By this time, which was about the 20th ofApril, the Ship they had taken from me was compleatly fitted, and thenext day was appointed to name her, to which Ceremony I was invited. When I came on board, the Pirate Captains told me, “It was not out of Disrespect they had sent for me, but to partake of the good Cheer provided on this occasion:” So they desired I would be chearful, and go with them into the great Cabin. When I came there, Bumpers of Punch were put into our Hands, and on CaptainCocklyn’s saying aloud,God bless theWindham Galley, we drank our Liquor, broke the Glasses, and the Guns fired.
The Ship being Galley-built, with only two flush Decks, the Cover of the Scuttle of the Powder-room was in the great Cabin, and happened at that time to be open. One of the aftermost Guns blowing at the Touch-hole, set fire to some Cartouch-boxes, that had Cartridges in them for small Arms, the Shot and Fire of which flew about us, and made a great smother. When it was over, CaptainDavisobserved, there had been great Danger to us from the Scuttle’s being open; there being under, in a Room,abovetwenty thousandweight of Gunpowder.Cocklynreplied, “He wished it had taken fire, for it would have been a noble blast, to have gone to Hell with.”
Then all going upon Deck, three Prizes that remained undestroyed, were ordered to be burned; upon hearing that, I privately represented to CaptainDavis, “How hard it would be upon us who were Prisoners, to remain in that Country, without Necessaries, and without Food to subsist on: Besides, there was no manner of Prospect of our getting away quickly: That to the many Obligations I owed him, I hoped he would add one more, and, by his Interest, at least save one of the Vessels, for us to return toEnglandin: That as he had several times hinted to me, how much he disliked that course of Life, hoping he should have an opportunity of leaving it in a short time; so I wished he would put it in my power, to report to his Advantage, the good deed I then requested of him; for, in myOpinion, next to Murder and Cruelty, too often practised by Pirates, nothing could make them more odious to the World, than their destroying, out of mere Wantonness, so many Ships and Cargoes, as had been done byCocklynandLe Boose’s Crews; in which I knew he had no hand: And if he would be pleased to procure my entire Liberty, at the same time that he pleaded for one of the Vessels for us, it would be a double Obligation on me to Gratitude, in case it ever fell in my power to serve him.”
This he readily promised, and by his Management the Ships were saved from being burned, and they made a Bonfire only of the oldRising Sun, being the Ship they had quitted for mine: And now obtaining, through CaptainDavis’s means, my intire Liberty, I went on Shore to my friend CaptainGlynn’s House again.
Two days after this CaptainElliotsent his Boat for me, desiring I would forthwith come on board his Ship, because he wanted very much to speak with me. I had too many obligations to this Gentlemanto refuse going, (tho’ I had a sort of an aversion.) Upon coming on board, he privately represented to me, “That I knew he had been obliged against his will by the Pirates, to receive into his Ship a great quantity of other People’s Goods; for which he might hereafter be called to an account; therefore he desired I would give him a Certificate, testifying the Truth of it.” Knowing this to be true, I readily complied; for he was a very honest Man, as appeared soon after. For the Pirates compelling him to go out of the River with them, as theirTender, he took the first opportunity of getting from them, which he did in a Tornado, or sudden Gust of Wind, that arose in the Night; and having the good fortune to succeed in his attempt, he made a good Voyage for his Owners, with Slaves toBarbadoes; where he fell sick and died.
While I was in his Ship, the three Pirate Captains called along the side. Not expecting to see me there, they seemed very glad of it, and invited me to go andsup with them on board CaptainDavis. This I declined, being desirous of going on Shore to CaptainGlynn’s. But CaptainDavisinsisting on it, I thought it prudent to comply; that I might not lose that Gentleman’s Good-will, who had been so kind to me.
After we had been some time on board his Ship, Supper was brought up about eight a clock in the Evening; and the Musick was ordered to play, amongst which was a Trumpeter, that had been forced to enter out of one of the Prizes. About the middle of Supper, we heard upon Deck an outcry of Fire, and instantly a Person came to us, and said, “The Main-hatch-way was all in a Flame;” so we all went upon Deck.
