 Section number four of Great Pirate Stories. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Patrick McAfee. Great Pirate Stories by Various. Edited by Joseph Louis French. Section four. The Wonderful Fight of the Exchange of Bristol with the Pirates of Algiers. By Samuel Purchase. In the year 1621, in the first of November, there was one John Rawlins, born in Rochester, and dwelling three and twenty years in Plymouth, employed to the Strait of Gibraltar by Master Richard and Stephen Trevile's merchants of Plymouth, and freighted in a bark called the Nicholas of Plymouth of the burden of forty ton, which had also in her company another ship of Plymouth called the George Benaventure of seventy ton burthen, or thereabouts, which by reason of her greatness beyond the other, I will name the admiral, and John Rawlins bark shall, if you please, be the vice admiral. These two, according to the time of the year, had a fair passage, and by the eighteenth of the same month, came to a place at the entering of the straits named Trafalgar. But the next morning, being in the site of Gibraltar at the very mouth of the straits, the watch described five sail of ships, who, as it seemed, used all the means they could to come near us, and we, as we had cause, used the same means to go as far from them. Yet did their admiral take in both his top sails that either we might not suspect them, or that his own company might come up the closer together. As soon as perceiving us, Christians, they fell from devices to apparent discovery of hostility, and making out against us, we again, suspecting them pirates, took our course to escape from them, and made all the sails we possibly could for Tirith, or Gibraltar, but all we could do could not prevent their approach. For suddenly, one of them came right over against us to windward, and so fell upon our quarter, another came upon our luff, and so threatened us there, and at last all five chased us, making great speed to surprise us. Their admiral was called Kalfator, having upon her main top sail, two top-gallant sails, one above another, but whereas we thought them all five to be turkey ships of war, we afterwards understood that two of them were their prizes, the one a small ship of London, the other of the West Country, that came out of the Kwaktaath, laden with figs and other merchandise, but now subject to the fortune of the sea and the captivity of pirates. But to our business. Three of these ships got much upon us, and so much that year half the day was spent, the admiral, who was the best sailor, fetched up the George Bonaventure and made booty of it. The vice-admiral, again being nearest unto the lesser bark, whereof John Rawlins was master, showed him the force of a stronger arm, and by his Turkish name, called Villa Rise, commanded him in like sort to strike his sails and submit to his mercy, which not to be gainsaid nor prevented was quickly done, and so Rawlins with his bark was quickly taken, although the rear-admiral, being the worst sailor of the three, called Reggie Prize, came not in till all was done. The same day before night, the admiral, either loathed to pester himself with too much company or ignorant of the commodity that was to be made by the sale of English prisoners or daring not to trust them in his company for fear of mutinies and exciting others to rebellion, set twelve persons who were in the George Bonaventure on the land and diverse other English, whom he had taken before to try their fortunes in an unknown country. But Villa Rise, the vice-admiral that had taken John Rawlins, would not so dispense with his men, but commanded him and five more of his company to be brought aboard his ship, leaving in his bark three men and his boy, with thirteen turks and moors, who were questionless, sufficient to overmaster the other and direct the bark to harbour. Thus they sailed directly for Algiers, but the night following followed them with great tempest and foul weather which ended not without some effect of a storm, for they lost the sight of Rawlins' bark, called the Nicholas, and in a manner lost themselves, though they seemed safe a ship-board, by fearful conjecturing what should become of us at last by the two-and-twentieth of the same month. They, or we, choose you whether, arrived at Algiers and came in safety within the mould, but found not our other bark there, nay, though we earnestly inquired after the same, yet heard we nothing to our satisfaction, but much matter was ministered to our discomfort and amazement. For although the captain and our overseers were loath, we should have any conference with our countrymen, yet did we adventure to inform ourselves of the present affairs, both of the town and the shipping, so that finding many English at work in other ships, they spared not to tell us the danger we were in and the mischiefs we must needs incur. As being sure if we were not used like slaves to be sold as slaves, for there had been five hundred brought into the market for the same purpose, and above a hundred handsome youths compelled to turn turks, or made subject to more vile prostitution, and all English, yet like good Christians, they bade us be of good cheer and comfort ourselves in this, that God's trials were gentle purgations, and these crosses were but to cleanse the dross from the gold and bring us out of the fire again more clear and lovely. Yet I must needs confess that they afforded us reason for this cruelty, as if they determined to be revenged of our last attempt to fire their ships in the mould, and therefore protested to spare none whom they could surprise and take alive, but either to sell them for money or torment them to serve their own turns. Now their customs and usages in both these was in this manner. First concerning the first, the Beshaw had the overseeing of all prisoners who were presented unto him at their first coming into the harbor, and to choose one out of every eight for a present or fee to himself. The rest were raided by the captains, and so sent to the market to be sold, where at if either there were repining or any drawing back, then certain moors and officers attended either to beat you forward or thrust you into the sides with goads, and this was the manner of the selling of slaves. Secondly concerning their enforcing them either to turn Turk or to attend their filthiness and empiates, although it would make a Christian's heart bleed to hear of the same, yet must the truth not be hid, nor the terror left untold. They commonly lay them on their naked backs or bellies, beating them so long till they bleed at the nose and mouth, and if yet they continue constant, then they strike the teeth out of their heads, pinch them by their tongues, and use many other sorts of tortures to convert them. Nay, many times they lay them their whole length in the ground like a grave, and so cover them with boards, threatening to starve them if they will not turn, and so many, even for fear of torment and death, make their tongues betray their hearts to a most fearful wickedness, and so are circumcised with new names and brought to confess a new religion. Others again I must confess who never knew any God, but their own sensual lusts and pleasures thought that any religion would serve their turns, and so for preferment or wealth, very voluntarily redounced their faith and became renegados in despite of any council which seemed to intercept them, and this was the first news we encountered with at our coming first to Algiers. The 26th of the same month, John Rawlins, his bark with his other three men and a boy, came safe into the mold, and so were put all together to be carried before the Bashar. But that they took the owner's servant and Rawlins' boy, and by force and torment compelled them to turn turks. Then they were, they in all seven, English besides John Rawlins, of whom the Bashar took one and sent the rest to their captains, who set evaluation upon them, and so the soldiers hurried us like dogs into the market, whereas men sell hack knees in England. We were tossed up and down to see who would give most for us, and although we had heavy hearts and looked with sad countenances, yet many came to behold us, sometimes taking us by the hand, sometimes turning us round about, sometimes feeling our bronze and naked arms, and so beholding our prices written on our breasts. They bargained for us accordingly, and at last we were all sold, and the soldiers returned with the money to their captains. John Rawlins was the last who was sold by reason of his lame hand, and bought by the captain that took him, even that dog Villarise, who better informing himself of his skill fit to be a pilot, and his experience to be an overseer, bought him and his carpenter at very easy rates. For as we afterwards understood by diverse English renegados, he paid for Rawlins but one hundred and fifty doublets, which make of English money seven pound ten shelling. Thus was he and his carpenter with diverse other slaves sent into his ship to work, and employed about such affairs as belonging to the well-rigging and preparing the same. But the villainous Turks perceiving his lame hand, and that he could not perform so much as other slaves, quickly complained to their patron, who as quickly apprehended the inconvenience whereupon he sent for him the next day, and told him he was unserviceable for his present purpose, and therefore, unless he could procure fifteen pound of the English, therefore his ransom, he would send him up into the country where he should never see Christendom again, and endure the extremity of a miserable banishment. But see how God worketh all for the best for his servants, and confounded the presumption of tyrants, frustrating their purposes to make his wonders known to the sons of men, and relieves his people when they least think of succor and releasement. While John Rawlins was thus terrified with the dogged answer of Villariz, the exchange of Bristo, a ship formerly surprised by the pirates, lay all unrigged in the harbor till at last one John Goodale, an English Turk with his confederates, understanding she was a good sailor, and might be made a proper man of war, bought her from the Turks that took her, and prepared her for their own purpose. Now the captain that set them at work was also an English renegado by the name of Ramatham Rize, but by his Christian name Henry Chandler, who resolved to make Goodale master over her, and because they were both English Turks, having the command notwithstanding of many Turks and Moors, they concluded to have all English slaves to go in her and for their gunners English and Dutch renegados, and so they agreed with the patrons of nine English and one French slave for their ransoms, who were presently employed to rig and furnish the ship for a man of war, and while they were thus busied, two of John Rawlins men who were taken with him were also taken up to serve in this man of war, their names James Rowe and John Davies, the one dwelling in Plymouth and the other in Foy, where the commander of this ship was also born, by which occasion they came acquainted so that both the captain and the master promised them good usage upon the good service they should perform in the voyage, and with all demanded of them, if they knew of any English man to be bought that could serve as a pilot, both to direct them out of harbor and conduct them in their voyage. For in truth neither was the captain a mariner, nor any Turk in her of sufficiency to dispose of her through the straits in security, nor