying +<!-- page 048 --> +eight Guns, and some Patareroes: They had not +long Time to consult, but in short they resolv’d +to double man the Sloop, and let her attack the +great Merchant-Ship, while the Fregate, which +was the whole of their Fleet, held the Man of +War in Play, or at least kept him from assisting +her. +</p> + +<p>According to this Resolution, they put 50 Men +on Board the Sloop, which was, in short, almost +as many as would stand upon her Deck one by +another; and with this Force they attack’d the +great Merchant-Ship, which, besides its being well +mann’d, had 16 good Guns, and about 30 Men +on Board. While the Sloop thus began the unequal +Fight, the Man of War bore down upon her +to succour the Ship under her Convoy, but the +Fregate thrusting in between, engag’d the Man of +War, and began a very warm Fight with her, for +the Man of War had both more Guns and more +Men than the Fregate after she had parted with +50 Men on Board the Sloop: While the two Men +of War, as we may now call them, were thus engag’d, +the Sloop was in great Danger of being +worsted by the Merchant-Ship, for the Force was +too much for her, the Ship was great, and her +Men fought a desperate and close Fight: Twice +the Sloop-Men enter’d her, and were beaten off, +and about nine of their Men kill’d, several other +wounded, and an unlucky Shot taking the Sloop +between Wind and Water, she was oblig’d to fall +a-Stern, and heel her over to stop the Leek; +during which the <i>Spaniards</i> steer’d away to assist +the Man of War, and pour’d her Broadside in upon +the Fregate, which tho’ but small, yet at a +Time when she lay Yard-arm and Yard-arm close +by the Side of the <i>Spanish</i> Man of War, was a +great Extremity; however, the Fregate return’d +<!-- page 049 --> +her Broadside, and therewith made her sheer +off, and, which was worse, shot her Main-mast +thro’, tho’ it did not come presently by the +Board. +</p> + +<p>During this Time, the Sloop having many +Hands, had stopp’d the Leak, was brought to +rights again, and came up again to the Engagement, +and at the first Broadside had the good +Luck to bring the Ship’s Foremast by the Board, +and thereby disabled her; but could not for all +that lay her athwart, or carry her by Boarding, +so that the Case began to be very doubtful; at +which, the Captain of the Sloop, finding the Merchant +Ship was disabled, and could not get away +from them, resolv’d to leave her a while and +assist the Fregate; which he did, and running +a Longside our Fregate, he fairly laid the Man of +War on Board just thwart his Hawser; and besides +firing into her with his great Shot, he very +fairly set her on Fire; and it was a great +Chance but that they had been all three burnt +together, but our Men helpt the <i>Spaniards</i> themselves +to put out the Fire, and after some Time +master’d it: But the <i>Spaniards</i> were in such +a terrible Fright at the Apprehension of the Fire, +that they made little Resistance afterwards, and +in short, in about an Hour’s Fight more, the <i>Spanish</i> +Man of War struck, and was taken; and after +that the Merchant Ship also, with all the Wealth +that was in her: And thus their Victory was as +compleat as it was unexpected. +</p> + +<p>The Captain of the <i>Spanish</i> Man of War was kill’d +in the Fight, and about 36 of his Men, and most +of the rest wounded, which it seems happen’d +upon the Sloop’s lying athwart her. This Man +of War was a new Ship, and with some Alteration +<!-- page 050 --> +in her upper Work, made a very good Fregate +for them, and they afterwards quitted their +own Ship, and went all on Board the <i>Spanish</i> Ship, +taking out the Main-mast of their own Ship, and +making a new Fore-mast for the <i>Spanish</i> Ship, because +her Fore-mast was also weaken’d with some +Shot in her; this, however, cost them a great deal +of Labour and Difficulty, and also some Time, +when they came to a certain Creek, where they +all went on Shore, and refresh’d themselves a +while. +</p> + +<p>But if the taking the Man of War was an unexpected +Victory to them, the Wealth of the +Prize was much more so; for they found an amazing +Treasure on Board her, both in Silver and +Gold; and the Account they gave me was but imperfect, +but I think they calculated the Pieces of +Eight to be about 13 Tun in Weight, besides that +they had 5 small Chests of Gold, some Emeralds, +and, in a Word, a prodigious Booty. +</p> + +<p>They were not, however, so modest in their +Prosperity as we were; for they never knew when +to have done, but they must Cruise again to the +Northward for more Booty, when to their great +Surprize, they fell in with the Flotilla or Squadron +of Men of War, which they had so studiously +avoided before, and were so surrounded by them, +that there was no Remedy but they must fight, +and that in a Kind of Desperation, having no +Prospect now but to sell their Lives as dear as +they could. +</p> + +<p>This unlucky Accident befel them before they +had chang’d their ship, so that they had now the +Sloop and both the Men of War in Company, +but they were but thinly mann’d; and as for the +<!-- page 051 --> +Booty, the greater Part of it was on Board the +Sloop, that is to say, all the Gold and Emeralds, +and near half the Silver. +</p> + +<p>When they saw the Necessity of fighting, they +order’d the Sloop, if possible, to keep to Windward, +that so she might as Night come on, +make the best of her Way, and escape; but a <i>Spanish</i> +Fregate of 18 Guns tended her so close, and +sail’d so well, that the Sloop could by no Means +get away from the rest; so she made up close to +the Buccaneers Fregate, and maintain’d a Fight +as well as she could, till in the Dusk of the Evening +the <i>Spaniards</i> boarded and took her, but most +of her Men gat away in her Boat, and some by +swimming on Board the other Ship: They only +left in her five wounded <i>Englishmen</i>, and six <i>Spanish</i> +Negroes. The five <i>English</i> the barbarous <i>Spaniards</i> +hang’d up immediately, wounded as they +were. +</p> + +<p>This was good Notice to the other Men to tell +them what they were to expect, and made them +fight like desperate Men till Night, and kill’d +the <i>Spaniards</i> a great many Men. It prov’d a very +dark rainy Night, so that the <i>Spaniards</i> were +oblig’d by Necessity to give over the Fight till +the next Day, endeavouring, in the mean time, +to keep as near them as they could: But the +Buccaneers concerting their Measures where they +should meet, resolv’d to make Use of the Darkness +of the Night to get off if they could; and +the Wind springing up a fresh Gale at S. S. W. +they chang’d their Course, and, with all the Sail +they could make, stood away to the N. N. W. +slanting it to Seawards as nigh the Wind as they +could; and getting clear away from the <i>Spaniards</i>, +who they never saw more, they made no Stay +<!-- page 052 --> +till they pass’d the Line, and arriv’d in about +22 Days Sail on the Coast of <i>California</i>, where +they were quite out of the Way of all Enquiry +and Search of the <i>Spaniards</i>. +</p> + +<p>Here it was they chang’d their Ship, as I said, +and quitting their own Vessel, they went all on +Board the <i>Spanish</i> Man of War, fitting up her Masts +and Rigging, as I have said, and taking out all +the Guns, Stores, <i>&c.</i> of their own Ship, so that +they had now a stout Ship under them, carrying +40 Guns, (for so many they made her carry) and +well furnish’d with all Things; and tho’ they +had lost so great a Part of their Booty, yet they +had still left a vast Wealth, being six or seven +Tun of Silver, besides what they had gotten before. +</p> + +<p>With this Booty, and regretting heartily they +had not practis’d the same Moderation before, +they resolv’d now to be satisfy’d, and make the +best of their Way to the Island of <i>Juan Fernando</i>; +where keeping at a great Distance from the Shore, +they safely arriv’d, in about two Months Voyage, +having met with some contrary Winds by the +Way. +</p> + +<p>However, here they found the other Sloop +which they had sent in with their first Booty, to +wait for them: And here understanding that +we were gone for St. <i>Julien</i>, they resolv’d, (since +the Time was so long gone that they could +not expect to find us again) that they would +have t’other Touch with the <i>Spaniards</i>, cost +what it would. And accordingly, having first bury’d +the most Part of their Money in the Ground, +on Shore in the Island, and having revictual’d +<!-- page 053 --> +their Ship in the best Manner they could in that +barren Island, away they went to Sea. +</p> + +<p>They beat about on the South of the Line all up +the Coast of <i>Chili</i>, and Part of <i>Peru</i>, till they +came to the Height of <i>Lima</i> itself. +</p> + +<p>They met with several Ships, and took several, +but they were loaden chiefly with Lumber +or Provisions, except that in one Vessel they took +between 40 and 50000 Pieces of Eight, and in +another 75000. They soon inform’d themselves +that the <i>Spanish</i> Men of War were gone out of +those Seas up to <i>Panama</i>, to boast of their good +Fortune, and carry Home their Prize; and +this made them the bolder. But tho’ they spent +near five Months in this second Cruise, they +met with nothing considerable; the <i>Spaniards</i> being +every where alarm’d, and having Notice of +them, so that nothing stirr’d Abroad. +</p> + +<p>Tir’d then with their long Cruise, and out of +Hope of more Booty, they began to look Homeward, +and to say to one another that they had +enough; so, in a Word, they came back to <i>Juan +Fernando</i>, and there furnishing themselves as well +as they could with Provisions, and not forgeting +to take their Treasure on Board with them, they +set forward again to the South; and after a very +bad Voyage in rounding the <i>Terra del Fuego</i>, being +driven to the Latitude of 65 Degrees, where +they felt Extremity of Cold, they at length obtain’d +a more favourable Wind, <i>viz.