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.
I made several Attempts of this Kind, and once bought a very good Ship,
call'd, _The Griffin_, of one _Snelgrove_ a Shipwright, and engag'd the
Persons concern'd to hold a Share in her and fit her out, on a Voyage for
_Leghorn_ and _Venice_; 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 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.
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.
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 her, and, as I have been inform'd since, were oblig'd to break her up
at last.
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 _London_ to
. . . . . .
[_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._]
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 _Spain_,
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.
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.
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 _Canaries_, 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 _English_ Seamen at the
_Canaries_; but we made up the Loss at _Fiall_, where we made bold with
three _English_ 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 _Africa_ on Board 'till we pass'd the
Line, and then stood off to St. _Helena_.
Here we took in fresh Water, and some fresh Provisions, and went directly
for the _Cape of Good Hope_, which we pass'd, stopping only to fill about
22 Butts of Water, and with a fair Gale enter'd the Sea of _Madagascar_,
and sailing up the West Shore, between the Island and the Coast of
_Africa_, 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.
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.
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 _Arabia_, having seven _Dutchmen_, three _Portuguese_, and
five _Englishmen_ 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 _European_ 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.
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 _Cape de Verd_, and the _Canaries_: 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.
And now we began to consult what Course to take in the World: As for going
to _England_, 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 _England_, 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 _Dutchmen_ and _Englishmen_ who were cast away, as above, and
who our Men call'd the _Comelings_, were continually buzzing in my Ears
what infinite Wealth was to be got, if I would but make one voyage to the
Coast of _Malabar_, _Coromandel_, and the Bay of _Bengale_; nay, the three
_Portuguese_ Seamen offer'd themselves to attack and bring off one of their
biggest Galleons, even out of the Road of _Goa_, on the _Malabar_ Coast,
the Capital of the _Portuguese_ Factories in the _Indies_.
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.
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 _European_ 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 _English_;
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 _English_ Colours: She
immediately brought too, fir'd three Guns, and mann'd out her 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 _Juan Fernando_.
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.
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.
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 _Thieves_, 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.
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:
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 _Guyaquil_, as I
have already told you, they got Information of a large Ship which was
loading the King's Money at _Puna_, and had Orders to sail with it to
_Lima_, in order to its being carry'd from thence to _Panama_ by the Fleet,
under the Convoy of the _Flotilla_, or Squadron of Men of War, which the
King's Governor at _Panama_ 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.
Upon this Intelligence they cruis'd off and on upon the Coast for near a
Month, keeping always to the Southward of _Lima_, because they would not
fall in the Way of the said _Flotilla_, 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.
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 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.
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 _Spaniards_ 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
_Spanish_ Man of War, was a great Extremity; however, the Fregate return'd
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.
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 _Spaniards_ themselves to put out the Fire, and after some
Time master'd it: But the _Spaniards_ 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 _Spanish_ 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.
The Captain of the _Spanish_ 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 in her upper Work, made a very good Fregate for them, and
they afterwards quitted their own Ship, and went all on Board the _Spanish_
Ship, taking out the Main-mast of their own Ship, and making a new
Fore-mast for the _Spanish_ 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 _Spanish_ 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 _Spaniards_ 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 _Englishmen_, and six _Spanish_ Negroes. The five _English_
the barbarous _Spaniards_ hang'd up immediately, wounded as they were.
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
_Spaniards_ a great many Men. It prov'd a very dark rainy Night, so that
the _Spaniards_ 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 _Spaniards_, who they never saw more, they made no Stay till
they pass'd the Line, and arriv'd in about 22 Days Sail on the Coast of
_California_, where they were quite out of the Way of all Enquiry and
Search of the _Spaniards_.
Here it was they chang'd their Ship, as I said, and quitting their own
Vessel, they went all on Board the _Spanish_ Man of War, fitting up her
Masts and Rigging, as I have said, and taking out all the Guns, Stores,
_&c._ 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.
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 _Juan Fernando_; 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.
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. _Julien_, 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 _Spaniards_, 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 their Ship in the best Manner they could in that barren
Island, away they went to Sea.
They beat about on the South of the Line all up the Coast of _Chili_, and
Part of _Peru_, till they came to the Height of _Lima_ itself.
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 _Spanish_ Men of War were gone out of those Seas up to
_Panama_, 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 _Spaniards_ being
every where alarm'd, and having Notice of them, so that nothing stirr'd
Abroad.