oppose any enemy that should hold it out bravely against them. Davies quickly replied that as far as he understood, Villa Ries would sell John Rawlins his master and commander of the bark which was taken, a man every way sufficient for sea affairs, great resolution and good experience, and for all he had a lame hand, yet had he a sound heart and noble courage for any attempt or adventure. When the captain understood thus much, he employed Davies to search for Rawlins who at last, lighting upon him, asked him if the Turk would sell him. Rawlins suddenly answered that by reason of his lame hand he was willing to part with him, but because he had dispersed money for him he would gain something by him and so prized him at three hundred doublets which amounteth to fifteen pound English, which he must procure or incur sore endurances. When Davies had certified this much, the Turks, a ship board conferred about the matter, and the master whose Christian name was John Goodale joined with two Turks who were consorted with him and dispersed one hundred doublets apiece, and so bought him of Villa Ries, sending him into the said ship, called the exchange of Bristow as well to supervise what had been done as to order what was left undone, but especially to fit the sales and to accommodate the ship, all which Rawlins was very careful and diligent in not yet thinking of any peculiar plot of deliverance more than a general desire to be freed from this Turkish slavery and inhumane abuses. By the seventh of January the ship was prepared with twelve good cast pieces and all manner of munition and provision which belonged to such a purpose, and the same day hailed out of the mold of Algiers with this company and in this manner. There were in her sixty-three Turks and Moors nine English slaves and one French, four Hollenders that were free men to whom the Turks promised one prize or other and so to return to Holland or if they were disposed to go back again for Algiers. They should have great reward and no enforcement offered but continue as they would, both their religion and their customs and for their gunners they had two of our soldiers, one English and one Dutch Renegado and thus much for the company. For the manner of setting out it was as usual as in other ships but the Turks delighted in the ostentous bravery of their streamers, banners and top sails, the ship being a handsome ship and well built for any purpose. The slaves in English were employed under hatches about the ordinance and other works of order and accommodating themselves always John Rawlins marked as supposing it an intolerable slavery to take such pains and be subject to such dangers and still to enrich other men and maintain their voluptuous filthiness and lives, returning themselves as slaves and living worse than their dogs amongst them. Whereupon he burst out into these or the like abrupt speeches, oh hellish slavery to be the subject to dogs, oh God strengthen my heart and hand that something shall be done to ease us of these mischiefs and deliver us from these cruel Mohammedan dogs. The other slaves, pitying his distraction as they thought, bad him speak softly lest they should all fare the worse for his distemperature. The worse, quote Rawlins, what can be worse? I will either attempt my deliverance at one time or another or perish in the enterprise but if you would be contented to harken after a release and join with me in the action I would not doubt of facilitating the same and show you a way to make your credits thrive by some work of amazement and augment your glory in purchasing your liberty. I pretty be quiet, said they again and think not of impossibilities yet if you can but open such a door of reason and probability that we be not condemned for desperate and distracted persons in pulling the sun as it were out of the firmament. We can but sacrifice our lives and you may be sure of secrecy and faithfulness. The 15th of January the morning water brought us near Cape de Gat. Hard by the shore we having in our company a small turkey ship of war that followed us out of Algier the next day and now joining with us gave us notice of seven small vessels six of them being salets and one pollock who very quickly appeared in sight and so we made toward them but having more advantage of the pollock than the rest and loath to lose all we both fetched her up and brought her past hope of recovery which when she perceived rather than she would voluntarily come into the slavery of these Mohammedans she ran her self ashore and so all the men forsook her we still followed as near as we durst and for fear of splitting let fall our anchors sending out both our boats wherein were many musketeers and some English and Dutch renegados who came aboard home at their conga and found three pieces of ordinance and four murderers but they straight away threw them all overboard to lighten the ship and so they got her off being laden with hides and logwood for dying and presently sent her to Algier taking nine Turks and one English slave out of one ship and six out of the Lessa which we thought sufficient to man her in the rifling of this Catalania our Turks fell at variance one with another and in such a manner that we divided ourselves the lesser ship returned to Algier and our exchange took the opportunity of the wind and plied out of the straits which rejoiced John Rawlins very much as resolving on some stratagem when opportunities should serve in the meanwhile the Turks began to murmur and would not willingly go into the Matt Granada as the phrase is amongst them not withstanding the moors being very superstitious were contented to be directed by their Hosea who with us signifyeth a witch and is of great account and reputation amongst them as not going in any great vessel to see without one and observing whatsoever he concluded out of his divination the ceremonies they use are many and when they come into the ocean every second or third night they make their conjuration it beginneth and endeth with prayer using many characters and calling upon God by diverse names yet at this time all that they did consisted in these particulars upon the sight of two great ships and as we were afraid of their chasing us they being supposed to be Spanish men of war a great silence is commanded in the ship and when all is done the company giveth as great a screech the captain coming to John Rawlins and sometimes making him take in all his sails and sometimes causing him to hoist them all out as the witch findeth by his book and presages then have the two arrows and a curdle axe lying upon a pillow naked the arrows are one for the Turks and the other for the Christians then the witch redith and the captain some other taketh the arrows in their hand by the heads and if the arrow for the Christians cometh over the head of the arrow for the Turks then do they advance their sails and will not endure the fight whatsoever they see but if the arrow of the Turks is found in the opening of the hand upon the arrow of the Christians then will they stay and encounter with any ship whatsoever the curdle axe is taken up by some child that is innocent or rather ignorant of the ceremony and so laid down again then do they observe whether the same side is uppermost which lay before and so proceed accordingly they also observe lunatics and changelings and the conjurer righteth down their sayings in a book groveling on the ground as if he whispered to the devil to tell him the truth and so expoundeth the letter as it were by inspiration many other foolish rites they have whereupon they do do't as foolishly whilst he was busy that made demonstration that all was finished the people in the ship gave a great shout and cried out a sail, a sail which at last was discovered to be another man of war of Turks for he made toward us and sent his boat aboard us to whom our captain complained that being becalmed by the southern cape and having made no voyage the Turks denied to go any further northward but the captain resolved not to return to Algier except he could obtain some prize worthy his endurance but rather to go to Salle and tell his Christians to victual his ship which the other captain apprehended for his honor and so persuaded the Turks to be obedient unto him whereupon followed a pacification amongst us and so that Turk took his course for the straits and we put up northward expecting the good hour of some beneficial booty all this while our slavery continued and the Turks with insulting tyranny set us still on work in all base and servile actions adding stripes and inhumane revilings even in our greatest labor whereupon John Rawlins resolved to obtain his liberty and surprise the ship providing ropes with broad spikes of iron and all the iron crows with which he knew away upon consent of the rest to ram up or tie fast their scuttles, gratings and cabins yea to shut up the captain himself with all his consorts and so to handle the matter that upon the watchword given the English being masters of the gunner room, ordinance and powder they would either blow them into the air or kill them as they had ventured to come down one by one if they should by any chance open their cabins but because he would proceed the better in his enterprise as he had somewhat abruptly discovered himself to the nine English slaves so he kept the same distance with the four Hollenders that were free men till finding them coming somewhat toward them he acquainted them with the whole conspiracy and they affecting the plot offered the adventure of their lives in the business then very warily he undermined the English Renegado which was the gunner and three more his associates who at first seemed to retract last of all were brought in the Dutch Renegados who were also in the gunner room for always there lay twelve there five Christians and seven English and Dutch Turks so that when another motion had settled their resolutions and John Rawlins his constancy had put new life as it were in the matter the four Hollenders very honestly according to their promise sounded the Dutch Renegados who with easy persuasion gave their consent to so brave an enterprise where upon John Rawlins not caring whether the English gunners would yield or no resolved in the captain's morning watch to make the attempt but you must understand that where the English slaves lay there hung up always four or five crows of iron being still under the carriages of the pieces and when the time approached being very dark because John Rawlins would have his crow of iron ready as other things were and other men prepared in their several places in taking it out of the carriage by chance it hit on the side of the piece there was such a noise that the soldiers hearing it awaked the Turks and bade them come down where upon the boutson of the Turks descended with a candle and presently searched all the slaves' places making much ado of the matter but finding neither hatchet nor hammer nor anything else to move suspicion of the enterprise more than the crow of iron which lay slipped down under the carriages of the pieces they went quietly up again and certified the captain what had chance who satisfied himself that it was a common thing to have a crow of iron slip from its place but by this occasion we made stay of our attempt yet were resolved to take another or a better opportunity for we sailed still more northward and Rawlins had more time to tamper with his gunners and the rest of the English renegados who very willingly when they considered the matter and