the Poope as the day before: to avoid suspition, all that did belong to
the Gunner-roome went downe, and the slaves in the middle decke attended
their business, so that we could cast up our account in this manner.
First, nine _English_ slaves, besides _Iohn Rawlins_: five of the _Tor
Bay_ men, and one boy, foure _English_ Renegadoes, and two _French_,
foure _Hollanders_: in all four and twenty and a boy: so that lifting up
our hearts and hands to God for the successe of the businesse, we were
wonderfully incouraged; and setled our selves, till the report of the
peece gave us warning of the enterprise. Now, you must consider, that in
this company were two of _Rawlins_ men, _Iames Roe_, and _Iohn Davies_,
whom he brought out of _England_, and whom the fortune of the Sea
brought into the same predicament with their Master. These were imployed
about noone (being as I said, the ninth of February) to prepare their
matches, while all the _Turkes_ or at least most of them stood on the
Poope, to weigh down the ship as it were, to bring the water forward to
the Pumpe: the one brought his match lighted betweene two spoons, the
other brought his in a little peece of a Can: and so in the name of God,
the _Turkes_ and _Moores_ being placed as you have heard, and five and
forty in number, and _Rawlins_ having proined the Tuch-holes, _Iames
Roe_ gave fire to one of the peeces, about two of the clocke in the
afternoone, and the confederates upon the warning, shouted most
cheerefully: the report of the peece did teare and breake down all the
Binnacle, and compasses, and the noise of the slaves made all the
Souldiers amased at the matter, till seeing the quarter of the ship
rent, and feeling the whole body to shake under them: understanding the
ship was surprised, and the attempt tended to their utter destruction,
never Beare robbed of her whelpes was so fell and mad: For they not
onely cald us dogs, and cried out, _Usance de Lamair_, which is as much
to say, the Fortune of the wars: but attempted to teare up the planckes,
setting a worke hammers, hatchets, knives, the oares of the Boate, the
Boat-hooke, their curtleaxes, and what else came to hand, besides stones
and brickes in the Cooke-roome, all which they threw amongst us,
attempting still and still to breake and rip up the hatches, and boords
of the steering, not desisting from their former execrations, and
horrible blasphemies and revilings.
When _Iohn Rawlins_ perceived them so violent, and understood how the
slaves had cleared the deckes of all the _Turkes_ and _Moores_ beneath,
he set a guard upon the Powder, and charged their owne Muskets against
them, killing them from divers scout-holes, both before and behind, and
so lessened their number, to the ioy of all our hearts, whereupon they
cried out, and called for the Pilot, and so _Rawlins_, with some to
guard him, went to them, and understood them by their kneeling, that
they cried for mercy, and to have their lives saved, and they would come
downe, which he bade them doe, and so they were taken one by one, and
bound, yea killed with their owne Curtleaxes; which when the rest
perceived, they called us _English_ dogs, and reviled us with many
opprobrious termes, some leaping over-boord, crying, it was the chance
of war; some were manacled, and so throwne over-boord, and some were
slaine and mangled with the Curtleaxes, till the ship was well cleared,
and our selves assured of the victory.
At the first report of our Peece, and hurliburly in the decks, the
Captaine was a writing in his Cabbin, and hearing the noyse, thought it
some strange accident, and so came out with his Curtleaxe in his hand,
presuming by his authority to pacifie the mischiefe: But when hee cast
his eyes upon us, and saw that we were like to surprise the ship, he
threw downe his Curtleaxe, and begged us to save his life, intimating
unto _Rawlins_, how he had redeemed him from _Villa-Rise_, and ever
since admitted him to place of command in the ship, besides honest usage
in the whole course of the Voyage. All which _Rawlins_ confessed, and at
last condescended to mercy, and brought the Captaine and five more into
_England_. The Captain was called _Ramtham-Rise_, but his Christen name,
_Henry Chandler_, and as they say, was a Chandler's sonne in Southwarke.
_Iohn Goodale_, was also an _English Turke_. _Richard Clarke_, in
_Turkish_, _Iafar_; _George Cooke_, _Ramdam_; _Iohn Browne_, _Mamme_;
_William Winter_, _Mustapha_; besides all the slaves and _Hollanders_,
with other Renegadoes, who were willing to be reconciled to their true
Saviour, as being formerly seduced with the hopes of riches, honour,
preferment, and such like devillish baits, to catch the soules of
mortall men, and entangle frailty in the fetters of horrible abuses, and
imposturing deceit.