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 _Juan Fernando_, 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 _Terra del Fuego_, being driven to
the Latitude of 65 Degrees, where they felt Extremity of Cold, they at
length obtain'd a more favourable Wind, _viz._ 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 _Port St. Julien_, where, to their great
Joy, they found the Post or Cross erected by us; and understanding that we
were gone to _Madagascar_, 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.
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, _viz._ 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 _Atlantick Ocean_, they made the _Cape of Good Hope_ 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
_English_ Beef, and some Bread; and when they came to the _Cape of Good
Hope_, 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 _Natal_ on the South East Point of _Africa_, 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 _Madagascar_, as above.
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 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 _Arabian_ Coast E.
N. E. towards the Gulph of Persia, in the Cruise I met with two _Persian_
Barks loaden with Rice; one of which I mann'd and sent away to
_Madagascar_, 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 _Persia_ in her to buy Rice, and brought two
or three _Freights_ of that which was very good.
In this Time I pursu'd my Voyage, coasted the whole _Malabar_ Shore, and
met with no Purchase but a great _Portugal East-India_ Ship, which I chac'd
into _Goa_, 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
_Bengale_, when I began to look about me with more Expectation of Success,
tho' without Prospect of what happen'd.
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 _Sumatra_, 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 _Hugely_ in the _Ganges_ to the
Country of the King of _Pegu_, being to carry the Grandaughter of the Great
Mogul to _Pegu_, who was to be marry'd to the King of that Country, with
all her Retinue, Jewels, and Wealth.
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 _Negaris_, on the
East Side of the Bay, near _Diamond Isle_; 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.
At length we spy'd 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 manag'd by _English_ 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.
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 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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
I have heard that it has been reported in _England_ 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.
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.
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 _Indian_
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 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 _England_; for I doubt not
but some of them are fit to be plac'd on the King's Crown.
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.
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.
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
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.
After we had eaten, she rose up again, and drinking some Water out of a
_China_ 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
_Pegu_, about as big as an _English_ 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.
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 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.
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.
I had nothing to do now but to think of coming back to _Madagascar_, 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 _Arack_ 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, and it was a Wonder, in the whole, they were
not all kill'd with it.
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 _Madagascar_, having been absent in all about seven Months.
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.
We liv'd now and enjoy'd ourselves in full Security; for tho' some of the
_European_ 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 _London_,
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 _France_ 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 _England_ for our Pardon.
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; 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
_England_, 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 _Spain_, 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.
This was confirm'd to us after some Time, with all the Particulars, as it
is now understood in _Europe_; 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 _Martinico_,
who had been cruising in the Gulph of _Florida_, came over to us, to try if
they could mend their Fortunes; and these went afterwards to the Gulph of
_Persia_, where they took some Prizes, and return'd to us again. We had
after this three Pirate Ships came to us, most _English_, who had done some
Exploits on the Coast of _Guinea_, had made several good Prizes, and were
all tolerably rich.
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 _England_, _viz._
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
_English_ _East India_ 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.
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 the Island, (as above) getting on Board
_European_ Ships, and the like.
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 _Persia_
encourag'd me. The Story was this: One of the small Barks we had taken,
went to _Guzaratte_ 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 _Englishman_, 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 _Bassora_ in the Gulph of _Persia_, and so travell'd as
Merchants with the Caravan to _Aleppo_, and we never heard any more of
them, but that they went clean off with all their Cargo.
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 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.
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.
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.
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. _Angustine_'s, in the Latitude of 24 Degrees,
where the Ships from _Europe_ often put in for Water and Provisions.
Here we put in, not knowing well what to do next; I thought myself
disappointed very much that we saw no _European_ 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.
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
_European_ 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 _English_ Colours, and two with _Dutch_, standing into the Bay,
and in about four or five Hours more they came to an Anchor.
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.
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 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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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 _English_, 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.
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 to Captain _Avery_, (not at all letting them know that I was
_Avery_ 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.
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 _Avery_, for 'twas this I wanted, upon several Accounts:
First, I wanted to enquire what News they had had of us in _Europe_? and
then to give them Ideas of our Numbers and Power as romantick as I could.
