The Project Gutenberg eBook ofPiratesThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: PiratesAuthor: active 1724-1731 Charles JohnsonCommentator: Claud Lovat FraserIllustrator: Claud Lovat FraserRelease date: January 27, 2008 [eBook #24439]Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Sam W. and the Online Distributed ProofreadingTeam at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced fromimages generously made available by The InternetArchive/American Libraries.)*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PIRATES ***
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
Title: PiratesAuthor: active 1724-1731 Charles JohnsonCommentator: Claud Lovat FraserIllustrator: Claud Lovat FraserRelease date: January 27, 2008 [eBook #24439]Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Sam W. and the Online Distributed ProofreadingTeam at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced fromimages generously made available by The InternetArchive/American Libraries.)
Title: Pirates
Author: active 1724-1731 Charles JohnsonCommentator: Claud Lovat FraserIllustrator: Claud Lovat Fraser
Author: active 1724-1731 Charles Johnson
Commentator: Claud Lovat Fraser
Illustrator: Claud Lovat Fraser
Release date: January 27, 2008 [eBook #24439]
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Sam W. and the Online Distributed ProofreadingTeam at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced fromimages generously made available by The InternetArchive/American Libraries.)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PIRATES ***
Ship in a bottle
With aForewordand sundryDecorationsby
A pirate, holding a pistol
NEW YORK:ROBERT M. McBRIDE AND COMPANY1922
First American Edition
Printed in the United States of America
Printed in Great Britain by Billing and Sons, Ltd., Guildford and Esher.
CAPTAIN AVERY
A pirate with two wooden legs
An inn, the Pirates' Rest
Time, though a good Collector, is not always a reliable Historian. That is to say, that although nothing of interest or importance is lost, yet an affair may be occasionally invested with a glamour that is not wholly its own. I venture to think that Piracy has fortuned in this particular. We are apt to base our ideas of Piracy on the somewhat vague ambitions of our childhood; and I suppose, were such a thing possible, the consensus of opinion in our nurseries as to a future profession in life would place Piracy but little below the glittering heights of the police force and engine-driving. Incapable of forgetting this in more mature years, are we not inclined to deck Her (the“H” capital, for I speak of an ideal), if not in purple and fine linen, at least with a lavish display of tinsel and gilt? Nursery lore remains with us, whether we would or not, for all our lives; and generations of ourselves, as schoolboys and pre-schoolboys, have tricked out Piracy in so resplendent a dress that she has fairly ousted in our affections, not only her sister profession of “High Toby and the Road,” but every other splendid and villainous vocation. Yet Teach, Kid, and Avery were as terrible or grim as Duval, Turpin, and Sheppard were courtly or whimsical. And the terrible is a more vital affair than the whimsical. Is it, then, unnatural that, after a lapse of nigh on two centuries, we should shake our wise heads and allow that which is still nursery within us to deplore the loss of those days when we ran—before a favouring “Trade”—the very good chance of being robbed, maimed, or murdered by Captain Howel Davis or Captain Neil Gow? It is as well to remember that the “Captains” in this book were seamen whose sole qualifications to thetitle were ready wit, a clear head, and, maybe, that certain indefinable “power of the eye” that is the birth-right of all true leaders. The piratical hero of our childhood is traceable in a great extent to the “thrillers,” toy plays, and penny theatres of our grandfathers. Here our Pirate was, as often as not, a noble, dignified, if gloomy gentleman, with a leaning to Byronic soliloquy. Though stern in exterior, his heart could (and would) melt at the distresses of the heroine. Elvira’s eyes were certain to awaken in his mind the recollection of “other eyes as innocent as thine, child.” In short, he was that most touching of all beings, the Hero-cum-Villain. And it was with a sigh of relief that we saw him at the eleventh hour, having successfully twitted the “Government Men” and the Excise (should he have an additional penchant for smuggling), safely restored to the arms of the long-suffering possessor of the other eyes.