prepended the reasons gave way unto the project and with a kind of joy seemed to entertain the motives only they made a stop at the first onset who should begin the enterprise which was no way fit for them to do because they were no slaves but renegados and so had always beneficial entertainment amongst them but when it is once put in practice they would be sure not to fail them but venture their lives for God and their country but once again he is disappointed and a suspicious accident brought him to recollect his spirits anew and study on the danger of the enterprise and thus it was after the renegado gunner had protested secrecy by all that might induce a man to bestow some belief upon him he presently went up the scuttle but stayed not aloft a quarter of an hour nay he came sooner down and in the gunner room sate by Rawlins who tarried for him where he left him he was no sooner placed and entered into some conference but there entered into the place a furious Turk with his knife drawn and presented it to Rawlins his body who verily supposed he intended to kill him as suspicious that the gunner had discovered something where at Rawlins was much moved and hastily asked what the matter meant and whether he would kill him observing his companions countenance to change color whereby his suspicious heart condemned him for a traitor but at more leisure he swear the contrary and afterward proved faithful and industrious in the enterprise for the present he answered Rawlins in this manner no master be not afraid I think he doth but jest with that John Rawlins gave back a little and drew out his knife stepping also to the gunners sheath and taking out his whereby he had two knives to one which when the Turk perceived he threw down his knife saying he did but jest with him but when the gunner perceived Rawlins took it so ill he whispered something in his ear that at last satisfied him calling heaven to witness that he never spake word of the enterprise nor ever would either to the prejudice of the business or danger of his person not withstanding Rawlins kept the knives in his sleeve all night and was somewhat troubled for that he had made so many acquainted with an action of such importance but the next day when he perceived the coast clear and that there was no cause of further fear he somewhat comforted himself all this while Rawlins drew the captain to lie for the northern cape assuring him that thereby he should not miss a prize which accordingly fell out as a wish would have it but his drift was in truth to draw him from any supply or help of Turks if God should give way to their enterprise or success to the victory yet for the present the 6th of February being 12 leagues from the cape we described a sail and presently took the advantage of the wind in chasing her and at last fetched her up making her strike all her sails whereby we knew her to be a bark and to tour bay near Dartmouth that came from Arur laden with salt ere we had fully dispatched a chance to be foul weather so that we could not or at least would not make out our boat but caused the master of the bark to let down his and come aboard with his company being in the bark but nine men and one boy and so the master leaving his mate with two men in the ship came himself with five men and the boy unto us where upon our Turk captain sent ten Turks to man her amongst whom were two Dutch and one English Renegado who were of our Confederacy and acquainted with the business but when Rawlins saw this partition of his friends before they could hoist out their boat for the bark he made means to speak with them and told them plainly that he would prosecute the matter either that night or the next and therefore whatsoever came of it they should acquaint the English with his resolution and make toward England bearing up the helm while the Turks slept and suspected no such matter for by God's grace in his first watch about midnight he would show them a light by which they might understand that the enterprise was begun or at least in a good forwardness for the execution and so the boat was let down and they came to the bark of Torbay where the masters mate being left as before you have heard apprehended quickly the matter and heard the discourse with amazement but time was precious and not to be spent in disputing or casting of doubts whether the Turks that were with them were able to master them or no being seven to six considering they had the helm of the ship and the Turks being soldiers and ignorant of sea affairs could not discover whether they went to Algier or no or if they did they resolved by Rawlins example to cut their throats or cast them overboard and so I leave them to make use of the renegados instructions and return to Rawlins again the master of the bark of Torbay and his company were quickly searched and as quickly pillaged and dismissed to the liberty of the ship whereby Rawlins had leisure to entertain him with the lamentable news of their extremities and in a word of every particular which was befitting to the purpose yea he told him that that night he should lose the sight of them for they would make the helm for England and he would that night and ever more pray for their good success and safe deliverance when the master of the bark of Torbay had heard him out and that his company were partakers of his story they became all silent not either diffident of his discourse or afraid of the attempt but resolved to assist him yet to show himself an understanding man he demanded of Rawlins what weapons he had and in what manner he would execute the business to which he answered that he had ropes and iron hooks to make fast to the scottles, gratings, and cabins he had also in the gunner room two curtlexes and the slaves had five crows of iron before them besides in the scuffling they made no question of some of the soldiers weapons then for the manner he told them they were sure of the ordinance the gunner room and the powder and so blocking them up would either kill them as they came down or turn the ordinance against their cabins or blow them into the air by one stratagem or other and thus were they contented on all sides and resolved to the enterprise the next morning being the 7th of February the prize of Torbay was not to be seen or found where at the captain began to storm and swear commanding Rawlins to search the seas up and down for her who bestowed all that day in the business but to little purpose whereupon when the humor was spent the captain pacified himself as conceding he should sure find her at Algier but by the permission of the ruler of all actions that Algier was England and all his wickedness frustrated for Rawlins being now startled lest he should return in this humor for the straits on the 8th of February went down into the hold and finding a great deal of water below told the captain of the same adding that it did not come to the pump which he said very politically that he might remove the ordinance for when the captain asked him the reason he told him the ship was too far after the head then he commanded to use the best means he could to bring her in order sure then, quote Rawlins we must quit our cables and bring four pieces of ordinance after and that would bring the water to the pump which was presently put in practice so the pieces being usually made fast thwart the ship we brought two of them with their mouths right before the binnacle and because the Renegado flimmings would not begin it was thus concluded that the ship having three decks we that did belong to the gunner room should be all there and break up the lower deck the English slaves who always lay in the middle decks should do the like and watch the scuttles Rawlins himself prevailed with the gunner for so much powder as should prime the pieces and so told them all there was no better watch word nor means to begin then upon the report of the piece to make a cry and shout for God and King James and Saint George for England when all things were prepared and every man resolved as knowing what he had to do and the hour when it should happen to be two in the afternoon Rawlins advised the master gunner to speak to the captain that the soldiers might attend on the poop which would bring the ship after to which the captain was very willing and upon the gunner's information the soldiers get themselves to the poop to the number of twenty and five or six went into the captain's cabin where always lay diverse kurtlaxes and some targets and so we fell to work to pump the water and carried the matter fairly till the next day which was spent as the former being the ninth of February and as God must have the praise the triumph of our victory for by that time all things were prepared and the soldiers got upon the poop as the day before to avoid suspicion all that did belong to the gunner room went down and the slaves in the middle deck attended their business so that we could cast up our account in this manner first nine English slaves besides John Rawlins five of the Torbay men and one boy four English renegados and two French four Hollenders in all four and twenty and a boy so that lifting up our hearts and hands to God for the success of the business we were wonderfully encouraged and settled ourselves till the report of the peace gave us warning of the enterprise now you must consider that in this company were two of Rawlins men James Rowe and John Davies whom he brought out of England and whom the fortune of the sea brought into the same predicament with their master these were employed about noon being as I said the ninth of February to prepare their matches while all the Turks or at least most of them stood on the poop to weigh down the ship as it were to bring the water forward to the pump the one brought his match lighted between two spoons the other brought his in a little piece of a can and so in the name of God the Turks and Moors being placed as you have heard and five and forty in number and Rawlins having primed the touch holes James Rowe gave fire to one of the pieces about two of the clock in the afternoon and the Confederates upon the warning shouted most cheerfully the report of the peace did tear and break down all the binocle and compasses and the noise of the slaves made all the soldiers amassed at the matter till seeing the quarter of the ship rent and feeling the whole body to shake under them understanding the ship was surprised and the attempt tended to their utter destruction never bear robbed of her welps was so fell and mad for they not only called us dogs and cried out oussence de la mer which is as much to say the fortune of the wars but attempted to tear up the planks setting awork hammers and hatchet's knives and oars of the boat the boat hook their curdle axes and what else came to hand besides stones and bricks in the cook room all which they threw amongst us attempting still and still to break and rip up the hatches and boards of the steering not desisting from their former execrations and horrible blasphemies and revilings when John Rawlins perceived them so violent and understood how the slaves had cleared the decks of all the turks and moors beneath he set a guard upon the powder and charged their own muskets against them killing them from diverse scout holes both before and behind and so lessened their number to the joy of all our hearts whereupon they cried out and called for the pilot and so Rawlins with some to guard him went to them and understood them by their kneeling that they cried for mercy and to have their lives saved