This worthy gentleman was an early pirate. We first find him a boy on
board the pirate Banister who was hanged at the yard arm of a man of war
in sight of Port Royal, Jamaica. This Lewis and another boy were taken
with him, and brought into the island hanging by the middle at the mizen
peak. He had a great aptitude for languages, and spoke perfectly well
that of the Mosquil Indians, French, Spanish, and English. I mention our
own, because it is doubted whether he was French or English, for we
cannot trace him back to his origin. He sailed out of Jamaica till he
was a lusty lad, and was then taken by the Spaniards at the Havana,
where he tarried some time; but at length he and six more ran away with
a small canoe, and surprised a Spanish periagua, out of which two men
joined them, so that they were now nine in company. With this periagua
they surprised a turtling sloop, and forced some of the hands to take on
with them; the others they sent away in the periagua.
He played at this small game, surprising and taking coasters and
turtlers, till with forced men and volunteers he made up a company of 40
men. With these he took a large pink built ship, bound from Jamaica to
the bay of Campeachy, and after her, several others bound to the same
place; and having intelligence that there lay in the bay a fine Bermuda
built brigantine of 10 guns, commanded by Capt. Tucker, he sent the
captain of the pink to him with a letter, the purport of which was, that
he wanted such a brigantine, and if he would part with her, he would pay
him 10,000 pieces of eight; if he refused this, he would take care to
lie in his way, for he was resolved, either by fair or foul means to
have the vessel. Capt. Tucker, having read the letter, sent for the
masters of vessels then lying in the bay, and told them, after he had
shown the letter, that if they would make him up 54 men, (for there were
about 10 Bermuda sloops) he would go out and fight the pirates. They
said no, they would not hazard their men, they depended on their
sailing, and every one must take care of himself as well as he could.
However, they all put to sea together, and spied a sail under the land,
which had a breeze while they lay becalmed. Some said he was a turtler;
others, the pirate, and so it proved; for it was honest Capt. Lewis, who
putting out his oars, got in among them. Some of the sloops had four
guns, some two, some none. Joseph Dill had two, which he brought on one
side, and fired smartly at the pirate, but unfortunately one of them
split, and killed three men. Tucker called to all the sloops to send him
men, and he would fight Lewis, but to no purpose; nobody came on board
him. In the mean while a breeze sprung up, and Tucker, trimming his
sails, left them, who all fell a prey to the pirate; into whom, however,
he fired a broadside at going off. One sloop, whose master I will not
name, was a very good sailer, and was going off; but Lewis firing a
shot, brought her to, and he lay by till all the sloops were visited and
secured. Then Lewis sent on board him, and ordered the master into his
sloop. As soon as he was on board, he asked the reason of his lying by,
and betraying the trust his owners had reposed in him, which was doing
like a knave and coward, and he would punish him accordingly; _for_,
said he, _you might have got off, being so much a better sailer than my
vessel_. After this speech, he fell upon him with a rope’s end, and then
snatching up his cane, drove him about the decks without mercy. The
master, thinking to pacify him, told him he had been out trading in that
sloop several months, and had on board a good quantity of money, which
was hid, and which, if he would send on board a black belonging to the
owners, he would discover to him. This had not the desired effect, but
one quite contrary; for Lewis told him he was a rascal and villain for
this discovery, and he would pay him for betraying his owners, and
redoubled his strokes. However, he sent and took the money and negro,
who was an able sailor. He took out of his prizes what he had occasion
for, 40 able negro sailors, and a white carpenter. The largest sloop,
which was about 90 tons, he took for his own use, and mounted her with
12 guns. His crew was now about 80 men, whites and blacks.
[Illustration: The Pirates Flogging the Captain of a Sloop. Page 155.]
After these captures, he cruised in the Gulf of Florida, laying in wait
for the West-India homeward bound ships that took the leeward passage,
several of which, falling into his hands, were plundered by him, and
released. From hence he went to the coast of Carolina, where he cleaned
his sloop, and a great many men whom he had forced, ran away from him.
However, the natives traded with him for rum and sugar, and brought him
all he wanted, without the government’s having any knowledge of him, for
he had got into a very private creek; though he was very much on his
guard, that he might not be surprised from the shore.
From Carolina he cruised on the coast of Virginia, where he took and
plundered several merchantmen, and forced several men, and then returned
to the coast of Carolina, where he did abundance of mischief. As he had
now an abundance of French on board, who had entered with him, and
Lewis, hearing the English had a design to maroon them, he secured the
men he suspected, and put them in a boat, with all the other English,
ten leagues from shore, with only ten pieces of beef, and sent them
away, keeping none but French and negroes. These men, it is supposed all
perished in the sea.
From the coast of Carolina he shaped his course for the banks of
Newfoundland, where he overhauled several fishing vessels, and then went
into Trinity Harbour in Conception Bay, where there lay several
merchantmen, and seized a 24 gun galley, called the Herman. The
commander, Capt. Beal, told Lewis, if he would send his quarter-master
ashore he would furnish him with necessaries. He being sent ashore, a
council was held among the masters, the consequence of which was, the
seizing the quarter-master, whom they carried to Capt. Woodes Rogers. He
chained him to a sheet anchor which was ashore, and planted guns at the
point, to prevent the pirate getting out, but to little purpose; for the
people at one of these points firing too soon, Lewis quitted the ship,
and, by the help of oars and the favour of the night, got out in his
sloop, though she received many shot in her hull. The last shot that was
fired at the pirate did him considerable damage.