When all was done, and the ship cleared of the dead bodies, _Iohn
Rawlins_ assembled his men together, and with one consent gave the
praise unto God, using the accustomed service on ship-boord, and for
want of bookes lifted up their voyces to God, as he put into their
hearts, or renewed their memories: then did they sing a Psalme, and last
of all, embraced one another for playing the men in such a Deliverance,
whereby our feare was turned into joy, and trembling hearts
exhillirated, that we had escaped such inevitable dangers, and
especially the slavery and terror of bondage, worse than death it selfe.
The same night we washed our ship, put every thing in as good order as
we could, repaired the broken quarter, set up the Binnacle, and bore up
the Helme for _England_, where by Gods grace and good guiding, we
arrived at _Plimmoth_, the thirteenth of February, and were welcommed
like the recovery of the lost sheepe, or as you read of a loving mother,
that runneth with embraces to entertaine her sonne from a long Voyage
and escape of many dangers.
Not long after we understood of our confederats, that returned home in
the Barke of _Torbay_, that they arrived in _Pensance_ in _Corne-wall_
the eleventh of February: and if any aske after their deliverance,
considering there were ten _Turkes_ sent to man her, I will tell you
that too: the next day after they lost us, as you have heard and that
the three Renegadoes had acquainted the Masters Mate, and the two
_English_ in her with _Rawlins_ determination, and that they themselves
would be true to them, and assist them in any enterprise: then if the
worst came, there were but seven to sixe: but as it fell out, they had a
more easie passage, then turmoile, or man-slaughter. For they made the
_Turkes_ beleeve, the wind was come faire, and that they were sayling to
_Algier_, till they came within sight of _England_, which one of them
amongst the rest discovered, saying plainely, that that land was not
like _Cape Vincent_; "yes faith," said he, that was at the Helme, "and
you will be contented, and goe downe into the hold, and trim the salt
over to wind-ward, whereby the ship may beare full saile, you shall know
and see more to morrow": Whereupon five of them went downe very orderly,
the Renegadoes faining themselves asleep, who presently start up, and
with the helpe of the two _English_, nailed downe the hatches, whereat
the principall amongst them much repined, and began to grow into choller
and rage, had it not quickly beene suppressed. For one of them stepped
to him, and dasht out his braines, and threw him over-boord: the rest
were brought to _Excester_, and either to be arraigned, according to the
punishment of delinquents in such a kind, or disposed of, as the King
and Counsell shall thinke meet and this is the story of this
deliverance, and end of _Iohn Rawlins_ Voyage. The Actors in this Comick
Tragedie are most of them alive; The _Turkes_ are in prison; the ship is
to be seene, and _Rawlins_ himselfe dare justifie the matter.
FOOTNOTES:
[4] From _Purchas, His Pilgrims_.
[5] Bristol.
THE DAUGHTER OF THE GREAT MOGUL[6]
DANIEL DEFOE
In this time I pursued my voyage, coasted the whole Malabar shore, and
met with no purchase but a great Portugal East India ship, which I
chased into Goa, where she got out of my reach. I took several small
vessels and barks, but little of value in them, till I entered the great
Bay of Bengal, when I began to look about me with more expectation of
success, though without prospect of what happened.
I cruised here about two months, finding nothing worth while; so I stood
away to a port on the north point of the isle of Sumatra, where I made
no stay; for here I got news that two large ships belonging to the Great
Mogul were expected to cross the bay from Hoogly, in the Ganges, to the
country of the King of Pegu, being to carry the granddaughter of the
Great Mogul to Pegu, who was to be married to the king of that country,
with all her retinue, jewels, and wealth.
This was a booty worth watching for, though it had been some months
longer; so I resolved that we would go and cruise off Point Negaris, on
the east side of the bay, near Diamond Isle; and here we plied off and
on for three weeks, and began to despair of success; but the knowledge
of the booty we expected spurred us on, and we waited with great
patience, for we knew the prize would be immensely rich.
At length we spied three ships coming right up to us with the wind. We
could easily see they were not Europeans 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 managed by English sailors, to
have fought two such ships as ours were. However, we resolved to attack
her if she had been full of devils as she was full of men.
