 Chapter 9, Part 11, of the General History of the Pirates, Volume 1. The General History of the Pirates, Volume 1, by Charles Johnson, Chapter 9, Part 11. John Walden Captain John Trahearn and George Fenn deposed the prisoner to be one of the number, who, in an open boat, piratically assailed and took their ship, and was remarkably busy at mischief, having a poleaxe in his hand which served him instead of a key, to all the locked doors and boxes he came nigh. Also in particular he cut the cable of our ship, when the other pirates were willing and busied at heaving up the anchor, saying, Captain, which signifies this trouble of yo' hope and straining in hot weather, that there are more anchors at London, and besides, your ship is to be burnt. William Smith, a prisoner acquitted, says Walden was known among the pirates mostly by the nickname of Miss Nanny. Ironically it's presumed from the hardiness of his temper, that he was one of the twenty who voluntarily came on board the ranger, in the chase she made out after the swallow. And by a shot from that ship lost his leg, his behavior in the fight, till then being bold and daring. The President called for Harry Glasby, and bid him relate a character of the prisoner and what custom was among them, in relation to these voluntary expeditions, out of their proper ship and this of going on board the ranger in particular. And he gave in for evidence that the prisoner was looked on as a brisk hand, i.e., as he farther explained it, a staunch pirate, a great rogue, that when the swallow first appeared in sight, everyone was willing to believe her a Portuguese, because sugar was very much in demand, and had made some jarring and dissension between the two companies. The fortunes, people drinking punch when the rangers could not, that Roberts, on sight of the swallow, hailed the new ranger, and bid them right ship and get under sail. There is, says he, sugar in the offing, bring it in, that we may have no more mumbling, ordering at the same time the word to be passed among the crew, who would go to their assistance, and immediately the boat was full of men to transport themselves. President, then everyone that goes on board of any prize does it voluntarily, or were there here any other reasons for it? H. Glasby. Every man is commonly called by list and insists in his turn to go on board of a prize, because they then are allowed a shift of clothes, the best they can find over and above the dividend from the robbery, and this they are so far from being compelled to, that it often becomes the occasion of contest and quarrel amongst them. But in the present or such like cases, where there appears a prospect of trouble, the lazy and temerous are often willing to decline this turn, and yield to their betters, who thereby establish a greater credit. The prisoner and the rest of those men who went from the fortune on board the ranger to assist in this expedition were volunteers and the trustiest men among us. President, were there no jealousies of the rangers leaving you in this chase, or at any other time in order to surrender? H. Glasby. Most of the rangers crew were fresh men, men who had been entered only since their being on the coast of Guinea, and therefore had not so liberal a share in fresh provisions or wine as the fortunes' people, who thought they had borne the burden and heat of the day, which had given occasion indeed to some grumblings and whispers, as though they would take an opportunity to leave us, but we never supposed, if they did, it would be with any other design than setting up for themselves, they having many of them behaved with greater severity than the old standards. The prisoner appeared undaunted and rather salacious, about resting his stump, than giving any answer to the court or making any defense for himself, do called upon. Then he related in a careless or rather hopeless manner the circumstances of his first entrance, being forced, he said, out of the blessing of Lemington at Newfoundland. About twelve months passed. This he is sure most of the old pirates knew, and that he was for some time as sick of the change as any man, but custom and ill company had altered him, owning very frankly that he was at the attack, and taking of the King Solomon, that he did cut her cable, and that none were forced on those occasions. As to the last expedition in the Ranger, he confesses he went on board of her, but that it was by Robert's order, and in the chase loaded one gun to bring her two, but when he saw it was a bite, he declared to his comrades that it was not worthwhile to resist. Sorbore firing, and assisted to reave the braces in order if they could to get away, in which sort of service he was busy, when a shot from the man of war took off his leg, and being asked that supposing the chase had proved a Portuguese. Why then, says he, I don't know what I might have done, intimating with awe that everybody then would have been ready enough at plundering. Guilty. Peter Scudamore, Harry Glassby, Joe Wingfield, and Nicholas Brattle deposed thus much, as to his being a volunteer with the pirates, from Captain Rolls at Calabar. First, that he quarreled with Moody, one of the heads of the gang, and fought with him because he opposed his going, asking Rolls in a leering manner whether he would not be so kind as to put him into the Gazette when he came home, and at another time, when he was going from the pirate ship in his boat, a tornado arose. I wish, says he, the rascal may be drowned, for he is a great rogue and has endeavored to do me all the ill offices he could among these gentlemen, i.e. pirates. And secondly, that he had signed the pirates' articles with a great deal of alacrity, and gloryed in having been the first surgeon that had done so, for before this it was their custom to change their surgeons when they desired it after having served a time and never obliged them to sign, but he was resolved to break through this for the good of those who were to follow. Swearing immediately upon it, he was now, he hoped, as great a rogue as any of them. Captain Joe Trahearn and George Fenn, his mate, deposed the prisoner to have taken out of the King Solomon their surgeon's capital instruments, some medicines, and a backgammon table, which later became the means of a quarrel between one Wincon and he whose property they should be, and were yielded to the prisoner. Joe Sharp, master of Elizabeth, heard the prisoner ask Roberts leave to force Cymru, his surgeon from him, which was accordingly done, and with him carried also some of the ship's medicines. But what gave a fuller proof of the dishonesty of his principles was the treacherous design he had formed of running away with the prize, in her passage to Cape Corstall, though he had been treated with all humanity and very unlike a prisoner, on account of his employ and better education, which had rendered him less to be suspected. Mr. Child acquitted, deposed, that in their passage from the island of St. Thomas, in the fortune prize, this prisoner was several times tempted him into measures of rising with the Negroes and killing the Swallows people, showing him how easily the white men might be demolished and a new company raised at Angola. And that part of the coast, for, says he, I understand how to navigate a ship and can soon teach you to steer. And is it not better to do this than to go back to Cape Corso and be hanged and sun-dried? To which the deponent, replying, he was not afraid of being hanged, Scudamore bid him be still, and no harm should come to him. But before the next day evening, which was the design time of executing this project, the deponent discovered it to the officer and assured him Scudamore had been talking all the preceding night to the Negroes in Angolian language. Isaac Burnett heard the prisoner ask James Harris, a pirate, left with the wounded in the prize, whether he was willing to come into the project of running away with the ship and endeavor the raising of a new company, but turned the discourse to horse racing, as the deponent, Kripp Nyer. He acquainted the officer with what he had heard, who kept the people under arms all night, their apprehensions of the Negroes not being groundless, for many of them having lived a long time in this piratical way, were, by the thin commons they were now reduced to, as ripe for mischief as any. The prisoner in his defense said, he was a forced man from Captain Rolls, in October last, and if he had not shown such a concern as became him, at the alteration he must remark the occasion to be the disagreement and enmity between them, but that both Roberts and Val Asplant threatened him into signing their articles, and that he did it in terror. The King Solomon and Elizabeth Medicine Chest he owns he plundered, by order of Hunter. The then Chief Surgeon, who by the Pirate's Laws always directs in this province, and Mr. Child, though acquitted, had by the same orders taken out a whole French Medicine Chest, which he must be sensible for me. As well as for himself, we neither of us dared to have denied, it was their being the proper judges made so ungrateful in office imposed, if after this he was elected Chief Surgeon himself, both Comrie and Wilson were set up also, and it might have been their chance to have carried it, and as much out of their power to have refused. As to the attempt of rising and running away with the prize, he denies it altogether as untrue, a few foolish words but only by way of supposition, that if the Negroes should take it in their heads, considering the weakness and ill look out that was kept, it would have been an easy matter in his opinion for them to have done it, but that he encouraged such a thing was false. His talking to them in the Angolan language was only a way of spending his time, and trying his skill to tell 20, he being incapable of further talk. As to his understanding navigation, he had frequently acknowledged it to the deponent Child, and wonders he should now so circumstantiate this skill against him. Guilty. Robert Johnson. It appeared to the court that the prisoner was one of the 20 men in the boat of the pirates which afterwards robbed the King Solomon at an anchor near Cape Apollonia, that all pirates on this and the like service were volunteers, and he in particular had contested his going on board a second time though out of his turn. The prisoner in his defense called for Harry Glasby, who witnessed to his being so very drunk when he first came among their crew, that they were forced to hoist him out of one ship into the other with a tackle, and therefore without his consent, but he had since been a trusty man and was placed to the helm in that running battle they made with the swallow. He insisted for himself likewise on Captain Turner's affidavit of his being forced on which others his shipmates had been cleared. The court, considering the partiality that might be objected in acquitting one, and condemning another of the same standing, thought sit to remark it as a clear testimony of their integrity that their care and indulgence to each man in allowing his particular defense was to exempt from the rigor of the law such who it must be allowed would have stood too promiscuously condemned. If they had not been heard upon any other fact than that of the swallow, and herein what could better direct them than a character and behavior from their own associates, for though a voluntary entry with the pirates may be doubtful, yet his consequent actions are not, and it is not so material how a man comes among pirates as how he acts when he is there. Guilty. George Wilson John Sharp, Master of the Elizabeth in which ship the prisoner was passenger, and fell a second time into the pirate's hands, deposes that he took the said Wilson off from Sestos, on this coast paying to the Negroes for his ransom, the value of three pound five shillings in goods, for which he had taken a note that he thought he had done a charitable act in this, till meeting with one Captain Canning he was asked why he would release such a rogue as Wilson was, for that he had been a volunteer with the pirates, out of John Tarleton, and when the deponent