up to prayers in the great Cabin, and then set the watch, and went to
sleep, little thinking his end was so near, when _Winter_,
_Rawlisson_, and _Melvin_, begun the scene of blood, _Gow_ lying snug
in his hammock, as if he knew nothing of the matter, till he saw
whether the villany would succeed, or not. _Winter_ cut the Doctor's
throat as he was asleep in his hammock, and then went up to _Melvin_
and _Rawlisson_, who in the mean time had seized the Captain and cut
his throat also, but not touching the windpipe, _Gow_ stept up and
shot him with a brace of bullets, and then threw him over-board.
_Mc.Cawley_ cut _Stephen Algiers_ the Clerk's throat, as he lay in the
hammock, and _Williams_ shot him dead afterwards. _Peterson_ cut the
throat of _Bonaventure Jelphs_, the Chief Mate; and _Michael Moor_, at
the Command of _Williams_, shot him.
After this _Williams_ came upon the Quarter-Deck, and saluted _Gow_
with Captain _Ferneau's_ sword, first striking it upon one of the
guns, and saying, _Welcome Captain_ Gow, _welcome to your new
Command_. After which, _Gow_ told the men, That if any of them durst
murmur or cabal together, they must expect to meet with the same Fate;
and then calling a Council, they agreed to go, _Upon the Account_, as
they called it.
They called the ship the _Revenge_, and mounted six more of her guns,
she being able to carry four and twenty in all. But instead of going
to _Genoa_ as intended, they sailed for the coasts of _Spain_ and
_Portugal_, in hopes of getting a ship laden with wine, to keep up
their spirits; but all was alike they met with; and instead of wine,
they contented themselves with fish, which they took out of a ship
called the _Delight_ of _Poole_, _Thomas Wise_, Master, bound from
_New-England_ to _Cadiz_, out of which they took the men, and what
they wanted, and then sunk the Ship, to prevent their being discovered
to the _English_ Men-of-War who lay in the _Straights_.
On the 18th of _December_, they took the _Snow-Galley_, out of which
Crew they kept _Rob_, and discharged the Captain and the rest of the
men, after having plundered the Ship of the arms, ammunition, cloth,
provisions, sails, anchors, cables, and then let her go.
By this time, they were got a great way to the southward; and being in
want of water as well as wind, they agreed to go to _Maderas_, which
Island they made in two days, cruising about it near a week, expecting
some vessel to come in or come out; but the Country discovering what
they were, they were disappointed in their attempts. Then they stood
away for _Porto Santa_, where they put up _British_ Colours, and sent
their Boat ashore with a compliment to the Governor, desiring leave to
Water, and buy some refreshments; which he readily agreed to, and went
with them to pay the _English_ Captain a Visit, who received him in a
very grand Manner. But the refreshments not coming as expected, he at
length told him he was his Prisoner, and must remain so till the
provisions were come on board, which was not till next day, when _Gow_
discharged him, giving him three Cerons of Bees-wax, and three Guns at
his going away.
Having now got provisions, they agreed to return to the Coasts of
_Spain_ and _Portugal_; where they had not been above two days, before
they met with the _Batchelor_, _Benjamin Cross_ Master, from
_New-England_ bound to _Cadiz_; out of which they took _Cross_ and
his Men, and gave the Ship to Captain _Wise_, as also 24 Cerons of
Bees-wax to him and his mate, and to his four men 8 Cerons. After this
they took a _French_ Ship from _Cadiz_, loaded with wine, oil, and
fruit, which was what they wanted, and manned her with their own men,
taking on board the _Revenge_ the _French_ Master, and his 12 Men, and
most Part of the cargoe, with five guns and their carriages,
ammunition, small arms, and sails, and gave the ship to _Somerville_,
Captain of the _Snow Galley_; and to Captain _Cross_ the _New-English_
Man, to who they gave half the ship and cargoe and _Somerville_ had
all his Men, but _Alexander Rob_, whom they detained, and who was
executed in 1725, for engaging along with them.
Soon after they saw a large ship to the windward bearing down upon
them, which at first they thought to have been a _Portugueze_
Man-of-War; but they found afterwards, it was a _French_ Merchant Ship
coming home from the _West-Indies_, which not fearing them, came on to
the windward. _Gow_ perceiving she was a Ship of great strength,
called all his men together, telling them they had a great many
prisoners on board, and that he could not trust many of his own men;
besides, six of his best Hands were on Board the other Ship, therefore
he advised them not to meddle with her, she being far superior in
Force. This so exasperated _Williams_, that he demanded of _Gow_ to
give his orders for fighting; but he, by the advice of the whole crew,
declined it; whereupon _Williams_ snapt his pistol at his Face; which
not going off, made him still madder. _Winter_ and _Peterson_ standing
by him fired each a Pistol at _Williams_, one shooting him through the
arm, and the other in the belly; at which he fell, and they believing
he was killed, were going to throw him overboard, when he leapt up,
and ran into the Powder-Room, with his pistol cocked in his hand,
swearing he would blow them all up; which he had certainly done, had
they not prevented him that very moment, he having opened the scuttle
to do it.
They immediately put him in irons, and hand-cuffed him, and then put
him between decks, in a place prepared for prisoners.