At that time, besides the Pirates Ship’s Crew, who were mostly drunk, there was on board at least fifty Prisoners; and several Boats along the side, into which many People jumped, and put off. I being then on the Quarter-deck, with the Captains, observed this to them; but they all in confusion said, “We knownot what to do in the matter:” Upon that I told them, “If the sober People were allowed to go away with the Boats, no one would endeavour to save the Ship; and we that were left should be lost, (for the other Ships were above a Mile from us, and the Tide of Flood then run so strong, that their Boats could not row against it to save us:)” So I proposed to them, “to fire the Quarter-deck Guns at the Boats that had just put off, to oblige them to come on board again;” which being instantly done, it so frightned the People in them, that they forthwith came back; and all that were able, and not drunk, lent their helping hand to put out the Fire; which by this time was come to a great head in the Ship’s hold.
After this I went down into the Steerage, where I saw oneGoulding, who was Gunner’s Mate, and a brisk active Fellow, put his head up the After-hatchway, calling for Blankets and Water; “which if not brought immediately, (he said) the Bulk-head of the Powder-roomwould be fired, and the Ship soon blown up.” Observing the Stupidity of the People about me, who stood looking on one another, I caught up several Blankets and Rugs which lay scattered about, and flung them to him, and so did others by my example. Then I run out of the Steerage upon Deck, where meeting with some People that were sober, I got them to go over the side, and draw up Buckets of Water; And others handing them toGoulding, who had by this time placed the Blankets and Rugs against the Bulk-head of the Powder-Room, he flung this Water on them, and thereby prevented the Flames from catching the Powder, and consequently from blowing up the Ship, which must otherwise have happened: For there was then on board at leastthirty thousandpounds of Gunpowder, which had been taken out of several Prizes, it being a Commodity much in request amongst theNegroes.
There was still great Confusion amongst us, occasioned by the darkness of theNight, and the many drunken People, who were not sensible of the great Danger we were in: Moreover, the People in the Hold gave us as yet no Hopes of their getting the Mastery of the Fire. So I went again on the Quarter-deck, and considered with my self, if the fire could not be conquered, as I could not swim, I should have no chance of being saved: and even those that could, would, I knew, be exposed to be torn to pieces by voracious Sharks, which abound in that River: So I took one of the Quarter-deck Gratings, and lowered it by a Rope over the Ship’s-side, designing to get on that, if I should be forced to quit the Ship. For tho’ the Boats had been once obliged to come back, yet it being a dark Night, some People, unperceived, had slipped again away with them, and were quite gone away.
Whilst I stood musing with my self on the Quarter-deck, I heard a loud shout upon the Main-deck, with a Huzza, “For a brave blast to go to Hell with,” which was repeated several times. Thisnot only much surprized me, but also many of the new entered Pirates; who were struck with a Pannick Fright, believing the Ship was just blowing up; so that several of them came running on the Quarter-deck, and accidentally threw me down, it being very dark. As soon as I got upon my Legs again, I heard these poor wretches say, in a lamentable Voice, one to another; “Oh! that we could be so foolish as to enter into this vile course of Life! The Ship will be immediately blown up, and we shall suffer for our Villanies in Hell Fire.” So that when the old hardened Rogues on the Main-deck, wish’d for a blast to go to Hell with, the other poor wretches were at the same time under the greatest Consternation at the thoughts of it.
The Apprehension of the Ship’s being just ready to blow up, was so universal, that above fifty People got on the Bolt-sprit, and Sprit-sail-yard, thinking they should have there a better chance for their Lives: But they much deceived themselves, for had so great a quantity ofPowder as was at that time on board, been fired, it would have blown them up to Atoms.
There was oneTaylor, Master of this Pirate Ship, as brisk and couragious a Man as ever I saw; (who afterwards commanded theCassandra, anEnglish East IndiaShip, and carried her toNew Spain, where he and his Crew separated.) This Person, with fifteen more, spared no pains to extinguish the Fire in the Hold; and tho’ they were scalded in a sad manner by the Flames, yet they never shrunk till it was conquered; which was not till near ten a clock at night, when they came upon Deck, declaring the Danger was over: So the Surgeons were called to dress their burns. This was joyful News to us all on Deck, for we little expected to escape.
I shall now relate how this Fire happened, from which our Deliverance was almost miraculous. About half an hour after eight a clock in the evening, a Negroe Man went into the Hold, to pump some Rum out of a Cask; and imprudentlyholding his Candle too near the Bung-hole, a Spark fell into the Hogs-head, and set the Rum on fire. This immediately fired another Cask of the same Liquor, whose Bung had been, through carelessness, left open: And both the Heads of the Hogsheads immediately flying out, with a report equal to that of a small Cannon, the fire run about the Hold. There were twenty Casks of Rum, with as many Barrels of Pitch and Tar, very near the place where the Rum lay that was fired; yet it pleased God none of these took fire, otherwise it would have been impossible for us to escape.
