Captain Condent was a Plymouth man born, but we are as yet ignorant of
the motives and time of his first turning pirate. He was one of those
who thought fit to retire from Providence, on Governor Rogers’ arrival
at that island, in a sloop belonging to Mr. Simpson, of New-York, a Jew
merchant of which sloop he was then quarter-master. Soon after they left
the island, an accident happened on board, which put the whole crew into
consternation. They had among them an Indian man, whom some of them had
beat: in revenge, he got most of the arms forward into the hold, and
designed to blow up the sloop; upon which, some advised scuttling the
deck and throwing grenade shells down; but Condent said, that was too
tedious and dangerous, since the fellow might fire through the deck and
kill several of them. He, therefore, taking a pistol in one hand, and
his cutlass in the other, leaned into the hold. The Indian discharged a
piece at him, which broke his arm; but, however, he ran up and shot the
Indian. When he was dead, the crew hacked him to pieces, and the gunner,
ripping up his belly, tore out his heart, broiled and ate it.
After this, they took a merchantman called the Duke of York; and some
disputes arising among the pirates, the captain, and one half of the
company, went on board the prize; the other half, who continued in the
sloop, chose Condent captain. He shaped his course for the Cape-de-Verd
Islands, and in his way took a merchant ship from Madeira, laden with
wine, bound for the West-Indies, which he plundered and let go; then
coming to the Isle of May, one of the said islands, he took the whole
salt fleet, consisting of about 20 sail. Wanting a boom, he took out the
mainmast of one of these ships to supply the want. Here he took upon
himself the administration of justice, inquiring into the manner of the
commanders behaviour to their men, and those against whom complaint was
made he whipped and pickled. He took what provision and other
necessaries he wanted, and having augmented his company by volunteers
and forced men, he left the ships and sailed to St. Jago, where he took
a Dutch ship, which had formerly been a privateer. This proved also an
easy prize, for he fired but one broadside, and clapping her on board,
carried her without resistance, for the captain and several men were
killed, and some wounded by his great shot.
The ship proving for his purpose, he gave her the name of the Flying
Dragon, went on board with his crew, and made a present of his sloop to
a mate of an English prize, whom he had forced with him. From hence he
stood away for the coast of Brazil, and in his cruise took several
Portuguese ships, which he plundered and let go.
After these, he fell in with the Wright galley, Capt. John Spelt,
commander, hired by the South Sea company, to go to the coast of Angola
for slaves, and thence to Buenos Ayres. This ship he detained a
considerable time, and the captain being his townsman, treated him very
civilly. A few days after he took Spelt, he made prize of a Portuguese,
laden with bale goods and stores. He new rigged the Wright galley, and
put on board of her some of the goods. Soon after he had discharged the
Portuguese, he met with a Dutch Fast Indiaman of 28 guns, whose captain
was killed the first broadside, and took her with little resistance, for
he had hoisted the pirate’s colours on board Spelt’s ship.
He now, with three sail, steered for the island of Ferdinando, where he
hove down and cleaned the Flying Dragon. Having careened, he put 11
Dutchmen on board Capt. Spelt, to make amends for the hands he had
forced from him, and sent him away, making him a present of the goods he
took from the Portuguese ship. When he sailed himself, he ordered the
Dutch to stay at Ferdinando 24 hours after his departure; threatening,
if he did not comply, to sink his ship, if he fell a second time into
his hands, and to put all the company to the sword. He then stood for
the coast of Brazil, where he met a Portuguese man of war of 70 guns,
which he came up with. The Portuguese hailed him, and he answered, _from
London, bound to Buenos Ayres_. The Portuguese manned his shrouds and
cheered him, when Condent fired a broadside and a volley of small arms,
which began a smart engagement for the space of three glasses; but
Condent finding himself over-matched, made the best of his way, and
being the best sailer, got off.
A few days after, he took a vessel of the same nation, who gave an
account, that he had killed above 40 men in the guarda del Costa, beside
a number wounded. He kept along the coast to the southward, and took a
French ship of 18 guns, laden with wine and brandy, bound for the South
Sea, which he carried with him into the River of Plate. He sent some of
his men ashore to kill some wild cattle, but they were taken by the crew
of a Spanish man of war. On their examination before the captain, they
said they were two Guinea ships, with slaves belonging to the South Sea
company, and on this story were allowed to return to their boats. Here
five of his forced men ran away, with his canoe; he plundered the French
ship, cut her adrift, and she was stranded. He proceeded along the
Brazil coast, and hearing a pirate ship was lost upon it, and the
pirates imprisoned, he used all the Portuguese who fell into his hands,
who were many, very barbarously, cutting off their ears and noses; and
as his master was a papist, when they took a priest, they made him say
mass at the mainmast, and would afterwards get on his back and ride him
about the decks, or else load and drive him like a beast. He from this
went to the Guinea coast, and took Capt. Hill, in the Indian Queen.
In Luengo Bay he saw two ships at anchor, one a Dutchman of 44 guns, the
other an English ship, called the Fame, Capt. Bowen, commander. They
both cut and ran ashore; the Fame was lost, but the Dutch ship the
pirate got off and took with him. When he was at sea again, he
discharged Captain Hill, and stood away for the East-Indies. Near the
Cape he took an Ostend East-Indiaman, of which Mr. Nash a noted merchant
in London, was supercargo. Soon after he took a Dutch East-Indiaman,
discharged the Ostender, and made for Madagascar. At the Isle of St.
Mary, he met with some of Capt. Halsey’s crew, whom he took on board
with other stragglers, and shaped his course for the East-Indies, and in
the way, at the island of Johanna, took, in company with two other
pirates he met at St. Mary’s, the Cassandra East-Indiaman, commanded by
Capt. James Macraigh. He continued his course for the East-Indies, where
he made a very great booty; and returning, touched at the isle of
Mascarenhas, where he met with a Portuguese ship of 70 guns, with the
viceroy of Goa on board. This ship he made prize of, and hearing she had
money on board, they would allow of no ransom, but carried her to the
coast of Zanguebar, where was a Dutch fortification, which they took and
plundered, razed the fort, and carried off several men voluntarily. From
hence they stood for St. Mary’s, where they shared their booty, broke up
their company, and settled among the natives. Here a snow came from
Bristol, which they obliged to carry a petition to the governor of
Mascarenhas for a pardon, though they paid the master very generously.
The governor returned answer he would take them into protection if they
would destroy their ships, which they agreed to, and accordingly sunk
the Flying Dragon &c. Condent and some others went to Mascarenhas, where
Condent married the governor’s sister-in-law, and remained some time;
but, as I have been credibly informed, he is since come to France,
settled at St. Maloes, and drives a considerable trade as a merchant.