They told us, that they had heard of the great Booty Captain _Avery_ had
taken in the Bay of _Bengale_; and among the rest, a bloody Story was
related of _Avery_ himself, _viz._ That he ravish'd the Great Mogul's
Daughter, who was going to be marry'd to the Prince of _Pegu_; 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, _&c._ 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 _English_ Factories, resolving to
root them out of his Dominions; but that the Company had appeas'd him by
Presents, and by assuring him that the Men who did it, were Rebels to the
_English_ Government, and that the Queen of _England_ would hang them all
when ever they could be taken. I smil'd at that, and told them, Captain
_Avery_ 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 _England_ went about to provoke them, Captain
_Avery_ would soon make those Seas too hot for the _English_, and they
might even give over their _East-India_ Trade, for they little thought
Circumstances Captain _Avery_ was in.
This I did, as well to know what Notions you had of us in _England_, as to
give a formidable Account of us, and of our Circumstances to _England_,
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 _England_ that we were exceeding strong; that we had
several Gangs of Pirates from the _Spanish West-Indies_, that had taken
great Booties there, and were gone all to _Madagascar_ to join Captain
_Avery_; that he had taken three great _East-India_ Ships, one _Dutch_, and
two _Portuguese_, 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 _Avery_ was resolv'd to People the whole Island
of _Madagascar_ with _Europeans_, and to get Women from _Jamaica_ and the
_Leeward Islands_; 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.
I had enjoin'd my Men, in the first Place, not to let him know that I was
_Avery_, but that I was one of his Captains; and in the next Place, not to
say a Word but just _Ay_, and _No_, 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 _Avery_ was in the Island of
_Madagascar_, and that several other Societies of Buccaneers and
Freebooters were join'd him from the _Spanish West-Indies_; 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 _West-Indies_
shall come back, and shall have told the Buccaneers at the Bay of
_Campeachy_, how we live here.
But, said I, you in _England_ greatly wrong Captain _Avery_, 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 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.
This I assur'd him, (as indeed it was just) and told him, I hop'd, if ever
he came safe to _England_, he would do Captain _Avery_, and all of us,
Justice in that particular Case.
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 _Europe_, 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 _England_ to bring us back to our Duty, would be to send a Proclamation
from _England_ 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
_England_, I dare say, said I, our General, Captain _Avery_, 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 _England_, and sit down quietly with the rest.
This Discourse, I suppose, was the Ground of the Rumour you have had in
_England_, That _Avery_ 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 _England_, there is no Doubt but they gave a
particular Account of the Conference they had with me, who they call'd one
of Captain _Avery_'s Captains.
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 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 _Island_
was at our Beck; we told them we had Treasure enough to enrich the whole
Kingdom of _England_; 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 _European_ as _Indian_; and that it would be
truly the best Way for _England_ 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.
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.
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 more, except the Prize in which we took the
Mogul's Daughter; (which Ship we call'd, _The Great Mogul_) 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.
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 _England_ 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.
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 _England_, depending upon it, _That a
Tale loses nothing in the carrying._ 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.
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 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.
In all this, however, I had not the good Luck to advance one Step towards
my own Escape; and here is one Thing remarkable, _viz._ 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 _Macmow_ an _Irishman_, who was their Captain, had
five Rubies and a Diamond, which he got among the Plunder of the Mogul's
Ship.
These Men, as I heard, gat safe to _Mocca_ in the _Arabian_ 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 _Sues_, where they sold it to
the Factors for the _European_ Merchants, and came all safe to
_Alexandria_, where they parted the Money again; and then every one
separated as they thought fit, and went their own Way.
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 _Europe_.
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 _England_, and make the Expedition, _No Purchase no Pay._
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 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 _Romans_ themselves were, at
first, no better than such a Gang of Rovers as we were; and who knew but
our General, Captain _Avery_, might lay the Foundation of as great an
Empire as they.
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 _East-Indies_,
(for they were Outward-bound) that none of the _English_ or _Dutch_ Ships
would come near _Madagascar_ 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.
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 _English_-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 away from the Isle of St. _Maurice_ or _Mauritius_, for
the _Cape of Good Hope_, and must, as we suppos'd, come from the _Malabar_
Coast, bound Home for _England_; so we let her go.
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 _Persia_; 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 _Bassaro_, 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 _Armenians_ thro'
_Persia_ to the _Caspian_ Sea, so to _Constantinople_; and I doubt not we
shall, one Way or other, find our Way, with our Merchandize and Money, to
come into _France_, if not quite Home to my own Country. Assure yourself,
when I arrive in any Part of Christendom, I will give you a farther Account
of my Adventures.
_Your Friend and Servant,_