</i> at S. and +S. S. E; with which, steering to the North, they +came into a milder Sea and a milder Coast, and +at length arriv’d at <i>Port St. Julien</i>, where, to their +great Joy, they found the Post or Cross erected +by us; and understanding that we were gone to +<!-- page 054 --> +<i>Madagascar</i>, and that we would be sure to remain +there to hear from them, and withal that we had +been gone there near two Year, they resolv’d to +follow us. +</p> + +<p>Here they staid, it seems, almost half a Year, +partly fitting and altering their Ship, partly +wearing out the Winter Season, and waiting for +milder Weather; and having victuall’d their +Ship in but a very ordinary Manner for so long +a Run, <i>viz.</i> only with Seals Flesh and Penguins, +and some Deer they kill’d in the Country, they +at last launch’d out, and crossing the great <i>Atlantick +Ocean</i>, they made the <i>Cape of Good Hope</i> in +about 76 Days, having been put to very great +Distresses in that Time for Want of Food, all +their Seals Flesh and Penguins growing nauseous +and stinking in little less than half the Time of +their Voyage; so that they had nothing to subsist +on for seven and twenty Days, but a little Quantity +of dry’d Venison which they kill’d on Shore, +about the Quantity of 3 Barrels of <i>English</i> Beef, +and some Bread; and when they came to the +<i>Cape of Good Hope</i>, they gat some small Supply, +but it being soon perceiv’d on Shore what they +were, they were glad to be gone as soon as they +had fill’d their Casks with Water, and gat but +a very little Provisions; so they made to the Coast +of <i>Natal</i> on the South East Point of <i>Africa</i>, and +there they gat more fresh Provisions, such as +Veal, Milk, Goats-Flesh, some tolerable Butter, +and very good Beef: And this held them out till +they found us in the North Part of <i>Madagascar</i>, +as above. +</p> + +<p>We staid about a Fortnight in our Port, and +in a sailing Posture, just as if we had been Wind-bound, +meerly to congratulate and make merry +<!-- page 055 --> +with our new-come Friends, when I resolv’d to +leave them there, and set Sail; which I did with +a Westerly Wind, keeping away North till I came +into the Latitude of seven Degrees North; so +coasting along the <i>Arabian</i> Coast E. N. E. towards +the Gulph of Persia, in the Cruise I met with two +<i>Persian</i> Barks loaden with Rice; one of which I +mann’d and sent away to <i>Madagascar</i>, and the +other I took for our own Ship’s Use. This Bark +came safe to my new Colony, and was a very +agreeable Prize to them; I think verily almost as +agreeable as if it had been loaded with Pieces of +Eight, for they had been without Bread a great +while; and this was a double Benefit to them, for +they fitted up this Bark, which carry’d about +55 Tun, and went away to the Gulph of <i>Persia</i> +in her to buy Rice, and brought two or three +<i>Freights</i> of that which was very good. +</p> + +<p>In this Time I pursu’d my Voyage, coasted +the whole <i>Malabar</i> Shore, and met with no Purchase +but a great <i>Portugal East-India</i> Ship, which I +chac’d into <i>Goa</i>, where she got out of my Reach: +I took several small Vessels and Barks, but little +of Value in them, till I enter’d the great Bay of +<i>Bengale</i>, when I began to look about me with more +Expectation of Success, tho’ without Prospect of +what happen’d. +</p> + +<p>I cruis’d here about two Months, finding nothing +worth while; so I stood away to a Port +on the North Point of the Isle of <i>Sumatra</i>, where +I made no Stay; for here I gat News that two +large Ships, belonging to the Great Mogul, were +expected to cross the Bay from <i>Hugely</i> in the <i>Ganges</i> +to the Country of the King of <i>Pegu</i>, being to +carry the Grandaughter of the Great Mogul to +<i>Pegu</i>, who was to be marry’d to the King of +<!-- page 056 --> +that Country, with all her Retinue, Jewels, and +Wealth. +</p> + +<p>This was a Booty worth watching for, tho’ it +had been some Months longer; so I refolv’d that +we would go and Cruise off of Point <i>Negaris</i>, on +the East Side of the Bay, near <i>Diamond Isle</i>; +and here we ply’d off and on for three Weeks, +and began to despair of Success; but the Knowledge +of the Booty we expected spurr’d us on, +and we waited with great Patience, for we knew +the Prize would be immensely rich. +</p> + +<p>At length we spy’d three Ships coming right +up to us with the Wind; we could easily see +they were not <i>Europeans</i> by their Sails, and began +to prepare ourselves for a Prize, not for a Fight; +but were a little disappointed, when we found +the first Ship full of Guns, and full of Soldiers, +and in Condition, had she been manag’d by <i>English</i> +Sailors, to have fought two such Ships as ours +were; however, we resolv’d to attack her if she +had been full of Devils as she was full of Men. +</p> + +<p>Accordingly, when we came near them, we +fir’d a Gun with Shot as a Challenge; they fir’d +again immediately three or four Guns; but fir’d +them so confusedly that we could easily see they +did not understand their Business; when we consider’d +how to lay them on Board, and so to come +thwart them, if we could; but falling, for want +of Wind, open to them, we gave them a fair +Broadside; we could easily see, by the Confusion +that was on Board, that they were frighted out +of their Wits; they fir’d here a Gun and there a +Gun, and some on that Side that was from us, as +well as those that were next to us. The next +<!-- page 057 --> +Thing we did was to lay them on Board, which we +did presently, and then gave them a Volley of our +Small-shot, which, as they stood so thick, kill’d a +great many of them, and made all the rest run down +under their Hatches, crying out like Creatures +bewitch’d: In a Word, we presently took the Ship, +and having secur’d her Men, we chac’d the other +two: One was chiefly fill’d with Women, and +the other with Lumber. Upon the Whole, as +the Grandaughter of the Great Mogul was our +Prize in the first Ship, so, in the second was her +Women, or, in a Word, her Houshold, her Eunuchs, +all the Necessaries of her Wardrobe, of her +Stables, and of her Kitchin; and in the last, great +Quantities of Houshold-stuff, and Things less costly, +tho’ not less useful. +</p> + +<p>But the first was the main Prize. When my Men +had enter’d and master’d the Ship, one of our +Lieutenants call’d for me, and accordingly I +jump’d on Board; he told me, he thought no +Body but I ought to go into the great Cabin, or, +at least, no Body should go there before me; for that +the Lady herself and all her Attendance was there, +and he fear’d the Men were so heated they would +murder them all, or do worse. +</p> + +<p>I immediately went to the great Cabin-door, +taking the Lieutenant that call’d me, along with +me, and caus’d the Cabin-door to be open’d: +But such a Sight of Glory and Misery was never +seen by Buccaneer before; the Queen (for such +she was to have been) was all in Gold and Silver, +but frighted; and crying, and at the Sight of +me she appear’d trembling, and just as if she was +going to die. She sate on the Side of a kind of a +Bed like a Couch with no Canopy over it, or any +Covering, only made to lie down upon; she was, +<!-- page 058 --> +in a Manner, cover’d with Diamonds, and I, like +a true Pirate, soon let her see that I had more +Mind to the Jewels than to the Lady. +</p> + +<p>However, before I touch’d her, I order’d the Lieutenant +to place a Guard at the Cabin-door; and fastening +the Door, shut us both in, which he did: The +Lady was young, and, I suppose, in their Country +Esteem, very handsome, but she was not very much +so in my Thoughts: At first, her Fright, and the +Danger she thought she was in of being kill’d, +taught her to do every Thing that she thought +might interpose between her and Danger; and +that was to take off her Jewels as fast as she +could, and give them to me; and I, without any +great Compliment, took them as fast as she gave +them me, and put them into my Pocket, taking +no great Notice of them, or of her, which frighted +her worse than all the rest, and she said something +which I could not understand; however, +two of the other Ladies came, all crying, and +kneel’d down to me with their Hands lifted up: +What they meant I knew not at first, but by +their Gestures and Pointings I found at last it was +to beg the young Queen’s Life, and that I would +not kill her. +</p> + +<p>I have heard that it has been reported in <i>England</i> +that I ravish’d this Lady, and then used +her most barbarously; but they wrong me, for I +never offer’d any Thing of that Kind to her, I +assure you; nay, I was so far from being inclin’d to +it, that I did not like her; and there was one of her +Ladies who I found much more agreeable to me, +and who I was afterwards something free with, +but not even with her either by Force, or by Way +of Ravishing. +</p> +<!-- page 059 --> + +<p>We did, indeed, ravish them of all their Wealth, +for that was what we wanted, not the Women; +nor was there any other Ravishing among those +in the great Cabin, that I can assure you: As for +the Ship where the Women of inferior Rank +were, and who were in Number almost two hundred, +I cannot answer for what might happen in +the first Heat; but even there, after the first +Heat of our Men was over, what was done, +was done quietly, for I have heard some of the +Men say, that there was not a Woman among +them but what was lain with four or five Times +over, that is to say, by so many several Men; for +as the Women made no Opposition, so the Men +even took those that were next them, without +Ceremony, when and where Opportunity offer’d. +</p> + +<p>When the three Ladies kneel’d down to me, and +as soon as I understood what it was for, I let them +know I would not hurt the Queen, nor let any +one else hurt her, but that she must give me all +her Jewels and Money: Upon this they acquainted +her that I would save her Life; and no +sooner had they assur’d her of that, but she got +up, smiling, and went to a fine <i>Indian</i> Cabinet, +and open’d a private Drawer, from whence she +took another little Thing full of little square +Drawers and Holes; this she brings to me in her +Hand, and offer’d to kneel down to give it me. +This innocent Usage began to rouse some Good-Nature +in me, (tho’ I never had much) and I +would not let her kneel; but sitting down myself +on the Side of her Couch or Bed, made a Motion +to her to sit down too: But here she was frighted +again, it seems, at what I had no Thought of; +for sitting on her Bed, she thought I would pull +her down to lie with her, and so did all her Women +too; for they began to hold their Hands before +<!