came to be a prisoner himself he found Thomas, the brother of this John Tarleton, a prisoner with the pirates also, who was immediately on Wilson's instigation, and a most sad man are misused and beat, and had been shot through the fury and rage of some of those fellows, if the townside, i.e. Liverpool men, had not hid him in a stay-stale under the vowsprit, from Moody and Harper with their pistols cocked, searched every corner of the ship to find him, and came to this deponent's hammock whom they had liked fatality to have mistaken for Tarleton, but on his calling out they found their error and left him with this comfortable anodyne, that he was the honest fellow who brought the doctor. At coming away the prisoner asked about his note, whether the pirates had it or not, who not being able readily to tell he replied, it's no matter Mr. Sharp, I believe I shall hardly ever come to England to pay it. Adam Comrie, surgeon of the Elizabeth, says that although the prisoner had on account of his indisposition and want received many civilities from him before meeting with the pirates, he yet understood it was through his and Scudamore's means that he had been compelled among them. The prisoner was very alert and cheerful, he says, at meeting with Roberts, hailed him, told him he was glad to see him, and would come on board presently, borrowing of the deponent a clean shirt and drawers for his better appearance and reception. He signed their articles willingly and used arguments with him to do the same, saying they should make their voyage in eight months to Brazil, share six or seven hundred per a man and then break up. Again, when the crew came to an election of a chief surgeon, and this deponent was set up with the others, Wilson told him he hoped he should carry it from Scudamore for that a quarter share, which they had more than others, would be worth looking after. But the deponent missed the preservement by the goodwill of the rangers' people, who in general voted for Scudamore to get rid of him, the chief surgeon being always to remain with the Commodore. It appeared likewise by the evidence of Captain Joe Trahearn, Thomas Castell, and others who had been taken by the pirates and thence had opportunities of observing the prisoner's conduct, that he seemed thoroughly satisfied with that way of life, and was particularly intimate with Roberts, they often scoffing at the mention of a man of war and saying if they should meet with any of the turnips men's ships, they would blow up and go to hell together. Yet setting aside these silly freaks to recommend himself, his laziness had got him many enemies, even Roberts told him, on the complaint of a wounded man whom he had refused to dress, that he was a double rogue, to be there a second time and threatened to cut his ears off. The evidence further assured the court from Captain Thomas Tarleton that the prisoner was taken out of his brother's ship some months before, a first time, and being forward to oblige his new company had presently asked for the pirate's boat to effect the medicine chest away when the wind and current proving too hard to contend with, they were drove on shore at Cape Montserrado. The prisoner called for William Darling and Samuel Morwell, acquitted, and Nicholas Butler. William Darling deposed, the first time the prisoner fell into their hands, Roberts mistook him for Joel Tarleton the master, and being informed it was the surgeon who came to represent him, then indisposed, he presently swore he should be his messmate, to which Wilson replied, he hoped not, he had a wife and child, which the other laughed at and that he had been two days on board before he went in that boat, which was drove on shore at Cape Montserrado, and at his second coming in the Elizabeth, he heard Roberts order he should be brought on board in the first boat. Samuel Morwell says that he has heard him be well his condition, while on board the pirate and desired one Thomas to use his interest with Roberts for a discharge, saying his employee and the little fortune he had left at home would he hope exempt him the further trouble of seeking his bread at sea. Nicholas Butler, who had remained with the pirates about forty-eight hours when they took the French ships at Wida, deposes that in this space the prisoner addressed him in the French language several times, deploring the wretchedness and ill fortune of being confined in such company. The prisoner desiring liberty of two or three questions asked whether or no he had not expostulated with Roberts for a reason of his obliging surgeons to sign their articles, when here to four they did not, whether he had not expressed himself glad to having formally escaped from them, whether he had not said at taking the ships in Wida Road that he could like the sport were it lawful, and whether if he had not told him should the company discharge any surgeon that he would insist on it as his turn. The deponent answered yes to every question separately, and fathered that he believed Scudamore had not seen Wilson when he first came and found him out of the Elizabeth. He added in his own defense that being a surgeon with one John Tarleton of Liverpool, he was met a first time on this coast of Guinea by Roberts the pirate, who, after a day or two, told him to his sorrow that he was to stay there and ordered him to fetch his chest, not medicines, as asserted, which opportunity he took to make his escape, for the boats crew happening to consist of five French and one Englishman, all as willing as himself they agreed to push the boat on shore and trust themselves with the Negroes of Cape Montserrado, hazardous not only in respect of the dangerous seas that run there, but the inhumanity of the natives who sometimes take a liking to human carcasses. Here he remained five months till Thomas Tarleton, brother to his captain, chance to put in the road for trade, to whom he represented his hardships and starving condition, but was, in an un-christian manner, both refused a release of this captivity or so much as a small supply of biscuit and salt meat, because, as he said, he had been among the pirates. A little time after this the master of a French ship paid a ransom for him and took him off, but by reason of a nasty leperous indisposition he had contracted by hard and bad living, was, to his great misfortune, set ashore at Sestos again, when Captain Sharp met him, and generously procured his release in the manner himself has related, and for which he stands infinitely obliged. That ill luck threw him a second time into the pirate's hands in this ship, Elizabeth, where he met Thomas Tarleton and thoughtlessly used some reproaches of him for his severe treatment at Montserrado, but protests without design his words should have had so bad a consequence. For Roberts took upon him as a dispenser of justice, the correction of Mr. Tarleton, beating him unmercifully, and he hopes it will believe, contrary to any intention of his, it should so happen, because as a stranger he might be supposed to have no influence, and believes there were some other motives for it. He could not remember he expressed himself glad to see Roberts the second time, or that he dropped those expressions about Comrie as are sworn, but if immaturity of judgment had occasioned him to slip rash and inadvertent words, or that he had paid any undue compliments to Roberts, it was to ingratiate himself, as every prisoner did, for a more civil treatment, and in particular to procure his discharge which he had been promised and was afraid would have been revoked, if such a person as Comrie did not remain there to supply his room, and of this he said all the gentlemen, meaning the pirates, could witness for him. He urged also his youth an excuse for his rashness. The first time he had been with them, only a month in all, and that in no military employ, but in particular the service he had done in discovering the design of the pirates, had to rise in their passage on board the Swallow. Guilty. But execution resided till the King's pleasure be known, because the Commodore of the Swallow had declared the first notice he received of this design of the pirates to rise was from him. Recording by Cade Mackenzie. The General History of the Pirates, Volume 1 by Charles Johnson. Chapter 9, Part 12. Benjamin Jeffries By the depositions of Glasby and Lilburn acquitted against this prisoner, it appeared that his drunkenness was what at first detained him from going away in his propership, the Norman Galley, and, next morning, for having been abusive in his drink, saying to the pirates there was not a man amongst them, he received for a welcome six lashes from every person in the ship, which disordered him for some weeks, but, on recovery, was made Boatswain's mate, the serving of which or any office on board a pirate is at their own option, though elected, because others are glad to accept what brings an additional share in prize. The deponents further say that at Sierra Leone every man had more especially the means of escaping, and that this prisoner in particular neglected it, and came off from that place after their ship was under sail, going out of the river. The prisoner in his defence, protests, he was at first forced, and that the office of Boatswain's mate was imposed on him, and what he would have been glad to have relinquished, that the barbarous whipping he had received from the pirates at first was for telling them that none who could get their bread in an honest way would be on such an account, and he had certainly taken the opportunity which presented at Sierra Leone of ridding himself from so distasteful a life, if there had not been three or four of the old pirates on shore at the same time, who, he imagined, must know of him, and would doubtless have served him the same, if not worse, than they since had done William Williams, who, for such a design, being delivered up by the treacherous natives, had received two lashes through the whole ship's company. The court observed the excuses of these pirates about want of means to escape was often times as poor and evasive as their pleas of being forced at first, for here, at Sierra Leone, every man had his liberty on shore, and it was evident, might have kept it if he or they had so pleased. And such are further culpable, who, having been introduced into the society by such uncivil methods as whipping or beating, neglect less likely means of regaining liberty. It shows strong inclinations to dishonesty, and they stand, inexcusably, guilty. John Mansfield, it was proved against this prisoner by Captain Trahearn and George Fenn, that he was one of those volunteers who was at the attack and robbery of the company's ship, called the King Solomon. That, he bullied well among them who dared not make any reply, but was very easy with his friends who knew him, for Moody, on this occasion, took a large glass from him and threatened to blow his brains out, a favourite phrase with these pirates, if he muttered at it. From others acquitted it likewise appeared that he was at first a volunteer among them from an island called Dominica, in the West Indies, and had to recommend himself, told them, he was a deserter from the Rose Man of War, and before that had been on the highway. He was always drunk, they said, and so bad at the time they met with the swallow that he knew nothing of the action, but came up vapouring with his cutlass after the fortune had struck her colours to know who would go on board the prize, and it was some time before they could persuade him into the truth of their condition. He could say little in defence of himself, acknowledge this latter part of drunkenness, a vice, he says, that had too great a share in ensnaring him into this course of a life, and had been a greater motive with him than gold. Guilty. William Davis William Allen deposed, he knew this prisoner at Sierra Leone, belonging to the Amgalley, that he had a quarrel with, and beat the mate of that ship, for which, as he said, being afraid to return to his duty, he consorted to the idle customs and ways of living among the negroes, from whom he received a wife, and ungratefully sold her, one