Accordingly, when we came near them, we fired a gun with shot as a
challenge. They fired again immediately three or four guns, but fired
them so confusedly that we could easily see they did not understand
their business; when we considered 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 frightened out of their
wits; they fired 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 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, killed a
great many of them, and made all the rest run down under their hatches,
crying out like creatures bewitched. In a word, we presently took the
ship, and having secured her men, we chased the other two. One was
chiefly filled with women, and the other with lumber. Upon the whole, as
the granddaughter of the Great Mogul was our prize in the first ship, so
in the second was her women, or, in a word, her household, her eunuchs,
all the necessaries of her wardrobe, of her stables, and of her kitchen;
and in the last, great quantities of household stuff, and things less
costly, though not less useful.
But the first was the main prize. When my men had entered and mastered
the ship, one of our lieutenants called for me, and accordingly I jumped
on board. He told me he thought nobody but I ought to go into the great
cabin, or, at least, nobody should go there before me; for that the lady
herself and all her attendance was there, and he feared the men were so
heated they would murder them all, or do worse.
I immediately went to the great cabin door, taking the lieutenant that
called me along with me, and caused the cabin door to be opened. 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
frightened and crying, and, at the sight of me, she appeared trembling,
and just as if she was going to die. She sat 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, in a manner, covered with diamonds, and I, like
a true pirate, soon let her see that I had more mind to the jewels than
to the lady.
However, before I touched her, I ordered 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 killed, taught
her to do everything 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 kneeled 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.
When the three ladies kneeled 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 assured her of that but she got up smiling, and went to
a fine Indian cabinet, and opened 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 offered to kneel down to give it me. This
innocent usage began to rouse some good-nature in me (though 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 frightened again, it seems, at what I had no thought of. But as
I did not offer anything 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
England; for I doubt not but some of them are fit to be placed on the
king's crown.
Being master of this treasure, I was very willing to be good-humored to
the persons; so I went out of the cabin, and caused 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.
After I had been out of the cabin some time, a slave of the women's 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 ordered 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 appeared pleased, and more
when she saw me come in after it; for she was exceedingly pleased that I
had caused 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
belonged to her.
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 English, I could have said plainly, and 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 sat 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.
After we had eaten, she rose up again, and drinking some water out of a
china cup, sat 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 Pegu, about as big as an English half-guinea, and I think there were
three thousand of them. She opened several other drawers, and showed me
the wealth that was in them, and then gave me the key of the whole.
We had revelled 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. Upon this we called 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 though I might rifle her of everything else, yet, I
assure you, I let her go untouched for me, or, as I am satisfied, for
any one of my men; nay, when we dismissed them, we gave her leave to
take a great many things of value with her, which she would have been
plundered of if I had not been so careful of her.
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 Englishmen,
especially while I am living, for reasons which I may give you
hereafter.
FOOTNOTES:
[6] From _The King of the Pirates_.
BARBAROSSA--KING OF THE CORSAIRS[7]
E. HAMILTON CURREY, R.N.
At the coming of spring Barbarossa was at sea again with thirty-two
ships ready for any eventuality, his crews aflame with ardor for revenge
against those by whom they had been so roughly handled. He chose for the
scene of operations a place on the coast of Majorca some fifteen miles
from Palma; from here he commanded the route of the Spaniards from their
country to the African coast, and it was against this nation that he
felt a great bitterness owing to recent events. Eagerly did the corsair
and his men watch for the Spanish ships, the heavier vessels lying at
anchor, but the light, swift galleys ranging and questing afar so that
none might be missed. Very soon the vigilance of the Moslems was
rewarded by the capture of a number of vessels, sent by Bernard de
Mendoza laden with Turkish and Moorish slaves, destined to be utilized
as rowers in the Spanish galleys. These men were hailed as a welcome
reinforcement, and joyfully joined the forces of Kheyr-ed-Din when he
moved on Minorca, captured the castle by a surprise assault, raided the
surrounding country, and captured five thousand seven hundred
Christians, amongst whom were eight hundred men who had been wounded in
the attack on Tunis--all these unfortunates were sent to refill the
bagnio of Algiers.