-- page 060 --> +their Faces, which, as I understood afterwards, +was that they might not see me turn up +their Queen: But as I did not offer any Thing of +that Kind, only made her sit down by me, they +began all to be easier after some Time, and she +gave me the little Box or Casket, I know not +what to call it, but it was full of invaluable Jewels. +I have them still in my Keeping, and wish +they were safe in <i>England</i>; for I doubt not but +some of them are fit to be plac’d on the King’s +Crown. +</p> + +<p>Being Master of this Treasure, I was very willing +to be good-humour’d to the Persons; so I +went out of the Cabin, and caus’d the Women to +be left alone, causing the Guard to be kept still, +that they might receive no more Injury than I +would do them myself. +</p> + +<p>After I had been out of the Cabin some Time, +a Slave of the Womens came to me, and made +Sign to me that the Queen would speak with me +again. I made Signs back, that I would come and +dine with her Majesty: And accordingly I order’d +that her Servants should prepare her Dinner, and +carry it in, and then call me. They provided +her Repast after the usual Manner, and when she +saw it brought in, she appear’d pleas’d, and more, +when she saw me come in after it; for she was +exceedingly pleas’d that I had caus’d a Guard to +keep the rest of my Men from her; and she +had, it seems, been told how rude they had been +to some of the Women that belong’d to her. +</p> + +<p>When I came in, she rose up, and paid me such +Respect as I did not well know how to receive, +and not in the least how to return. If she had +understood <i>English</i>, I could have said plainly, and +<!-- page 061 --> +in good rough Words, Madam, be easy, we are +rude rough-hewn Fellows, but none of our Men +should hurt you, or touch you; I will be your +Guard and Protection; we are for Money, indeed +and we shall take what you have, but we will +do you no other Harm. But as I could not talk +thus to her, I scarce knew what to say; but I sate +down, and made Signs to have her sit down and +eat, which she did, but with so much Ceremony, +that I did not know well what to do with +it. +</p> + +<p>After we had eaten, she rose up again, and +drinking some Water out of a <i>China</i> Cup, sate her +down on the Side of the Couch, as before: When +she saw I had done eating, she went then to another +Cabinet, and pulling out a Drawer, she +brought it to me; it was full of small Pieces of +Gold Coin of <i>Pegu</i>, about as big as an <i>English</i> Half +Guinea, and I think there were three thousand of +them. She open’d several other Drawers, and +shew’d me the Wealth that was in them and then +gave me the Key of the Whole. +</p> + +<p>We had revell’d thus all Day, and Part of the +next Day, in a bottomless Sea of Riches, when +my Lieutenant began to tell me, we must consider +what to do with our Prisoners, and the Ships, +for that there was no subsisting in that Manner; +besides, he hinted privately, that the Men would +be ruin’d, by lying with the Women in the other +Ship, where all Sorts of Liberty was both given +and taken: Upon this we call’d a short Council, +and concluded to carry the great Ship away +with us, but to put all the Prisoners, Queen, +Ladies, and all the rest, into the lesser Vessels, and +let them go: And so far was I from ravishing this +Lady, as I hear is reported of me, that tho’ I +<!-- page 062 --> +might rifle her of every Thing else, yet I assure +you I let her go untouch’d for me, or, as I am satisfy’d, +for any one, of my Men; nay, when we +dismiss’d them, we gave her Leave to take a great +many Things of Value with her, which she would +have been plunder’d of, if I had not been so careful +of her. +</p> + +<p>We had now Wealth enough, not only to make +us rich, but almost to have made a Nation rich; +and to tell you the Truth, considering the costly +Things we took here, which we did not know the +Value of, and besides Gold, and Silver, and Jewels, I +say, we never knew how rich we were; besides +which, we had a great Quantity of Bales of Goods, +as well Calicoes as wrought Silks; which being +for Sale, were, perhaps, as a Cargo of Goods to +answer the Bills which might be drawn upon +them for the Account of the Bride’s Portion; all +which fell into our Hands, with a great Sum in +Silver Coin, too big to talk of among <i>Englishmen</i>, +especially while I am living, for Reasons which +I may give you hereafter. +</p> + +<p>I had nothing to do now but to think of coming +back to <i>Madagascar</i>, so we made the best of our +Way; only that, to make us quite distracted +without other Joy, we took in our Way a small +Bark loaden with Arack and Rice, which was good +Sawce to our other Purchace; for if the Women +made our Men drunk before, this <i>Arack</i> made +them quite mad; and they had so little Government +of themselves with it, that I think it might +be said, the whole Ship’s Crew was drunk for above +a Fortnight together, till six or seven of them +kill’d themselves; two fell overboard and were +drown’d, and several more fell into raging Fevers, +<!-- page 063 --> +and it was a Wonder, in the whole, they +were not all kill’d with it. +</p> + +<p>But, to make short of the Story as we did of +the Voyage, we had a very pleasant Voyage, +except those Disasters, and we came safe back to +our Comrades at <i>Madagascar</i>, having been absent +in all about seven Months. +</p> + +<p>We found them in very good Health, and longing +to hear from us; and we were, you may be +assur’d, welcome to them; for now we had amass’d +such a Treasure as no Society of Men ever possess’d +in this World before us, neither could we +ever bring it to an Estimation, for we could not +bring particular Things to a just Valuation. +</p> + +<p>We liv’d now and enjoy’d ourselves in full Security; +for tho’ some of the <i>European</i> Nations, and +perhaps all of them had heard of us; yet they +heard such formidable Things of us, such terrible +Stories of our great Strength, as well as of our +great Wealth, that they had no Thought of undertaking +any Thing against us; for, as I have +understood, they were told at <i>London</i>, that we +were no less than 5000 Men; that we had built a +regular Fortress for our Defence by Land, and +that we had 20 Sail of Ships; and I have been told +that in <i>France</i> they have heard the same Thing: +But nothing of all this was ever true, any more +than it was true, that we offer’d ten Millions to +the Government of <i>England</i> for our Pardon. +</p> + +<p>It is true, that had the Queen sent any Intimation +to us of a Pardon, and that we should have been +receiv’d to Grace at Home, we should all have +very willingly embrac’d it; for we had Money +enough to have encourag’d us all to live honest; +<!-- page 064 --> +and if we had been ask’d for a Million of Pieces +of Eight, or a Million of Pounds Sterling, to have +purchas’d our Pardon, we should have been very +ready to have comply’d with it; for we really +knew not what to do with ourselves, or with our +Wealth; and the only Thing we had now before +us, was to consider what Method to take for getting +Home, if possible, to our own Country with +our Wealth, or at least with such Part of it as +would secure us easy and comfortable Lives; and, +for my own Part, I resolv’d, if I could, to make +full Satisfaction to all the Persons who I had +wrong’d in <i>England</i>, I mean by that, such People +as I had injur’d by running away with the Ship; +as well the Owners, and the Master or Captain, +who I set a-shore in <i>Spain</i>, as the Merchant whose +Goods I had taken with the Ship; and I was +daily forming Schemes in my Thoughts how to +bring this to pass: But we all concluded that it +was impossible for us to accomplish our Desires as +to that Part, seeing the Fact of our Piracy was +now so publick all over the World, that there +was not any Nation in the World that would receive +us, or any of us; but would immediately +seize on our Wealth, and execute us for Pirates +and Robbers of all Nations. +</p> + +<p>This was confirm’d to us after some Time, with +all the Particulars, as it is now understood in +<i>Europe</i>; for as the Fame of our Wealth and Power +was such, that it made all the World afraid of +us, so it brought some of the like Sort with our +selves to join with us from all Parts of the World; +and particularly, we had a Bark, and 60 Men of +all Nations, from <i>Martinico</i>, who had been cruising +in the Gulph of <i>Florida</i>, came over to us, to +try if they could mend their Fortunes; and these +went afterwards to the Gulph of <i>Persia</i>, where +<!-- page 065 --> +they took some Prizes, and return’d to us again. +We had after this three Pirate Ships came to us, +most <i>English</i>, who had done some Exploits on the +Coast of <i>Guinea</i>, had made several good Prizes, and +were all tolerably rich. +</p> + +<p>As these People came and shelter’d with us, +so they came and went as they would, and sometimes +some of our Men went with them, sometimes +theirs staid with us: But by that Coming +and Going our Men found Ways and Means to +convey themselves away, some one Way, some +another. For I should have told you at first, that +after we had such Intelligence from <i>England</i>, <i>viz.