Alas! this little book mentions no Poll of Portsmouth, nor does it favour us with a “Yeo, heave, oh!” nor is there so verymuch “cut and thrust” about it. It was written in that uninspiring day when Pirates were a very real nuisance to such law-abiding folk as you and I; but it has the merit of being written, if not by a Pirate, at least by one who came into actual contact with them. I am not at all sure that “merit” is the right word to use in this instance, for to be a Pirate does not necessarily ensure you making a good author. Indeed, it might almost be considered as a ban to the fine literary technique of an Addison or a Temple. It has, however, the virtue of being in close touch with some of the happenings chronicled. Not that our author saw above a tithe of what he records—had he done so he would have been “set a-sun-drying” at Execution Dock long before he had had the opportunity of putting pen to paper; but, as far as posterity was concerned, he was lucky in his friend William Ingram—evidently a fellow of good memory and a ready tongue—“who,” as our author states in his Preface, “was a Pirate under Anstis, Roberts, and many others,” and whoeventually was hanged in good piratical company on the 11th of June, 1714.
The actual history of the little book, the major part of which is here reprinted, is as follows:
Its full title is “The History and Lives of all the most Notorious Pirates and their Crews,” and the fifth edition, from which our text is taken, was printed in 1735. A reproduction of the original title-page is given overleaf.
As a matter of fact, the title is misleading. How could a book that makes no mention of Morgan or Lollonois be a history ofallthe most notorious Pirates? It deals with the last few years of the seventeenth century and the first quarter of the eighteenth, a period that might with justice be called “The Decline and Fall of Piracy,” for after 1730 Piracy became but a mean broken-backed affair that bordered perilously on mere sea-pilfering.
Facsimile of the original title page[Transcription of text]
A little research into the book’s history shows us that it is consistent throughout, and that it is a “piracy,” in the publisher’s senseof the word, of a much larger and more pretentious work by Captain Charles Johnson, entitled, “A General History of the Pyrates from their first Rise and Settlement in the Island of Providence to the Present Time; With the Remarkable Actions and Adventures of the two Female Pyrates Mary Read and Anne Bonny.”
This was published in London, in 8vo., by Charles Rivington in 1724. A second edition, considerably augmented, was issued later in the same year, a third edition in the year following, and a fourth edition—in two volumes, as considerable additions in the form of extra “Lives,” and an appendix necessitated a further volume—in 1725.
This two-volume edition contained the history of the following Pirates: Avery, Martel, Teach, Bonnet, England, Vane, Rackham, Davis, Roberts, Anstis, Morley, Lowther, Low, Evans, Phillips, Spriggs, Smith, Misson, Bowen, Kid, Tew, Halsey, White, Condent, Bellamy, Fly, Howard, Lewis, Cornelius, Williams, Burgess, and North, together with a short abstract onthe Statute and Civil Law in relation to “Pyracy,” and an appendix, completing the Lives in the first volume, and correcting some mistakes.
The work evidently enjoyed a great vogue, for it was translated into Dutch by Robert Hannebo, of Amsterdam, in 1727, and issued there, with several “new illustrations,” in 12mo. A German version by Joachim Meyer was printed at Gosslar in the following year, while in France it saw the light as an appendix to an edition of Esquemeling’s “Histoire des Avanturiers,” 1726.
But little is known of the author, Captain Charles Johnson, excepting that he flourished from 1724 to 1736, and it is more than probable that the name by which we know him is an assumed one. It is possible that his knowledge of Pirates and Piracy was of such a nature to have justified awkward investigations on the part of His Majesty’s Government.
There is one thing that we do know for certain about him, and that is that the worthyCaptain’s spelling, according to the pirated version of his book, was indefinite even for his own day. He was one of those inspired folk who would be quite capable of spelling “schooner” with three variations in as many lines. In this edition the spelling has been more or less modernized.
Lastly, it is to be remembered that the ships of this period, according to our modern ideas, would be the veriest cockle-shells, and so that we should know what manner of vessel he refers to in these pages, I had recourse to a friend of mine whose knowledge of things nautical is extensive enough to have gained for him the coveted “Extra Master’s Certificate,” and who was kind enough to supply me with the following definitions:
SLOOP.
A vessel rigged as a cutter, but with one head-sail only set on a very short bowsprit.
SCHOONER.
TOPSAIL SCHOONER.
BRIGANTINE.
A two-masted vessel, square rigged on fore-mast.
GALLEY.
A large vessel rowed by oars and sometimes having auxiliary sail of various rigs.
PINK.
Probably a small, fast vessel used as a tender and despatch boat for river work.
SNOW.