and they would come down which he bade them do and so they were taken one by one and bound, yea, killed with their own curdle axes which when the rest perceived they called us English dogs and reviled us with many approprious terms some leaping overboard crying it was the chance of war some were manacled and so thrown overboard and some were slain and mangled with the curdle axes till the ship was well cleared and ourselves assured of the victory at the first report of our piece and hurly burly in the decks the captain was a writing in his cabin and hearing the noise thought it some strange accident and so came out with his curdle axe in his hand presuming by his authority to pacify the mischief but when he cast his eyes upon us and saw that we were like to surprise the ship he threw down his curdle axe and begged us to save his life intimating unto Rawlins how he had redeemed him from villa rise and ever since admitted him to place of command in the ship besides honest usage in the whole course of the voyage all which Rawlins confessed and at last condescended to mercy and brought the captain and five more into England the captain was called Ramthan Rise but his Christian name Henry Chandler and as they say was a Chandler's son in south work John Goodale was also an English Turk Richard Clark in Turkish Yafar George Cook Ramdom John Brown Mamay William Winter Mustafa besides all the slaves and hollanders with other renegados who were willing to be reconciled to their true savior as being formerly seduced with the hopes of riches honor, preferment and such like devilish baits to catch the souls of mortal men and entangle frailty in the fetters of horrible abuses and imposturing deceit when all was done and the ship cleared of the dead bodies John Rawlins assembled his men together and with one consent gave the praise unto God using the accustomed service on shipboard and for want of books lifted up their voices to God as he put into their hearts or renewed their memories then did they sing a psalm and last of all embraced one another for playing the men in such a deliverance whereby our fear was turned into joy and trembling hearts exhilarated that we had escaped such inevitable dangers and especially the slavery and terror of bondage worse than death itself the same night we watched our ship put everything in as good order as we could repaired the broken quarter set up the binocle and bore up the helm for England whereby God's grace and good guiding we arrived at Plymouth the 13th of February and were welcomed like the recovery of the lost sheep or as you read of a loving mother that runneth with embraces to entertain her son from a long voyage and escape of many dangers not long after we understood of our Confederates that returned home in the bark of Torbay that they arrived in Pencance in Cornwall the 11th of February and if any ask after their deliverance considering there were ten Turks sent to man her I will tell you that too the next day after they lost us as you have heard and that the three renegados had acquainted the master's mate and the two English in her with Rawlins determination and that they themselves would be true to them and assist them in any enterprise then if the worst came there were but seven to six but as it fell out they had a more easy passage than turmoil or manslaughter for they made the Turks believe the wind was come fair and that they were sailing to Algier till they came within sight of England which one of them amongst the rest discovered saying plainly that that land was not like Kate Vincent yes faith said he that was at the helm and you will be contented and go down into the hold and trim the salt over to Windward whereby the ship may bear full sail you shall know and see more tomorrow where upon five of them went down very orderly the renegados feigning themselves asleep who presently start up and with the help of the two English nailed down the hatches where at the principal amongst them much repined and began to grow into color and rage had it not quickly been suppressed for one of them stepped to him and dashed out his brains and threw him overboard the rest were brought to Exeter and either to be reigned according to the punishment of delinquents in such a kind or disposed of as the king and council shall think meet and this is the story of this deliverance and end of John Rawlins voyage the actors in this comic tragedy are most of them alive the Turks are in prison the ship is to be seen and Rawlins himself dare justify the matter End of Chapter 4 The Wonderful Fight of the Exchange of Bristol with the Pirates of Algiers Section 5 of Great Pirate Stories This is the LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Great Pirate Stories by Various edited by Joseph Louis French Section 5 The Daughter of the Great Mogul The Daughter of the Great Mogul from The King of the Pirates by Danielle de Faux In this time I pursued my voyage coasted the whole Malabar shore and met with no purchase but a great Portugal East India ship which I chased into Goa where she got ahead of my reach I took several small vessels and barks but little of value in them till I entered the Great Bay of Bengal when I began to look about me with more expectation of success though without prospect of what happened I cruised here about two months finding nothing worthwhile so I stood away to a port on the north point of the Isle of Sumatra where I made no stay for here I got news that two large ships belonging to the Great Mogul were expected to cross the bay from Hougli in the Ganges to the country of the King of Pegu being to carry the granddaughter of the Great Mogul to Pegu who was to be married to the King of that country with all her revenue, jewels and wealth this was a booty worth watching for though it had been some months longer so I resolved that we would go use off Point Negaris on the east side of the bay near Diamond Isle and here we plied off and on for three weeks and began to despair of success but the knowledge of the booty we expected spurred us on and we waited with great patience for we knew the price would be immensely rich at length we spied three ships coming right up to us with the wind we could easily see about Europeans by their sails and began to prepare ourselves for a price not for a fight but we're a little disappointed when we found the first ship full of guns and full of soldiers and in condition had she been managed by English sailors to have fought two such ships as ours were however we resolved to attack her if she had been full of devils as she was full of man and finally when we came near them we fired a gun which shot as a challenge they fired again immediately three or four guns but fired them so confusedly that we could easily see they did not understand their business when we considered how to lay them on board and so to come toward them if we could but falling for want of wind open to them we gave them a fair broadside we could easily see the confusion that was on board that they were frightened out of their wits they fired 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 killed a great many of them and made all the rest run down under their hatches laying out like creatures bewitched in a word we presently took to ship and having secured her men we chased the other two one was chiefly filled with women and the other with lumber upon the whole as the granddaughter of the great mogul was our prize in the first ship so in the second was her women or in a word her household her eunuchs all the necessaries of her wardrobe were stables and of her kitchen and in the last great quantities of household stuff and things less costly though not less useful but the first was the main prize when my man had entered at master to ship one of our leutnants called for me and accordingly I jumped on board he told me he thought nobody but I ought to go into the great cabin or at least nobody should go there before me but the lady herself and all her attendants was there and he feared the man were so heated they would murder them all or do worse I immediately went to the great cabin door taking the leutnant that called me along with me and caused the cabin door to be opened 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 frightened and crying and at the sight of me she appeared trembling and just as if she was going to die she sat 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 covered 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 touched her I ordered the leutnant 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 killed taught her to do everything that she thought might in their pose 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 frightened 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 kneeled 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 when the three ladies kneeled 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 anyone 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 assured her of that but she got up smiling and went to a fine Indian cabinet and opened 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 offered to kneel down to give it to me this innocent usage began to rouse some good nature in me though 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 frightened again it seems at what I had no thought of but as I did not offer anything 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 placed on the king's crown being master of this treasure I was very willing to be good humour to the persons so I went out of the cabin and caused 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 women 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 ordered 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 appeared pleased and more when she saw me come in after it for she was exceedingly pleased that I had caused the 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 belonged 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 hoon fellows but none of our men should hurt you or touch you I will be your guard and protection we are for money indeed 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 sat 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 set her down on the side of the couch just 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 begu about as big as an English half-kinny and I think there were three thousand of them she opened several other drawers and showed me the wealth that was in them and then gave me the key of the hole we had reveled thus all day and part of the next day in a bottomless sea of riches when my Leutnant 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 upon this we called 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 as reported of me that though I might rifle her of everything else yet I assure you I let her go untouched for me or as I am satisfied for any one of my men nay, when we dismissed them we gave her leave to take a great many things of value with her which she would have been plundered of if I had not been so careful of her we now had wealth enough not only to make us rich but almost to have made a nation rich and to tell you the truth 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 beside which we had a great quantity of bills of goods as well as Calico's as Rod Silk's 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 and silver coin too big to talk of among English men especially while I am living for reasons which I may give you hereafter End of Section 5 Section 6 of Great Pirate Stories