</i> +that they knew of all our successful Enterprizes, +and that there was no Hopes of our returning, +especially of mine and some other Men who were +known: I say, after this we call’d a general +Council to consider what to do; and there, one and +all, we concluded that we liv’d very happy where +we were; that if any of us had a Mind to venture +to get away to any Part of the World, none +should hinder them, but that else we would continue +where we were; and that the first Opportunity +we had we would cruise upon the <i>English</i> +<i>East India</i> Ships, and do them what Spoil we could, +fancying that some Time or other they would +proclaim a Pardon to us, if we would come in; and +if they did, then we would accept of it. +</p> + +<p>Under these Circumstances we remain’d here, off +and on, first and last, above three Year more; +during which Time our Number encreas’d so, +especially at first, that we were once eight hundred +Men, stout brave Fellows, and as good Sailors +as any in the World. Our Number decreas’d afterwards +upon several Occasions; such as the going +Abroad to Cruise, wandering to the South Part of +<!-- page 066 --> +the Island, (as above) getting on Board <i>European</i> +Ships, and the like. +</p> + +<p>After I perceiv’d that a great many of our Men +were gone off, and had carry’d their Wealth with +them, I began to cast about in my own Thoughts +how I should make my Way Home also: Innumerable +Difficulties presented to my View; when +at last, an Account of some of our Mens Escape +into <i>Persia</i> encourag’d me. The Story was this: +One of the small Barks we had taken, went to +<i>Guzaratte</i> to get Rice, and having secur’d a Cargo, +but not loaded it, ten of our Men resolv’d to attempt +their Escape; and accordingly they drest +themselves like Merchant-Strangers, and bought +several Sorts of Goods there, such as an <i>Englishman</i>, +who they found there, assisted them to buy; +and with their Bales, (but in them pack’d up all +the rest of their Money) they went up to <i>Bassora</i> +in the Gulph of <i>Persia</i>, and so travell’d as Merchants +with the Caravan to <i>Aleppo</i>, and we never +heard any more of them, but that they went +clean off with all their Cargo. +</p> + +<p>This fill’d my Head with Schemes for my own +Deliverance; but however, it was a Year more +before I attempted any Thing, and not till I +found that many of our Men shifted off, some and +some, nor did any of them miscarry; some went +one Way, some another; some lost their Money, and +some sav’d it; nay, some carry’d it away with +them, and some left it behind them: As for me, +I discover’d my Intentions to no Body, but made +them all believe I would stay here till some of +them should come and fetch me off, and pretended +to make every Man that went off promise to come +for me, if it ever was in his Power, and gave every +one of them Signals to make for me, when they +<!-- page 067 --> +came back, upon which I would certainly come +off to them. At the same Time nothing was more +certain, than that I intended from the Beginning +to get away from the Island, as soon as I could +any Way make my Way with Safety to any Part +of the World. +</p> + +<p>It was still above two Years after this that +I remain’d in the Island; nor could I, in all that +Time, find any probable Means for removing my +self with Safety. +</p> + +<p>One of the Ways I thought to have made my +Escape was this: I went to Sea in a Long-boat +a fishing, (as we often did) and having a Sail to +the Boat, we were out two or three Days together; +at length it came into my Thoughts that +we might Cruise about the Island in this Long-boat, +a great Way, and perhaps some Adventure +might happen to us which we might make something +of; so I told them I had a Mind to make +a Voyage with the Long-boat to see what would +happen. +</p> + +<p>To this Purpose we built upon her, made a +State-Room in the Middle, and clapt four Patareroes +upon her Gunnel, and away we went, being +sixteen stout Fellows in the Boat, not reckoning +my self: Thus we ran away, as it were, from +the rest of our Crew, tho’ not a Man of us knew +our own Minds as to whither we were going, +or upon what Design. In this Frolick we ran +South quite away to the Bay of St. <i>Angustine</i>’s, in +the Latitude of 24 Degrees, where the Ships from +<i>Europe</i> often put in for Water and Provisions. +</p> + +<p>Here we put in, not knowing well what to +do next; I thought myself disappointed very much +<!-- page 068 --> +that we saw no <i>European</i> Ship here, tho’ afterwards +I saw my Mistake, and found that it was +better for us that we were in that Port first: We +went boldly on Shore; for as to the Natives, we +understood how to manage them well enough, +knew all their Customs, and the Manner of their +treating with Strangers as to Peace or War; their +Temper, and how to oblige them, or behave if +they were disoblig’d; so we went, I say, boldly +on Shore, and there we began to chaffer with +them for some Provisions, such as we wanted. +</p> + +<p>We had not been here above two or three Days, +but that, early in the Morning, the Weather +thick and haizy, we heard several Guns fire at +Sea; we were not at a Loss to know what they +meant, and that it was certainly some <i>European</i> +Ships coming in, and who gave the Signal +to one another that they had made the Land, +which they could easily see from the Sea, tho’ +we, who were also within the Bay, could not see +them from the Shore: However, in a few Hours, +the Weather clearing up, wet saw plainly five +large Ships, three with <i>English</i> Colours, and two +with <i>Dutch</i>, standing into the Bay, and in about +four or five Hours more they came to an Anchor. +</p> + +<p>A little while after they were come to an Anchor, +their Boats began to come on Shore to the +usual Watering-place to fill their Casks; and +while they were doing that, the rest of the Men +look’d about them a little, as usual, tho’ at first +they did not stir very far from their Boats. +</p> + +<p>I had now a nice Game to play, as any Man +in the World ever had: It was absolutely necessary +for us to speak with these Men; and yet +<!-- page 069 --> +how to speak with them, and not have them +speak with us in a Manner that we should not +like, that was the main Point: It was with a great +deal of Impatience that we lay still one whole +Day, and saw their Boats come on Shore, and +go on Board again, and we were so irresolute +all the while, that we knew not what to do; at +last I told my Men, it was absolutely necessary +we should speak with them, and seeing we could +not agree upon the Method how to do it friendly +and fairly, I was resolv’d to do it by Force, and +that if they would take my Advice, we would place +ourselves in Ambuscade upon the Land somewhere, +that we might see them when they were +on Shore, and the first Man that straggled from +the rest we would clap in upon and seize him, +and three or four of them if we could. As for our +Boat, we had secur’d it in a Creek three or four +Miles up the Country, where it was secure +enough out of their Reach or Knowledge. +</p> + +<p>With this Resolution we plac’d ourselves in two +Gangs; eleven of us in one Place, and only three +of us in another, and very close we lay: The +Place we chose for our Ambuscade was on the +Side of a rising Ground almost a Mile from the +Watering-place, but where we could see them all +come towards the Shore, and see them if they did +but set their Foot on Shore. +</p> + +<p>As we understood afterwards, they had the +Knowledge of our being upon the Island, but +knew not in what Part of it, and were therefore +very cautious and wary how they went on +Shore, and came all very well arm’d. This gave us +a new Difficulty, for in the very first Excursion that +any of them made from the Watering-place, there +was not less than twenty of them, all well arm’d, +<!-- page 070 --> +and they pass’d by in our Sight; but as we were +out of their Sight we were all very well +pleas’d with seeing them go by, and being +not oblig’d to meddle with them, or show our +selves. +</p> + +<p>But we had not long lain in this Circumstance, +but, by what Occasion we knew not, five of the +Gentlemen Tarrs were pleas’d to be willing to go +no farther with their Companions; and thinking +all safe behind them, because they had found no +Disturbance in their going out, came back the +same Way, straggling without any Guard or Regard. +</p> + +<p>I thought now was our Time to show our +selves; so taking them as they came by the Place +where we lay in Ambuscade, we plac’d ourselves +just in their Way, and as they were entring a +little Thicket of Trees, we appear’d; and calling +to them in <i>English</i>, told them they were our +Prisoners; that if they yielded, we would use +them very well, but if they offer’d to resist, they +should have no Quarter: One of them looking +behind, as if he would show us a Pair of Heels, I +call’d to him, and told him, if he attempted to +run for it, he was a dead Man, unless he could +out-run a Musquet-Bullet; and that we would soon +let him see we had more Men in our Company; +and so giving the Signal appointed, our three +Men, who lay at a Distance, shew’d themselves in +the Rear. +</p> + +<p>When they saw this, one of them, who appear’d +as their Leader, but was only the Purser’s Clerk, +ask’d, Who we were they must yield to? And if +we were Christians? I told them, jestingly, We +were good honest Christian Pirates, and belong’d +<!