After this was over, I was obliged to stay on board till Morning, all the Boats being run away with. In that timeGolding, the Gunner’s Mate, told the Pirate’s Crew several things to my Advantage: “How I had handed the Blankets to him, and ordered Water to be thrown on them; which saved the Bulk-head, where the Powder lay, from being fired, and consequently the Ship from being blown up.” So now I was more thanever in their favour: For several of them desired me to come on board theWindhamGalley, the day Things were sold there at the Mart, and then they would be kind to me. Likewise CaptainDavispress’d me to come, asking me, “Whether the Gold Watch that was taken from me was a good one?” To which I answering, “It was very good, at that time.” He then said, “He would buy it for his own use at any rate.”
While he and I were talking thus, one of the Mates came half drunk, on the Quarter-deck, saying to him; “I propose in behalf of the Ship’s Company, that this Man shall be obliged to go down the Coast ofGuineawith us; for I am told we cannot have a better Pilot.” This was a great surprize to me; but my generous FriendDavissoon put me out of pain. For he told him, “They wanted no Pilot:” and the fellow still insisting on my going, CaptainDaviscaned him off the Quarter-deck, and I heard no more of it: For soon after I went on Shore to my Friend CaptainGlynn’s House.
Two days after this, a small Vessel came into the River, and was taken by them: It was called theDispatchCaptainWilson, belonging to the RoyalAfrican Company. Mr.Simon Jones, formerly my first Mate, who had entered with the Pirates, (as I have before related) told them, on this occasion, “That he had once commanded a Ship, which was hired and freighted by theAfricanCompany; and that he had been very unjustly used by them; so he desired theDispatchmight be burned, that he might be revenged of them.” This being immediately consented to, and forthwith ordered to be executed, oneJohn Stubbs, a witty brisk fellow, stood up, and desired to be heard first; saying, “Pray, Gentlemen, hold a little, and I will prove to you, if this Ship is burnt, you will thereby greatly serve theCompany’s Interest.” This drawing every one’s attention, they bid him go on: Then he said, “The Vessel has been out these two years on her Voyage, being old and crazy, and almost eaten topieces by the Worms; besides, her Stores are worth little, and as to her Cargoe, it consists only of a little Redwood andMelegette-pepper; so if she should be burned, the Company will lose little; but the poor People that now belong to her, and have been so long a Voyage, will lose all their Wages, which, I am sure, is three times the Value of the Vessel, and of her trifling Cargoe; so that the Company will be highly obliged to you for destroying her.” The rest of the Crew being convinced by these Reasons, the Vessel was spared, and delivered again to CaptainWilsonand his People, who afterwards came safe toEnglandin it.
The 29th ofApril, such of the Pirates as were my Friends, sent me word on Shore, “That the Sale of Necessaries was to begin that day in the afternoon, in theWindham-Galley, CaptainCocklyn.” So I went on board in a largeCannoe, belonging to two Men that lived ashore, who went at the same time with me. At the Sale, several of the Piratesbought many Necessaries that had been mine, and gave them to me. Likewise, Mr.James Griffin, my Schoolfellow, was so civil as to beg from those that were not so kind to me, as he hoped they would have been. The two white Men that went with me in the Cannoe, minded their own business so well, that they got several great Bundles of Clothes and Goods, which they put into the Cannoe with mine.
By this time several Pirates being half drunk with Brandy, looked over the side, and seeing so many Bundles in the Cannoe, which they supposed to be all mine, they swore, “I was insatiable, and that it would be a good deed to throw them overboard.” This my kind Schoolfellow hearing, he came and told me of it; advising me, to go immediately on Shore; which I accordingly did; and it proved very happy for me. For soon after my Watch was put up to sale, and many bidding for it, some of them out of Spite to CaptainDavis, it was run up to one hundred Pounds, which he paid down. One of the Pirates being greatlyvexed at it, said, “He believed the Cases of the Watch were not good Gold;” and calling for a Touch-stone, he tried them on it. The Touch looking of acopperishColour, (as indeed all Gold-cases of Watches do on the touch, by reason of the quantity of Alloy put in to harden them) this pretence served the turn of this Villain; who thereupon exclaimed against me, saying, “I was a greater Rogue than any of them, who openly professed Piracy; since I was so sly, as to bring a base Metal Watch, and endeavour to put it off for a gold one.”
