 CHAPTER XXI. THE STORY OF ARIN SMITH. If the expression had not been used already so many thousand times, one might well say of the following story that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Had you read the yarn which is here to be related, you would, at its conclusion, have remarked that it was certainly most interesting and exciting, but it was too exaggerated, too full of coincidences, too full of narrow escapes ever to have occurred in real life. But I would assure the reader at the outset that Smith's experiences were actual and not fictional, and that his story was carefully examined at the time by the High Court of Admiralty. The prelude, the climax, and the conclusion of this drama, with its exciting incidents, its love interest, and its happy ending, the romantic atmosphere, the picturesque characters, the colors, and the symmetry of the narrative, are so much in accord with certain models such as one used to read in mere storybooks of one's boyhood that it is well the reader should be fully assured that what is here set forth did, in very truth, happen. In some respects, the narrative reads like pages from one of Robert Louis Stevenson's novels, and yet though I have, by the limits of the space at my disposal, been compelled to omit many of the incidents which centered around Smith and his pirate associates, yet the facts which are said forth have been taken from contemporary data and can be relied upon implicitly. The story opens in the year 1821, and the hero is an English seaman named Aaron Smith. In the month of June, Smith departed from England and embarked on the merchant ship Harrington, which carried him safely over the Atlantic to the West Indies. Subsequent events induced him to resign his billet on that vessel, and as he found that the West Indian climate was impairing his health, he made arrangements to get back home to England. Being then at Kingston in the island of Jamaica, he interviewed the captain of the British merchant ship Zephyr, and was appointed first mate. The Zephyr, like many of the ships of the 18th and early 19th centuries, was rigged as a brig, that is to say, with square sails on each of her two masts, with triangular head sails, and a quadrilateral sail abaffed the second mast, much like the mainsail of a cutter rigged craft. Briggs nowadays are practically obsolete, but at the time we are speaking of, they were immensely popular in the merchant service, and for carrying coals from Newcastle on Tyne to London. The Zephyr, after taking on board her West Indian cargo, together with a few passengers, weighed anchor in the month of June 1822, just a year after Smith had left Europe, and set sail for England. From the very first, Smith saw that things were not quite as they should be. The pilot, who took the ship out into the open sea, was a very incapable man, but his duties were soon ended, and he left the ship. The name of the Zephyr's captain was Lumsden, and even he was far from being the capable mariner, which one would have expected in a man whose duty it was to take a ship across the broad Atlantic. Presently, before they had left Kingston far astern, a strong breeze sprang up from the northeast, and a heavy easterly swell got up, which made the Briggs somewhat lively. Most people are aware that the navigation among the islands and in the tricky channels of the West Indies needs both great care and much knowledge, such as ought to have been possessed by a man in Lumsden's position. Judge of Smith's surprise, therefore, when the latter found his captain asking his advice as to which passage he ought to take. Whatever else Smith had in his character, he was certainly extremely shrewd and cautious, and he replied in a non-committal answer to the effect that the windward passage might prolong the voyage, but that the leeward one would expose the ship to the risk of being plundered by the pirates, which in those days were far from rare. Lumsden weighed the pros and cons in his mind, and at last resolved to choose the leeward passage. About two o'clock one afternoon Smith was pacing up and down deck when he suddenly aspired a schooner of a very suspicious appearance standing out from the land. Not quite happy as to her character, he then went aloft with his telescope and examined her closely. In the case of a man of his sea experience it did not take long for him to realize that the schooner was a pirate ship. Lumsden was below at the time, so Smith called him on deck and, pointing out the strange vessel, suggested to the captain that it would be best to alter the brig's course to avoid her. But Lumsden, like most ignorant men, was exceedingly obstinate and stently declined the proffered advice. With characteristic British sentiment, he opined that because he bore the English flag no one would dare molest him. The skipper of the schooner, as we shall presently see, did not think of the matter in that way. Half an hour passed by, the brig held on her original course, and the two ships drawing closer together it was observed that the schooner's deck was full of men. Clearly too she was about to hoist out her boats. This gave cause for alarm even in the stubborn breast of Lumsden, and now he gave orders for the course to be altered a couple of points. But the decision had been arrived at too leisurely, for the stranger was already within gunshot. Before much time had sped on, the sound of voices was heard from the schooner, and short sharp orders came across the heaving sea, ordering the Zephyr to lower her stern boat and to send the captain aboard the schooner. Lumsden pretended not to understand, but a brisk volley of musketry from the stranger instantly quickened the skipper's comprehension, and he promptly gave orders to lay the main yard aback and heave too. The boat which had been lowered from the schooner was quickly rode alongside the brig, and nine or ten men, ferocious of appearance and well armed with knives, cut laces and muskets, now left to board. It