This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Great Pirate Stories by Various edited by Joseph Louis French Section 6 Barbarossa, King of the Corsairs Barbarossa, King of the Corsairs from Seawalls of the Mediterranean by E. Hamilton Curry, RN At the coming of spring Barbarossa was at sea again with 32 ships with only eventuality His cruise of flame with ardour for revenge against those by whom they had been so roughly handled He chose for the scene of operations a place on the coast of Majorca some 15 miles from Balma From here he commanded the route of the Spaniards from their country to the African coast and it was against this nation that he felt the great bitterness owing to recent events eagerly did the Corsair and his men watch for the Spanish ships they were all lying at anchor but the light swift galleers ranging and questing a farce so that none might be missed very soon the vigilance of the Muslims was rewarded by the capture of a number of vessels sent by Bernard de Mendoza laden with Turkish and Moorish slaves destined to be utilised as roads in the Spanish galleers These men were held as a welcome reinforcement and joyfully joined the forces of Hayredin when he moved on Minorca captured the castle by a surprise assault raided the surrounding country and captured 5,700 Christians amongst whom were 800 men who had been wounded in the attack on Turnus All these unfortunates were sent to refill the banjo of Algiers This private war of revenge was however destined soon to come to an end A Suleyman the Magnificent in this year became involved in disputes with the Venetian Republic and recalled that veritable man of the sea as Barbarossa had been described by Iberia to Constantinople In this city by the sea there had taken place a tragedy which although it only involved the death of a single man was nevertheless far reaching in its consequences for the man was none other than that great statesman Ibrahim Grand Vizier and the only trusted counsellor of the Padishah He who had been originally a slave had risen step by step in the favour of his master until he arrived at the Gidi Eminence which he occupied at the time of his death It is a somewhat curious commentary on the essentially democratic status of an autocracy that a man could thus rise to a position second only to that of the autocrat himself and in all probability wielding quite as much power Ibrahim had for years been treated by a Suleyman more as a brother than as a dependent which in spite of his Grand Vizier in fact they lived in the very closest communion taking their meals together and even sleeping in the same room Suleyman, a man of high intelligence himself and a ruler who kept in touch with all the happenings which arose in his immense dominions desiring always to have at hand the man whom he loved from whom with his amazing grip of political problems and endless fertility of resource he was certain of sympathy for despotism there are other forces at work besides those of La'ot politic and Ibrahim had one deadly enemy who was sworn to compass his destruction the Sultana Roxalana was a light of the harem of the Grand Turk this supremely beautiful woman originally a Russian slave was the object of the most passionate devotion on the part of Suleyman but she was as ambitious as she was lovely and broke no rival in the affections of Suleyman be that person man woman or child in her hands the master of millions the despot who was not was death became a submissive slave the undisciplined passions of his head strong woman swept aside from her path all those whom she suspected of sharing her influence in no matter how remote a fashion at her dictation had Suleyman cause to be murdered his son Mustafa a youth of the brightest promise because in his intelligence and his winning ways he threatened to eclipse Suleyman the son of Roxalana herself this woman possessed a strong natural intelligence albeit she was totally uneducated she saw and knew that Ibrahim was all powerful with her lover and this roused her jealousy to fever heat she was not possessed of a cool judgment which would have told her that Ibrahim was a statesman dealing with the external affairs of the sublime port and that with her and with her affairs he neither desired nor had he the power to interfere what however the sultana did know was that in these same affairs of state her opinion was dust in the balance when weighed against that of the grand vizier Suleyman had that true attribute of supreme greatness the unerring attitude for the choice of the right man he had picked out Ibrahim from among his immense entourage and never once had he regretted his choice as time went on and the intellect and power of the man became more and more revealed to his master that sovereign left in his hands even such matters as death spots are apt to guard most jealously we have seen how in spite of the murmurings of the whole of his capital and the almost insubordinal attitude of his navy he had persevered in the appointment of King Barbarossa because the judgement of Ibrahim was in favour of its being carried out this Turok Salana was Gaul and Wormwood well she knew that as long as the grand vizier lived her sovereignty was at best but a divided one there was a point at which her blandishments stopped short this was when she found that her opinion did not coincide with that of the minister she was as we have seen in instance of her son not a woman to stick to her trifles and she decided that Ibrahim must die there could be no whole and corner business about this he must die and when his murder had been accomplished she would boldly avow to her lover what she had done and take the consequences believing in her power over him to come skatlers out of the adventure in those days when human life was so cheap she might have asked for the death of almost anyone and her whim would have been gratified by her lover who had not hesitated to put to death his own son at her ditation but with Ibrahim it was another matter he was the familiar of the sultan his alter ego in fact it says much for the nerve of the sultana that she did so greatly on this memorable and lamentable occasion on march the 5th 1536 Ibrahim went to the royal Suraleo and following his ancient custom was admitted to the table of his master he was sleeping after the meal at his side at least so it was supposed but none knew save those engaged in the murder what passed on that fatal night the next day his dead body lay in the house of the sultan across the floor of jasper in that palace which was a fitting residence for one rightly known as the magnificent the blood of Ibrahim flowed to the feet of roxelana the disordered clothing the terrible expression of the face of the man the gaping wounds which he had received bore witness that they had taken place of grim struggle before that iron frame and splendid intellect had been levelled with the dust this much leaked out afterwards as such things would leak out and then the sultana took suralee man into her chamber and gazed up into his eyes the man was stunned by the immensity of the calamity which had befallen him and his kingdom but his manhood availed him not against the wiles of this sursee Ibrahim had been fairly done to death in his own palace and this woman clinging so lovingly around his neck now was a murderous the heart's blood of his best friend was coagulating on the threshold of his own apartment when he forgave her by whom his murder had been accomplished this was the vengeance of roxelana and who shall say that it was not complete the ottoman empire was the poorer by the loss of its greatest man the jealousy of the sultana was assuaged the despot who had permitted the son of enged murder was still on the throne thrall to the woman who had first murdered his son and then his friend and minister but the deed carried with it the evil consequences which were only too lightly to occur when so capable ahead of the state was removed at so critical a time renewed strife was in the air and endless squabbles between venice and the port were taking place with these we have no concern but in addition to other complaints there were loud and continuous ones concerning the course areas venice the bride of the sea had neither rest nor peace the pirate swarmed in corfu in zanti in kandia in sephalonia and the plunder and murder of the subjects of the republic was a theme of the perpetual representations to the sultan the balance of advantage in this guerrilla warfare was with the corsairs until dirolamo canale a venetian captain seized one of the muslim leaders known as the young more of alexandria the victory of canale was somewhat an important one as he captured the galley of the young more and four others two more were sunk and 300 janissaries and 1000 slaves fell into the hands of the venetian commander there being an absence of nice feeling on the part of the venetians the janissaries were at once beheaded to a man the whole story is an illustration of the extraordinary relations existing among the mediterranean states at this time sulyman the magnificent sultan of turkey had lent 300 of his janissaries his own picked troops to assist the corsairs in their deprotations on venetian commerce having done this and the janissaries having been caught and summarily and rightly put to death as pirates the sultan as soon as he heard of what had occurred sent an ambassador one on his bay to venus to demand satisfaction for the insult passed upon him by the beheading of his own soldiers turned pirates the conclusion of the affair was that the venetians released the young more of alexandria as soon as he was cured of the eight wounds which he had received in the conflict and sent him back to africa with such of his galleys as were left there was one rather comical incident in connection with this affair which was that when janiss bay was on his way from constant in opal to venus he was chased by a venetian fleet under the command of the count grinder nicole and driven ashore the count was profused in his apologies when he discovered that he had been chasing a live ambassador but the occurrence so exasperated sulyman that he increased his demands in consequence barbarossa who had spent his time harrying the spaniard at sea ever since the fall of tunas was shortly to appear on the scene again he received orders from the sultan and came as fast as a favour in wind would bring him harridin had been doing well in the matter of slaves and plunder but he knew that with the backing of the grand turk he could again be in command of a fleet in which he might repeat his triumph of past years and prove himself once more the indispensable man of the sea soon after his arrival his ambitions were gratified and he found himself with a fleet of 100 ships since the death of ibrahim and the incident which terminated with the dispatch of janiss bay to venus the relations between the grand turk and the venetian republic had become steadily worse and at last the sultan declared war on may the 7th 1537 suliman accompanied by his two sons selim and mohammed left constant in opal with the campaign conducted by the sultan we are not concerned here it was directed against the ionian islands which had been in the possession of venus since 1401 on august the 18th suliman laid siege to corfu and was disastrously beaten reembarking his men on september the 7th after losing thousands in a fruitless attack on the fortress he returned to constant in opal utterly disconfortered it was the 7th campaign which the sultan had