This Speech procured me the Anger of many, who knew no better; they believing every word of what he said to be true. And tho’ CaptainDavislaugh’d at it, yet several swore, “If I had not been gone on Shore, they would have whipped me:” And as their Drunkenness increased, they talked of sending for me to be punished for so great a Villany, as they called it. But my Schoolfellow, apprehending they would really offer me some Violence, was so kind as to send meword of what had pass’d, by a white Man living on Shore, who was then on board; advising me to go into the Woods, for they should sail quickly out of the River.
The next morning early, which was the last day ofApril, as I was just going to follow his advice, I was agreeably surprized with the arrival of one Mr.James Bleau, my Surgeon, whom they designed to take by force with them. This honest Man had been very much cast down at it, and had often desired me to intercede for his liberty. Accordingly I had done it, representing, “That he grieved himself so much, that if he did not die quickly, yet he would be of no use to them:” But this had no effect. However, at last, a fortunate accident cleared him, when he least expected it; for that very evening, after I was come on Shore, the Surgeon of theFrenchShip entered with them; whereupon they gave Mr.Bleauhis Liberty the next morning.
Mr.Bleaubrought us the agreeable News, that the three Pirate Ships, with theirTender, were under sail, going outof the River. This gave us all on Shore the highest Satisfaction; for I had been then in their hands a Month, and many others much longer. Mr.Bleau, whom I have here mentioned, lives now atWoodford-RowonEpping-Forest, where he follows his Business.
I shall now inform the Reader, what became of my kind SchoolfellowGriffin, and my generous FriendDavis. The first took an opportunity of getting out of the hands of the Pirates, by taking away a Boat from the Stern of the Ship he was in, when off the Road ofAnnamaboe, on the Coast ofGuinea. He was driven on Shore there, unperceived in the night time; and from thence went toCape Coast Castle, belonging to the RoyalAfrican Company; from which place he went Passenger toBarbadoes, in anEnglishShip, where he was taken with a violent Fever and died.
As toDavis, having discovered, a few days after they left the RiverSierraleon, a Conspiracy, to deprive him of his Command, which was carried on by oneTaylor,that was Master of the Ship under him, he timely prevented it: But he and some others left their Ship, and went on board theWindamGalley, CaptainCocklyn, by whom he foundTaylorhad been set on to displace him. This causing him to leave their Partnership, he took a few days after one CaptainPlumbin thePrincessofLondon, whose second MateRoberts, so famous afterwards for his Villanies, entered with him; andDavis’s Crew, after plundering the Ship, restored her to CaptainPlumbagain. After this, CaptainDaviswent for the IslandPrincess, belonging to thePortuguese, which lies in the Bay ofGuinea. Here the Pirates gave out, “They were a King’s Ship;” but the People soon discovered what they were by their lavishness, in purchasing fresh Provisions with Goods; but the Governour winked at it, on account of the great Gains he, and others of the chief of his People made by them. But at last some putting him in mind, “That if this Affair should come to the King ofPortugal’s ear, it might provehis ruin;” he plotted how to destroyDavisand his Crew, in order to colour over what he had so basely permitted, in allowing them a free trade, after discovering they were Pirates.
CaptainDavisbeing one day on Shore with the Governor, he told him, “They designed to sail from the Island in three days, and that he would come, and take his leave of him the day before.” Accordingly he went on a Sunday morning, taking with him his first Surgeon, the Trumpeter, and some others, besides the Boat’s Crew. At their coming into the Governor’s House, they saw no body to receive them; so they went on, till they came into a long Gallery fronting the Street. Here the Governor’sMajor Domopresently came to them, saying, “His Master was at his Country-House, but he had sent a Messenger to him, when they saw CaptainDaviscoming on Shore; and no doubt he would soon be in Town.” But the Surgeon observing, that many People had got together in the Street, with Arms in theirhands, he said to his Captain, “I am sure we shall see no Governor to day,” and advised him immediately to go away. SoDavisand the Surgeon went out of the House; whereupon theMajor-Domocalled to the People in the Street, to fire at them. The Surgeon and two more were kill’d on the Spot, and the Trumpeter was wounded in the Arm, who seeing twoCapuchinFriers (from whom I had this Account at the IslandPrincess) fled to them. One of them took him in his Arms to save him, but aPortuguesecame, and shot him dead without any regard to the Frier’s Protection. CaptainDavis, tho’ he had four Shots in divers parts of his Body, yet continued running towards the Boat: But being closely pursued, a fifth Shot made him fall, and thePortuguesebeing amazed at his great Strength and Courage, cut his Throat, that they might be sure of him.