Two days after this, they took the _Triumvirate_, a _Bristol_ Sloop,
_Joel Davis_ Master, bound from _Newfoundland_ to _Oporto_, with fish;
from whence they took all her provisions, arms, sails, and two of her
men, and then let her go with the rest, and all her cargoe. Not
knowing what to do with _Williams_, they resolved to put him on board
them, and send him away, for fear of further danger, ordering the
Master to put him on board the first _English_ man of War he should
meet with, to hang him for Piracy; which when _Williams_ found they
were resolved to do, he made all the submission he was able to Captain
_Gow_, begging for pardon, knowing if he was carried to _Lisbon_ he
should meet with his deserts. But all his entreaties would not do, he
was brought up double fettered, when he begged they would throw him
into the sea, and drown him, rather than give him up to be hanged in
chains, which he knew he deserved from the _Portugueze_ as well as
_English_. This made many of them begin to relent and pity him; but
considering his savage disposition, they knew there was no safety to
keep him on board, and so resolved to let him go, and give him a
hearty curse at parting, wishing him a safe voyage to the gallows, not
dreaming that they themselves should accompany him.
The _Bristol_ Captain obeyed their orders, and as soon as he came to
_Lisbon_ put him on board the _Argyle_ man of War, Captain _Bowler_
Commander, who brought him home not above three days before Gow and
his Crew came to keep him company.
In the middle of last _January_, they arrived at _Caristoun_ in the
Isles of _Orkney_, when _Gow_ gave them instructions, what account
they should give of themselves to the people of the country, to avoid
suspicion. But now began their misfortunes, for several of their men
began to think of making their escape, the first was one _Read_, who
took an opportunity to get away when the boat went ashore, who went to
a farm-house which lay under a hill where he hired a horse and rode
to _Kirkwall_, a market town about twelve miles off, where he informed
them what they were; whereupon they raised the Country to defend
themselves. The Pirates soon hearing what was done, ten more of them
went away with the longboat, making the best of their way for
_Scotland_, who were some time after taken in the _Frith_ of
_Edinburgh_, and made Prisoners.
This so provoked _Gow_, that he resolved to plunder the Country, be
the consequence what it would, and in order thereto, he sent _Belvin_
his Boatswain, with _Rob_ and Four more, to Mr. _Honnyman's_ house,
the Sheriff, who not being at home, his Servants let them in, not
suspecting their design. They immediately fell to work, but Mr.
_Honnyman's_ Daughter had the presence of mind to hide the money in a
tub of feathers, till she found an opportunity to carry it away, by
the contrivance of _Alexander Rob_, who was placed centinel at the
door. But when the Boatswain found the treasure was gone, Gow having
before told them where it lay, he swore he would burn the house, and
all that was in it, which the young Lady hearing, she runs to the
Charter-room where the Treasure lay, and threw it out of the Window,
jumping herself after. However, they plundered the house of about
fifty pounds, and some plate, and then forced a servant who played on
the bag-pipes, to pipe before them to the ship, whom they also
detained, and was brought along with them to the _Marshalsea_, where
he was sick till his release.
The next day they weighed anchor, and came to _Calf-Sound_, where the
boatswain went ashore again with four armed Men, meeting with no
Plunder. From thence they went to the Island of _Eda_, to plunder the
house of Mr. _Fea_, whom _Gow_ had formerly been School-fellow with,
and knowing him to be a Man of Courage, believed that the Alarm at
_Caristoun_ had drawn him thither: But Mr. _Fea's_ wife at that Time
being very sick in Bed, kept him at home, and having notice of them he
sent a letter to _Gow_ by _James Laing_, to desire him to withdraw,
assuring him that most of the inhabitants were fled to the mountains
on the report of his being a Pirate, desiring him to send the
messenger safe back, at whose return the affrights of the people would
be over. _Gow_ sent him word back, that he would write to nobody, but
if Mr. _Fea_ would send his men with a Boat, he would reward them
handsomely, which Mr. _Fea_ hearing, he ordered his great Boat to be
staved, and sunk, and the sails to be carried out of sight. In the
mean time, perceiving _Gow's_ boat come on shore, with five men in it,
well armed, he met them, and said if they would go to a Publick House
in the neighbourhood, and take a cup of ale with him, he would see
what he could do to serve them, which they agreed to, seeing Mr. _Fea_
was all alone, not suspecting any danger. Mr. _Fea_ had before given
orders for half a dozen men, well armed, to lie in ambush to surprize
them, which being done, Mr. _Fea_ sent to Mr. _Gow_ to let him know,
that the country was alarmed, and that it would be his best way
peaceable to surrender, which _Gow_ did in a day or two, thinking
thereby to make himself an evidence; but it would not do, although he
complied so far as to delude all his men ashore one after another, who
would certainly have cut his throat, had they known of any ways
afterwards to have escaped.
They were put on board the _Greyhound_, which delivered them into the
_Marshalsea_, _March_ 30, 1714, where they continued till _June_
following, when eight of them were hanged at _Execution Dock_, viz.
_John Gow_, _James Williams_, _James Belvin_, _John Winter_, _Peter
Rawlisson_, _Daniel Mc.Cawley_, _William Ingram_, for another Piracy
under _Anstis_, and a month afterwards _Alexander Rob_ was hanged for
Piracy under _Gow_.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Transcriber's Note
Fraser notes in his foreword to this book that the original author's
spelling was "indefinite even for his own day", and adds that it has
"has been more or less modernized" in this edition; however, there are
still many inconsistencies in spelling, use of hyphenation and
italics, and capitalisation of words. These inconsistencies, along
with archaic spelling, have been retained throughout.
Minor typographic errors in punctuation have been corrected without
note. The word 'with' was printed as 'htiw' (page 138), and has been
corrected. The word 'were' has been amended to 'where' (page 139, "...
where they sent several Hands ..."), for the sentence to make sense.
Two instances of transposed letters have also been corrected--sieze
changed to seize, and Goaler changed to Gaoler. The original title
page illustration also contained an error, Jnae, which referred to a
month. This was cross-checked with the rest of the text, and has been
amended to read June in the transcription of the text.
The frontispiece illustration has been moved to follow the front matter.