was obvious before they had left the schooner's deck that these were desperate pirates, such as had many a dark, cruel deed to their consciences. With no wasting of formality, they at once took charge of the brig and ordered Lumsden, Smith, the ship's carpenter, and also a captain cowper who was traveling as a passenger to proceed on board the schooner without delay. In order to hurry them on, the pirates gave them repeated blows over the back from the flat part of their cut laces, accompanying these strokes with threats of shooting them. So the company got into the schooner's boat and were rode off. Lumsden recollected having left on the cabin table of the Zephyr the ship's books containing an account of all the money aboard the brig. Arrived alongside the schooner, the prisoners were ordered on deck. It was the pirate captain who now issued the commands, a man of repulsive appearance with his savage expression, his short stout stature. His age was not more than about thirty-two. His appearance denoted that in his veins ran Indian blood. Standing not more than five-and-a-half feet high, he had an aquiline nose, high cheekbones, a large mouth, big full eyes, shallow complexion, and black hair. The son of a Spanish father and a Yucatan squaw, there was nothing in him that suggested anything but the downright brigand of the sea. But with all this savage temperament there was nothing in him of the fool, and his wits and eyes were ever on the alert. Already he had observed a cluster of vessels in the distance, and he questioned Lumsden as to what kind of craft they might be. On being informed that probably they were French merchantmen, the pirate captain gave orders for all hands to get the schooner ready to give chase. Meanwhile the Zephyr, with part of the pirate crew on board, made sail and stood in towards the land in the direction of Cape Roman, some 18 miles away. And as the schooner pushed on, cleaving her way through the warm sea, the pirate applied himself to questioning the skipper of the brig. What was his cargo? Lumsden answered that it consisted of sugars, rum, coffee, arrowroot, and so on. But what money had he on board? Lumsden replied that there was no money. Such an answer only infuriated the pirate. Don't imagine I'm a fool, sir, he roared. I know that all vessels going to Europe have a speci on board, and, he added, if you will give up what you have, you shall proceed on your voyage without further molestation. But Lumsden still continued in his protestations that money there was none, to which the pirate remarked that if the money were not forthcoming, he would throw the Zephyr's cargo overboard. Knight was rapidly approaching, and the breeze was certainly dying down, so that although the schooner had done fairly well through the water, yet the pirate despaired of ever coming up with the Frenchman. Disappointed at his lack of success, he was compelled to abandon the chase and altered his course to stand in the direction of the Zephyr. When Knight had fallen, the pirates began to prepare supper and offered spirits to their captives, which the latter declined. The pirate captain now turned his attention to Smith, and observed that as he was in bad health and none of the schooner's crew understood navigation, it was his intention to detain Smith to navigate her. We need not attempt to suggest the feelings of dismay with which Smith received this information. To resist forcibly was obviously out of the question, though he did his best to be allowed to forego the doubtful honour of being appointed navigating officer to a pirate ship. Lumsden, too, uneasy at the thought of being bereft of a man indispensable to the safety of his brig, expressed a nervous hope that Smith might not be detained, but the pirate's reply to the last request came prompt and plain. If I do not keep him, he growled at Lumsden, I shall keep you. That sufficiently alarmed the brig's master to subdue him to silence. The captives sat down to supper with their pirate captain and the latter's six officers. The meal consisted of garlic and onions chopped up into fine pieces and mixed with bread in a bowl. From this everyone helped himself as he pleased with his fingers, and the coarse manners of the schooner's company were in keeping with the brutality of their profession. A breeze had sprung up in the meanwhile and they began fast to approach the Zephyr. When at length the two vessels were within a short distance, the pirate ordered a musket to be fired and then proceeded to tack shorewards. The signal was answered immediately by the pirates on board the brig, and the Zephyr then proceeded to follow the schooner. One of the brig's crew, who had been brought aboard the schooner at the time when Lumsden and Smith were taken, was now ordered to heave the lead and to give warning as soon as the schooner got into soundings. It is significant that whatever else these pirates may have been, they were brigans first and sailormen only a bad second, who had taken to roving less through nautical enthusiasm than from a greed for gain and a means of indulging their savage tastes. Thus, although on waylaying a merchant ship their first object was to pillage, yet they made it also their aim to carry off any useful members of the traitors' crew who were expert in the arts of seamanship or navigation. As soon as the Ledsmen then found bottom at fourteen fathoms, the pirate commanded a boat to be lowered and therein were placed Lumsden and some of the crew which had belonged to the Zephyr. Smith, however, and with him the brig's carpenter, were detained on the schooner. The pirate captain himself accompanied Lumsden, left the ladder on board the brig, and brought back the crew of the pirate, who, in the first instance, had been left to take charge of the Zephyr. They also brought away to the schooner a number of articles, including Cowper's watch, the brig's spyglass, Smith's own telescope, some clothes belonging to the ladder, and a goat. To show a kind of