He lay off and on the harbour, swearing he would have his
quarter-master, and intercepted two fishing shallops, on board of one of
which was the captain of the galley’s brother. He detained them, and
sent word, if his quarter-master did not immediately come off, he would
put all his prisoners to death. He was sent on board without hesitation.
Lewis and the crew inquired how he had been used, and he answered, very
civilly. “It’s well,” said the pirate, “for had you been ill treated, I
would have put all these rascals to the sword.” They were dismissed, and
the captain’s brother going over the side, the quarter-master stopped
him, saying, he must drink the gentlemen’s health ashore, particularly
Capt. Rogers’, and, whispering him in the ear, told him, if the crew had
known of his being chained all night, he would have been cut in pieces,
with all his men. After this poor man and his shallop’s company were
gone, the quarter-master told the usage he had met with, which enraged
Lewis, and made him reproach his quarter-master, whose answer was, that
he did not think it just the innocent should suffer for the guilty.
The masters of the merchantmen sent to Capt. Tudor Trevor, who lay at
St. John’s in the Sheerness man of war. He immediately got under sail,
and missed the pirate but four hours. She kept along the coast and made
several prizes, French and English, and put into a harbour where a
French ship lay making fish. She was built at the latter end of the war,
for a privateer, was an excellent sailer, and mounted 24 guns. The
commander hailed him: the pirate answered, _from Jamaica with rum and
sugar_. The Frenchman bid him go about his business; that a pirate sloop
was on the coast, and he might be the rogue: if he did not immediately
sheer off, he would fire a broadside into him. He went off and lay a
fortnight out at sea, so far as not to be descried from shore, with
resolution to have the ship. The Frenchman being on his guard, in the
mean while raised a battery on the shore, which commanded the harbour.
After a fortnight, when he was thought to be gone off, he returned, and
took two of the fishing shallops belonging to the Frenchman, and manning
them with pirates, they went in. One shallop attacked the battery, the
other surprised, boarded, and carried the ship, just as the morning star
appeared, for which reason he gave her that name. In the engagement the
owner’s son was killed, who made the voyage out of curiosity only. The
ship being taken, seven guns were fired, which was the signal, and the
sloop came down and lay along side the ship. The captain told him he
supposed he only wanted his liquor; but Lewis made answer, he wanted his
ship, and accordingly hoisted all his ammunition and provision into her.
When the Frenchman saw they would have his ship, he told her trim, and
Lewis gave him the sloop; and excepting what he took for provision, all
the fish he had made. Several of the French took on with him, who, with
others, English and French, had by force or voluntarily, made him up 200
men.
From Newfoundland he steered for the coast of Guinea, where he took a
great many ships, English, Dutch, and Portuguese. Among these ships was
one belonging to Carolina, commanded by Capt. Smith. While he was in
chase of this vessel an accident happened, which made his men believe he
dealt with the devil; for he carried away his fore and main-top-mast;
he, Lewis, running up the shrouds to the main-top, tore off a handful of
hair, and throwing it into the air, used this expression, _good devil,
take this till I come_. And it was observed, that he came afterwards
faster up with the chase than before the loss of his top-masts.
Smith being taken, Lewis used him very civilly, and gave him as much, or
more in value than he took from him, and let him go, saying, he would
come to Carolina when he had made money on the coast, and would rely on
his friendship.
They kept some time on the coast, when they quarrelled among themselves,
the French and English, of which the former was more numerous, and they
resolved to part. The French therefore chose a large sloop newly taken,
thinking the ship’s bottom, which was not sheathed, damaged by the
worms. According to this agreement they took on board what ammunition
and provision they thought fit out of the ship, and put off, choosing
one Le Barre captain. As it blew hard, and the decks were encumbered,
they came to an anchor under the coast, to stow away their ammunition,
goods, &c. Lewis told his men they were a parcel of rogues, and he would
make them refund; accordingly run along side, his guns being all loaded
and new primed, and ordered him to cut away his mast, or he would sink
him. Le Barre was obliged to obey. Then he ordered them all ashore. They
begged the liberty of carrying their arms, goods, &c. with them, but he
allowed them only their small arms and cartridge-boxes. Then he brought
the sloop along side, put every thing on board the ship, and sunk the
sloop.
Le Barre and the rest begged to be taken on board. However, though he
denied them, he suffered Le Barre and some few to come, with whom he and
his men drank plentifully. The negroes on board Lewis told him the
French had a plot against him. He answered, he could not withstand his
destiny; for the devil told him in the great cabin, he should be
murdered that night.
In the dead of the night, the rest of the French came on board in
canoes, got into the cabin and killed Lewis. They fell on the crew; but,
after an hour and a half’s dispute, the French were beat off, and the
quarter-master, John Cornelius, an Irishman, succeeded Lewis.