conducted in person but the first in which the ever faithful ibrahim had not been by his side this defeat at the hands of the venetians was not however the only humiliation which he was destined to experience in this disastrous year for once again doria that scourge of the moslem was loose upon the seas and was making his presence felt in the immediate neighborhood of corfu where the turks had been defeated on july the 17th andrea had left the port of messina with 25 galleys had captured 10 richly laid and turkish ships gutted and burned them harridin was at sea at the time but the great riles were not destined to meet on this occasion instead of barbarossa andrea fell in with aili chebelly the lieutenant of san jack bay of gallipoli on july the 22nd the genuese admiral and the turkish commander from the daidenels met to the southward of corfu off the small island of pakso and the smart action ensued it ended in the defeat of aili chebelly his galleys were captured and towed by doria into pakso the veteran fighter was himself in the thickest of the fray and conspicuous in his crimson doublet had been an object of attention to the marksman of chebelly during the entire action in spite of the receipt of a severe wound in the knee the admiral refused to go below until victory was assured he was surrounded at this time by a devoted band of nobles sworn to defend the person of their admiral or to die in his defense his portrait has been sketched for us at this time by the dominican frayer padralberto guli el moto author of la guerra del pirati e la marina pontifica dal 1500 al 1560 the description runs thus and rea doria was a lofty stature his face oval in shape forehead broad and commanding his neck was powerful his hair short his beard long and fan shaped in his eyes bright and piercing once again had he defeated an officer of the grand turk and it may be remarked that ibrahim was probably quite right in the estimation or rather in the lack of estimation in which he held the sea officers of his master as they seem to have been deficient in every quality save that of personal valor and in their encounters with doria and the knights were almost invariably worsted for the sake of islam the image of the moslem arms at sea it was time that barbarossa should take matters in hand once more the autumn of this year 1537 proved that the old sea wolf had lost none of his cunning that his followers were as terrible as ever what did it seem to matter that venetian and catalan genoese and frenchman and delusion and the dwellers in the archipelago were all banded together in league against this common foe did not the redoubtable andrea arrange the seas in vain and were not all the efforts of the knights of saint john futile when the son of the rena gajo from italina and his christian wife put forth from the golden horn what was the magic of this man it was asked despairingly that none seemed able to prevail against him had it not been currently reported that carlos quinto the grey tempera had driven him forth from tunas from a hunted fugitive broken and penniless with never a galley left without one ducat in his pocket was he so different then from all the rest of mankind that his followers would stick to him in evil report as well as in the height of his prosperity men swore and women crossed themselves at the mention of his name terrible as an army with banners indeed was haired in in this eventful summer crescent flag the paddisher was unapproachable in his palace brooding perchance on that might have been had he not sold his honor and the life of his only friend to gratify the malice of a she-devil those in attendance on the sultan trembled for the humor of the despot was black indeed but the veritable man of the sea was in some sort to console him for that which he had lost as never in his own history and there was none else with which it could be compared had the corsair king made so fruitful a raid he ravaged the coasts of the Adriatic and the islands of the archipelago sweeping in slaves by the thousand and by the end of the year he had collected 18,000 in the arsenal at Stambul great was the jubilation in Constantinople when he had Merylissimo himself returned from his last expedition against the infidel still were the voices which hinted disaffection who among them all could bring back 400,000 pieces of gold what mariner could offer to the grand turk such varied and magnificent presence upon his arrival Barbarossa has permission to kiss the threshold of the palace of the sultan which Boone being graciously accorded to him he made his triumphal entry 200 captives clad in scarlet robes carried cups of golden flasks of silver behind them came 30 others each staggering under an enormous purse of sequins yet another 200 brought collars of precious stones or bales of the choicest goods and the further 200 were laden with sacks of small coin certainly if Suleyman the Magnificent had lost a grand vizier he had succeeded in finding an admiral all through the earlier months of 1538 the dockyards of Constantinople hummed with a furious activity for Suleyman had decreed that the maritime campaign of this year was to begin with no less than 150 ships his admiral however did not agree with this decision to the viziers he raged and stormed listen he said O men of the land who understand nought of the happenings of the sea by this time Suley rage must have quitted Alexandria convoying to the Bosphorus 20 sail filled with the richest merchandise should he fall in with the accursed Genoese Doria where there will be Suley rage and his galleys and his convoy I will tell you the ships in Genoa the galleys burned Suley rage and all his mariners chained to the rowers bench the viziers trembled as men did when Barbarossa stormed and turned upon them those terrible eyes which knew neither fear nor pity we be but men they answered and our lord the sultan has so ordained it I have 40 galleys reply the corsair you have 40 more with these I will take the sea but mark you he continued softening somewhat you do right to fear the displeasure of the sultan and I also have no wish to encounter it but vessels raised and equipped in a hurry will be of small use to me in the name of Allah the compassionate and his holy prophet give me my 80 galleys and let me go in Herodine Barbarossa sounds strategically instinct went hand in hand with the desperate valour of the corsair to dally in the golden horn while so rich a prey was at sea to be picked up by his Christian foes was altogether opposed to his instincts never to throw away a chance in the game of life had ever been his guiding principle Suleyman great man as he undoubtedly was had not the a demanding hardness of character which enabled his admiral to risk all on the hazards of the moment possibly the Grand Turk was deficient in that clearness of strategical instinct which never in any circumstances foregoes a present advantage for something which may turn out well in a problematical future Suleyman saw, sullen and unapproachable dwelt in his palace brooding over the misfortunes which had been his lot since the death of Ibrahim Barbarossa who so recently had lost practically all that he possessed and who had reached an age at which most men have no hopes for the future was as clear an intellect as undaunted in spirit as if he had been half a century younger to be even once more with those by whom he had been defeated and dispossessed was the only thing now in his mind the capture of Suleyration his convoy would be a triumph of which he could not bear to think further it would add to the demoralization of the sea forces of the Sultan sadly in need of some striking success after the defeats which had so recently been their portion the Sultan had decided that 150 ships were necessary his admiral thought otherwise there was too much at stake for him to dally at Constantinople his fiery energies swept door before it and in the end he had his way on june 7th 1538 he finally triumphed over the hesitations of the Viziers and put to sea with 80 sail the Sultan from his kiosk the windows of which opened on the Bosphorus counted the ships only 80 sail is that all he asked the trembling Viziers prostrated themselves before him oh our lord the Padishah they cried Saleh Reish comes from Alexandria with the rich convoy somewhere lurking is Andrea Daria the accursed there was a pause in which the hearts of men beat us do those who know not but that the next moment may be their last on earth the Sultan stared from his window at the retreating ships in a silence like the silence of the grave at last he turned so be it he answered briefly but see to it that reinforcements do not lag upon the road if there had been activity in the doggies before it was as nothing to the strenuous work that was to be done hence forward before starting on this expedition Herodin had made an innovation in the manning of some of the most powerful of his galleys which was of the utmost importance and which was to add enormously to the success of his future maritime enterprises the custom had always been that the Ottoman galleys had been rode by Christians captured and enslaved of course the converse was true in the galleys of their foes there were for the size of the vessels an enormous number of men carried in the galleys of the 16th century and an average craft of this description would have on board some 400 men of these however the proportion would be 250 slaves to 150 fighting men that which Herodin now insisted upon was that a certain proportion of his most powerful units should be rode by Muslim fighting men so that on the day of battle the Osman could join in the fray instead of remaining chain to their benches as was the custom with the slaves it is however an extraordinary testimony to the influence which the Corsair had attained in Constantinople that he had been able to affect this change in the composition of some of his crews it must have been done with the active cooperation of the Sultan as no authority less potent than that of the sovereign himself could have induced free men to undertake the terrible toil of Rauer in a galley this was reserved for the unfortunate slave on either side owing to the intolerable hardship of the life and results in the pace at which a galley proceeded through the water were usually obtained by an unsparing use of the lash on the naked bodies of the rowers this human material was used up in the most prodigal manner possible as those in command had not the inducement of treating the rowers well from that economic standpoint which causes a man to so use his beast of burden as to get the best work from him in the galley when a slave would row no more he was flung overboard and another was put in his place the admiral however even when backed by the Padishah could not man a large fleet of galleys with Muslim rowers and as there was a shortage in the matter of propelling power his first business was to collect slaves and for this purpose he visited the islands of the archipelago the lot of the unhappy inhabitants of these was indeed a hard one they were nearer to the seat of the Muslim power than any other Christians they were in those days totally unable to resist an attack in force and in consequence were swept off in their thousands seven islands covered the entrance to the Gulf of Olo the nearest to the coast is Skiathos which is also the most important it was defended by a castle built upon a rock this castle was attacked by Barbarossa who bombarded it for six days carried it by assault