cruel rascals Smith had now become shipmate with may be seen from the fact that as soon as the animal had been brought aboard, one of the pirate's crew instantly cut the goat's throat with his knife, flayed the poor creature alive, and promised the same kind of treatment to his friends if no money were found on the Zephyr. Even the most stalwart British sailor could not help his heart beating the more rapidly at such cowardly and bullying treatment. By now the schooner had stood so near the shore that she was in four fathoms and the anchor was let go. The Zephyr also let go and brought up about fifty yards away. Relieved from work, the pirates now began to exalt and to congratulate each other on their fine capture. Night came on again and a watch was set. Smith and Cowper, still in the schooner, were ordered to sleep in the companion way, but with the fearful anxiety imminent and the possibility of never being allowed to wake again, they never relapsed into unconsciousness. Conversation was kept up stealthily between them, and Cowper, knowing that the Zephyr carried a quantity of specie and that Lumson had hoodwinked the pirate captain, dreaded lest this should be found out. With the certain assurance in his mind of being put to death, a horrible night of suspense and fear was passed by the two seamen. When daylight came, some of the pirates were seen on the brig's deck, beating the Zephyr's crew with their cutlasses. Great activity of a most business-like nature was being manifested on the English ship. Boats were being hoisted out, a rope cable, those were still the days of hemp, was being coiled on deck, the hatches were being removed, and all was being made ready for taking out the Zephyr's cargo. The pirate commanded Smith to go aboard the brig and fetch everything that might be essential for the purposes of navigation, for the former was most determined to retain the former mate of the English merchant men. To accentuate his determination, the half-cast brood raised his arm into the air and, brandishing a cutlass over poor Smith's head, threatened him with instant death if he showed any reluctance. Mind and you obey me, he taunted, or I will take off your skin. We need not stop to depict Smith's feelings, nor to suggest with what dismay he found himself compelled to obey the behests of a coarse, ignorant freebooter. It was humiliating to the last degree for a man who had been mate and served under the red ensign, thus to have to submit to such abominable treatment. But there was no choice between submission and death, though from what eventually followed it was obvious that Smith was not a coward and was not so proud of his skin as to fear death. He proceeded aboard the brig, discovered that she had been well ransacked, and with a heavy heart began to collect his belongings. He brought off his gold watch and sex-tant, packed his clothes, and then returned to the schooner. But before doing so he acted as a man about to pass out of the world, and anxious to dispose of his remaining effects. With almost humorous pathos, one might remark, he said about this last duty. My books, parrots, and various other articles I give in charge to Mr. Lumsden, who engaged to deliver them safely into the hands of my friends, should he reach England. And it needs no very gifted imagination to see the sentimental sailor of the great sailing ship age painfully taking a last look at these cherished possessions. The cargo having been transferred to the schooner, the pirates indulged themselves in liquor and became intoxicated. But meanwhile the crew of the brig were not allowed to stand idle. The pirate captain was going to get all that he could from his capture, and ordered the Zephyr's Fort Gallant mast and yard to be sent down. And these, together with whatever other spars might seem useful, were to be sent on board the schooner. The merchant ship was positively gutted of everything the pirates fancied. There was not left even so much as a bed or a blanket. Even the earrings on the ears of the children passengers were snatched from the latter. In addition to this, the whole of the livestock, such as an ocean-going ship carried in those days prior to the invention of refrigerating rooms and tin food, was transferred to the schooner and a certain amount of drinking water. But the pirates had not yet concluded their dastardly work. Lumsden and Calphe were warned that unless they produced the money which the pirate was convinced still remained, the Zephyr, with all her people in her, should be burnt to the water's edge. It is to the credit of these two men that they strenuously declined to oblige the pirate. This only served as fuel to the latter's temper, and he sent them below and began a series of heartless tortures which were more in keeping with some of the worst features of the Middle Ages than the 19th century. Determined to attain his object no matter what the cost, he caused the two men to be locked to the ship's pumps and proceeded to carry out the threat which he had just promised. Every preparation was made for starting a fire. Combustibles were piled round about the unfortunate men, and the light was just about to be applied when Lumsden, unable to endure the torture any longer, confessed that there was money. He was accordingly released, and rummaging about produced a small box of doubloons. This, however, far from satisfying the pirate's thirst, merely increased his desire for more. Lumsden protested that that was all. So again the skipper was lashed to the pumps, again fire was ordered to be put to the fuel, and again the victim was about to be immolated. Once more at the last minute Lumsden yielded and offered to surrender all that he had. Thereupon for the second time he was released, and producing nine more doubloons declared that this money had been entrusted to his care on behalf of a poor woman. Such human sentiments, however, rarely fell on more unsympathetic ears. Don't speak to me of poor people, howled the