A two-masted vessel with a stay, known as a “Horse,” from the main-mast to the poop on which the trysail was set. Sometimes a spar was fitted instead of a stay. The rig was most likely of a brig (i.e., a two-masted ship, square sails on both masts), and the triangular trysail set on the stay in bad weather or when hove to.]
C. L. F.
A group of pirates
He was the son ofJohn Avery, a victualler nearPlymouth, inDevonshire, who in a few years was grown as opulent in his purse as in his body, by scoring two for one; and when he had so done, drinking the most of the liquor himself. By which means, and having a handsome wife, who knew her business as well as if she had been brought up to it from a child (which, indeed, she mostly was, her mother keeping the House before she marriedMr. Avery), they soon became very rich and very able to give credit to a whole ship’s crew upon their tickets, which in those days were sold for less than half their value.
Having but one child (afterwards theCaptain), they at first resolved to bring him up a scholar, that he might advance the dignity of the family. But instead of learning his book, he was taught by such companions that he could soon swear to every point of his compass, which was a very diverting scene for the Boatswain and his crew, who were then drinking in the kitchen, having just received ten pounds apiece short allowance money on board theRevenge, every farthing of which they spent before leaving the house.
But as soon as their money was spent, they were all like to have been imprisoned by their Landlady for a riot, as she called it, so they were soon glad to sheer off, and he thought himself happiest that could get first aboard. Indeed, it would have been happy for them if they had, for the ship was unmoored and gone to sea; which put the Boatswain and his crew swearing in earnest, and not knowing what to do, they resolved to return to their Landlady,Mrs. Avery, at “the Sign of theDefiance.” But she shut them out of doors, calling them aparcel of beggarly rascals, and swearing that if they would not go from the door she would send for the Constable; and notwithstanding all the entreaties and tears of her only son, who was then about six years of age, she could not be prevailed upon to let them in, so they were obliged to stroll about the street all night. In the morning, spying the ship at anchor, being driven back by contrary winds, they resolved to make the best of their way aboard; but on the way, whom should they meet but youngAvery, who had no sooner seen them, but he cried after them. “Zounds,” says the Boatswain, “let’s take the young dog aboard, and his mother shall soon be glad to adjust the reckoning more to our satisfaction before she shall have her son.”
This was agreed upon by all hands, and the boy was as willing as any of them. So, stepping into the boat, in about an hour’s time they reached the ship, which they had no sooner boarded but they were brought before the Captain, who, being in want of hands, contented himself with bidding themall go to their business; for the wind turned about, and there was occasion for all hands to be at work to carry out the ship.
All this while youngAverywas at the heels of the Boatswain, and was observed to swear two oaths to one of the Boatswain’s; which being soon observed by the Captain, he inquired who brought that young rascal aboard.
To which the Boatswain replied that he did, that the boy’s mother was his Landlady on shore, and he had taken him up in jest, but was afraid that they would now have to keep him in earnest.
When the hurry was a little over, the Captain commanded the boy to be brought to him in his cabin. He had not talked long to him before he took a fancy to him, telling him that if he would be a good boy, he should live with him.
He, being a mighty lover of children, would often divert himself by talking to the boy, till at length he took such a fancy to him, that he ordered him a little hammock in his own cabin, and none were so great as theCaptain and his boyAvery, which had like to have proved very fatal to him; for Avery one night, observing the Captain to be very drunk with some passengers that were on board, got a lighted match and had like to have blown up the ship, had not the Gunner happened accidentally to follow him into the store-room. This made the Captain ever after very shy of his new Acquaintance, andAvery, after he had been well whipped, was ordered down into the hold, where he remained until they arrived atCarolina, which happened four or five days after.
The boy was given to a merchant, who, taking a fancy to him, put him to school; but he made so little progress in learning, and committed so many unlucky tricks, that the merchant, in about three years, shipped him off to his friends atPlymouthon board theNonesuch, where he was no sooner arrived but his mother was overjoyed with the sight of her son, his father being dead about a month before his arrival.
And, indeed, it was thought the loss of their son broke his heart, for it was observedthe father never held up his head after, the neighbours often reflecting upon him for his ill-usage of the seamen, who had spent so much money at his house; saying he could never expect that all his ill-gotten riches could prosper him, which so happened, as you shall hear presently. For his mother, dying soon after, the boy was left under the guardianship of one Mr.Lightfoot, a merchant, who, having great losses at sea, became a bankrupt, and so youngAverywas left to look out after himself; there he continued for many years in pilfering and stealing till the country was too hot for him, when he betook him to sea again, where in time he became as famous for robbing asCromwellfor rebellion.