-- page 071 --> +to Captain <i>Avery</i>, (not at all letting them know +that I was <i>Avery</i> himself) and if they yielded +it was enough; that we assur’d them they should +have fair Quarter and good Usage upon our Honour; +but that they must resolve immediately, or +else they would be surrounded with 500 Men, and +we could not answer for what they might do to them. +</p> + +<p>They yielded presently upon this News, and +deliver’d their Arms; and we carry’d them away +to our Tent, which we had built near the Place +where our Boat lay. Here I enter’d into a particular +serious Discourse with them about Captain +<i>Avery</i>, for ’twas this I wanted, upon several Accounts: +First, I wanted to enquire what News +they had had of us in <i>Europe</i>? and then to give +them Ideas of our Numbers and Power as romantick +as I could. +</p> + +<p>They told us, that they had heard of the great +Booty Captain <i>Avery</i> had taken in the Bay of <i>Bengale</i>; +and among the rest, a bloody Story was related +of <i>Avery</i> himself, <i>viz.</i> That he ravish’d the +Great Mogul’s Daughter, who was going to be +marry’d to the Prince of <i>Pegu</i>; that we ravish’d +and forc’d all the Ladies attending her Train, +and then threw them into the Sea, or cut their +Throats; and that we had gotten a Booty of +ten Millions in Gold and Silver, besides an inestimable +Treasure of Jewels, Diamonds, Pearls, <i>&c.</i> +but that we had committed most inhuman Barbarities +on the innocent People that fell into our +Hands. They then told us, but in a broken imperfect +Account, how the Great Mogul had resented +it; and that he had raised a great Army +against the <i>English</i> Factories, resolving to root +them out of his Dominions; but that the Company +had appeas’d him by Presents, and by assuring +<!-- page 072 --> +him that the Men who did it, were Rebels +to the <i>English</i> Government, and that the +Queen of <i>England</i> would hang them all when +ever they could be taken. I smil’d at that, and +told them, Captain <i>Avery</i> would give them Leave +to hang him, and all his Men, when they could +take them; but that I could assure him they +were too strong to be taken; that if the Government +of <i>England</i> went about to provoke them, +Captain <i>Avery</i> would soon make those Seas too +hot for the <i>English</i>, and they might even give over +their <i>East-India</i> Trade, for they little thought +Circumstances Captain <i>Avery</i> was in. +</p> + +<p>This I did, as well to know what Notions +you had of us in <i>England</i>, as to give a formidable +Account of us, and of our Circumstances to <i>England</i>, +which I knew might be of Use to us several +Ways hereafter. Then I made him tell his +Part, which he did freely enough; he told us, +that indeed they had receiv’d an Account in <i>England</i> +that we were exceeding strong; that we had +several Gangs of Pirates from the <i>Spanish West-Indies</i>, +that had taken great Booties there, and +were gone all to <i>Madagascar</i> to join Captain <i>Avery</i>; +that he had taken three great <i>East-India</i> Ships, +one <i>Dutch</i>, and two <i>Portuguese</i>, which they had +converted into Men of War; that he had 6000 +Men under his Command; that he had twelve +Ships, whereof three carry’d 60 Guns a-piece, and +six more of them, from 40 to 50 Guns; that they +had built a large Fort to secure their Habitations; +and that they had two large Towns, one on +one Side, one on the other of a River, cover’d +by the said Fort, and two great Platforms or Batteries +of Guns to defend the Entrance where their +Ships rode; that they had an immense invaluable +Treasure; and that it was said, Captain <i>Avery</i> +<!-- page 073 --> +was resolv’d to People the whole Island of <i>Madagascar</i> +with <i>Europeans</i>, and to get Women from +<i>Jamaica</i> and the <i>Leeward Islands</i>; and that it was not +doubted but he would subdue, and make himself +King of that Country, if he was let alone a little +longer. +</p> + +<p>I had enjoin’d my Men, in the first Place, not +to let him know that I was <i>Avery</i>, but that I was +one of his Captains; and in the next Place, not +to say a Word but just <i>Ay</i>, and <i>No</i>, as Things occurr’d, +and leave the rest to me. I heard him patiently +out in all the Particulars above, and +when he had done, I told him it was true, Captain +<i>Avery</i> was in the Island of <i>Madagascar</i>, and +that several other Societies of Buccaneers and +Freebooters were join’d him from the <i>Spanish +West-Indies</i>; for, said I, the Plenty and Ease of +our living here is such, and we are so safe from +all the World, that we do not doubt but we shall +be twenty thousand Men in a very little Time, +when two Ships which we have sent to the <i>West-Indies</i> +shall come back, and shall have told the +Buccaneers at the Bay of <i>Campeachy</i>, how we live +here. +</p> + +<p>But, said I, you in <i>England</i> greatly wrong Captain +<i>Avery</i>, our General, (so I call’d myself, to advance +our Credit) for I can assure you, that except +plundering the Ship, and taking that immense +Booty which he got in the great Ship where the +Great Mogul’s Daughter was, there was not the +least Injury done to the Lady, no Ravishing or +Violence to her, or any of her Attendance; and +this, said I, you may take of my certain Knowledge; +for, said I, I was on Board the Ship with +our General all the while: And if any of the +Princess’s Women were lain with, said I, on Board +the other Ship, as I believe most of them were, +yet it was done with their own Consent and +<!-- page 074 --> +good Will, and no otherwise; and they were all +dismiss’d afterwards, without so much as being put +in Fear or Apprehensions of Life or Honour. +</p> + +<p>This I assur’d him, (as indeed it was just) and +told him, I hop’d, if ever he came safe to <i>England</i>, +he would do Captain <i>Avery</i>, and all of us, Justice +in that particular Case. +</p> + +<p>As to our being well fortify’d on the Island, and +our Numbers, I assur’d them all they were far +from thinking too much of us; that we had a +very good Fleet, and a very good Harbour for +them; that we were not afraid of any Force from +<i>Europe</i>, either by Land or Water; that it was, indeed, +in vain to pretend to attack us by Force; +that the only Way for the Government of <i>England</i> +to bring us back to our Duty, would be to +send a Proclamation from <i>England</i> with the Queen’s +Pardon for our General and all his People, if +they came in by a certain Time: And, added I, +we know you want Money in <i>England</i>, I dare +say, said I, our General, Captain <i>Avery</i>, and his +particular Gang, who have the main Riches, +would not grudge to advance five or six Millions +of Ducats to the Government, to give them Leave +to return in Peace to <i>England</i>, and sit down quietly +with the rest. +</p> + +<p>This Discourse, I suppose, was the Ground of +the Rumour you have had in <i>England</i>, That <i>Avery</i> +had offer’d to come in and submit, and would +give six Millions for his Pardon: For as these +Men were soon after this dismiss’d, and went back +to <i>England</i>, there is no Doubt but they gave a +particular Account of the Conference they had +with me, who they call’d one of Captain <i>Avery</i>’s +Captains. +</p> + +<p>We kept these five Men six or seven Days, and +we pretended to show them the Country from +some of the Hills, calling it all our own, and +<!-- page 075 --> +pointing every Way how many Miles we extended +ourselves; we made them believe also that all +the rest of the Country was at our Disposal, that +the whole <i>Island</i> was at our Beck; we told them +we had Treasure enough to enrich the whole +Kingdom of <i>England</i>; that our General had several +Millions in Diamonds, and we had many +Tuns of Silver and Gold; that we had fifty large +Barns full of all Sorts of Goods, as well <i>European</i> +as <i>Indian</i>; and that it would be truly the best +Way for <i>England</i> to do as they said, namely, to +invite us all Home by a Proclamation with a +Pardon: And if they would do this, said I, they +can ask no reasonable Sum, but our General might +advance it; besides, getting Home such a Body of +stout able Seamen as we were, such a Number of +Ships, and such a Quantity of rich Goods. +</p> + +<p>We had several long Discourses with them upon +these Heads, and our frequent offering this Part +to them with a Kind of feeling Warmth, (for it +was what we all desir’d) has caus’d, I doubt not, +the Rumour of such great Offers made by us, +and of a Letter sent by me to the Queen, to beg +her Majesty’s Pardon for myself and my Company, +and offering ten Millions of Money Advance +to the Queen for the publick Service: All +which is a meer Fiction of the Brain of those +which have publish’d it; neither were we in any +Condition to make such an Offer; neither did I, +or any of my Crew or Company, ever write a +Letter or Petition to the Queen, or to any one in +the Government, or make any Application in the +Case other than as above, which was only Matter +of Conversation or private Discourse. +</p> + +<p>Nor were we so strong in Men or Ships, or +any Thing like it. You have heard of the Number +of Ships which we had now with us, which +amounted to two Ships and a Sloop, and no +<!-- page 076 --> +more, except the Prize in which we took the Mogul’s +Daughter; (which Ship we call’d, <i>The Great +Mogul</i>) but she was fit for nothing, for she would +neither sail or steer worth a Farthing, and indeed +was fit for no Use but a Hulk, or a Guard-Ship. +</p> + +<p>As to Numbers of Men, they bely’d us strangely, +and particularly, they seem’d only to mistake +Thousands for Hundreds: For whereas they told +us, that you in <i>England</i> had a Report of our being +six thousand Men, I must acknowledge that I +think we were never, when we were at the +most, above six hundred; and at the Time when +I quitted the Country, I left about one hundered +and eight Men there, and no more, and I am +assur’d, all the Number that now remains +there, is not above twenty two Men, no, not in +the whole Island. +</p> + +<p>Well, we thought, however, that it was no +Business of ours at that Time to undeceive them +in their high Opinion of our great Strength, so +we took Care to magnify ourselves, and the +Strength of our General, (meaning myself) that +they might carry the Story to <i>England</i>, depending +upon it, <i>That a Tale loses nothing in the carrying.