pirate. I am poor, and your countrymen and the Americans have made me so. I know there is more money, and I will either have it or burn you and the vessel. Following up his threat with deeds, he once more ordered Lumsden below, yet again had the combustibles laid around. But the Englishman stood his torture well, his being was becoming accustomed to the treatment, and for a while he never flinched. Then the monsters of iniquity applied a light to the fire, and the red and yellow flames leapt forward, and already began to lick the skipper's body. For a time he endured the grievous pain as the fire burnt into his flesh. With agonizing cries and heart-rendering shouts he begged to be relieved of his tortures, to be cut adrift in a boat and left solitary on the wide open ocean, anything rather than this. Money he had not, already he had given up all that he possessed, and after this slow murder had continued for some time the stubborn, dulled intellect of the pirate captain began to work, and seeing that not even fire could call forth more money from a suffering man, he was inclined to believe that the last coin had now been yielded up. Then turning to some of his own crew he ordered them to throw water on the flames, and the long-suffering Lumsden, more dead than alive, wracked by physical and mental tortures, was released and allowed to regain his freedom. As if to accentuate their own bestial natures, the pirates then proceeded to carouse once more and to exalt again in their ill-gotten treasures. But even in the most villainous criminal there is always at least one small trait of human nature left, and it is often surprising how this manifests itself when circumstances had seemed to deny its very existence. It was so in the case of this pirate captain. Everything so far had indicated the most unmitigated bully and murderer without one single redeeming feature of any sort whatever. And yet, in spite of all the vain entries of Lumsden for mercy, the pirate showed that the last spark of human kindness was not yet quenched. The reader will remember that among the articles which Smith had brought away from the brig was his gold watch. The pirate took this in his hands, examined it, and instead of promptly annexing the same, threw out a strong hint that he would like to retain it. Such moderation from one who had not hesitated to burn a man at the stake was in itself curious, but his inconsistency did not stop at that. Smith remarked that the watch was a gift from his aged mother, whom he now never expected to see again, adding that he would like to be allowed to send it to her by Lumsden, but was afraid that the pirates would take it away from the English captain if it were entrusted to him. It was then that the pirate manifested the extraordinary contradiction which his character possessed. Your people, he began, have a very bad opinion of us, but I will convince you that we are not so bad as we are represented to be. Come along with me, and your watch shall go safely home. And with this he took Smith on board the Zephyr once more, handed the watch into Lumsden's keeping, and gave strict orders that on no account was anyone to take it away from the English captain. Smith now took a final farewell of his old messmates, but lest he should take advantage of the indulgence which had been just granted him, the pirate captain instantly ordered him back to the schooner, and even impelled him forward at the point of his murderous knife. All this time the two ships had been lying alongside lashed together by warps, being at last content with the ample cargo which he had extracted from the Zephyr, and being convinced that there was nothing else aboard of much value, the pirate now ordered the warps to be cast loose and informed Lumsden that he might consider himself free to resume his voyage. But, he insisted, on no account was he to steer for Havana, should he do so the schooner would pursue him, and on being overtaken Lumsden and his ship should be destroyed without further consideration. So at last the brig Zephyr robbed of most of her valuables, lacking some of her gear and minus her mate, and with a tortured skipper, hove up her anchor, let loose her canvas, and cleared out into the open sea. End of Chapter 21 Chapter 22 of the Romance of Piracy 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 Sarah Lorenowich The Romance of Piracy by Edward Keeble-Chatterton Chapter 22 Smith and the Pirate Schooner With sadden gaze Smith watched his old ship fade away into the invisible. There was but little wind, the sea was wonderfully calm, and a thick fog came up which swallowed the wake of the Zephyr from his vision. In the whole of the western hemisphere there was no more miserable man alive at that moment than Aaron Smith. His ship had gone, his expectation of reaching England was torn from him, and his very life was liable to be taken away from him by force at any minute. He had no thought now for anything else than suicide. The pirate captain knew this, but it was not convenient for him to forfeit so able a seaman. He had other work for him to do yet, and threatened that should Smith attempt self-destruction, he should be lashed to one of the schooner's guns and there left to perish slowly of hunger. At daylight the next morning the schooner got under way, and after proceeding in a southwest direction anchored in two fathoms in a beautiful harbor called Rio Medias. It is from this point that the second part of Smith's interesting story really begins. Arrived in this delightful anchorage the schooner could afford to remain some time, and the pirate informed Smith that he expected a good many visitors on board, including two or three magistrates with their families. The Englishman ventured the remark that he wondered the pirate was not afraid of magistrates coming on board a ship of that notoriety, but the pirate merely laughed and suggested that Smith did not understand the Spanish character. Presence of coffee, he explained, and other