board the Exertion; took a look at the cabin stores, and cargo in the
state rooms, and then ordered me back with him to his vessel, where he,
with his crew, held a consultation for some time respecting the cargo.
After which, the interpreter, Nickola, told me that "the captain had, or
pretended to have, a commission under General Traspelascus,
commander-in-chief of the republic of Mexico, authorizing him to take
all cargoes whatever of provisions, bound to any royalist Spanish
port--that my cargo being bound to an enemy's port, must be condemned;
but that the vessel should be given up and be put into a fair channel
for Trinidad, where I was bound." I requested him to examine the papers
thoroughly, and perhaps he would be convinced to the contrary, and told
him my cargo was all American property taken in at Boston, and consigned
to an American gentleman, agent at Trinidad. But the captain would not
take the trouble, but ordered both vessels under way immediately, and
commenced beating up amongst the Keys through most of the day, the wind
being very light. They now sent their boats on board the Exertion for
stores, and commenced plundering her of bread, butter, lard, onions,
potatoes, fish, beans, &c., took up some sugar box shocks that were on
deck, and found the barrels of apples; selected the best of them and
threw the rest overboard. They inquired for spirits, wine, cider, &c.
and were told "they had already taken all that was on board." But not
satisfied they proceeded to search the state rooms and forcastle, ripped
up the floor of the later and found some boxes of bottled cider, which
they carried to their vessel, gave three cheers, in an exulting manner
to me, and then began drinking it with such freedom, that a violent
quarrel arose between officers and men, which came very near ending in
bloodshed. I was accused of falsehood, for saying they had got all the
liquors that were on board, and I thought they had; the truth was, I
never had any bill of lading of the cider, and consequently had no
recollection of its being on board; yet it served them as an excuse for
being insolent. In the evening peace was restored and they sung songs. I
was suffered to go below for the night, and they placed a guard over me,
stationed at the companion way.
Wednesday, 19th, commenced with moderate easterly winds, beating towards
the northeast, the pirate's boats frequently going on board the Exertion
for potatoes, fish, beans, butter, &c. which were used with great waste
and extravagance. They gave me food and drink, but of bad quality, more
particularly the victuals, which was wretchedly cooked. The place
assigned me to eat was covered with dirt and vermin. It appeared that
their great object was to hurt my feelings with threats and
observations, and to make my situation as unpleasant as circumstances
would admit. We came to anchor near a Key, called by them Brigantine,
where myself and mate were permitted to go on shore, but were guarded by
several armed pirates. I soon returned to the Mexican and my mate to the
Exertion, with George Reed, one of my crew; the other two being kept on
board the Mexican. In the course of this day I had considerable
conversation with Nickola, who appeared well disposed towards me. He
lamented most deeply his own situation, for he was one of those men,
whose early good impressions were not entirely effaced, although
confederated with guilt. He told me "those who had taken me were no
better than pirates, and their end would be the halter; but," he added,
with peculiar emotion, "I will never be hung as a pirate," showing me a
bottle of laudanum which he had found in my medicine chest, saying, "If
we are taken, that shall cheat the hangman, before we are condemned." I
endeavored to get it from him, but did not succeed. I then asked him how
he came to be in such company, as he appeared to be dissatisfied. He
stated, that he was at New Orleans last summer, out of employment, and
became acquainted with one Captain August Orgamar, a Frenchman, who had
bought a small schooner of about fifteen tons, and was going down to the
bay of Mexico to get a commission under General Traspelascus, in order
to go a privateering under the patriot flag. Capt. Orgamar made him
liberal offers respecting shares, and promised him a sailing master's
berth, which he accepted and embarked on board the schooner, without
sufficiently reflecting on the danger of such an undertaking. Soon after
she sailed from Mexico, where they got a commission, and the vessel was
called Mexican. They made up a complement of twenty men, and after
rendering the General some little service, in transporting his troops
to a place called ---- proceeded on a cruise; took some small prizes off
Campeachy; afterwards came on the south coast of Cuba, where they took
other small prizes, and the one which we were now on board of. By this
time the crew were increased to about forty, nearly one half Spaniards,
the others Frenchmen and Portuguese. Several of them had sailed out of
ports in the United States with American protections; but, I confidently
believe, none are natives, especially of the northern states. I was
careful in examining the men, being desirous of knowing if any of my
countrymen were among this wretched crew; but am satisfied there were
none, and my Scotch friend concurred in the opinion. And now, with a new
vessel, which was the prize of these plunderers, they sailed up
Manganeil bay; previously, however, they fell in with an American
schooner, from which they bought four barrels of beef, and paid in
tobacco. At the Bay was an English brig belonging to Jamaica, owned by
Mr. John Louden of that place. On board of this vessel the Spanish part
of the crew commenced their depredations as pirates, although Captain
Orgamar and Nickola protested against it, and refused any participation;
but they persisted, and like so many ferocious blood-hounds, boarded the
brig, plundered the cabin, stores, furniture, captain's trunk, &c., took
a hogshead of rum, one twelve pound carronade, some rigging and sails.