</i> +When they told us of our Fort, and the Batteries +at the Mouth of the River where our Ships +lie, we insinuated, that it was a Place where we +did not fear all the Fleets in the World attacking +us; and when they told us of the Number of +Men, we strove to make them believe that they +were much many more. +</p> + +<p>At length, the poor Men began to be tir’d of us, +and indeed we began to be tir’d of them; for we +began to be afraid very much that they would +prye a little Way into our Affairs, and that a +little too narrowly that Way; so as they began +to sollicit their Deliverance, we began to listen to +their Importunities: In a Word, we agreed to dismiss +<!-- page 077 --> +them; and accordingly we gave them Leave +to go away to the Watering-place, as if they had +made their Escape from us; which they did, +carrying away their Heads full of all those unlikely +projected Things which you have heard +above. +</p> + +<p>In all this, however, I had not the good Luck +to advance one Step towards my own Escape; +and here is one Thing remarkable, <i>viz.</i> That the +great Mass of Wealth I had gotten together, was so +far from forwarding my Deliverance, that it +really was the only Thing that hinder’d it most +effectually; and I was so sensible of it, that I resolv’d +once to be gone, and leave all my Wealth +behind me, except some Jewels, as several of our +Men had done already: For many of them +were so impatient of staying here, that they found +Means to get away, some and some, with no +more Money than they could carry about them; +particularly, thirteen of our Men made themselves +a Kind of Shaloup with a Mast and Sail, +and went for the Red Sea, having two Patareroes +for her Defence, and every Man a thousand Pieces +of Eight, and no more, except that one <i>Macmow</i> +an <i>Irishman</i>, who was their Captain, had five Rubies +and a Diamond, which he got among the +Plunder of the Mogul’s Ship. +</p> + +<p>These Men, as I heard, gat safe to <i>Mocca</i> in +the <i>Arabian</i> Gulph, where they fetch the Coffee, +and their Captain manag’d for them all so well, +that of Pirates he made them Merchants, laid out +all the Stock in Coffee, and got a Vessel to carry +it up the Red Sea to <i>Sues</i>, where they sold it to +the Factors for the <i>European</i> Merchants, and came +all safe to <i>Alexandria</i>, where they parted the Money +again; and then every one separated as they +thought fit, and went their own Way. +</p> +<!-- page 078 --> + +<p>We heard of this by mere Accident afterwards, +and I confess I envy’d their Success; and tho’ it +was a great while after this that I took a like +Run, yet you may be sure I form’d a Resolution +from that Time to do the like; and most of the +Time that I stay’d after this, was employ’d in picking +out a suitable Gang that I might depend upon, +as well to trust with the Secret of my going +away, as to take with me; and on whom I might +depend, and they on me, for keeping one another’s +Council when we should come into <i>Europe</i>. +</p> + +<p>It was in Pursuit of this Resolution that I went +this little Voyage to the South of the Island, +and the Gang I took with me prov’d very trusty, +but we found no Opportunity then for our +Escape: Two of the Men that we took Prisoners +would fain have gone with us, but we resolv’d to +trust none of them with the real and true Discovery +of our Circumstances; and as we had made +them believe mighty Things of ourselves, and of +the Posture of our Settlement, that we had 5000 +Men, 12 Men of War, and the like, we were resolv’d +they should carry the Delusion away with +them, and that no Body should undeceive them; +because, tho’ we had not such an immense Wealth +as was reported, and so as to be able to offer ten +Millions for our Pardon, yet we had a very great +Treasure; and, being nothing near so strong as +they had imagin’d, we might have been made a +Prey, with all our Riches, to any Set of Adventurers +who might undertake to attempt us, by +Consent of the Government of <i>England</i>, and make +the Expedition, <i>No Purchase no Pay.</i> +</p> + +<p>For this Reason we civily declin’d them, told +them we had Wealth enough, and therefore did +not now Cruise Abroad as we used to do, unless +we should hear of another Wedding of a King’s +Daughter; or unless some rich Fleet, or some +<!-- page 079 --> +Heathen Kingdom was to be attempted; and that +therefore a new Comer, or any Body of new Comers, +could do themselves no good by coming +over to us: If any Gang of Pirates or Buccaneers +would go upon their Adventures, and when they +had made themselves rich, would come and settle +with us, we would take them into our Protection, +and give them Land to build Towns and Habitations +for themselves, and so in Time we might +become a great Nation, and inhabit the whole +Island: I told them, the <i>Romans</i> themselves were, +at first, no better than such a Gang of Rovers as +we were; and who knew but our General, Captain +<i>Avery</i>, might lay the Foundation of as great an +Empire as they. +</p> + +<p>These big Words amaz’d the Fellows, and answer’d +my End to a Tittle; for they told such +Rhodomantading Stories of us, when they came +back to their Ships, and from them it spread so +universally all over the <i>East-Indies</i>, (for they were +Outward-bound) that none of the <i>English</i> or <i>Dutch</i> +Ships would come near <i>Madagascar</i> again, if they +could help it, for a great while, for Fear of us; +and we, who were soon after this dwindled away +to less than 100 Men, were very glad to have them +think us too strong to meddle with, or so strong +that no Body durst come near us. +</p> + +<p>After these Men were gone, we rov’d about to +the East Side of the Island, and in a Word, knew +not what to do, or what Course to take, for we +durst not put out to Sea in such a Bauble of a Boat +as we had under us; but tir’d at last, we came +back to the South Point of the Island again; in +our rounding the Island we saw a great <i>English</i>-built +Ship at Sea, but at too far Distance to speak with +her; and if it had not, we knew not what to +have said to her, for we were not strong enough to +attack her: We judg’d by her Course, she stood +<!-- page 080 --> +away from the Isle of St. <i>Maurice</i> or <i>Mauritius</i>, +for the <i>Cape of Good Hope</i>, and must, as we suppos’d, +come from the <i>Malabar</i> Coast, bound Home +for <i>England</i>; so we let her go. +</p> + +<p>We are now return’d back to our Settlement on +the North Part of the Island; and I have singl’d +out about 12 or 13 bold brave Fellows, with +whom I am resolv’d to venture to the Gulph of +<i>Persia</i>; twenty more of our Men have agreed to +carry us thither as Passengers in the Sloop, and try +their own Fortunes afterwards, for they allow we +are enough to go together. We resolve, when we +come to <i>Bassaro</i>, to separate into three Companies, +as if we did not know one another; to dress +ourselves as Merchants, for now we look like +Hell-hounds and Vagabonds; but when we are +well dress’d, we expect to look as other Men do. +If I come thither, I purpose, with two more, to +give my Companions the Slip, and travel as <i>Armenians</i> +thro’ <i>Persia</i> to the <i>Caspian</i> Sea, so to <i>Constantinople</i>; +and I doubt not we shall, one Way or +other, find our Way, with our Merchandize and +Money, to come into <i>France</i>, if not quite Home to +my own Country. Assure yourself<a id="corr-2"></a>, when I arrive +in any Part of Christendom, I will give you a farther +Account of my Adventures. +</p> + +<p class="signature"><i>Your Friend and Servant,</i> +</p> + + +<p class="right">AVERY. +</p> + +<p class="center"><i>The End of the First Letter.</i> +</p> +<!-- page 081 --> + +<h2 class="chapter" id="chapter-3"> +<span class="centerpic" id="img-081"><img src="images/081.jpg" alt="Illustration 081" /></span> +A Second LETTER</h2> + +<p class="address"><i>SIR,</i> +</p> + + +<p class="first"><span class="leftpic" id="dropI"><img src="images/dropI.jpg" alt="I" /></span> +<span class="hidden">I</span> WROTE my last Letter to you from +<i>Madagascar</i>, where I had continu’d so +long till my People began to drop from +me, some and some, and, indeed, I had, +at last, but few left; so that I began to apprehend +they would give an Account in <i>Europe</i>, how +weak I was, and how easy it was to attack me; +nay, and to make their Peace, might some of +them, at least, offer their Service to be Pilots to +my Port, and might guide the Fleets or Ships +that should attempt me. +</p> + +<p>With these Apprehensions, I not only was uneasy +myself, but made all my Men uneasy too; +for, as I was resolv’d to attempt my own Escape, +I did not care how many of my Men went before +me: But this you must take with you by the +Bye, that I never let them imagine that I intended +to stir from the Spot myself; I mean, after +my Return from the Ramble that I had taken +round the Island, of which I have given you an +Account; but, that I resolv’d to take up my Rest +in <i>Madagascar</i> as long as I liv’d; indeed, before, I +<!