The Boat’s Crew hearing the firing, put off in good time at some distance from the Shore; and seeing thePortugueseadvancing to fire at them, they rowedon board their Ship; where relating what had happened, as they supposed, to their Captain, and to the rest left on Shore, it set the Pirates all in a flame; and they directly choseRobertsfor their Commander, vowing a severe revenge on thePortuguese.
The Water was so shallow, that they could not get their Ship near the Town; so they prepared a Raft, on which they mounted several pieces of Cannon, with which they fired at the place: But the Inhabitants having quitted it, and all the Houses being of Timber, they did little damage to the Town. Neither durst they land to burn the Place, for fear of the great Number of People, whom they perceived in the Bushes with small Arms: So, they returned to their Ship, and the next day sailed out of the Harbour.
Thus fell CaptainDavis, who (allowing for the Course of Life he had been unhappily engaged in) was a most generous humane Person. And thusRobertsarose, who proved the reverse of him, and did afterwards a great deal of mischief in theWest Indies, and on theCoast ofGuinea; till he and his Crew were happily suppress’d by SirChaloner Ogle, in theSwallowMan of War, and in the Engagement,Roberts, and several of his People were killed. But as there isAn Account of the Piratespublished, in which the principal Actions ofRobertsare related, I shall say nothing more of him here; but go on to relate what is not mentioned in the aforesaid Book.
As soon as it was commonly known, that the Pirates were sailed fromSierraleon, CaptainBennetandThompson, with several others that had been obliged to keep in the Woods, as I have formerly related, came to CaptainGlynn’s House. There we all consulted about preparing theBristol Snow, which the Pirates had spared at my Intreaty, so as to make it fit for us to return toEnglandin. There was with us one CaptainDavid Creichton, in theElizabethofLondon, laden with dying Wood; whom the Pirates had taken not long before me. Him they plundered, and would have destroyed, but by the Interest of Mr.James Griffin, who had been chiefMate with the Captain’s Brother, the Ship was spared. In this Ship CaptainCreichtontook as many People as he possibly could, in order to spare our Provisions, and sailed a few days after the Pirates left the RiverSierraleon, forLondon: We that were left behind, sent notice by him to our Owners of the great Misfortunes that had befallen us.
Then applying our selves to fit theBristol-Snow, whom a worthy Person, one CaptainJohn Morris, commanded, we found we should be in very great want of Provisions, considering how many poor People desired to go home with us. Upon that CaptainGlynnsent a small Sloop belonging to him, to fetch Provisions from the RiverSherberow, where the destroying Pirates had not been. From thence she returned in a few days, with a good quantity; and one CaptainNisbethaving found under his Ship’s Ballast in the Hold, several Casks of Beef; which had not come to the knowledge of the Pirates (otherwise it would no doubt have been destroyed, as most part of his Cargoe was)he was so kind as to spare me as much of this Beef as he possibly could; and I drew a Bill on my Owner for the value of it.
Moreover, we found in theFrenchShip that had been taken, and afterwards run on Shore by the Pirates, a large quantity of good Biscuit, so that now we were sufficiently provided in all respects.
Lastly, knowing that large quantities of Goods had been given by the Pirates, to all the white Men residing on Shore upon their own accounts, we all went in a Body to demand them. MessieursMeadandPearce, who were in Partnership, very readily and honourably delivered up all they were possessed of: But others did not follow their Example; for they only shewed us what Goods they thought proper, of which I allowed them one third part for salvage.
So I shipp’d what I had recovered from them, with the other Goods the Pirates had given me formerly out of CaptainMorris’s Vessel; and then we embarked in her, being above sixty Passengers, besides six Masters of Ships, whose Vessels had beendestroyed, or fitted for the use of the Pirates. We left the RiverSierraleonthe 10th day ofMay, and, after a tedious Passage, occasioned by the Ship’s bad sailing, we came safe toBristol, the first ofAugust1719.
On my landing at the Key, Mr.Casamajor, Merchant of that City, came to me, and delivered me a Letter from my Owner, the lateHumphrey MorriceEsq; who had received mine by CaptainCreichton, with the account of my Misfortune, a few days before we arrived atBristol. Mr.Morrice, in his Letter, was pleased to comfort me under so severe a Trial, as I had undergone, assuring me, “He would immediately give me the Command of another Ship; (which accordingly he most generously did soon after) and that he had ordered Mr.Casamajor, his Correspondent, to supply me with Money, to distribute amongst my poor Sailors, who had returned with me toBristol; in order to enable them to go to their several Habitations,” which was in several Parts ofEngland.
Laus DEO.