One of them plundered the chest of a sailor, who made some resistance,
so that the Spaniard took his cutlass, and beat and wounded him without
mercy. Nickola asked him "why he did it?" the fellow answered, "I will
let you know," and took up the cook's axe and gave him a cut on the
head, which nearly deprived him of life. Then they ordered Captain
Orgamar to leave his vessel, allowing him his trunk and turned him
ashore, to seek for himself. Nickola begged them to dismiss him with his
captain, but no, no, was the answer; for they had no complete navigator
but him. After Captain Orgamar was gone, they put in his stead the
present brave (or as I should call him cowardly) Captain Jonnia, who
headed them in plundering the before mentioned brig, and made Bolidar
their first lieutenant, and then proceeded down among those Keys or
Islands, where I was captured. This is the amount of what my friend
Nickola told me of their history.
Saturday, 22d.--Both vessels under way standing to the eastward, they
ran the Exertion aground on a bar, but after throwing overboard most of
her deck load of shooks, she floated off; a pilot was sent to her, and
she was run into a narrow creek between two keys, where they moored her
head and stern along side of the mangrove trees, set down her yards and
topmasts, and covered her mast heads and shrouds with bushes to prevent
her being seen by vessels which might pass that way. I was then suffered
to go on board my own vessel, and found her in a very filthy condition;
sails torn, rigging cut to pieces, and every thing in the cabin in waste
and confusion. The swarms of moschetoes and sand-flies made it
impossible to get any sleep or rest. The pirate's large boat was armed
and manned under Bolidar, and sent off with letters to a merchant (as
they called him) by the name of Dominico, residing in a town called
Principe, on the main island of Cuba. I was told by one of them, who
could speak English, that Principe was a very large and populous town,
situated at the head of St. Maria, which was about twenty miles
northeast from where we lay, and the Keys lying around us were called
Cotton Keys.--The captain pressed into his service Francis de Suze, one
of my crew, saying that he was one of his countrymen. Francis was very
reluctant in going, and said to me, with tears in his eyes, "I shall do
nothing but what I am obliged to do, and will not aid in the least to
hurt you or the vessel; I am very sorry to leave you." He was
immediately put on duty and Thomas Goodall sent back to the Exertion.
Sunday, 23d.--Early this morning a large number of the pirates came on
board of the Exertion, threw out the long boat, broke open the hatches,
and took out considerable of the cargo, in search of rum, gin, &c.,
still telling me "I had some and they would find it," uttering the most
awful profaneness. In the afternoon their boat returned with a perough,
having on board the captain, his first lieutenant and seven men of a
patriot or piratical vessel that was chased ashore at Cape Cruz by a
Spanish armed brig. These seven men made their escape in said boat, and
after four days, found our pirates and joined them; the remainder of the
crew being killed or taken prisoners.