evening, for some punch to quench his thirst. After this, having put himself under the protection of Mr. Plunkett, governor there for the Royal African Company, the relations and friends of the woman applied to him for a redress, who immediately surrendered the prisoner and told them he did not care if they took his head off. But the negroes, wisely judging it, would not fetch so good a price, they sold him, in his turn again, to Seigneur Jose, a Christian black and native of that place, who expected and agreed for two years' service from him on consideration of what he had dispersed for the redemption of the woman. But long before the expiration of this time, Roberts came into Sierra Leone River, where the prisoner, as Seigneur Jose, assured the deponent, entered a volunteer with them. The deponent further corroborates this part of the evidence, in that he being obliged to call at Cape Mount, in his passage down Hither, met there with two deserters from Roberts' ship, who assured him of the same, and that the pirates did design to turn Davis away the next opportunity, as an idle, good-for-nothing fellow. From Glasby and Lillburn it was evident that every pirate, while they stayed at Sierra Leone, went on shore at discretion, that Roberts had often assured Mr. Glyn and other traders at that place, that he would force no body, and in short there was no occasion for it, in particular, the prisoner's rowmate went away, and thinks he might have done the same if he had pleased. The prisoner alleged his having been detained against his will, and says, that returning with elephants' teeth for Sierra Leone, the pirates both pursued and brought him on board, where he was kept on account of his understanding the pilotage and navigation of that river. It was obvious to the court, not only how frivolous excuses of constraint and force were among these people, at their first commencing pirates, but also it was plain to them, from these two deserters met at Cape Mount, and the discretional manner they lived in at Sierra Leone, through how little difficulty several of them did, and others might have escaped afterwards, if they could, but have obtained their own consents for it. Guilty. This is the substance of the trials of Roberts' crew, which may suffice for others that occur in this book. The foregoing lists shows, by an asterisk before the names, who were condemned. Those names were the cross, were referred for trial to the marshall sea, and all the rest were acquitted. The following pirates were executed, according to their sentence, without the gates of Cape Corso Castle, within the flood marks, biz, there now follows a list of all the pirates who were executed, gives their names, their age, and their origin. William Magnus, 35, Minehead. Richard Hardy, 25, from Wales. David Simpson, 36, North Berwick. Christopher Moody, 28, Place Unknown. Thomas Sutton, 23, Berwick. Valentine Ash Plant, 32, Minorities. Peter Devine, 42, Stepney. William Phillips, 29, from Lower Shadwell. Philip Thill, 27, St. Thomas's. William Main, 28, Origin Unknown. William McIntosh, 21, from Canterbury. William Williams, 40, Knight Plymouth. Robert Hawes, 31, Yarmouth. William Petty, 30, Depford. John Jainson, 22, Nylancaster. Marcus Johnson, 21, Smyrna. Robert Crowe, 44, from the Isle of Man. Michael Mare, 41, Ghent. Daniel Harding, 26, Croomsbury, in Somerseture. William Fernan, age 22, Somerseture. Jonathan Vermaugh, 19, near in Wiltshire. Abraham Harper, 23, from Bristol. Jonathan Parker, 22, Winford, in Dorseture. Jonathan Phillips, 28, Allaway, in Scotland. James Clement, age 20, Jersey. Peter Scudamore, 35, from Bristol. James Skirm, 44, from Wales. John Walden, 24, Somerseture. Jonathan Stevenson, 40, from Whitby. Jonathan Mansfield, 30, from the Orkneys. Israel Hind, age 30, Bristol. Peter Leslie, 21, Aberdeen. Charles Bunce, 26, Exeter. Robert Burtson, age 30, other St. Mary's, Devonshire. Richard Harris, 45, Cornwall. Joseph Nossiter, 26, from Sabbury, in Devonshire. William Williams, age 30, Speechless at Execution. Argy Jacobson, 30, from Holland. Benjamin Jeffries, 21, from Bristol. Cuthbert Goss, 21, Topson. John Jessup, 20, from Plymouth. Edward Watts, 22, Dunmore. Thomas Giles, 26, Minehead. William Wood, age 27, York. Thomas Armstrong, age 34, from London. Executed on board the Weymouth. Robert Johnson, 32, but wider. George Smith, 25, from Wales. William Watts, 23, from Ireland. James Phillips, 35, Antigua. John Coleman, 24, from Wales. Robert Hayes, 20, Liverpool. William Davis, 23, Wales. The remainder of the pirates, whose names are under-mentioned, upon their humble petition to the court, had their sentence changed from death, to seven years' servitude conformable to our sentence of transportation, the petition is as follows. To the honourable, the president and judges of the Court of Admiralty for trying of pirates sitting at Cape Corso Castle the 20th day of April, 1722. The humble petition of Thomas Howe, Samuel Fletcher, etc. Humbly showeth, that your petition is being unhappily and unwarily drawn into that wretched and attestable crime of piracy, for which they now stand justly condemned, they most humbly pray the clemency of the Court in the mitigation of their sentence, that they may be permitted to serve the Royal African Company of England in this country for seven years in such a manner as the court shall think proper, that, by their just punishment, being made sensible of the error of their former ways, they will for the future become faithful subjects, good servants, and useful in their stations, if it please the Almighty to prolong their lives. And your petition is as in duty, etc. The resolution of the Court was, that the petitioners have left by this Court of Admiralty to interchange indentures with the Captain-General of the Gold Coast for the Royal African Company for seven years servitude at any of the Royal African Company settlements in Africa in such a manner as he, the said Captain-General, shall think proper. On Thursday the 26th day of April, the indentures being all drawn out, according to the grant made to the petitioners by the Court held on Friday the 20th of this instant, each prisoner was sent for up, signed, sealed, and exchanged them in the presence of Captain Mungo Herdman President James Phipps Esquire, Mr Edward Hyde, Mr Charles Fanshawe, and Mr John Atkins Register. A copy of the indenture. The indenture of a person condemned to serve abroad for piracy, which, upon the humble petition of the pirates therein mentioned, was most mercifully granted by his Imperial Majesty's commissioners and judges appointed to hold a Court of Admiralty for the trial of pirates at Cape Corso Castle in Africa, upon condition of serving seven years and other conditions are as follows. This indenture made the 26th day of April, Anno, Regni, Regis, Giorgi, Magni, Britanni, etc, Septimo, Domini, Milesimo, Sepsantissimo, Viginti, Duo, between Roger Scott, later of the City of Bristol, Marina, of the one part and the Royal African Company of England, their Captain-General and Commander-in-Chief for the time being on the other part, witnesses that the said Roger Scott doth hereby covenant and agree to, and with, the said Royal African Company, their Captain-General and Commander-in-Chief for the time being, to serve him, or his lawful successors, in any of the Royal African Company settlements on the coast of Africa, from the day of the date of these presence to the full term of seven years, from hence next ensuing, fully to be complete and ended, there, to serve in such employment as the said Captain-General, or his successors shall employ him according to the custom of the country in like kind, in consideration whereof the said Captain-General and Commander-in-Chief doth covenant and agree to, and with, the said Roger Scott to find and allow him meet, drink, apparel and lodging according to the custom of the country, in witness whereof the parties aforesaid to these presence have interchangeably put their hands and seals the day and year first above written, signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of us at Cape Corso Castle in Africa, where no stamped paper was to be had, Mungo Herdman President, witnesses, John Atkins Register, witnesses, in like manner was drawn out and exchanged the indentures of Thomas Howe of Barnstable in the County of Devon, Samuel Fletcher of East Smithfield, London, John Lane of Lombard Street, London, David Littlejun of Bristol, John King of Shadwell Parish, London, Henry Dennis of Biddiford, Hugh Harris of Corf Castle, Devonshire, William Taylor of Bristol, Thomas Owen of Bristol, John Mitchell of Shadwell Parish, London, Joshua Lee of Liverpool, William Shuren of Wapping Parish, London, Robert Hartley of Liverpool, John Griffin of Blackwall, Middlesex, James Crumby of London, Wapping, James Greenham of Marshfield, Gostyshire, John Horn of St. James's Parish, London, John Jessup of Wisbach, Cambridgeshire, David Rice of Bristol, none of which I hear are now living, two others, Viz George Wilson and Thomas Outer Laney, were respited from execution till his Majesty's pleasure should be known. The former died abroad and the latter came home and received his Majesty's pardon. The account of the whole stands thus, acquitted, seventy-four, executed, fifty-two, respited, two, to servitude, twenty, to the marshalsy, seventeen, killed in the ranger, ten, killed in the fortune, three, died in the passage to Cape Corso, fifteen, died afterwards in the castle, four, negroes in both ships, seventy, total, two hundred and seventy-six men. I am not ignorant how acceptable the behaviour and dying words of malefactors are to the generality of our countrymen, and therefore shall deliver what occurred worthy of notice in the behaviour of these criminals. The first fix that were called to execution were Magnus, Moody, Simpson, Sutton, Ashplant and Hardy, all of them old-standers and notorious offenders. When they were brought out of the hold on the parade in order to break off their fetters and fit the halters, none of them, it was observed, appeared the least ejected, unless Sutton, who spoke faint, but it was rather imputed to a flux that had seized him two or three days before than fear. A gentleman who was surgeon of the ship, who was so charitable at this time, to offer himself in the room of an ordinary, and represented to them, as well as he was able, the heinousness of their sin, a necessity which lay on them of repentance. One particular part of which ought to be acknowledging the justice they had met with. They seemed haidless for the present, some calling for water to drink, and others applying to their soldiers for caps. But when this gentleman pressed them for an answer, they all exclaimed against the severity of the court, and were so hardened as to curse and wish the same justice might overtake all the members of it, as had been dealt to them. They were poor robes, they said, and so hanged, while others no less guilty in another way escaped. When he endeavoured to compose their minds, exhorting them to die in charity with all the world, and would have diverted them from such vain discourse by asking them their country age in the like, some of them answered, what was that to him? They suffered the law, and should give no account but to God. Walking to the gallows, without a tear, in token of sorrow for their past offences, all showing as much concern as a man would express at travelling a bad road, nay, Simpson, at seeing a woman that he knew, he said, he had lain with that bitch three times, and now she was come to see him hanged. And hardy, when his hands were tied behind him, which happened from their not being acquainted with the way of bringing malefactors to execution, observed that he had seen many a man hanged, but this way of their hands being tied behind them, he was a stranger to, and never saw before in his life. I mention these two little instances to show how stupid and thoughtless they were of their end, and that the same abandoned and reprobate temper that had carried them through their rogueries abided with them to the last. Samuel Fletcher, another of the pirates ordered for