-- page 082 --> +said otherwise, as I wrote you before, and made +them all promise to fetch me away, but now I +gave it out that I was resolv’d to live and die +here; and therefore, a little before I resolv’d upon +going, I set to Work to build me a new House, +and to plant me a pretty Garden at a Distance +from our Fort; only I had a select Company, to +whom I communicated every Thing, and who +resolv’d that, at last, we would go altogether, +but that we would do it our own Way. +</p> + +<p>When I had finish’d my new House, (and a +mighty Palace you would say it was, if you had +been to see it) I remov’d to it, with eight of the +Gang that were to be my Fellow adventurers; +and to this Place we carry’d all our private +Wealth, that is to say, Jewels and Gold; as to our +Share of Silver, as it was too heavy to remove, +and must be done in Publick, I was oblig’d to +leave it behind; but we had a Stratagem for that +too, and it was thus: +</p> + +<p>We had a Sloop, as you have heard, and she +lay in our Harbour, ’tis true; but she lay ready to +sail upon any Occasion; and the Men, who were +of our Confederacy, who were not with me at +my Country-house, were twelve in Number: +These Men made a Proposal, that they would +take the Sloop, and go away to the Coast of +<i>Malabar</i>, or where else they could speed to their +Mind, and buy a Fraight of Rice for the publick +Account: In a free State as we were, every Body +was free to go wherever they would, so that no +Body oppos’d them; the only Dispute at any +Time, was about taking the Vessel we had to go +in: However, as these Men seem’d only to act +upon the publick Account, and to go to buy Provisions, +no Body offer’d to deny them the Sloop, so +<!-- page 083 --> +they prepar’d for their Voyage: Just as they were +ready to go, one of them starts it to the rest, that +it was very hazardous and difficult to run such a +Length every now and then to get a little Rice, +and if they would go, why should they not bring +a good Quantity? This was soon resolv’d; so they +agreed, they should take Money with them to +buy a good Ship wherever they could find her, +and then to buy a Loading of Rice to fill her up, +and so come away with her. +</p> + +<p>When this was agreed, they resolv’d to take no +Money out of the grand Stock, but to take such +Mens Money as were gone, and had left their +Money behind; and this being consented to, truly, +my Friends took the Occasion, and took all their +own Money, and mine, (being 64 little Chests +of Pieces of Eight) and carry’d it on Board, as if +it had been of Men that were Prick’d-run, and no +Body took any Notice of it. These twelve Men +had also now got twelve more with them, under +Pretence of manning a Ship, if we should buy +one, and in this Pickle away they put to Sea. +</p> + +<p>We had due Notice of every Thing that was +done; and having a Signal given of the Time +they resolv’d to go, we pack’d up all our Treasure, +and began our March to the Place appointed, +which from our Quarters was about forty +Mile farther North. +</p> + +<p>Our Habitation, that is to say, my new House, +was about sixteen Miles up the Country, so that +the rest of our People could have no Notice of our +March, neither did they miss us, at least, as I +heard of, for we never heard any more of them; +nor can I imagine what Condition or Circumstance +they can be in at present, if they are still +<!-- page 084 --> +upon the Place, as, however, I believe some of +them are. +</p> + +<p>We join’d our Comrades, with a great Deal of +Ease, about three Days afterwards, for we march’d +but softly, and they lay by for us: The Night +before we went on Board, we made them a Signal +by Fire, as we had appointed to let them +know where we were, and that we were at Hand; +so they sent their Boat and fetch’d us off, and +we embark’d without any Notice taken by the +Rest. +</p> + +<p>As we were now loose, and at Sea, our next +Business was to resolve whither we should go; +and I soon govern’d the Point, resolving for <i>Bassaro</i> +in the Gulph of <i>Persia</i>, where I knew we +might shift for ourselves: Accordingly, we steer’d +away for the <i>Arabian</i> Coast, and had good Weather +for some Time, even till we made the Land at a +great Distance, when we steer’d Eastward along +the Shore. +</p> + +<p>We saw several Ships, in our Way, bound to +and from the Red Sea, as we suppos’d, and, at +another Time, we would have been sure to have +spoken with them: But, we had done Pirating; +our Business now was, how to get off, and make +our Way to some Retreat, where we might enjoy +what we had got; so we took no Notice of any +Thing by the Way; but, when we was thus sailing +merrily along, the Weather began to change, +the Evening grew black and cloudy, and threaten’d +a Storm: We were in Sight or a little Island, +(I know nothing of its Name) under which we +might have anchor’d with Safety enough, but our +People made light of it, and went on. +</p> +<!-- page 085 --> + +<p>About an Hour after Sun-set the Wind began +to rise, and blew hard at N. E. and at N. E. by N. +and in two Hours Time encreas’d to such a Tempest, +as in all my Rambles I never met with the +like; we were not able to carry a Knot of Sail, or +to know what to do, but to stow every Thing +close, and let her drive; and, in this Condition +we continu’d all the Night, all the next Day, and +Part of the Night after; towards Morning the +Storm abated a little, but not so as to give us any +Prospect of pursuing our voyage; all the Ease we +had, was, that we could just carry a little Sail to +steddy the Vessel, and run away before it; which +we did at that violent Rate, that we never +abated ’till we made Land on the East Side of +<i>Madagascar</i>, the very Island we came from, only +on the other Side of the Island. +</p> + +<p>However, we were glad we had any Place to +run to for Harbour; so we put in under the Lee +of a Point of Land that gave us Shelter from the +Wind, and where we came to an Anchor, after +being all of us almost dead with the Fatigue; and, +if our Sloop had not been an extraordinary Sea-boat, +she could never have born such a Sea, for +twelve Days together, as we were in, the worst +I ever saw before or since. We lay here, to refresh +ourselves, about twenty Days; and, indeed, +the Wind blew so hard all the while, that if we +had been dispos’d to go to Sea, we could not have +done it; and, being here, about seven of our Men +began to repent their Bargain, and left us, which +I was not sorry for. It seems, the principal Reason +of their looking back, was, their being of +those who had left their Money behind them. +They did not leave us without our Consent, and +therefore our Carpenters built them a Boat, during +the three Weeks we stay’d here, and fitted it +<!-- page 086 --> +very handsomely for them, with a Cabin for their +Convenience, and a Mast and Sail, with which +they might very well sail round to our Settlement, +as we suppose they did: We gave them +Fire-arms and Ammunition sufficient, and left +them furnishing themselves with Provisions; and +this, we suppose, was the Boat, tho’ with other +Men in it, which adventur’d afterwards as far as +the <i>Cape of Good Hope</i>, and was taken up by a +<i>Portugese</i> in Distress, by which Means they got +Passage for themselves to <i>Lisbone</i>, pretending they +had made their Escape from the Pirates at <i>Madagascar</i>; +but we were told, that the <i>Portuguese</i> Captain +took a good deal of their Money from +them, under Pretence of keeping it from his own +Seamen; and that when they came on Shore, and +began to claim it, he threaten’d them with taking +them up, and prosecuting them for Pirates, which +made them compound with him, and take about +10000 Dollars for above 120000, which they had +with them; which, by the Way, was but a scurvy +Trick: They had, it seems, a considerable +Quantity of Gold among them, which they +had the Wit to conceal from the Captain of the +Ship, and which was enough for such Fellows +as them, and more than they well knew what to +do with; so that they were rich enough still, +tho’ the <i>Portugal</i> Captain was nevertheless a Knave +for all that. +</p> + +<p>We left them here, as I have said, and put to +Sea again; and, in about twenty Days Sail, having +pretty good Weather, we arriv’d at the Gulph +of <i>Persia</i>: It would be too long to give you an +Account of the particular Fortunes of some of our +People after this, the Variety of which would fill +a Volume by itself: But, in the first Place, we, +who were determin’d to travel, went on Shore +<!-- page 087 --> +at <i>Bassaro</i>, leaving the rest of our Men to buy +Rice, and load the larger Vessel back to their +Comrades, which they promis’d to do; but how +far they perform’d I know not. +</p> + +<p>We were thirteen of us that went on Shore here; +from whence we hir’d a kind of Barge, or rather +a Bark, which, after much Difficulty, and very +unhandy Doings of the Men who we had hir’d, +brought us to <i>Babylon</i>, or <i>Bagdat</i>, as it is now +call’d. +</p> + +<p>Our Treasure was so great, that if it had been +known what we had about us, I am of Opinion we +should never have troubl’d <i>Europe</i> with our Company: +However, we gat safe to <i>Babylon</i> or<i> Bagdat</i>, +where we kept ourselves <i>Incog</i> for a while, +took a House by ourselves, and lay four or five +Days still, till we had got Vests and long Gowns +made to appear Abroad in as <i>Armenian</i> Merchants. +After we had got Cloaths, and look’d like +other People, we began to appear Abroad; and I, +that from the Beginning had meditated my Escape +by myself, began now to put it into Practice; and, +walking one Morning upon the Bank of the River +<i>Euphrates</i>, I mus’d with myself what Course I should +take to make off, and get quite away from the +Gang, and let them not so much as suspect me. +</p> + +<p>While I was walking here, comes up one of my +Comrades, and one who I always took for my +particular Friend: I know what you are employ’d +in, <i>said he</i>, while you seem only to be musing, +and refreshing yourself with the cool Breeze. Why, +<i>said I</i>, what am I musing about? Why, <i>said he</i>, +you are studying how you should get away from +us; but, muse upon it as long as you will, <i>says he</i>, +you shall never go without me, for I am resolv’d +<!