He entered himself on board theDuke, CaptainGibsonCommander, being one of the two ships of twenty-four guns and one hundred men which were fitted out by the merchants ofBristolfor the service ofSpain, which they had no sooner done, but they were ordered by their agents atBristolto sail for theGroyneto receive their orders.
On board one of which shipsAvery, being at this time above twenty years old, entered himself, where he had not been long before he observed the Captain was much addicted to drunkenness.
He endeavoured to spirit up not only his own ship’s crew, but having also given the word to part of the other ship’s crew, the conspirators gave the signal.
At which theDuchess, as the other ship was named, put off her longboat; which the conspirators hailing were answered by the men in the boat, “Is your drunken Boatswain on board?” This being the word agreed upon, Avery answered, “All is safe;” upon which twenty lusty fellows came aboard and joined them, which they had no sooner done but they secured the hatches and went to work, putting to sea without any disorder, although there were several ships in the bay, amongst whom was a frigate of forty-four guns.
The Captain, by this time being awaked by the noise of the conspirators working the ship, rung the bell, inquiring what wasthe matter, to whomAveryand some of the crew replied, “Nothing. Are you mutinous in your cups? Can’t you lie down, sleep, and be quiet?”
“No,” saith the Captain. “I am sure something’s the matter with the ship. Does she drive? What weather is it? Is it a storm?”
SaithAvery: “Cannot you lie quiet while you are quiet? I tell you all’s well; we are at sea in a fair wind and good weather.”
“At sea,” saith the Captain; “that can’t be.”
“Be not frightened,” saith Avery, “and I’ll tell you. You must note, I am now the Captain of the ship; nay, you must turn out, for this is my cabin, and I am bound forMadagascar, to make my own fortune as well as my companions.”
The Captain, being more terrified than ever, did not know what to say, whichAveryperceiving, bid him take heart. “For,” saith he, “if you will join me and these brave fellows, my companions, in time you may get some post under me. If not,step into the longboat and get about your business.”
This the Captain was glad to hear, but yet began to expostulate with them upon the injustice of such doings. SaithAvery: “What do I care? Every man for himself. Come, come, Captain, if you will go, get you gone; the longboat waits for you, and if there be any more cowards in the ship, you may all go together.” Which words so affrighted the whole crew, that there was not above nine or ten of them that durst venture, who made the best of their way to the shore as fast as they could, and thought they were well off.
The Captain was no sooner gone, but they called a Council, which agreed to ownAveryas their Captain; which he accepted of with all humility imaginable, seeming to excuse himself on account of his inexperience at sea. But he did it so artfully that it more confirmed them in the good opinion of their choice. “Gentlemen,” said he, “what we have done we must live or die by; let us all be hearty and of onemind, and I don’t question but we shall make our fortune in a little time. I propose that we sail first toMadagascar, where we may settle a correspondence, in order to secure our retreats, whenever we think fit to lie by.”
To which they all agreed, “Nemine contradicente.”
“But hold,” saithAvery; “it is necessary that we make some order among us, for the better governing of the ship’s crew.” Which were in a few days drawn up by the clerk of the ship.
AndAverypromising them vast things, they all came into them at last, although some things went very much against the grain of many of them.
It took up all their spare time till they arrived atMadagascar, where they saw a Ship lying at the N.E. part of the Island, with which the men had run away fromNew England; and seeingAvery, they supposed that he had been sent after them to take them, butAverysoon undeceived them, and promised them protection; therefore theyresolved to sail together. In the whole company, there was not above ten that pretended to any skill in navigation; forAveryhimself could neither write nor read very well, he being chosen Captain of theDukepurely for his courage and contrivance.
In the latitude ofDescada, one of the Islands, they took two other sloops, which supplied them with provisions, and then they agreed to proceed to theWest Indies; and coming toBarbadoes, they fell in with a ship forLondonwith twelve guns, from which they took some clothes and money, ten barrels of powder, ten casks of beef, and several other goods, and five of her men, and then let her go. From thence he went to the Island ofDominico, and watered; there he met with sixEnglishmen, who willingly entered withAvery. They stayed not long before they sailed for theGranadaIsland to clean their ships; which being known to theFrenchColony, the Governor ofMartenicosent four sloops well manned after them. But they stayed there not long, but made the best of their way forNewfoundland,entering the harbour ofTrepassewith black colours, drums beating, and trumpets sounding.