execution, but reprieve, seemed to have a quickest sense of his condition, for when he saw those he was allotted with gone to execution, he sent a message by the provost marshal to the court, to be informed of the meaning of it, and humbly desired to know whether they designed him mercy or not. If they did, he stood infinitely obliged to them, and thought the whole service of his life, an incompetent return for so great a favour, but that if he was to suffer, the sooner the better, he said, that he might be out of his pain. There were others of these pirates the reverse of this, and though destitute of ministers or fit persons to represent their sins, and assist them with spiritual advice, were yet always employing their time to good purposes, and behaved with a great deal of seeming devotion and penitence. Among these maybe reckons Scudamore, Williams, Phillips, Stevenson, Jeffries, Leslie Harper, Armstrong, Bunce, and others. Scudamore too lately discerned the folly and wickedness of the enterprise, that had chiefly brought him under sentence of death, from which, seeing there was no hopes of escaping, he petitioned for two or three days reprieve, which was granted, and for that time applied himself incessantly to prayer, and reading the scriptures, seemed to have a deep sense of his sins of this in particular, and desired at the gallows they would have patience with him, to sing the first part of the thirty-first psalm, which he did by himself throughout. Armstrong, having been a deserter from his majesty's service, was executed on board the Weymouth, and the only one that was. There was no body to press him to an acknowledgement of the crime he died for, nor of sorrowing in particular for it, which would have been exemplary and made suitable impressions on Seaman, so that his last hour was spent in lamenting and bewailing his sins in general, exalting the spectators to an honest and good life, in which alone they could find satisfaction. In the end, he desired they would join with him in singing two or three later verses of the hundred and fortieth psalm, and that, being concluded, he was, at the firing of a gun, triced up at the four-yard arm. Bunce was a young man, not above twenty-six years old, but made the most pathetical speech of any at the gallows. He first declined against the gilded baits of power, liberty, and wealth that had ensnared him among the pirates, his unexperienced years not being able to withstand the temptation, but that the briskness he had shown which so fatally had procured him favour amongst them was not so much a fault in principle as the liveliness and vivacity of his nature. He was now extremely afflicted for the injuries he had done to all men, and begged theirs and God's forgiveness, very earnestly exhorting the spectators to remember their Creator in their youth, and guard betimes that their minds took not a wrong bias, concluding with this apt similitude, that he stood there as a beacon upon a rock, the gallows standing on one, to warn earring mariners of danger. 10. Captain Anstis and his crew Thomas Anstis shipped himself at Providence in the year 1718 aboard the Buck Sloup, and was one of six that conspired together to go off a pirating with a vessel. The rest were Howell Davis, Robert's predecessor, killed at the island of Princess, Dennis' topping, killed at the taking of the rich Portuguese ship on the coast of Brazil, Walter Kennedy hanged at Execution Dock, and two others which I forbear to name, because I understand they are at this day employed in an honest vocation in the city. What followed concerning Anstis's piracies has been included in the two preceding chapters. I shall only observe that the combination of these six men, above mentioned, was the beginning of that company, that afterwards proved so formidable under Captain Roberts, for whom Anstis separated the 18th of April, 1721, in the good fortune Brigantine, leaving his Commodore to pursue his adventures upon the coast of Guinea, whilst he returned to the West Indies upon the like design. About the middle of June these pirates met with one Captain Marston, between Hispaniola and Jamaica, bound on a voyage to New York, from whom they took all the wearing apparel they could find, also his liquors and provisions, and five of his men, but did not touch his cargo. Two or three other vessels were also plundered by them. In this cruise, out of whom they stocked themselves with provisions and men, among the rest, I think, was the Irwin, Captain Ross, from Cork in Ireland, but this I won't be positive of, because they denied it themselves. This ship had six hundred barrels of beef aboard, besides other provisions, and was taken off Martinico, where Colonel Doyle, of Montserrat, and his family were passengers. The Colonel was very much abused and wounded, for endeavoring to save a poor woman, that was also a passenger, from the insults of that British crew, and the pirates prevailing, twenty-one of them forced the poor creature successively, afterwards broke her back and flung her into the sea. I say I will not be positive that it was Ernst's crew that acted this unheard of violence and cruelty, though the circumstances of the place, the time, the force of the vessel, and the number of men do all concur. And I can place the villainy nowhere else, but that such a fact was done, there is too much evidence for it to be doubted of. When they thought fit to put an end to this cruise, they went into one of the islands to clean, which they affected without any disturbances, and came out again, and stretching away toward Bermudas met with a stout ship called the Morning Star, bound from Guinea to Carolina. They made a prize of her, and kept her for their own use. In a day or two, a ship from Barbados, bound to New York, fell into their hands, and taking out her guns and tackle, mounted the Morning Star with thirty-two pieces of cannon, manned her with a hundred men, and appointed one John Fenn, captain. For the Brigantine, being of less force, the Morning Star would have fallen to Ernst's as elder officer, yet he was so in love with his own vessel, she being an excellent sailor, that he made it his choice to stay in her, and let Fenn, who was before his gunner, command the great ship. Now they had two good ships well manned. It may be supposed they were in a condition to undertake something bold. But their government was disturbed by malcontents, and a kingdom divided within itself cannot stand. They had such a number of new men amongst them, that seemed not so violently inclined for the game, that whatever the captain proposed, it was certainly carried against him, so that they came to no fixed resolution, for the undertaking any enterprise. Therefore there was nothing to be done, but break up the company, which seemed to be the inclination of the majority. But the manner of doing so concerned their common safety, to which purpose various means were proposed. At length it was concluded to send home a petition to his majesty. There being no act of indemnity in force, for a pardon, and wait the issue. At the same time one Jones, bosan of the good fortune, proposed a place of safe retreat, it being an uninhabited island near Cuba, which he had been used to in the late war, when he went to privateering against the Spaniards. This being approved of, it was unanimously resolved on, and the underwritten petition drawn up, and signed by the whole company, in the manner of what they call a round robin. That is, the names were writ in a circle, to avoid all appearance of preeminence, and least any person should be marked out by the government as a principal rogue among them. To his most sacred majesty, George, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc. The humble petition of the company now belonging to the ship Morning Star, and Brigantine, good fortune, lying under the ignominious name and denomination of pirates. Humbly showeth, that we, your majesty's most loyal subjects, have at sundry times been taken by Bartholomew Roberts, the then captain of the above said vessels and company, together with another ship in which we left him, and have been forced by him and his wicked accomplices to enter into and serve in the said company as pirates, much contrary to our wills and inclinations. And we, your loyal subjects, utterly abhorring and detesting that impious way of living, did, with unanimous consent and contrary to the knowledge of the said Roberts or his accomplices, on or about the eighteenth day of April 1721, leave and ran away with the aforesaid ship Morning Star, and Brigantine, good fortune, with no other intent and meaning, than the hopes of obtaining your majesty's most gracious pardon. And that we, your majesty's most loyal subjects, may, with more safety, return to our native country, and serve the nation unto which we belong, in our respective capacities, without fear of being prosecuted by the injured, whose estates have suffered by the said Roberts and his accomplices during our forcible detainment by the said company. We most humbly implore your majesty's most royal assent to this or humble petition. And your petitioners shall ever pray. The petition was sent home by a merchant ship bound to England, from Jamaica, who promised to speak with the petitioners in their return about twenty leagues to the windward of that island, and let them know what success their petition met with. When this was done, the pirates retires to the island before proposed, with the ship and Brigantine. The island, which I have no name for, lies off the southwest end of Cuba, uninhabited and little frequented. On the east end is a lagoon, so narrow that a ship can but just go in, though there is some fifteen to twenty-two foot water, for almost a league up. On both sides of the lagoon grows red mangrove trees, very thick, that the entrance of it, as well as the vessel's line there, is hardly to be seen. In the middle of the island are here and there a small thick wood of tall pines and other trees scattered about in different places. Here they stayed about nine months, but not having provisions for above two, they were forced to take what the island offered, which was fish of several sorts, particularly turtle. Which latter was the cheapest food they lived on, and was found in great plenty on the coasts of the island. Whether there might be any wild hogs, beef, or other cattle, common to several islands of the West Indies, or that the pirates were too idle to hunt them, or whether they preferred other provisions to that sort of diet, I know not. But I was informed by them that for the whole time they eat not a bit of any kind of flesh meat nor bread. The latter was supplied by rice, of which they had a great quantity aboard. This was boiled and squeezed dry, and so eat with the turtle. There are three or four sorts of these creatures in the West Indies, the largest of which will weigh one hundred and fifty or two hundred pounds weight or more. But those that were found upon this island were of the smallest kind, weighing ten or twelve pounds each, with a fine natural rock shell, and beautifully clouded. The meat sweet and tender, some part of it eating like chicken, and some like veal, etc., so that it was no extraordinary hardship for them to live upon this provision alone, since it affords varieties of meats to the taste of itself. The manner of catching this fish is very particular. You must understand that in the months of May, June, and July, they lay their eggs in order to hatch with their young, and this three times in a season, which is always in the sand of the seashore, each laying eighty or ninety eggs at a time. The male accompanies the female, and come ashore in the night only, when they must be watched without making any noise or having a light. As soon as they land, the men that watch for them turn them on their backs and haul them above high-water mark, and leave them till next morning, where they are sure to find them, for they can't turn again nor move from the place. It is to be observed that beside their laying time they come ashore to feed, but then, what's very remarkable in these creatures, they always resort to a different