and massacred the garrison he spared the lives of the inhabitants of the island and by this means secured 3400 rowers for his galleys he had to provide motor power for the reinforcements which he expected in July he was reinforced from Constantinople by 90 galleys while from Egypt came Saleh Raj who had succeeded in avoiding the terrible Doria with 20 more the fleet was thus complete end of section 6 recording by Marion Martin Morgan at Pretabello Some may think that the French having deserted Captain Morgan the English alone could not have sufficient courage to attempt such great actions as before but Captain Morgan who always communicated vigorously with his words and viewed such spirit into his men as put them instantly upon new designs he inspired them with the belief that they saw execution of his orders and of obtaining great riches which so influenced their minds that with inimitable courage they all resolved to follow him as did also a certain power of accomplishment on this occasion joined with Captain Morgan to seek new fortunes under his conduct Thus Captain Morgan in a few days gathered a fleet of 90 either ships or great boats wherein yet 460 military men all things being ready to sail off to sea Captain Morgan imparting his design to nobody at present he only took them on several occasions that he doubted not to make a good fortune by the voyage if strange occurrences have not laced yet towards their continent where they arrived in a few days near Costa Rica all their fleet safe no sooner had they discovered then that Captain Morgan declared his intentions to Captain Morgan's company he told them he intended to plant a petabello by night being resolved to put the whole city to sack and to encourage them yet this enterprise cannot fail seeing he had kept it secret without revealing it to anybody whereby they could not have noticed of his coming to this proposition some answered there not a sufficient number of men to sail so strong and great a city but Captain Morgan replied if one number is small or hard to create then the fewer persons we are the more union and business shares we shall have in a sport hereupon they stimulated with the hope of those vows which as they promised themselves from the success they unanimously agreed to add design now that my reader may better comprehend the boldness of this export it may be necessary to say something fullhand of the city of petabello this city is in province of Costa Rica 10 degrees north latitude 14 leagues from the Gulf of Therian and 8 westwards from the port called Nombre de Zios it is judged the strongest place the king of Spain possesses in all the west Indies except Havana and Cartagena here are two castles almost impregnable that defend the city situate at the entry of the port so that no ship or boat can pass without permission the garrison consists of 300 soldiers and the town is inhabited by 400 families the merchants will not here but only recite a well where the galleons come from or go forth Spain by reason of the unhealthiness of the year occasioned by vapours on the mountains so that though their chief warehouses are petabello their habitations are at Pelamar when they bring the paint upon malls they are arrogant and when the ships running to a company of negroes arrived to sell slaves Captain Morgan who knew very well all the avenues of the city and the neighbouring coasts arrived in the evening with his men at Pato de Nauz 10 leagues to the west of Patobello Minca Mita they sailed up the river to an harbour called Pato Pontin where they anchored here they put themselves into boats and canoes and the ships only a few men to bring them the next day to port about midnight they came to a place called Estra Longa Lemos where they all went on shore and marched by land to a first pulse of the city they had in their company an Englishman formerly a prisoner at their spot who now served them for a guide to a men 3 or 4 more they gave permission to take the sentinel if possible will kill him on the place but they seized him so cunningly there is yet no time to give warning with this mascot will make any noise and brought him with his hands bound to Captain Morgan who asked him how things went to the city and what forces they had with other circumstances he desired to know after every question they made him a thousand masses to kill him if he declared not the truth then they advanced the city carrying the sentinel bound before them having marched about a quarter of a league they came to the castle near the city which personally they closely surrounded so that no person could get either in or out being potted on the walls of the castle Captain Morgan commanded the sentinel whom they had taken prisoner to speak to those within charging them to surrender to his discretion otherwise they would all be cut in pieces without water but they regarding none of these threats began in the need to fire which alarmed the city yet not withstanding though the governor and soldiers of the set castle made as great resistance as could be they were forced to surrender having taken the castle they resolved to be as good as they were putting Spaniards to a sword thereby to strike a terror into the rest of the city whereupon having shot up all the soldiers and officers as prisoners into one room they set fire to a powder whereof they found great quantity and blew up the castle into the air without Spaniards that were within this then they pursued the cause of the victory flying upon the city which as yet was not ready to receive them many of the inhabitants, castle, precious jewels and money into wealth and sirens all hid them in places and ground to avoid as much as possible being totally robbed one of the party of pirates assigned to this purpose ran immediately to causes and to as many religious men and women as they could find the governor not being able ready decisions for a great confusion returned to one of the castles remaining and then it's fired incessantly at the pirates but these were not in the least negligent either to assault him or defend themselves that amidst the horror of the assault they made very few shots in vain for aiming with great austerity at the mouth of the guns the Spaniards were certain to lose one or two men every time they charged each gun in you the fight continued very furious from break of day till noon at the time of the day their case was very dubious to which party should conquer or be conquered had lost the pirates perceiving they had lost many men and yet advanced but little towards gaining either of this or the other castles made use of foul balls which they threw with their hands designing to burn the doors of the castles but the Spaniards from the walls lacked for all great quantities of stones another impossible of powder another combustible matter which forced them to desist Captain Morgan seeing this generous defence made by the Spaniards began to despair of success hereupon many feigning calm meditations came into his mind neither could he determine which way to turn himself and head straight being fast puzzled he was suddenly animated to continue the assault passing English colours put forth at one of the lesser castles then entered by his men of whom he presently aspired a troop coming to meet him this infamy put him on the resolutions of taking the rest of the castles especially seeing the chiefs as citizens were fled to them and had conveyed to the great part of their riches with all the fate belonging to the churches and divine service to this effect he ordered 10 or 12 ladders to be made in all haste so brought her 3 or 4 men at once might attend them these being finished he commanded all the religious men and women who had taken prisoners to fix them against the walls of castle this hit the front threatened governor to do if he delivered not the castle but his answer was he would never surrender himself alive captain Morgan was persuaded the governor would not employ his utmost force seeing the religious women and ecclesiastical persons exposed in front of the soldiers to greatest danger first ladders as I've said were put into the hands of religious persons of both axes and these were forced at the head of the companies to raise and ply them to walls but captain Morgan was fully deceived and his judgment of his design for the governor, rectified by a brave soldier in performance of his duty used his utmost endeavour to destroy whosoever came the other walls the religious men and women seized not to cry to him and by all the saints of heaven to deliver the castle and swear both his and their own lives but nothing could prevail with his obstinacy and fierceness first many of the religious men and nuns were killed before they could fix ladders which at last being done though with great loss of the said religious people the pirates mounted them in great numbers and with not less valor having fireballs in their hands and other pots full of powder all rich things being now at the top of the walls they can now encost in among the Spaniards this effort of pirates was very great insomuch the Spaniards could no longer resist nor defend the castle which was now entered hereupon they all threw down their arms and craved quarter from their lives only the governor of the city would crave no mercy but killed many of the pirates with his own hands and not a few of his own soldiers because they did not stand to their arms and though the pirates asked him if he would have quarter here he constantly answered by no means I had rather die as a vegan soldier than be hanged as a coward they entered there as much as they could to take him prisoner but he defended himself so absolutely that they were forced to kill him notwithstanding all the cries and tears of his own life and daughter who begged him on their knees to demand quarter and save his life when the pirates had possessed themselves with castle which was about nightfall they enclosed therein all their prisoners placing their women and men by themselves with some guards the wounded were put in an apartment by itself their own complaints might be the cure of their diseases for no other was afforded them this time they fell to eating and drinking as usual to committing in both all manner of debauchery and excess so that 50 courageous men might easily have retaken the city and kill all the pirates next day having planned all they could find they examined some of the prisoners who had been persuaded by their companions to say that they were the richest of the town charging them severely to discover where they had hit the richest and cooked not being able to extract anything from them they not being the right persons it was resolved to torture them this they did so cruelly that many of them died on the wreck or presently after now the president of Panama being advertised as a pillage and ruin of Pettibillo he implied all his care in the streets of raceforces to pursue and cast out pirates' tents but these carelates also had preparations having their ships at hand returning to fire city and retreat they had now been at Pettibillo for 15 days in which time they had lost many of their men both by the unhealthiness of the country and by extravagant debaucheries here upon they prepared to depart carrying on board the pillage they had got having first provided the fleet with sufficient victuals for the voyage while these things were doing Captain Morgan demanded of the prisoners around simplicity or else he would burn it down and blow up all the castles with all he commanded