little things will always ensure their friendship, and from them I receive intelligence of all that occurs at the Havana, and know every hostile measure in time enough to guard against it. Before long the visitors came aboard, and the pirate, with something of the grand manner of an old-time Spaniard, received the ladies and gentlemen on his ship with great ceremony. Smith was brought forward and presented as an interesting English prisoner, and attracted more than a little attention. It is customary, with the Spanish-American people, to conclude such social visits as this with a dance. Smith had little heart for such frivolity, but in small as in great matters he had no alternative but to obey, and was selected to dance with one of the daughters of a magistrate. However, in spite of the enforced pleasure, he must have made himself singularly affable, for before the festivities had concluded the lady and the Englishman had become more than mere acquaintances to each other. Womanlike, she began by taking pity on the European sailor, displayed unwanted interest in his story, and determined to do her best to get him released. Mere pity and interest gave place to affection, but the utmost precaution and stealth had to be exercised, lest the pirate captain, or any individual member of his crew, should so much as have the faintest suspicion that a plot for escape was being planned. The surname of the lady Smith did not learn, but her Christian name was Seraphina. She was a pretty brunette with sparkling eyes and a kind, benevolent nature. In the monotony of her West Indian life, the advent of Aaron Smith had been as that of a person from another planet. The stories which she had learned of London had now the chance of being confirmed or refuted. She inquired eagerly about the grandeur of England's metropolis, and asked naively what sort of a building the immense church was that everybody went to see. A fresh interest had thus entered into her life. A man from the eastern hemisphere, a robust English sailor with all the romance clinging thereto, which an emotional Latin temperament was capable of conjuring up. But to the matter-of-fact mind of Aaron Smith, all this embarrassing concern on the part of Seraphina suggested nothing less than treachery. It was difficult to believe that this was not part of the pirate captain's plot to entrap him, but the suspicion haunted him only at the first, and before long he was destined to find in the lady his best friend and commissorator. It would have been patent to any careful observer that these two individuals had fallen into that condition which is known as love at first sight. The guests departed in due course, and the more serious business of the sojourn in that port was gotten hand. The coffee and the other portions of the cargo which had been taken from the Zephyr were now unloaded and sold to the natives. This took some time, and was spread over some days, varied by carousels and dancing. There was no lack of refreshment, and instead of everyone helping himself with his fingers, as had been the case when first the schooner had been encountered, everybody was supplied with knives and forks and spoons which had been pillaged from the English brig. The wine flowed immoderately, and as usual most of the crew were soon in a state of intoxication. The sale of the cargo was proceeding, but as the men were flushed with wine it was not long before two of the crew fell to quarrelling. High words were followed by a fierce duel with knives, and the sight was sickening. One of the combatants collapsed to the ground with a dull fud, severely stabbed in his left breast. For some unexplained reason the crew of the pirate ship had in their minds the fixed idea that Smith was something of a doctor, and during the whole of his captivity no protestations of his could uproot that conviction. Probably he knew as many useful first aid remedies as any average sailor of the early 19th century, and he was endowed with all the resource which a seamen usually possesses. Otherwise he had no expert knowledge of medicine or of surgery, and yet as we shall see before we come to the end of our story it was this imaginary healing power which rendered him of the very greatest service. It fell to Smith's lot then from the first to attend on the sick among his other duties, and in spite of his medical ignorance he was ordered to see to the wounded man to staunch the blood and dress the horrible wound. When the injured man had recovered sufficiently to be able to converse he sent a message begging the captain to come and see him and then he told his tale. The cause of the quarrel said he was because his antagonist formed one of the party that was bent on assassinating the captain and crew, that being accomplished they would then possess the ship and enrich themselves with the plunder. The man with whom he had been fighting had now gone to Havana in order that he might get together more men to further his purpose. The pirate captain listened to the story with every attention and was beside himself with rage that one of his own men should so far have dared to plot against him. Vowing certain destruction of them all he summoned the crew on deck and informed them of the news. So soon as they had heard it the entire ship's company rushed madly below to where the suspected man was lying, dragged the fellow from his bunk on to the deck, cut off his legs and arms with a blunt hatchet, gashed at his body with their knives and then through his half dead remains overboard into the sea. The next morning Smith was sent aloft to bend a new four top sail and about noon a ship being described in the distance he was told to report as to what sort of vessel she might be. Looking through his spyglass Smith replied that she was a schooner standing to the westward. Is she a merchant or a man of war? yelled the captain from the deck. Mind you don't deceive me he threatened for if you do I will cut off your head. I have already killed