place to breed, leaving their usual haunts for two or three months, and to this thought they eat nothing in all that season. They pass their time here in dancing and other diversions, agreeable to these sorts of folks, and among the rest they appoint at a mock court of judicature to try one another for piracy, and he that was criminal one day was made judge another. I had an account given me of one of these merry trials, and as it appeared diverting, I shall give the readers a short account of it. The court and criminals, being both appointed, and also counseled to plead, the judge got up in a tree, and had a dirty tarplin hung over his shoulders. This was done by way of robe, with a thrun cap on his head, and a large pair of spectacles upon his nose. Thus equipped, he settled himself in his place, and, abundance of officers attending him below, with crows, hand spikes, etc., instead of wands, tip-staves, and such like. The criminals were brought out, making a thousand four faces, and one who acted as Attorney General opened the charge against them. Their speeches were very laconic, and their whole proceeding concise. We shall give it by way of dialogue. Attorney General. As it please your lordship and your gentleman of the jury, here is a fellow before you, that is a sad dog, a sad, sad dog, and I humbly hope your lordships will order him to be hanged out of the way immediately. He has committed piracy upon the high seas, and we shall prove, and it please your lordship, that this fellow, this sad dog before you, has escaped the thousand storms. Nay, he has got safe ashore when the ship has been cast away, which was a certain sign that he was not born to be drowned. Yet, not having the fear of hanging before his eyes, he went on robbing and ravishing man, woman, and child, plundering the ship's cargoes, fore and aft, burning and sinking ship, bark, and boat, as if the devil had been in him. But this is not all, my lord. He has committed worse villainies than all these, for we shall prove that he has been guilty of drinking small beer, and your lordships know that there never was a sober fellow but what was a rogue. My lord, I should have spoke much finer than I do now, but that, as your lordship knows, our rum is all out, and how should a man speak good law that has not drank a dram. However, I hope your lordship will order the fellow to be hanged. Judge. Here come ye, Sira, you lousy, pitiful, ill-looked dog. What have you to say? Why should you not be tucked up immediately, and set a sun drying like a scarecrow? Are you guilty or not guilty? Prisoner. Not guilty, and it please your worship. Judge. Not guilty? Say so again, Sira, and I'll have you hanged without any trial. Prisoner. And it please your worship's honor, my lord. I am as honest a poor fellow as ever went between stem and stern of a ship, and can hand, reef, steer, and clap two ends of a rope together, as well as he that ever crossed salt water. But I was taken by one George Bradley, the name of him who sat as judge. A notorious pirate, a sad rogue as ever was unhanged, and he forced me, and it please your honor. Judge. Answer me, Sira. How will you be tried? Prisoner. By G. and my country. Judge. The devil you will. Why, then, gentlemen of the jury, I think we have nothing to do, but proceed to judgment. Attorney General. Right, my lord, for if the fellow should be suffered to speak, he may clear himself, and that's an affront to the court. Prisoner. Pray, my lord, I hope you lordships will consider. Judge. Consider? How dare you talk of considering? Sira, Sira, I never considered in all my life. I'll make it treason to consider. Prisoner. But I hope your lordship will hear some reason. Judge. Do you hear now how the scoundrel prays? What have we to do with reason? I'll have you know, Rascal, we don't sit here to hear reason. We go according to law. Is our dinner ready? Attorney General. Yes, my lord. Judge. Then hear, you Rascal, at the bar. Hear me, Sira, hear me. You must suffer. For three reasons. First, because it is not fit I should sit here as judge, and nobody be hanged. Secondly, you must be hanged because you have a damned hanging look. And thirdly, you must be hanged because I am hungry. For you know, Sira, that tis accustomed that whenever the judge's dinner is ready before the trial is over, the prisoner is to be hanged, of course. There's law for you, ye dog, so take him away, jailer. This is the trial just as it was related to me. The design of my setting it down is only to show how these fellows can jest upon things, the fear and dread of which should make them tremble. The beginning of August 1722 the pirates made ready the brigantine and came out to sea and, beating up to windward, lay in the track for their correspondent in her voyage to Jamaica and spoke with her. But finding nothing was done in England in their favor, as was expected, they returned to their consorts at the island with the ill news and found themselves under a necessity. As they fancied, to continue the abominable course of life, they had lately practiced. In order there to, they sailed with the ship and brigantine to the southward, and the next night, by intolerable neglect, they run the morning star upon the Grand Caimans and Rector. The brigantine, seeing the fate of her consort, hauled off in time, and so weathered the island. The next day Captain Anstis, put in and found that all, or the greatest part of the crew, were safe ashore, whereupon she came to an anchor, in order to fetch them off, and having brought Fen the captain, Phillips the carpenter, and a few others aboard, two men of war came down upon them, V's the Hector and Adventure, so that the brigantine had but just time to cut their cable and get to sea, with one of the men of war after her, keeping within gunshot for several hours. Anstis and his crew were now under the greatest consternation imaginable, finding the gale freshen, and the man of war gaining ground upon them. So that in all probability, they must have been prisoners in two hours more. But it pleased God to give them a little longer time. The wind dying away, the pirates got out their oars and rode for their lives, and thereby got clear of their enemy. The Hector landed her men upon the island, and took forty of the Morning Star's crew, without any resistance made by them. But on the contrary, a legend that they were forced men, and that they were glad of this opportunity to escape from the pirates. The rest hid themselves in the woods, and could not be found. George Bradley, the master, and three more surrendered afterwards to a Bermudas sloop, and were carried to that island. The brigantine, after her escape, sailed to a small island near the bay of Honduras to clean and refit, and in her way, thither, took a Rhode Island sloop, Captain Durfee, commander, and two or three other vessels, which they destroyed, but brought all hands aboard their own. While she was cleaning, a scheme was concerted between Captain Durfee, some other prisoners, and two or three of the pirates, for to seize some of the chiefs, and carry off the brigantine. But the same being discovered before she was fit for sailing, their design was prevented. However, Captain Durfee and four or five more got ashore with some arms in ammunition, and when the pirate's canoe came in for water, he seized the boat with the men, upon which Anstis ordered another boat to be manned with thirty hands and sent to shore, which was accordingly done. But Captain Durfee, and the company he had by that time got together, gave them such a warm reception that they were contented to be taken themselves to their vessel again. About the beginning of December 1722, Anstis left this place and returned to the islands, designing to accumulate all the power and strength he could, since there was no looking back. He took in the crews of good ship, commanded by Captain Smith, which he mounted with twenty-four guns, and Fen, a one-handed man, who commanded the morning star when she was lost, went aboard to command her. They cruised together and took a vessel or two, and then went to the Bahama Islands, where they met with what they wanted. These a sloop loaded with provisions from Dublin, called the Antelope. It was now time to think of a place to fit up and clean their frigate, lately taken, and put her in a condition to do business. Accordingly, they pitched upon the island of Tobago, where they arrived the beginning of April 1723, with the Antelope sloop and her cargo. They fell to work immediately, got the guns, the stores, and everything else out upon the island, and put the ship upon the hill. And just then, as ill luck would have it, came in the wind-chelsea, man of war, by way of visit, which put the marooners in such a surprise that they set fire to the ship and sloop, and fled ashore to the woods. Ancests, in the brigantine, escaped by having a light pair of heels. But it put his company into such a disorder that their government could never be set to rights again. For some of the newcomers, and those who had been tired with the trade, put an end to the rain by shooting Thomas Antis in his hammock, and afterwards the quartermaster, and two or three others. The rest, submitting, they put into irons and surrendered them up, and the vessel, at Caraco, a Dutch settlement, where they were tried and hanged, and those concerned in delivering up the vessel, acquitted. But to return the captain Fen. He was taken straggling with his gunner, and three more, a day or two after their misfortune, by the man of war's men, and carried to Antigua, where they were all executed, and Fen hanged in chains. Those who remained stayed some time in the island, keeping up and down in the woods. With a hand to look out, at length Providence so ordered it that a small sloop came into the harbor, which they all got aboard of, except two or three Negroes, and those they left behind. They did not think fit to pursue any further adventures, and therefore unanimously resolved to steer for England, which they accordingly did, and in October last came in the Bristol Channel, sunk the sloop, and getting ashore in the boat dispersed themselves to their abodes. CHAPTER XI Of Captain Whirly and his crew. His reign was but short, but his beginning somewhat particular, setting out in a small open boat with eight others from New York. This was as resoluted crew as ever went upon this account. They took with them a few biscuits, and a dried tongue or two, a little cag of water, half a dozen old muskets, and ammunition accordingly. Thus provided, they left New York the latter end of September 1718, but it cannot be supposed that such a man of war as this could undertake any considerable voyage, or attempt any extraordinary enterprise. So they stood down the coast, till they came to Delaware River, which is about a hundred and fifty miles distant, and not meeting with anything in their way, they turned up the same river as Highers Newcastle, near which place they fell upon a shalop belonging to George Grant, who was bringing household goods, plate, etc., from Upper Quenemy to Philadelphia. They made prize of the most valuable part of them, and let the shalop go. This fact could not come under the article of piracy, it not being committed super altum mare, upon the high sea. Therefore, was a simple robbery only. But they did not stand for a point of law in the case, but easing the shalop man of his lading, the bold adventurers went down the river again. The shalop came straight to Philadelphia, and brought the ill news-liver, which so alarmed the government as if war had been declared against them. Expresses were sent to New York and other places, and several vessels fitted out against this powerful rover, but to no manner of purpose. For, after several days' cruise, they all returned, without so much as hearing what became of the robbers. Worley and his crew, in going down the river, met with a sloop of Philadelphia, belonging to a mulatto whom they called Black Robin. They quitted their boat for this sloop, taking one of Black Robin's men along with them, as they had also done from George Grant, besides two negroes, which increased the company