It is impossible to relate the havoc they made there, burning all before them. When they leftNewfoundlandthey sailed for theWest Indies, and from thence to the IslandDescada, it being judged the most convenient place, at that time of the year, to meet with a rich booty.
From hence they steered towards theArabianCoast, near the RiverIndus, where, spying a sail, they gave chase. At their near approach she hoistedMogulcolours and seemed as if she would stand upon her defence, whilstAverycontented himself by cannonading her at a distance, which made many of his men begin to mutiny, thinking him a coward.
ButAveryknew better, and commanding his sloops to attack her, one in the Bow, and the rest on the Quarter, clapt her on board, upon which she struck her colours and yielded. Aboard her was one of theMogul’sown daughters, with several personsof distinction, who were carrying rich offerings of jewels and other valuable presents toMecca; which booty was the more considerable, because these people always travel with great magnificence, having all their slaves and attendants always with them, besides jewels and great sums of money to defray the charges. ButAvery, not content with this, seized the young Princess, and taking her with him into his own ship, made the best of his way toMadagascar, where she soon broke her heart and died. Also her father, theGreat Mogul, did no sooner hear of it but he threatened allEuropewith revenge. And when he knew they wereEnglishmenwho had captured his daughter and robbed him, he threatened to send a mighty army, with fire and sword, to extirpate all theEnglishfrom their settlements on theIndianCoasts, which gave no small uneasiness to theIndian CompanyatLondon, when they heard of it.
Sketch portrait of a pirate
CAPTAIN JOHN RACKHAM
A large group of armed men
John Rackham was Quarter-Master toVane’sCompany, tillVanewas turned out for not fighting the French Man-of-War, andRackhamput in Captain in his place, which happened about the 24th day ofNovember, 1718. His first cruise was among theCaribbeIslands, where he took and plundered several vessels. Afterwards, to the windward ofJamaica, he fell in with aMadeiraMan, which he detained till he had made his market out of her, and then restored her to her Master, sufferingHosea Tisdel, a tavern-keeper atJamaica, whom he had taken among his Prizes, to go aboard her, she being bound for that Island.
Afterwards he sailed towards the IslandBermuda, where he took a Ship bound toEnglandfromCarolina, and a small Ship fromNew England, both which he carried to theBahama Islands, and there clean’d. But staying too long in that Neighbourhood, CaptainRogerssent out a Sloop well mann’d, which retook both the Prizes, the Pirate making his Escape.
From hence they proceeded to the Back ofCuba, whereRackhamstaid a long Time with his Delilahs, till their Provision was consumed, when he concluded it Time to look out for more. As he was putting to Sea, aGarda del Costacame in with a smallEnglishSloop, which he had taken as an interloper on that coast. TheSpaniardsseeing the Pirate, attacked her; but finding he could not come to her that night, because she lay close behind a little island, he warps into the channel, to make sure of her in the morning. Upon thisRackhamtook his Crew into the Boat, with their pistols and cutlasses, and falls aboard theSpaniardsin the night, without being discovered, telling them, if they spoke aword they were dead men: And so shipping their cables, drove out to sea, commanding them to take the Boat, and go aboard their Sloop immediately, or else they were all dead men. Afterwards they waking the Captain and his men in the Hammocks, who rose full of their expectation of the Prizes, they sent them aboard their empty Sloop.
In the Beginning ofSeptember, they went off of the French part ofHispaniola, where they took two or threeFrenchmenon board, that were looking after some cattle grazing near the waterside. Then plundered two Sloops, they returned toJamaica, where they took a Schooner.