Monday, 24th.--Their boat was manned and sent to the before-mentioned
town.--I was informed by a line from Nickola, that the pirates had a man
on board, a native of Principe, who, in the garb of a sailor, was a
partner with Dominico, but I could not get sight of him. This lets us a
little into the plans by which this atrocious system of piracy has been
carried on. Merchants having partners on board of these pirates! thus
pirates at sea and robbers on land are associated to destroy the
peaceful trader. The willingness exhibited by the seven above-mentioned
men, to join our gang of pirates, seems to look like a general
understanding among them; and from there being merchants on shore so
base as to encourage the plunder and vend the goods, I am persuaded
there has been a systematic confederacy on the part of these
unprincipled desperadoes, under cover of the patriot flag; and those on
land are no better than those on the sea. If the governments to whom
they belong know of the atrocities committed (and I have but little
doubt they do) they deserve the execration of all mankind.
Thursday, 27th.--A gang of the pirates came and stripped our masts of
the green bushes, saying, "she appeared more like a sail than
trees"--took one barrel of bread and one of potatoes, using about one of
each every day. I understood they were waiting for boats to take the
cargo; for the principal merchant had gone to Trinidad.
Sunday, 30th.--The beginning of trouble! This day, which peculiarly
reminds Christians of the high duties of compassion and benevolence, was
never observed by these pirates. This, of course, we might expect, as
they did not often know when the day came, and if they knew it, it was
spent in gambling. The old saying among seamen, "no Sunday off
soundings," was not thought of; and even this poor plea was not theirs,
for they were on soundings and often at anchor.--Early this morning, the
merchant, as they called him, came with a large boat for the cargo. I
was immediately ordered into the boat with my crew, not allowed any
breakfast, and carried about three miles to a small island out of sight
of the Exertion, and left there by the side of a little pond of thick,
muddy water, which proved to be very brackish, with nothing to eat but a
few biscuits. One of the boat's men told us the merchant was afraid of
being recognized, and when he had gone the boat would return for us; but
we had great reason to apprehend they would deceive us, and therefore
passed the day in the utmost anxiety. At night, however, the boats came
and took us again on board the Exertion; when, to our surprise and
astonishment, we found they had broken open the trunks and chests, and
taken all our wearing apparel, not even leaving a shirt or pair of
pantaloons, nor sparing a small miniature of my wife which was in my
trunk. The little money I and my mate had, with some belonging to the
owners, my mate had previously distributed about the cabin in three or
four parcels, while I was on board the pirate, for we dare not keep it
about us; one parcel in a butter pot they did not discover.--Amidst the
hurry with which I was obliged to go to the before-mentioned island, I
fortunately snatched by vessel's papers, and hid them in my bosom, which
the reader will find was a happy circumstance for me. My writing desk,
with papers, accounts, &c., all Mr. Lord's letters (the gentlemen to
whom my cargo was consigned) and several others were taken and
maliciously destroyed. My medicine chest, which I so much wanted, was
kept for their own use. What their motive could be to take my papers I
could not imagine, except they had hopes of finding bills of lading for
some Spaniards, to clear them from piracy. Mr. Bracket had some notes
and papers of consequence to him, which shared the same fate. My
quadrant, charts, books and bedding were not yet taken, but I found it
impossible to hide them, and they were soon gone from my sight.
[Illustration: _A Cave in the Caicos group of the West India Islands._]
Tuesday, January 1st, 1822--A sad new-year's day to me. Before breakfast
orders came for me to cut down the Exertion's railing and bulwarks on
one side, for their vessel to heave out by, and clean her bottom. On my
hesitating a little they observed with anger, "very well, captain,
suppose you no do it quick, we do it for you." Directly afterwards
another boat full of armed men came along side; they jumped on deck with
swords drawn, and ordered all of us into her immediately; I stepped
below, in hopes of getting something which would be of service to us;
but the captain hallooed, "Go into the boat directly or I will fire upon
you." Thus compelled to obey, we were carried, together with four
Spanish prisoners, to a small, low island or key of sand in the shape of
a half moon, and partly covered with mangrove trees; which was about one
mile from and in sight of my vessel. There they left nine of us, with a
little bread, flour, fish, lard, a little coffee and molasses; two or
three kegs of water, which was brackish; an old sail for a covering, and
a pot and some other articles no way fit to cook in. Leaving us these,
which were much less than they appear in the enumeration, they pushed
off, saying, "we will come to see you in a day or two." Selecting the
best place, we spread the old sail for an awning; but no place was free
from flies, moschetoes, snakes, the venomous skinned scorpion, and the
more venomous santipee. Sometimes they were found crawling inside of
our pantaloons, but fortunately no injury was received. This afternoon
the pirates hove their vessel out by the Exertion and cleaned one side,
using her paints, oil, &c. for that purpose. To see my vessel in that
situation and to think of our prospects was a source of the deepest
distress. At night we retired to our tent; but having nothing but the
cold damp ground for a bed, and the heavy dew of night penetrating the
old canvass--the situation of the island being fifty miles from the
usual track of friendly vessels, and one hundred and thirty-five from
Trinidad--seeing my owner's property so unjustly and wantonly
destroyed--considering my condition, the hands at whose mercy I was, and
deprived of all hopes, rendered sleep or rest a stranger to me.