them to send speedy two persons to procure the sum which was 100,000 pieces of eight to this effect two men were sent to president of Panama who gave him an account of all the president having now a body of men ready set forth to Pettibillo to encounter the pirates before their retreat but they hearing of his coming instead of flying away they set out to meet him at a narrow passage which he must pass here they placed 100 men very well armed which at the first encounter put to flight a good party of those of Panama this obliged the president to retire for that time not being yet impartial strength to proceed farther presently after he sent a message to Captain Morgan to tell him that if it departed not suddenly with all his forces from Pettibillo he would not deliver the castles before he had received the contribution money yet demanded which if it were not picked down he would certainly burn the whole city and then leave it demolishing beforehand the castles and killing prisoners the governor of Pettibillo said that if it were not picked down he would certainly burn the whole city and then leave it demolishing beforehand the castles and killing prisoners the governor of Panama perceived by this answer that no means would serve to modify the hearts of pirates nor reduce them to reason whereupon he determined to leave the inhabitants of the city to make the best agreement they could in a few days more than miserable citizens gathered the contributions required and brought 100,000 pieces of faith to a pirate for their ensign the president of Panama was much amazed that 400 men could take the great city with so many strong castles especially having no ordnance were with to raise batteries and knowing the citizens of Pettibillo had always great repute of the good soldiers themselves who never wanted courage in their own defense his astonishment was so great they sent to Captain Morgan desiring some small pattern of those arms were with yet taken with such vigour very kindly and with great civility and gave him a pistol and a few small bullets to carry back to president Esmata telling him he desired him to accept the slender pattern of the arms were with yet taken Pettibillo and to keep them for 12 months after which time he promised to come to Panama and effect him away the governor returned the president very soon to Captain Morgan giving him thanks for favour of landing him such weapons as he needed not and with all sent him a ring of gold with this message that he desired him not to give himself a name of coming to Panama as he had done to Pettibillo for it assured him that should not speak so well here as he had done there after this Captain Morgan having provided his feet with all necessaries and taken with him the best glance of the castles nailing up the rest Pettibillo with all his ships and arriving a few days at Cuba he sought out a place wherein he might quickly make as a resident of this ball they found and ready money 250,000 pieces of eggs besides other merchandise as cloth, linen, silks etc with this rich purchase they sell thanks to a common place of rendezvous Jamaica being arrived they pass here sometime in all sorts of vices to their custom spending very particularly what others had gained with no small labour at all End of Section 7 Section 8 of Great Pirate Stories This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Great Pirate Stories by Various Edited by Joseph Louis French Ways of the Buccaneers Footnote from Buccaneer Customs on the Spanish Maine John Mansfield after John Esquimelling Throughout the years of Buccaneering the Buccaneers often put to sea in canoes and pyraguas just as Drake put to sea in his three penises Life in an open boat is far from pleasant but men who pass their leisure cutting logwood at Campeche or toiling over grama grass under a hot sun after cattle were not disposed to make the worst of things They would sit contentedly upon the ore bench rowing with a long slow stroke for hours together without showing signs of fatigue Nearly all of them were men of more than ordinary strength and all of them were well accustomed to the climate When they had rode the canoe to the Maine they were able to take it easy till a ship came by from one of the Spanish ports If she seemed a reasonable prey without too many guns and not too high charged or high built the privateers would load their muskets and row down to engage her The best shots were sent into the bows and excused from rowing lest the exercise should cause their hands to tremble A clever man was put to the steering-oar and the musketeers were bidden to sing out in the yard so as to fire her guns It was in action and in action only that the captain had command over his men The steersmen endeavored to keep the mass of the quarry in a line and to approach her from a stern The marksmen from the bows kept up a continual fire at the vessel's helmsmen if they could be seen and at any gun-ports which happened to be open If the helmsmen could not be seen from the sea the canoes aimed would roll in upon the vessel's quarters where they could wedge up the rudder with wooden chocks or wedges They then laid her aboard over the quarter or by the after-chains and carried her with their knives and pistols The first man to get aboard received some gift of money at the division of the spoil When the prize was taken the prisoners were questioned and despoiled Often indeed they were stripped stark naked with the privilege of seeing their finery on a private's back Each buccaneer had the right to take a shift of clothes of each prize captured The cargo was then rummaged and the state of the ship looked to with an eye to using her as a cruiser As a rule the prisoners were put ashore on the first opportunity but some buccaneers had a way of selling their captives into slavery If the ship were old, leaky, valueless in ballast or with a cargo, useless to the rovers she was either robbed of her guns and turned adrift with her crew or run ashore in some snug cove where she could be burnt for the sake of the ironwork If the cargo were of value and as a rule the ships they took had some rich thing aboard them they sailed her to one of the Dutch French or English settlements where they sold her freight for what they could get some tenth or twentieth of its value If the ship were a good one in good condition well found, swift and not of too great draught for they preferred to sail in small ships They took her for their cruiser as soon as they had emptied out her freight They sponged and loaded her guns brought their stores aboard her laid their mats upon her deck secured the boats of stern and sailed away in search of other plunder They kept little discipline aboard their ships What work had to be done they did But works of super-irrigation they despised and rejected as a shade unholy The night watches were partly orgies While some slept the others fired guns and drank to the health of their fellows By the light of the binnacle or by the light of the slush-lamps in the cabin the rovers played a hand at cards or diced each other at seven and eleven using a panicin as dice-box While the gamblers cut and shuffled the dice rattled in the tin the musical sang songs the fiddlers set their music chuckling and the sea-boots stamped approval The cunning dancers showed their science in the moonlight avoiding the sleepers if they could In this jolly fashion were the nights made short In the daytime the gambling continued with little intermission nor had the captain any authority to stop it One captain in the histories was bold as to throw the dice and cards overboard but as a rule the captain of a buccaneer cruiser was chosen as an artist or navigator or as a lucky fighter He was not expected to spoil sport The continual gambling nearly always led to fights and quarrels The lucky dicers often won so much that the unlucky had to part with all their booty Sometimes a few men would win all the plunder of the crews much to the disgust of the majority who clambered for a re-division of the spoil If two buccaneers got into a quarrel they fought it out on shore at the first opportunity using knives swords or pistols according to taste The usual way of fighting was with pistols the combatants standing back to back at a distance of ten or twelve paces and turning round to fire at the word of command If both shots missed the question was decided with cutlaces The man who drew the first blood being declared the winner If a man were proved to be a coward he was either tied to the mast and shot or mutilated and sent to shore No crews came to an end until the company declared themselves satisfied with the amount of plunder taken The question, like all other important questions, was debated round the mast and decided by vote At the conclusion of a successful cruise they sailed for Port Royal with the ships full of treasure such as vacuna wool packets of pearls from the hatch jars of civet or of ambergris boxes of marmalet and spices, casks of strong drink, bales of silk sacks of chocolate and vanilla and rolls of green cloth and pale blue cotton which the Indians had woven in Peru in some sandy village near the sea in sight of the pelicans and the penguins In addition to all these things they usually had a number of the personal possessions of those they had taken on the seas Lying in the chests for subsequent division were swords, silver-mounted pistols daggers, chased and inlaid watches from Spain necklaces of uncut jewels rings and bangles heavy-carved furniture cases of bottles of delicately cut green glass containing cord jewels distilled from precious mints with packets of emeralds from Brazil bays or stones from Patagonia paintings from Spain and medicinal gums from Nicaragua all these things were divided by lot at the main mast as soon as the anchor held as the ship or ships neared port her men hung colors out any color they could find to make their vessel gay a cup of drink was taken as they sailed slowly home to moorings and as they drank they fired off the cannon bullets and all again and yet again rejoicing as the bullets struck the water up in the bay the ships and the harbor answered with salutes of cannon flags were dipped and hoisted in salute and so the anchor dropped in some safe reach and the division of the spoil began after the division of the spoil in the beautiful port royal harbor in sight of the palm trees and the fort with the colors flying the buccaneers packed their gear and dropped over the side into a boat they were pulled ashore by some grinning black man with a scarlet scarf about his head and the brand of a hot iron on his shoulder at the jetty end were the Indians lounged at their tobacco and the fisherman's canoes rocked the sunburned pirates put ashore among the noisy company which always gathers on a pier they met with their companions a sort of roman triumph followed as the happily returned lounged swaggerly towards the taverns eager hands helped them to carry in their plunder in a few minutes the gang was entering the tavern the long cool room with barrels round the walls where there were benches and a table and an old blind fiddler jerking his elbow at a jig noisily the party ranged about the table and sat themselves upon the benches while the drawers or pop boys in their shirts drew near to take the orders I wonder if the reader has ever heard a sailor in the like circumstance five minutes after he has touched his pay address a company of parasites in an inn with the question what's it going to be end of section 8