several of your countrymen and take care you don't add yourself to the number. This made Smith doubly cautious but at last being certain in his mind he reported her as a merchant man. Already the pirate had got under way and the receipt of these welcome tidings caused him to give chase. Smith remained aloft and observed that the merchant man had now guessed the pirate's intention and was altering her course to the Norand. Smith passed the information at once below but the only thanks he got was abuse from the skipper for not having informed him sooner. The sails filled to the meager breeze as the pirate ship slowly sped onward but when they had cleared the reef outside the pirate ordered the sweeps out and with this auxiliary the ship began to travel fast over the smooth surface. Before long the lazy breeze began to stir and soon both vessels were standing on under a smart press of canvas. For several hours the chase continued and before dark the corsair was gaining rapidly but she was yet a long way off and the pirate much feared that she might escape as she would assuredly alter her course during the night. At ten p.m. the merchant man was well out of sight and Smith was ordered below. The pirate then issued his instructions and remarked that he would keep on that tack until two a.m. and if the vessel was not then visible he would alter his course to the east. Meanwhile Smith tired out with being tossed about while aloft slept soundly until he was called. On coming on deck he found that everyone was utterly at a loss to know the ship's position. Of any efficient navigation there had been practically nothing. The whole crew had been drunk. There had been no light in the binocule. No log had been thrown to ascertain the ship's speed so it was impossible to guess the distance traveled during the past night. The pirate therefore called upon Smith to help. Smith answered very properly that it was impossible to say exactly their position whereupon the unscientific captain threatened him with instant death if he could not give the required information. Smith could not make an impossibility possible and answered if you will wait till noon he explained I will endeavor to do so and the same threat was repeated in case he should fail to achieve this. But Smith was certainly lucky for once in his varied life for as he said at a later date at this time the sun was in distance with the moon and the sky being remarkably clear the sea smooth and the schooner making very little way I had an opportunity at about nine o'clock to take a good lunar observation so after taking the sites no one else on board had any knowledge of navigation in fact knew nothing better than seamanship and pilotage he worked out his calculations and was able to find the true latitude when to his great surprise he discovered they were 60 miles west northwest of Cape Buenavesta or 200 miles west of the position Smith had imagined the captain was informed of the position who ordered Smith to direct the helmsman to the proper course and to have the sales trimmed accordingly he questioned Smith as to when they would pick up the land and the Englishman answered that if the wind was favorable they ought to do so in the afternoon the captain demurred somewhat then declared with an oath that if they did not then sightland he would punish Smith fortunately the breeze now freshened and became freer Smith was nervously wondering whether he had made an error in his calculations but at four p.m. to his great relief the lookout man cried land this happily ended Smith's suspense and the schooner's coast pilot complimented him on his skill but the captain had nothing to say except abuse you rascal he cried you pretended not to know where the vessel was but you see you cannot deceive me and I would advise you not to attempt it they had held on an easterly course for some time until at length they had come to an anchorage where they let go and the following day proceeded into the harbor while they were lying to their anchor a boat full of men was observed to be approaching the ship as they came on it was seen to contain some of the men who according to the man who had been wounded in that duel already narrated had been plotting against the captain the pirate was roused to fury on seeing him and declared he would kill the lot of them then ordering 30 muskets to be brought on deck he awaited developments when the boat got within about 200 yards the men therein ceased rowing and held up a white handkerchief as a signal for peace this was answered by a similar signal from the schooner and thus encouraged the men to lay to their oars again and pulled towards the ship but they had not rode many more strokes before the pirate gave orders to fire on the boat and so deadly was the effect at such close range that of the six men five fell dead to the bottom of the boat while the sixth leapt into the water and began to swim but it was no part of the pirate's intention to allow this man to escape and dispatching a boat after him the fellow was soon hauled from the sea and brought aboard the schooner from that moment began a series of cruelties and inhuman tortures of which it is difficult to write calmly the captain commenced by remarking that he was well aware of the share which this survivor had in the plot that had been detected admonishing him to confess he warned him that if he should not reveal the whole truth he would give him a cruel and lingering death in vain did the terrified man protest his innocence whereupon the captain had him stripped and exposed naked and bleeding from the wounds already received to the scorching heat of a west indian july sun agony was piled on agony and the captain showed no hint of mercy smith with great courage and human feeling entreated that the man might not be tortured so dreadfully but the captain threatened him too with severance vengeance for his interference then addressing himself to the suffering wretch the pirate announced that he was now