-- page 088 --> +to go with you which Way soever you take. +’Tis true, <i>says I</i>, I was musing which Way I should +go, but not which Way I should go without you; +for tho’ I would be willing to part Company, +yet you cannot think I would go alone; and you +know I have chosen you out from all the Company +to be the Partner of all my Adventures. +</p> + +<p>Very well, <i>says he</i>, but I am to tell you now, +that it is not only necessary that we should not +go all together; but, our Men have all concluded, +that we should make our Escape every +one for himself, and should separate as we could; +so that you need make no Secret of your Design +any more than of the Way you intend to take. +</p> + +<p>I was glad enough of this News, and it made +me very easy in the Preparations we made for +our setting out: And, the first Thing we did, +was, to get us more Cloaths, having some made of +one Fashion, some of another; but, my Friend +and I, who resolv’d to keep together, made us +Cloaths after the Fashion of the <i>Armenian</i> Merchants, +whose Country we pretended to travel +through. +</p> + +<p>In the mean Time, five of our Men dress’d like +Merchants; and, laying out their Money in Raw +Silk, and Wrought Silks, and other Goods of the +Country, proper for <i>Europe</i>, (in which they were +directed by an <i>English</i> Merchant there) resolv’d to +take the usual Rout, and travel by the Caravans +from <i>Babylon</i> to <i>Alleppo</i>, and so to <i>Scanderoon</i>, and +we staid and saw them and their Bales go off +in Boats for a great Town on the <i>Euphrates</i>, +where the Caravans begin to take up the Passengers; +the other six divided themselves, one Half +of them went for <i>Agra</i>, the Country of the Great +<!-- page 089 --> +Mogul, resolving to go down +the River <i>Hoogly</i> to <i>Bengal</i>; but whither they +went afterward or what Course they took, I never +knew, neither whether they really went at all +or not. +</p> + +<p>The other three went by Sea, in a <i>Persian</i> Vessel, +back from the Red Sea to the Gulf of <i>Mocca</i>, and +I heard of them all three at <i>Marseilles</i>; but whither +they went afterwards I never knew, nor could I come +to speak with them even there. +</p> + +<p>As for me and my Friend, we first laid out all the +Silver we had in <i>European</i> Ware, such as we knew +would vend at <i>Ispahan</i>, which we carry’d upon twelve +Camels; and hiring some Servants, as well for our +Guide as our Guard, we set out. +</p> + +<p>The Servants we hir’d were a Kind of <i>Arab</i>, but +rather looking like the Great Mogul’s people, than +real <i>Arabians</i>; and when we came into <i>Persia</i>, we +found they were look’d upon as no better than Dogs, +and were not only used ill, but that we were used +ill for their Sakes; and after we were come three +Days into the <i>Persian</i> Dominions, we found ourselves +oblig’d to part with them; so we gave them three +Dollars a Man to go back again. +</p> + +<p>They understood their Business very well, and knew +well enough what was the Reason of it, though we did +not. However, we found we had committed a great +Mistake in it; for we perceiv’d that they were so +exasperated at being turn’d off, that they vowed to +be revenged; and, indeed, they had their Revenge +to the Full; for the same Day, at Night, they return’d +in the Dark, and set eleven Houses on Fire in the +Town where we quartered; which, by the Way, had +gone near to have cost me my Life, and would certainly +have done so, if in the Hurry I had not seiz’d +one of the Incendiaries and deliver’d him up to +them. +</p> + +<p>The People were so provok’d at him that was +taken that they fell upon him with all possible Fury +as the common Incendiary and Burner of the Town, +and presently quitted us (for they had before vowed +our Destruction) but, as I said, quitted us immediately, +and thronged about the Wretch they had +taken; and, indeed, I made no Question but that +they would have immediately murder’d him (nay, +that they would have torn him in Pieces before they +parted with him). But after they had vented their +Rage at him for some Time with all possible Reproaches +and Indignities, they carry’d him before the <i>Cadi</i>, or +Judge of the Place. The <i>Cadi</i>, a wise, grave Man, +answered, no, he would not judge him at that Time, +for they were too hot and passionate to do Justice; +but they should come with him in the Morning, when +they were cool, and he would hear them. +</p> + +<p>It is true this was a most excellent Step of the +<i>Cadi</i> as to the right Way of doing Justice; but it did +not prove the most expedient in the present Occasion, +though that was none of his Fault neither; for in the +Night the Fellow got out of their Hands, by what +Means or by whose Assistance I never heard to this +Day; and the <i>Cadi</i> fined the Town in a considerable +Sum for letting a Man accused of a capital Crime +make his Escape before he was adjudged, and, as we +call it, discharged according to Law. +</p> + +<p>This was an eminent Instance of the Justice of these +People; and though they were doubly enraged at the +Escape of the Fellow, who, without +<!-- page 091 --> +Doubt, was guilty, yet they never open’d their +Mouths against the <i>Cadi</i>; but acquiesc’d in his Judgment, +as in that of an Oracle, and submitted to +the national Censure, or Censure according to the +Custom of their Nation, which he had pass’d upon +them in their publick Capacity for the Escape +of the Man. +</p> + +<p>We were willing to get out of this Place as +soon as we could; for we found the Peoples Rage, +which wanted an Object to vent itself upon, began +to threaten us again: So having pack’d up +our Goods, and gotten five ordinary Camel-Drivers +for our Servants in the Country, we set out +again. +</p> + +<p>The Roads in <i>Persia</i> are not so much frequented, +as to be well accommodated with Inns, so that +several Times we were oblig’d to lodge upon the +Ground in the Way; but our new Servants took +Care to furnish us with Lodging; for as soon as we +let them know we wanted Rest, and inclin’d to stop, +they set up a Tent for us, in so short a Time, that +we were scarce able to imagine it possible, and +under this we encamp’d, our Camels being just +by us, and our Servants and Bales lying all +hard by. +</p> + +<p>Once or twice we lodg’d in publick Inns, built +at the King of <i>Persia</i>’s Charge: These are fair large +Buildings, built square, like a large Inn, they +have all of them large Stables, and good Forrage +for the Camels and Horses, and Apartments for +perhaps two or three hundred People, and they +are call’d <i>Caravansera’s</i>, as being built to entertain +whole Caravans of Travellers: On the great +<!-- page 092 --> +Roads to <i>Tauris</i> and the Side of <i>Turky</i> they are +all fortify’d, and are able to entertain five or six +Thousand People, and have a Stock to furnish +what Number of Men can come with Provisions; +nay, it has been known, that whole armies of +the <i>Persians</i> have on their March been furnish’d +with Provisions in one of these <i>Caravansera’s</i>, and +that they have kill’d 2000 Sheep for them in one +Night’s Time. +</p> + +<p>In this Manner we travell’d to <i>Ispahan</i>, the Capital +of <i>Persia</i>, where appearing as Merchants, and +with several Camels loaden with Merchandize, +we pass’d all Possibility of Suspicion, and being +perfectly easy, we continu’d here some Time, +sold our Cargoes, and would gladly have remitted +the Money to other Places, as for <i>Constantinople</i> +in particular; but we found the <i>Turks</i> and +<i>Persians</i> have no such Thing as an Exchange, by +Bills running between them and other Nations, +no, nor between one Town and another. +</p> + +<p>We were invited here by a sudden Accident to +have gone Home by the <i>Caspian</i> Sea and <i>Astracan</i>, +so thro’ <i>Muscovy</i>; but I had heard so much +of the Barbarity of the <i>Russians</i>, the dangerous +Navigation of the <i>Caspian</i> Sea by Reason of the +Calms and Shoals, the Hazard of being robb’d by +the <i>Tartars</i> on the River <i>Wolga</i>, and the like, that +I chose to travel to <i>Constantinople</i>, a Journey +through Desarts, over Mountains and Wastes, among +so many Sorts of Barbarians, that I would +run any Kind of Hazards by Sea, before I would +attempt such a Thing again. +</p> +<!-- page 093 --> + +<p>It would deserve another History to let you +into all the different Circumstances of this Journey; +how well I was us’d by some, and how ill +by others; nay, how well by some <i>Mahometans</i>, +how ill by some Christians: But it shall suffice +to tell you, that I am at present at <i>Constantinople</i>; +and, tho’ I write this here, I do not purpose +to send it to you till I come to <i>Marseilles</i> +in <i>France</i>; from whence I intend to go and live +in some inland Town, where, as they have, +perhaps, no Notion of the Sea, so they will not be +inquisitive after us. +</p> + +<p class="signature">I am, <i>&c.</i> +</p> + + +<p class="center"><i>FINIS.</i> +</p> + +<div class="centerpic" id="img-093"><img src="images/093.jpg" alt="Illustration 093" /></div> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +<div class="trnote"> +<p class="center"><a id="Notes"><b>Transcriber's Notes</b></a></p> + +<p class="noindent"> +The text was left as close to the original as possible, including obsolete +and inconsistent spelling. The transcriber made only a very few changes to the +text to correct obvious errors: +</p> + +<ul> +<li> Enterpize — changed to <a href="#corr-1"><i>Enterprize</i></a></li> +<li> youself — changed to <a href="#corr-2"><i>yourself</i></a></li> +</ul> +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The King of Pirates, by Daniel Defoe + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KING OF PIRATES *** + +***** This file should be named 37992-h.htm or 37992-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/9/9/37992/ + +Produced by Jens Sadowski (This file was produced from +images generously made available by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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