Friday, 4th.--Commenced with light winds and hot sun, saw a boat coming
from the Exertion, apparently loaded; she passed between two small Keys
to northward, supposed to be bound for Cuba. At sunset a boat came and
inquired if we wanted anything, but instead of adding to our provisions,
took away our molasses, and pushed off. We found one of the Exertion's
water casks, and several pieces of plank, which we carefully laid up, in
hopes of getting enough to make a raft.
Saturday, 5th.--Pirates again in sight, coming from the eastward; they
beat up along side their prize, and commenced loading. In the afternoon
Nickola came to us, bringing with him two more prisoners, which they had
taken in a small sail boat coming from Trinidad to Manganeil, one a
Frenchman, the other a Scotchman, with two Spaniards, who remained on
board the pirate, and who afterwards joined them. The back of one of
these poor fellows was extremely sore, having just suffered a cruel
beating from Bolidar, with the broad side of a cutlass. It appeared,
that when the officer asked him "where their money was, and how much,"
he answered, "he was not certain but believed they had only two ounces
of gold"--Bolidar furiously swore he said "ten," and not finding any
more, gave him the beating. Nickola now related to me a singular fact;
which was, that the Spanish part of the crew were determined to shoot
him; that they tied him to the mast, and a man was appointed for the
purpose; but Lion, a Frenchman, his particular friend, stepped up and
told them, if they shot him they must shoot several more; some of the
Spaniards sided with him, and he was released. Nickola told me, the
reason for such treatment was, that he continually objected to their
conduct towards me, and their opinion if he should escape, they would be
discovered, as he declared he would take no prize money. While with us
he gave me a letter written in great haste, which contains some
particulars respecting the cargo;--as follows:--
_January 4th,_ 1822.
Sir,--We arrived here this morning, and before we came to anchor, had
five canoes alongside ready to take your cargo, part of which we had in;
and as I heard you express a wish to know what they took out of her, to
this moment, you may depend upon this account of Jamieson for quality
and quantity; if I have the same opportunity you will have an account of
the whole. The villain who bought your cargo is from the town of
Principe, his name is Dominico, as to that it is all that I can learn;
they have taken your charts aboard the schooner Mexican, and I suppose
mean to keep them, as the other captain has agreed to act the same
infamous part in the tragedy of his life. Your clothes are here on
board, but do not let me flatter you that you will get them back; it may
be so, and it may not. Perhaps in your old age, when you recline with
ease in a corner of your cottage, you will have the goodness to drop a
tear of pleasure to the memory of him, whose highest ambition should
have been to subscribe himself, though devoted to the gallows, your
friend,
Excuse haste. NICKOLA MONACRE.
Sunday, 6th.--The pirates were under way at sunrise, with a full load of
the Exertion's cargo, going to Principe again to sell a second freight,
which was done readily for cash. I afterwards heard that the flour only
fetched five dollars per barrel, when it was worth at Trinidad thirteen;
so that the villain who bought my cargo at Principe, made very large
profits by it.