Rackhamcontinuing about this Island longer than a Man of his business ought to have done, gave time to a Canoe, which he had surprised inOchoBay, to inform the Governor ofJamaicaof his civilities to all he met with going or coming from the Island. Thereupon a Sloop was sent out in quest of him, well mann’d and arm’d, under CaptainBarnet, to repay him for allhis good-natured Actions, and, if possible, to bring him into the Island. In the mean TimeRackhammet, near theNegrilPoint, a small Pettiauger, which, upon sight of him, ran ashore, and landed her Men; butRackhamhailing them, desired the Pettiauger’s men to come aboard him, and drink a bowel of punch; swearing,They were all Friends and would do no Harm. Hereupon they agreed to his Request, and went aboard him, though it proved fatal to every one of them, they being nine in all. For, they were no sooner got aboard, and had laid down their muskets and cutlasses, in order to take up their pipes, and make themselves merry with their new acquaintance over a can of Flip, but CaptainBarnet’sSloop was in sight, which soon put a damp to all their merriment: Finding she stood directly towards them, they immediately weighed their anchor and stood off.Barnetgave them chase, and having the advantage of the wind, soon came up with her, gave her a broadside or two, and, after a very small dispute, took her and his ninenew guests, and brought them all together intoPort-RoyalinJamaica, in about a fortnight’s time.
Novemberthe 10th, 1720, a Court of Admiralty was held atSt. Jago de la Vega, where the following Persons were tried and convicted of Piracy, and accordingly Sentence of Death was passed upon them by the Governor, viz.:John Rackham, Captain;George Fetherstone, Master;Richard Corner, Quarter-Master;John Davis,John Howel,Patrick Carty,Thomas Earle,James Dobbin, andNoah Harwood; Five of whom was hang’d the next day atGallows-point, and the rest the day after. The three first were taken and hanged in Chains;RackhamatPlumb-point,FetherstoneatBush-key, andCorneratGun-key.
But what was yet more strange was the conviction of the nine guests, that knew nothing of the matter, or at least they pretended so; but the People would not believe them, because it was proved that they came on board with pistols and cutlasses: However, they were so much favoured as tohave the Court adjourned to the 24th of January following, to give a better Account of themselves than at the time appeared to the Court: Beside, the Jury also then wanted sufficient evidence to prove the piratical intention of going aboard the said Sloops. The twoFrenchmentaken byRackhamfrom the Island ofHispaniola, deposed, ThatJohn Eaton,Edward Warner,Thomas Baker,Thomas Quick,John Cole,Benjamin Palmer,Walter Rouse,John Hanson, andJohn Howard, came on board the Pirate’s Sloop atNegril PointinJamaica. Indeed they owned, That at first Sight of them, they run away fromRackham’sSloop, but that he hailing them, they returned, andRackhamsent his canoe ashore to fetch them aboard him, when they saw them all armed with guns and cutlasses, which they brought with them; and that when they were chased by CaptainBarnet, they were frank and free, some drinking and walking about the deck not at all dispirited; during which time there was a great gun, and small arms, fired by the Pirate Sloop at CaptainBarnet’sSloop; but that they could not say that the Prisoners were any way concerned in it: However, they were certain that when CaptainBarnet’sSloop fired atRackham’s, the Prisoners at the Bar went under Deck, for cowardice, as they supposed; not so much as once peeping up during the time of the whole action: But when CaptainBarnetdrew nigh to them to board them, all of them came up, and helped to row the sloop, in order to escape from him: And thatRackham’sMen and they seemed to agree very well together, and that they did verily believe they were all of a Party, having heard them say, when they came on board,They liked them never the worse for being Pirates, since they were all honest Boys, and loved their Bottles.
To which the Prisoners answered, in their own Defence; That they were a great way off from friends and acquaintance, and, therefore it was impossible to have any one to give an account of them. That they were very honest pains-taking men, and came out to go a-turtling to provide fortheir families; accordingly going ashore atNegrilPoint they saw a Sloop, with a white pendant, making towards them, whereupon they took up their arms, which were no other but what all people carry upon such occasions, and ran into the woods, to hide themselves among the bushes, not knowing what she might be. But when they hailed them and told them they wereEnglishmen, they ventured out, and came aboard them, as they desired, to drink a bowl of punch, they being poor men, who get their livelihood very hardily, and such a thing was very acceptable to them. But when they came on board the Sloop, to their very great surprise, they found they were Pirates; upon which they begged to be released; butRackhamswore, That if they did not stay and assist them against that Sloop that was coming down against them, he would cut all their throats. So being compelled thereunto byRackhamand his men, to save their Lives, they did assist him, and with no other design but to prevent their being cut in pieces, but as soon asCaptainBarnetcame up with them, they all very readily and willingly submitted.