about to put him to death and advised him to prepare his soul for departure once more the man protested his innocence and begged for his life but unavailingly the next stage of terror began being placed in a boat he was pinioned and his body lashed to the stern five men were told off to go in the boat in addition to smith you shall now see how we punish rascals exclaimed the captain as he gave orders to the englishmen with the further instruction that the men were to row backwards and forwards up and down the narrow creek for the space of three hours this creek was formed by a small strip of water that separated cuba from a desert island i will see exalted the brute whether the mosquitoes and the sandflies will not make him confess it was a brutal inhumane form of torture worthy only of such a captain the broiling sun shown fiercely on the warm sea in the shade the thermometer registered as high as 90 degrees and from the side of the creek a waste of swamps was swarming with insects of a venomous and numerous kind these settled in scores on the body of the pinioned man and sent him almost delirious with pain his suffering body began to swell and he became blistered from head to foot a ghastly sight for his beholders now and again in his agony he besought the boat's crew to put him out of his misery but all save the englishmen laughed him to scorn and even imitated his heart-rending cries after a while owing to the solar heat and the stings of the mosquitoes and sandflies his face became so swollen that he was utterly unrecognizable his voice began to fail and his life was ebbing fast smith had from the first believed that the story of the alleged conspiracy was false and that it had been invented out of revenge by the man who had received the thrust of the knife unable to endure this loathsome sight any longer the englishmen believing fully in the man's innocence at length prevailed on the crew to let the victim die in peace they consented to go round to the other side of the island where they would be secure from the captain's observation untie the man and put something over him to shelter from the violent rays of the sun so they rode to the spot and laying upon their oars set him loose but as soon as he felt the sea breeze on his parched face he fainted right away then they decided to tie him up as before lest they might incur the fury of the captain for their lenience and pulling back to the schooner they returned their prisoner instead of inspiring any feelings of pity the sight of the moribund man caused the schooner's crew to break out into derisive laughter as for the captain he was disappointed that the fellow had not yielded any confession and turning to smith as if he could now cure him of his ills the englishman replied that the man was actually dying then he shall have some more of it before he dies was the pirate's sharp answer so the victim was left in the boat and the latter was moored within a few yards of the ship six of the schooner's crew were ordered to take their muskets and to fire at the wretch this was done but when they went to examine the body they were surprised to find him still breathing so a pig of iron was fastened round his neck and he was cast into the sea lucky to be freed from any further variety of torture then music broke out on the schooner's deck and with the callousness of the most hardened criminals the guitars tinkled and songs were indulged in just as if nothing had happened to disturb their equanimity it is no pleasure to have to chronicle such incidents as these which detract from the more romantic side of piracy at sea but it would be as unfair to paint only the glamour of these rovers as it would be to select merely the harsh cruelties which they imposed while i can see little that is edifying in parading repellent details of blood and slaughter yet it is part of one's duty to give some indication of the lengths to which these miscreants allow themselves to go there are those who would do away with the too practical and unromantic steamship there are those who would scrap the navies of the world yet if all this were done we should soon find the seas become once more the happy sphere for pirates and a recrudescence of robberies and cruelties would result the person who is forever laudator temporis acti and while seeing nothing worthy of his praise except what he is pleased to call the good old days is the very individual who would have objected strongly to live in the insanatory houses of our forefathers who would have protested most strongly against the inconveniences of a protracted voyage in a sailing ship at the mercy of headwinds pirates and scurvy it is too often that distance coupled with a highly romantic temperament which makes a page of black history appear with unwarranted attractiveness in the story of the pirates there will be little to entertain us were we not able to feel that in this prosaic 20th century we are at least free from the scourge of the sea end of chapter 22 chapter 23 of the romance of piracy this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the romance of piracy by Edward Kable Chatterton chapter 23 plot and counter plot on the day following the incident of the above murder Smith was busy on deck making a new gaff top sail for the schooner when the cry came from the lookout man a sail a sail well knowing that the Englishman was the most reliable of all his crew the captain at once sent Smith aloft to scan the sea as the schooner was got underway Smith reported that the vessel in sight was a merchant brig where upon orders were given to go in pursuit ordered to return to the deck the Englishman's advice was sought as to the best mode of fighting the brig in case she should resist and while the schooner's pilot was occupied in taking the ship out to the open sea through the intricate channel Smith was set to devise some suitable strategy the pirate ship was not long in gaining on the brig and having come up to within a short distance fired