Tuesday, 8th.--Early this morning the pirates in sight again, with fore
top sail and top gallant sail set; beat up along side of the Exertion
and commenced loading; having, as I supposed, sold and discharged her
last freight among some of the inhabitants of Cuba. They appeared to
load in great haste; and the song, "O he oh," which echoed from one
vessel to the other, was distinctly heard by us. How wounding was this
to me! How different was this sound from what it would have been, had I
been permitted to pass unmolested by these lawless plunderers, and been
favored with a safe arrival at the port of my destination, where my
cargo would have found an excellent sale. Then would the "O he oh," on
its discharging, have been a delightful sound to me. In the afternoon
she sailed with the perough in tow, both with a full load, having
chairs, which was part of the cargo, slung at her quarters.
Monday, 14th.--They again hove in sight, and beat up as usual,
along-side their prize. While passing our solitary island, they laughed
at our misery, which was almost insupportable--looking upon us as though
we had committed some heinous crime, and they had not sufficiently
punished us; they hallooed to us, crying out "Captain, Captain,"
accompanied with obscene motions and words, with which I shall not
blacken these pages--yet I heard no check upon such conduct, nor could I
expect it among such a gang, who have no idea of subordination on
board, except when in chase of vessels, and even then but very little.
My resentment was excited at such a malicious outrage, and I felt a
disposition to revenge myself, should fortune ever favor me with an
opportunity. It was beyond human nature not to feel and express some
indignation at such treatment.--Soon after, Bolidar, with five men, well
armed, came to us; he having a blunderbuss, cutlass, a long knife and
pair of pistols--but for what purpose did he come? He took me by the
hand, saying, "Captain, me speak with you, walk this way." I obeyed, and
when at some distance from my fellow prisoners, (his men following) he
said, "the captain send me for your _wash_" I pretended not to
understand what he meant, and replied, "I have no clothes, nor any soap
to wash with--you have taken them all," for I had kept my watch about
me, hoping they would not discover it. He demanded it again as before;
and was answered, "I have nothing to wash;" this raised his anger, and
lifting his blunderbuss, he roared out, "what the d--l you call him that
make clock? give it me." I considered it imprudent to contend any
longer, and submitted to his unlawful demand. As he was going off, he
gave me a small bundle, in which was a pair of linen drawers, sent to me
by Nickola, and also the Rev. Mr. Brooks' "Family Prayer Book." This
gave me great satisfaction. Soon after, he returned with his captain,
who had one arm slung up, yet with as many implements of war, as his
diminutive wicked self could conveniently carry; he told me (through an
interpreter who was his prisoner.) "that on his cruize he had fallen in
with two Spanish privateers, and beat them off; but had three of his men
killed, and himself wounded in the arm"--Bolidar turned to me and said,
"it is a d--n lie"--which words proved to be correct, for his arm was
not wounded, and when I saw him again, which was soon afterwards, he had
forgotten to sling it up. He further told me, "after tomorrow you shall
go with your vessel, and we will accompany you towards Trinidad." This
gave me some new hopes, and why I could not tell. They then left us
without rendering any assistance.--This night we got some rest.
Tuesday, 15th. The words "go after tomorrow," were used among our
Spanish fellow prisoners, as though that happy tomorrow would never
come--in what manner it came will soon be noticed.
Friday, 18th commenced with brighter prospects of liberty than ever. The
pirates were employed in setting up our devoted schooner's shrouds,
stays, &c. My condition now reminded me of the hungry man, chained in
one corner of a room, while at another part was a table loaded with
delicious food and fruits, the smell and sight of which he was
continually to experience, but alas! his chains were never to be loosed
that he might go and partake--at almost the same moment they were thus
employed, the axe was applied with the greatest dexterity to both her
masts and I saw them fall over the side! Here fell my hopes--I looked at
my condition, and then thought of home.--Our Spanish fellow prisoners
were so disappointed and alarmed that they recommended hiding ourselves,
if possible, among the mangrove trees, believing, as they said, we
should now certainly be put to death; or, what was worse, compelled to
serve on board the Mexican as pirates. Little else it is true, seemed
left for us; however, we kept a bright look out for them during the day,
and at night "an anchor watch" as we called it, determined if we
discovered their boats coming towards us, to adopt the plan of hiding,
although starvation stared us in the face--yet preferred that to instant
death. This night was passed in sufficient anxiety--I took the first
watch.