one third. A day or two after, they took another sloop belonging to Hull, homeward bound, which was somewhat fitter for their purpose. They found aboard her provisions and necessaries, which they stood in need of, and enabled them to prosecute their design in a manner more suitable to their wishes. Upon the success of these rovers, the governor issued out proclamation for the apprehending and taking all pirates who had refused or neglected to surrender themselves by the time limited in his majesty's proclamation of pardon, and thereupon ordered his majesty's ship Phoenix, of twenty guns, which lay its sandy hook, to sea, to cruise upon this pirate, and secure the trade to that and the adjoining colonies. In all probability, for taking this sloop saved their bacons, for this time, though they fell into the trap personally afterwards, for they finding themselves in terrible good condition, having a vessel newly cleaned with provisions, etc., they stood off to sea, and so missed the Phoenix, who expected them to be still on the coast. About six weeks afterwards they returned, having taken both a sloop and a brigantine among the Bahama Islands, the former they sunk, and the other they let go. The sloop belonged to New York, and they thought the sinking of her good policy to prevent her returning to tell tales at home. Whirly had by this time increased his company to about five and twenty men, had six guns mounted, and small arms as many as were necessary for them, and seemed to be in a good thriving sort of a way. He made a black ensign, with a white death's head in the middle of it, and other colours suitable to it. They all signed articles, and bound themselves under a solemn oath to take no quarters, but to stand by one another to the last man, which was rashly fulfilled a little afterwards. For, going into an inlet in North Carolina to clean, the Governor received information of it, and sitted out two sloops, one of eight guns and the other with six, and about seventy men between them. Whirly had cleaned his sloop, and sailed before the Carolina sloops reached the place, and steered to the Northwood. But the sloops just mentioned, pursuing the same course, came in sight of Whirly as he was cruising off the capes of Virginia, and being in the offing, he stood in as soon as he saw the sloops, intending thereby to have cut them off from James River. For he verily believed they had been bound thither, not imagining in the least they were in pursuit of him. The two sloops standing towards the capes at the same time, and Whirly hoisting of his black flag, the inhabitants of Jamestown were in the utmost consternation, thinking that all three had been pirates, and that their design had been upon them, so that all the ships and vessels that were in the road, or in the rivers up the bay, had orders immediately to hail into the shore for their security, or else to prepare for their defence, if they thought themselves in a condition to fight. Soon after two boats, which were sent out to get intelligence, came crowding in, and brought an account that one of the pirates was in the bay, being a small sloop of six guns. The governor, expecting the rest would have followed, and altogether make some attempt to land for the sake of plunder, beat to arms, and collected all the force that could be got together to oppose them. He ordered all the guns out of the ships to make a platform, and, in short, put the whole colony in a war-like posture, but was very much surprised at last to see all the supposed pirates fighting with one another. The truth of the matter is Whirly gained the bay, thinking to make sure of his two prizes by keeping them from coming in, but, by the hoisting of the king's colours and firing a gun, he quickly was sensible of his mistake, and too soon perceived that the tables were turned upon him, that instead of keeping them out, he found himself by a superior force kept in. When the pirates saw how things went, they resolutely prepared themselves for a desperate defence, and though three-to-one odds Whirly and his crew determined to fight to the last gasp, and receive no quarters, agreeably to what they had before sworn, so that they must either die or conquer upon the spot. The Carolina men gave the pirate a broadside, and then boarded him, one sloop getting upon his quarter, and the other on his bow. Whirly and the crew drew up upon the deck, and fought very obstinately, hand to hand, so that in a few minutes, abundance of men lay weltering in their gore. The pirates proved as good as their words, not a man of them cried out for quarter, nor would accept of such when offered, but were all killed except the captain and another man, and those very much wounded, and they reserved for the gallows. They were brought ashore in Ions, and the next day, which was the 17th of February, 1718-19, they were both hanged up, for fear they should die, and evade the punishment as was thought due to their crimes. CHAPTER XII PART ONE OF THE GENERAL HISTORY OF THE PIRATES VOLUME ONE CHAPTER XII PART ONE OF CAPTAIN G. LOUDER AND HIS CREW G. LOUDER SAILED OUT OF THE RIVER OF TEMS IN ONE OF THE ROYAL AFRICAN COMPANY SHIPS CALLED THE GAMBIA CASTLE OF SIXTEEN GUNS AND THIRTY MEN CHARLES RUSSELL COMMANDER, OF WHICH SHIP THE SUD LOUDER WAS SECOND MATE. A board of the same ship was a certain number of soldiers, commanded by one John Massie, who were to be carried to one of the company settlements on the river of Gambia, to Garrison of Fort, which was some time ago taken and destroyed by Captain Davis, the pirate. In May 1721, the Gambia Castle came safe to her port in Africa, and landed Captain Massie and his men on James's Island, where he was to command under the Governor, Colonel Whitney, who arrived there at the same time in another ship. And here, by a fatal misunderstanding between the military folks and the trading people, the Fort and Garrison not only came to be lost again to the company, but a fine galley well provided and worth ten thousand pounds turned against her masters. The names of Governor and Captain sounded great, but when the gentlemen found that the power that generally goes along with those titles was oversuade and borne down by the merchants and factors—mechanic fellows as they thought them—they grew very impatient and dissatisfied, especially Massie, who was very loud in his complaints against them, particularly at the small allowance of provisions to him and his men. For the Garrison and Governor, too, were victualed by the merchants, which was no small grievance and mortification to them. And as the want of eating was the only thing that made the great Sancho quit his government, so did it hear rend and tear theirs to pieces. For Massie told them that he did not come there to be a guinea slave, and that he had promised his men good treatment and provisions fitting for soldiers. That, as he had the care of so many of his majesty's subjects, if they would not provide for them in a handsome manner, he should take suitable measures for the preservation of so many of his countrymen and companions. The Governor, at this time, was very ill of a fever, and, for the better accommodation in his sickness, was carried aboard the ship Gambia Castle, where he continued for about three weeks and therefore could have little to say in this dispute, though he resolved not to stay in a place where there was so little occasion for him, and where his power was so confined. The merchants had certainly orders from the company to issue the provisions out to the Garrison, and the same is done along the whole coast. But whether they had cut them short of the allowance that was appointed them, I can't say. But if they did, then is the loss of the ship and Garrison owing principally to their ill conduct. However, an accident that happened on board the ship did not a little contribute to this misfortune, which was a peek that the captain of her took against his second mate, George Louther, the man who is the subject of this short history, and who, losing his favor, found means to ingratiate himself into the good-liking of the common sailors, in so much that when Captain Russell ordered him to be punished, the men took up hand spikes and threatened to knock that man down that offered to lay hold of the mate. This served but to widen the differences between him and the captain, and more firmly attached Louther to the ship's company, the greatest part of which he found ripe for any mischief in the world. Captain Massey was no with the better reconciled to the place by a longer continuance, nor to the usage he met with there, and having often opportunities of conversing with Louther, with whom he had contracted an intimacy in the voyage, they aggravated one another's grievances to such a height that they resolved upon measures to curb the power that controlled them, and to provide for themselves after another manner. When the governor recovered of his fever, he went ashore to the island, but took no notice of Massey's behavior, though it was such as might give suspicion of what he designed, and Louther and the common sailors, who were in the secret of affairs, grew insolent and bold even refusing to obey when commanded to their duty by Captain Russell and the chief mate. The captain, seeing how things were carried, goes ashore early one morning to the governor and factory in order to hold a council, which Louther apprehending was in order to prevent his design, so sent a letter and the same boat to Massey, intimating it to him, and that he should repair on board, for it was high time to put their project in execution. As soon as Massey received this letter, he went to the soldiers at the barracks and said to them and others, you that have a mind to go to England now is your time. And they, generally consenting, Massey went to the storeroom, burst open the door, set two sentinels upon it, and ordered that nobody should come near it. Then he went to the governor's apartment and took his bed, baggage, plate, and furniture, in expectation that the governor himself, as he had promised Massey, would have gone on board, which he afterwards refused by reason, as he said, he believed they were going a pirating, which at first, whatever Louther designed, Massey certainly proposed only the going to England. When this was done, he sent the boat off to the chief mate with this message, that he should get the guns ready for that the king of Barrow, a Negro kingdom near the Royal African Settlement, would come aboard to dinner. But Louther, understanding best the meaning of those orders, he confined the chief mate, shotted the guns, and put the ship in a condition for sailing. In the afternoon Massey came on board with the governor's son, having sent off all the provisions of the island, and eleven pipes of wine, leaving only two half-pipes behind in the storehouse, and dismounted all the guns of the fort. In the afternoon they weighed one anchor, but fearing to be too late to get out of the river, they slipped the other, and so fell down, in doing of which they run the ship aground. Massey shoot himself a soldier upon this accident, for as soon as the misfortune happened, he left the ship with about sixteen hands, and rose directly to the fort, rebounced the guns, and keeps the garrison there all the night, while the ship was ashore, and applied some of the factory to assist in getting her clear. In the meanwhile Russell came off, but not being suffered to come on board, he called to Louther, and offered him and the company whatever terms they would be pleased to accept of, upon condition of surrendering up the ship, which had no effect upon any of them. In the morning they got a refloat, and Massey and his men came aboard, after having nailed up and dismounted all the cannon of the fort. They put the governor's son and two or three others ashore, who were not willing to go without the governor, and sailed out of the river, having exchanged several shot with the Martha, Otter, etc., that lay there, without doing execution on either side. When the ship came out to sea, Louther called up all the company, and told them, it was the greatest folly imaginable to think of returning to England, for what they had already done could not be justified upon any pretense whatsoever, but would be looked upon in the eye of the law a capital offence, and that none of them were in a condition to withstand the attacks of such powerful adversaries as they would meet with at home. For his part he was determined not to run such a hazard, and therefore if his proposal was not agreed to, he desired to be set ashore in some place of safety, that they had a good ship under them, a partial of brave fellows in her, that it was not their business to starve or be made slaves, and therefore if they were all of his mind they should seek their fortunes upon the seas, as other adventurers had done before them. They one and all came into the measures, knocked down the cabins, made the ship flush for and aft, prepared black colors, new named her the delivery, having about fifty hands and sixteen guns, and the following short articles were drawn up, signed, and sworn to upon the Bible. The articles of Captain George Louther and his company 1. The captain is to have two full shares, the master is to have one share and a half, the doctor, mate, gutter and boson, one share and a quarter. 