This private war of revenge was, however, destined soon to come to an
end, as Soliman the Magnificent in this year became involved in disputes
with the Venetian Republic, and recalled "that veritable man of the
sea," as Barbarossa had been described by Ibrahim, to Constantinople.
In this city by the sea there had taken place a tragedy which, although
it only involved the death of a single man, was nevertheless
far-reaching in its consequences; for the man was none other than that
great statesman Ibrahim, Grand Vizier, and the only trusted counsellor
of the Padishah. He who had been originally a slave had risen step by
step in the favor of his master until he arrived at the giddy eminence
which he occupied at the time of his death. It is a somewhat curious
commentary on the essentially democratic status of an autocracy that a
man could thus rise to a position second only to that of the autocrat
himself; and, in all probability, wielding quite as much power.
Ibrahim had for years been treated by Soliman more as a brother than as
a dependent, which, in spite of his Grand Viziership, he was in fact.
They lived in the very closest communion, taking their meals together,
and even sleeping in the same room, Soliman, a man of high intelligence
himself, and a ruler who kept in touch with all the happenings which
arose in his immense dominions, desiring always to have at hand the man
whom he loved; from whom, with his amazing grip of political problems
and endless fertility of resource, he was certain of sympathy and sound
advice. But in an oriental despotism there are other forces at work
besides those of _la haute politique_, and Ibrahim had one deadly enemy
who was sworn to compass his destruction. The Sultana Roxalana was the
light of the harem of the Grand Turk. This supremely beautiful woman,
originally a Russian slave, was the object of the most passionate
devotion on the part of Soliman; but she was as ambitious as she was
lovely, and brooked no rival in the affections of Soliman, be that
person man, woman, or child. In her hands the master of millions, the
despot whose nod was death, became a submissive slave; the undisciplined
passions of this headstrong woman swept aside from her path all those
whom she suspected of sharing her influence, in no matter how remote a
fashion. At her dictation had Soliman caused to be murdered his son
Mustafa, a youth of the brightest promise, because, in his intelligence
and his winning ways he threatened to eclipse Selim, the son of Roxalana
herself.
This woman possessed a strong natural intelligence, albeit she was
totally uneducated; she saw and knew that Ibrahim was all-powerful with
her lover, and this roused her jealousy to fever-heat. She was not
possessed of a cool judgment, which would have told her that Ibrahim was
a statesman dealing with the external affairs of the Sublime Porte, and
that with her and with her affairs he neither desired, nor had he the
power, to interfere. What, however, the Sultana did know was that in
these same affairs of State her opinion was dust in the balance when
weighed against that of the Grand Vizier.
Soliman had that true attribute of supreme greatness, the unerring
aptitude for the choice of the right man. He had picked out Ibrahim from
among his immense entourage, and never once had he regretted his choice.
As time went on and the intellect and power of the man became more and
more revealed to his master, that sovereign left in his hands even such
matters as despots are apt to guard most jealously. We have seen how, in
spite of the murmurings of the whole of his capital, and the almost
insubordinate attitude of his navy, he had persevered in the appointment
of Kheyr-ed-Din Barbarossa, because the judgment of Ibrahim was in favor
of its being carried out. This, to Roxalana, was gall and wormwood; well
she knew that, as long as the Grand Vizier lived, her sovereignty was at
best but a divided one. There was a point at which her blandishments
stopped short; this was when she found that her opinion did not coincide
with that of the minister. She was, as we have seen in the instance of
her son, not a woman to stick at trifles, and she decided that Ibrahim
must die.
There could be no hole-and-corner business about this; he must die, and
when his murder had been accomplished she would boldly avow to her lover
what she had done and take the consequences, believing in her power over
him to come scatheless out of the adventure. In those days, when human
life was so cheap, she might have asked for the death of almost any one,
and her whim would have been gratified by a lover who had not hesitated
to put to death his own son at her dictation. But with Ibrahim it was
another matter; he was the familiar of the Sultan, his _alter ego_ in
fact. It says much for the nerve of the Sultana that she dared so
greatly on this memorable and lamentable occasion.
On March 5th, 1536, Ibrahim went to the royal seraglio, and, following
his ancient custom, was admitted to the table of his master, sleeping
after the meal at his side. At least so it was supposed, but none knew
save those engaged in the murder what passed on that fatal night; the
next day his dead body lay in the house of the Sultan.