This being all they had to say in their own Defence, the Prisoners were ordered from the Bar: The Court were divided in their Judgments; but the majority were of opinion, that they were all guilty of the Piracy and Felony they were charged with; thereupon they all received Sentence of Death, as usual in such cases, the Judge making a very pathetic Speech to them, exhorting them to bear their Sufferings patiently, assuring them, that if they were innocent, which he very much doubted, then their reward would be greater in the Other World: But everybody must own their case was very hard in this.
February the 17th,John Eaton,Thomas Quick, andThomas Baker, were accordingly executed atGallows-Point; and the next Day,John Cole,John Howard, andBenjamin Palmer, underwent the same fate atKingston. The other three got a Reprieve, they being against going aboard the Pirate’s Sloop, and are now living.
Sketch portrait of a pirate
Sketch portrait of a pirate
Spriggssailed at first withLowe, and came away with him fromLowther. AfterwardsLowetook a ship of twelve guns on the Coast ofGuinea, called theDelight, whichSpriggswent off on board with twenty men, and leavingLowein the night, came to theWest Indies. In their passage they made a Black Ensign, which they called theJolly Roger, with a skeleton in the middle holding a dart in one hand, striking a bleeding heart; and in the other an hour-glass; and being hoisted, they fired all their guns to saluteSpriggs, whom they chose Captain, and then went to look out for prey.
In their voyage they took aPortuguezebarque, wherein they had rich plunder.NearSt. Lucia, they took a Sloop belonging toBarbadoes, which they first plundered, and then burnt, forcing some of the men into their Service, and beating, in a barbarous manner, those that refused to join with them, and afterwards sent them away in the Boat, half dead with their wounds, the rest got toBarbadoes, with much ado, though some of them died soon after of their cuts and slashes. After this they took aMartinicoMan, which they used in like manner, save that they did not burn the ship. Then running down to the Leeward, they took one CaptainHawkinscoming fromJamaica, laden with Logwood; out of which, they took her stores, arms, and ammunition, and what they did not want they threw over-board; they cut the cables to pieces, knocked down the cabins, broke the windows, and did what mischief they could, takingBurridgeandStephens, the two Mates, and some other Hands, by force; and then after keeping her a week, they let her go. On the 27th they took aRhodeIsland Sloop, compelling the Captain, and all his men, to go onboard the Pirate: One of them not being willing to stay with them, they told him he should have a discharge presently, which was to receive ten lashes from every man on board.
The next dayBurridgesigned their Articles; which pleased them so much, that they fired all the Guns, and made him Master, spending that day in rejoicings and drinking healths.
The First ofAprilthey spied a sail, and gave her chase all night, believing she had been aSpaniard; but when they came up to her, and gave her a broadside, she cried out for Quarters, which made them cease firing, and ordered the Captain to come aboard, which proved to be CaptainHawkins, whom they had dismissed three days before, not worth a groat. Two Days after, they anchored atRatran, not far fromHonduras, and put ashore CaptainHawkins, and several others, giving them powder and ball, and a musquet, and then left them to shift as well as they could. Here they staid three weeks, when two men came in a canoe, that hadbeen left in another Maroon Island nearBenecca, and carried them thither. A fortnight after they espied a Sloop at sea, which had lately escaped from theSpaniardsat the Bay ofHonduras, which, upon a signal stood in and took them all off.
At an Island to the westward, the Pirates cleaned their ship, and then sailed towardsSt. Christophersto meet CaptainMoor.
Spriggsnext stood towardsBermudas, where he took a Schooner belonging toBoston, from which he took all the Men, and sunk the Vessel.
Instead of going toNewfoundland, they came back to the Islands, and on the 8th ofJune, to windward ofSt. Christophers, they took a Sloop,Nicholas Trot, Master, belonging toSt. Eustatia, whose men they hoisted as high as the main fore-tops, and so let them fall down again; then whipping them about the deck, they gaveTrothis Sloop, and let him go, keeping only two of his men, besides the plunder. Two or three days after, they took a ship coming fromRhode IslandtoSt. Christophers, laden withprovisions and some horses, and burnt ship, men, and horses: Since whenSpriggshas not been heard of: though it is supposed he went toMadagascar, to spend, in rioting and wantonness, his ill gotten plunder; till by a letter fromJamaica, of the 2nd ofMarchlast, we understood, That he had been again at the Bay ofHonduras, and taken sixteen Sail.