2. He that shall be found guilty of taking up any unlawful weapon on board the privateer, or any prize by us taken, so as to strike or abuse one another in any regard, shall suffer what punishment the captain and majority of the company shall think fit. 3. He that shall be found guilty of cowardice in the time of engagement shall suffer what punishment the captain and majority shall think fit. 4. If any gold, jewels, silver, etc. be found on board of any prize or prizes to the value of a piece of eight, and the finder do not deliver it to the quarter master in the space of twenty-four hours, he shall suffer what punishment the captain and majority shall think fit. 5. He that is found guilty of gaming or defrauding another to the value of a shilling shall suffer what punishment the captain and majority of the company shall think fit. 6. He that shall have the misfortune to lose a limb in time of engagement shall have the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds sterling, and remain with the company as long as he shall think fit. 7. Good quarters to be given when called for. 8. He that sees a sail first shall have the best pistol or small arm on board her. It was the thirteenth of June that Louther left the settlement, and on the twentieth, being then within twenty leagues of Barbados, he came upon a brigantine belonging to Boston, called the Charles, James Douglas Master, which they plundered in a piratical manner and let the vessel go. But lest she should meet with any of the stationships, and so give information of the robbery in Taurorum, to prevent a pursuit Louther contrived to sort of a certificate, which he directed the master to shoe to their consort if they should meet with her. And upon sight of it the brigantine would pass unmolested. This consort, he pretended, was a forty-gun ship and cruising thereabouts. After this the delivery proceeded to Hispaniola, where, near the west end of the island she met with a French sloop, loading with wine and brandy. A board of this vessel went Captain Massey as a merchant and asked the price of one thing and then another, bidding money for the greatest part of the cargo. But after he had trifled a while, he whispered a secret in the French man's ear, peace, that they must have it all without money. Mongeur presently understood his meaning and unwillingly agreed to the bargain. They took out of her thirty casques of brandy, five hogsheads of wine, several pieces of chintzes, and other valuable goods, and about seventy pounds English and money, of which Lauder generously returned five pounds back to the French master for his civilities. But as all constitutions grow old and thereby shake and totter, so did our commonwealth in about a month of its age feel commotions and intestine disturbances by the divisions of its members, which had near hand terminated in its destruction. These civil discords were owing to the following occasion. Captain Massey had been a soldier almost from his infancy, but was but very indifferently acquainted with maritime affairs, and having an enterprising soul, nothing would satisfy him but he must be doing business his own way. Therefore he required Lauder to let him have thirty hands to land with, and he would attack the French settlements and bring aboard the devil and all of plunder. Lauder did all that he could do and said all that he could say to dissuade Massey from so rash and dangerous an attempt, pointing out to him the hazard the company would run, and the consequence to them all if he should not succeed, and the little likelihood there was to expect success from the undertaking. But was all one for that Massey would go and attack the French settlements, for anything Lauder could say against it, so that he was obliged to propose the matter to the company, among whom Massey found a few fellows as resolute as himself. However a great majority being against it the affair was overruled in opposition to Captain Massey, notwithstanding which Massey grew fractious, quarreled with Lauder, and the men divided into parties, some siding with the land pirate and some with the sea rover, and were all ready to fall together by the ears when the man at the mast had cried out, a sail, a sail! Then they gave over the dispute, set all their sails, and steered after the chase. In a few hours they came up with her, she being a small ship from Jamaica bound to England. They took what they thought fit out of her, and a hand or two, and then Lauder was for sinking the ship, with several passengers that were in her, for what reason I know not, but Massey so that he interposed, prevented their cruel fate, and the ship safely arrived afterwards in England. The next day they took a small sloop, an interloping trader which they detained with her cargo. All this while Massey was uneasy, and declared his resolution to leave them, and Lauder finding him a very troublesome man to deal with consented that he should take the sloop last made prize of, with what hands had a mind to go with them, and shift for himself. Whereupon Massey, with about ten more malcontents, goes aboard the sloop, and comes away in her directly for Jamaica. Notwithstanding what had passed, Captain Massey puts a bold face up on the matter, and goes to Sir Nicholas Law as the governor, informs him of his leaving Lauder the pirate, owns that he had assisted in going off with the ship at the River Gambia, but said, to has to save so many of his majesty's subjects from perishing, and that his design was to return to England, but Lauder conspiring with the greater part of the company went a pirating with the ship, and that he had taken this opportunity to leave him, and surrender himself and vessel to his excellency. Massey was very well received by the governor, and had his liberty given him, with the promise of his favour and so forth, and at his own request, he was sent on board the happy sloop, Captain Law's, to cruise off his Spaniola for Lauder. But not being so fortunate as to meet with him, Captain Massey returned back to Jamaica in the sloop, and getting a certificate and a supply of money from the governor, he came home passenger to England. When Massey came to town, he writes a long letter to the deputy governor and directors of the African Company, wherein he imprudently relates the whole transactions of his voyage, the going off with the ship and the acts of piracy he had committed with Lauder, but excuses it as rashness and inadvertency in himself, occasioned by his being ill-used, contrary to the promises that had been made him and the expectations he had entertained, but owned that he deserved to die for what he had done, yet if they had generosity enough to forgive him, as he was still capable to do them service as a soldier, so he should be very ready to do it. But if they resolved to prosecute him, he begged only this favor, that he might not be hanged like a dog, but to die like a soldier as he had been bred from his childhood, that is, that he might be shot. This was the substance of the letter, which, however, did not produce so favorable an answer as he hoped for, word being brought back to him that he should be fairly hanged, whereupon Massey resolved not to be out of the way when he found what important occasion there was likely to be for him, but takes a lodging in Aldersgate Street, the next day went to the Lord Chief Justice's chambers and inquired if my Lord had granted the warrant against Captain John Massey for piracy. But being told by the clerks that they knew of no such thing, he informed them he was the man, that my Lord would soon be applied to for that purpose, and the officer might come to him at such a place where he lodged. They took the directions in writing, and in a few days, a warrant being issued, the tipstaff went directly by his own information and apprehended him, without any other trouble than walking to his lodging. There was then no person in town to charge him with any fact upon which he could be committed, nor could the letter be proved to be of his hand writing, so that they had been obliged to let him go again if he had not helped his accusers out at Pinch. The magistrate was reduced to the pudding of his question to him. Did you write this letter? He answered he did. And not only that, but confessed all the contents of it, upon which he was committed to Newgate, but was afterwards admitted to a hundred pounds bail or thereabouts. On the 5th of July, 1723, he was brought to his trial at a court of admiralty held at the Old Bailey, when Captain Russell, Governor Whitney's son, and others appeared as evidences, by whom the indictment was plainly proved against him, which, if it had not been done, the captain was of such an heroic spirit that he would have denied nothing. For instead of making a defense, he only entertained the court with a long narrative of his expedition, from the first setting out to his return to England, mentioning two acts of piracy committed by him which he was not charged with, often challenging the evidences to contradict him if in anything he related the least syllable of an untruth, and instead of denying the crime set forth in the indictment, he charged himself with various circumstances which fixed the facts more home upon him. Upon the whole, the captain was found guilty, received sentence of death, and was executed three weeks after at Execution Dock. CHAPTER XII OF THE GENERAL HISTORY OF THE PIRATES, VOLUME I 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 RAIN THE GENERAL HISTORY OF THE PIRATES, VOLUME I BY CHARLES JOHNSON CHAPTER XII PART II We return now to Louther whom we left cruising off Hispaniola from whence he plied to Winward and near Puerto Rico chased two sail and spoke with them. They proving to be a small Bristol ship commanded by Captain Smith and a Spanish pirate who had made prize of the said ship. Louther examined into the Spaniards authority for taking an English vessel and threatened to put every man of them to death for so doing, so that the Spaniards fancied themselves to be in a very pitiful condition, till matters cleared up, and they found their masters as great rogues as themselves, from whom some mercy might be expected in regard to the near relation they stood with them as to their profession. In short, Louther first rifled and then burnt both ships, sending the Spaniards away in their launch and turning all the English sailors into pirates. After a few days' cruise, Louther took a small sloop belonging to St. Christopher's which they manned and carried along with them to a small island where they cleaned and stayed some time to take their diversions, which consisted in unheard of debaucheries with drinking, swearing, and rioting, in which there seemed to be a kind of emulation among them, resembling rather devils than men, striving who should outdo one another in new invented oaths and execrations. They all got aboard about Christmas observing neither times nor seasons for perpetrating their villainous actions, and sailed towards the Bay of Honduras. But stopping at the Grand Caymans for water, they met with a small vessel with thirteen hands and the same honorable employment with themselves. The captain of this gang was one Edward Lowe, whom we shall particularly discourse of in a chapter by itself. Louther received them as friends and treated them with all imaginable respect, inviting them as they were few in number and in no condition to pursue the account, as they called it, to join their strength together, which on the consideration of force said was accepted of, Louther still continuing commander and Lowe was made lieutenant. The vessel the new pirates came out of, they sunk, and the Confederates proceed on the voyage as Louther before intended. The 10th of January the pirates came into the bay and fell upon a ship of two hundred ton, called the Greyhound, Benjamin Edward's commander, belonging to Boston. Louther hoisted his piratical colors and fired a gun for the Greyhound to bring two, which she refusing, the happy delivery, the name of the pirate, edged down and gave her a broadside, which was returned by Captain Edwards very bravely and the engagement held for an hour. But Captain Edwards, finding the pirate too strong for him, and fearing the consequence of too obstinate a resistance against those lawless fellows, ordered his ensign to be struck. The pirate's boat came aboard and not only rifled the ship but whipped, beat, and cut the men in a cruel manner, turned them aboard their own ship, and then set fire to theirs. In cruising about the bay, they met and took several other vessels without any resistance, these two brigantines of Boston and New England, one of which they burned and sunk the other, a sloop belonging to Connecticut, Captain Ayres, which they also burned, a sloop of Jamaica, Captain Hamilton, they took for their own use, a sloop of Virginia they unlated, and was so generous as to give her back to the master that owned her. They took a sloop of one hundred ton, belonging to Rhode Island, which they were pleased to keep, and mount with eight carriage and ten swivel guns. With this little fleet, V's Admiral Louther and the happy delivery, Captain Low in the Rhode Island sloop, Captain Harris, who was second mate in the Greyhound when taken, in Hamilton sloop, and the little sloop formerly mentioned serving as a tender, I say with this fleet the pirates left the bay, and came to Port Mayo in the Gulf of Matique, and there made preparations to Corrine. They carried ashore all their sails and made tents by the waterside, wherein they laid their plunder, stores, etc., and fell to work, and at the time that the ships were up on the heel, and the good folks employed in heaving down, scrubbing, tallowing, and so forth, of a sudden came down a considerable body of the natives and attacked the pirates unprepared. As they were in no condition to defend themselves, they fled to their sloops, leaving them masters of the field in the spoil thereof, which was of great value, and set fire to the happy delivery, their capital ship. Louther made the best provision he could in the largest sloop, which he called the Ranger, having ten guns and eight swivels, and she sailing best, the company went all aboard of her and left the other at sea. Provisions was now very short, which, with the late loss, put them in a confounded ill humor, in so much that they were every now and then going together by the ears, laying the blame of their ill conduct sometimes upon one, then upon another. The beginning of May, 1722, they got to the West Indies, and there the island of Desiada took a brigantine, one pain master, that afforded them what they stood in need of, which put them in better temper, and business seemed to go on well again. After they had pretty well plundered the brigantine, they centered to the bottom, they went into the island and watered, and then stood to the northward, intending to visit the main coast of America. In the latitude of 38 they took a brigantine called the Rebecca of Boston, Captain Smith, bound thither from St. Christopher's. At the taking of this vessel the crews divided, for Low, whom Lowther joined at the Grand Caimans, proving always a very unruly member of the common wealth, always aspiring and never satisfied with the proceedings of the commander, he thought it the safest way to get rid of him, upon any terms, and according to the vote of the company, they parted the bare skin between them. Low, with forty-four hands, went aboard the brigantine, and Lowther with the same number stayed in the sloop, and separated that very night, being the twenty-eighth of May, seventeen, twenty-two. Lowther, proceeding on his way to the main coast, took three or four fishing vessels off New York, which was no great booty to the captors. The third of June they met with a small new English ship, bound home from Barbados, which stood in attack a small time, but finding it to no purpose yielded herself a prey to the booters. The pirates took out of her fourteen hogsheads of rum, six barrels of sugar, a large box of English goods, several casks of loaf sugar, a considerable quantity of pepper, six negroes, besides a sum of money and plate, and then let her go on her voyage. The next adventure was not so fortunate for them, for coming pretty near the coast of South Carolina, they met with a ship just come out on her voyage to England. Lowther gave her a gun and hoisted his piratical colors, but this ship, which was called the Amy, happening to have a brave gallant man to command her, who was not any ways daunted with that terrible ensign, the black flag, he, instead of striking immediately as to what's expected, let fly up broadside at the pirate. Lowther, not at all pleased with the compliment, though he put up with it for the present, was for taking leave. But the Amy getting the pirate between her and the shore, stood after him to clap him aboard, to prevent which Lowther run the sloop aground and landed all the men with their arms. Captain Watkins, the captain of the Amy, was obliged to stand off for fear of running his own ship ashore, but at the same time thought fit for the public good to destroy the enemy, and thereupon went into the boat and rode towards the sloop in order to set her on fire. But before he reached the vessel, a fatal shot from Lowther's company ashore put an end to their design in Captain Watkins life. After this unfortunate blow, the mate returned aboard with the boat, and not being inclined to pursue them any further, took charge of the ship. Lowther got off the sloop after the departure of the Amy, and brought all his men aboard again, but was in a poor shattered condition, having suffered much in the engagement, and had a great many men killed and wounded. He made shift to get into an inlet somewhere in North Carolina, where he stayed a long while before he was able to put to sea again. He and his crew laid up all winter and shifted as well as they could among the woods, divided themselves into small parties, and hunted generally in the day times, killing of black cattle, hogs, et cetera, for their subsistence, and in the night retired to their tents and huts, which they made for lodging. And sometimes when the weather grew very cold they would stay aboard of their sloop. In the spring of the year 1723 they made shift to get to sea, and steered their course for Newfoundland, and upon the banks took a schooner called the Swift, John Hood Master. They found a good quantity of provisions aboard her, which they very much wanted at that time, and after taking three of their hands and plundering her of what they thought fit they let her depart. They took several other vessels upon the banks and in the harbor, but none of any great account. And then, steering for a warmer climate, in August arrived at the West Indies. In their passage thither they met with a brigantine, called the John and Elizabeth, Richard Stanny Master, bound for Boston, which they plundered, took two of her men, and discharged her. Louser cruised a pretty while among the islands without any extraordinary success, and was reduced to a very small allowance of provisions, till they had the luck to fall in with a martinico man, which proved a seasonable relief to them. And after that a guinea man had the ill fortune to become a prey to the rovers. She was called the Princess, Captain Wickstead Commander. It was now thought necessary to look out for a place to clean their sloop in, and prepare for new adventures. Accordingly the island of Blanca was pitched upon for that purpose, which lies in the latitude of eleven degrees fifty minutes north, about thirty leagues from the main of the Spanish America, between the islands of Margarita and Rocas, and not far from Tortuga. It is a low even island, but healthy and dry, uninhabited, and about two leagues in circumference, with plenty of lignum-vite trees thereon, growing in spots with shrubby bushes of other wood about them. There are, besides turtle, great numbers of guanos, which is an amphibious creature, like a lizard, but much larger, the body of it being as big as a man's leg. They are very good to eat, and are much used by the pirates that come here. They are of diverse colors, but such as live upon dry ground, as here at Blanco, are commonly yellow. On the northwest end of this island there is a small cove or sandy bay. All around the rest of the island is steep water, and steep close to the island. Here, louther resorted to, the beginning of October last, unrigged his sloop, sent his guns, sail, rigging, etc. ashore, and put his vessel upon the careen. The eagle sloop of Barbados, belonging to the South Sea Company, with thirty-five hands, commanded by Walt Tirmore, coming near this island in her voyage to Comena on the Spanish continent, saw the said sloop just careened, with her guns out and sails unbent, which she supposed to be a pirate, because it was a place where traitors did not commonly use, so took the advantage of attacking her as she was then unprepared. The eagle, having fired a gun to oblige her to shoe her colors, the pirate hoisted the St. George's flag at their topmost mast, as it were to bid defiance to her. But when they found more and his crew resolved to board them in good earnest, the pirates cut their cable and hauled their stern on shore, which obliged the eagle to come to anchor a thwart their haws, where she engaged them till they called for quarter and struck, at which time Louther and twelfth crew made their escape out the cabin window. The master of the eagle got the pirate sloop off, secured her, and went ashore with twenty-five hands in pursuit of Louther and his gang. But after five days' search they could find but five of them, which they brought aboard, and then proceeded with the sloop and the pirates to Camena aforesaid, where they soon arrived. The Spanish governor, being informed of this brave action, condemned the sloop to the captors, and sent a small sloop with twenty-three hands to scour the bushes and other places of the island of Blanco for the pirates that remained there, and took four more with seven small arms, leaving behind them Captain Louther, three men and a little boy which they could not take. The above four of the Spaniards tried and condemned a slavery for life, three to the galleys and the other to the castle of Araria. The eagle sloop brought all their prisoners afterwards to St. Christopher's, where the following were tried by a court of vice admiralty. There, held March the eleventh, seventeen twenty-two, Vise, John Churchill, Edward McDonald, Nicholas Lewis, Richard West, Sam Levercott, Robert White, John Shaw, Andrew Hunter, Jonathan Delve, Matthew Free Barn, Henry Watson, Roger Grange, Ralph Kandor, and Robert Willis. The last three were acquitted, the other thirteen were found guilty, two of which were recommended to mercy by the court and accordingly pardoned, and the rest executed at that island on the twentieth of the same month. As for Captain Louther, it is said that he afterward shot himself upon that fatal island where his piracies ended, being found by some sloop's men dead and a pistol burst by his side.