a gun and hoisted Spanish colors this the brig answered by heaving to and displaying the british ensign it should be mentioned that the brig rig was not confined to ships of the merchant service but that the royal navy had similar vessels on its list let it be remembered that in those days of hemp and canvas there was not the smart distinction between a ship of war and a ship of commerce that there is today no one in this present year of grace could possibly mistake a liner for a battleship but a brig of the early 19th century might be naval or mercantile some of the merchant ships carried guns for self-defense and there was very little to distinguish them from the government vessels and in those days the red ensign had not yet been entirely abandoned by the navy to the use of merchant craft therefore we can well understand that when the schooner came near to this brig the latter's painted ports and her smart figurehead caused the pirate to hesitate and to wonder whether this was not a man of war if she were then the contest would not be likely to favor the schooner but he was by no means certain and being still a safe distance off he ordered the four topsell of his schooner to be laid a back and hove to by that time he was rather inclined to think the brig was after all a merchantman and so calling Smith he informed him of the intention to send a boat to board her under the Englishman's directions this announcement greatly alarmed the latter and he pointed out that should he be captured it would be an ignominious death for a British sailor as usual when any of his orders were likely to be disobeyed the pirate became furiously incensed and what are you sir he taunted that you should not suffer as well as myself the schooner shall never be captured for when I can no longer defend her I shall blow her up if you do not instantly go he threatened I will shoot you Smith knew that the pirate was a man who used no idle threats and yet for an English sailor to attack an English ship was an unthinkable proposition you may shoot me if you please was his brave answer but I will not commit an act that might subject me and my family to disgrace the pirate now realized that Smith was as determined as he and resort must be made to the measures which had been already employed so profitably he therefore commanded his crew to blindfold Smith to have him taken forward and told the man himself to prepare for death after a time the pirate came to Smith and asked him if he were now ready for death yes answered the man courageously and firmly no sooner had this word been uttered than a sharp volley of musketry rang out but Smith was not shot the captain's intention had been merely to strike terror into his brave heart it was a great trial to his nerves but the man never flinched from his resolution the pirate knowing how invaluable Smith had become to the efficient working of the ship was reluctant to lose him but for all that he was determined to break his independent spirit coming up to him after the firing of the volley he inquired of the Englishmen as to whether he were not seriously wounded in answering in the negative Smith begged that if it was the captain's intention to destroy him he would not trifle with him death I prefer to disgrace said he but the pirate was adamant the next command was to lash Smith to the main mast and to remove the bandage from his eyes the captain himself could be seen cutting up a number of cartridges and the powder he placed around Smith by his feet on deck a train was laid and then the ship's cook was ordered to light a match and send it aft once more the pirate gave Smith a chance but again the firm answer was returned a terrific explosion ensued flames leapt into the air and encircled the man who preferred death to dishonor up and up blaze the fire and with his hands pinioned he could do nothing to relieve himself of his sufferings his cries of pain were met with ridicule and the captain tauntingly and like the veritable bully that he was inquired of him will you now obey me but there is a limit to human suffering though many a man both before and after that incident has endured the flame to the end it is in no wise a disgrace if Smith in his excruciating agony at length yielded to the pirate and at length acquiescence being extorted by the vilest form of torture Smith gave in and was ordered to be released there are few acts which a virile man and especially a sailor hates more than to faint and yet so grievous had been his sufferings that the Englishman promptly lost consciousness some of the crew carried him down below and when he came to he found himself stretched on a mattress in the cabin with a racking pain that gave him no respite in his frenzy and delirium he meditated self-destruction and begged the steward to lend him his knife for a moment he however like the sneaking kerr that was so characteristic of this dago crew straightway went to inform the captain who came below in another of his furious tempers you want to kill yourself young man i understand was his salutation but i do not mean that you should die yet i shall blow you up again for i see it is the only way to make you obey me but happily the threat was not immediately put into execution frankly it was the intention of the pirate that his most useful man should regain his health as quickly as possible smith's wounds were dressed and the cook who was the one man who seemed to have any sympathy made smith's bed for him the latter was in great pain but was able to converse he learned that by now the schooner had returned to her anchorage for the pirate had eventually been so convinced that the brig was a man of war and that smith had intended to decoy the corsair into the hands of the british that an attack on the brig had been deemed inadvisable so immediately after smith had been taken below the schooner had headed for harbour the cook at least had the courage of his convictions and openly expressed his opinion of the pirate captain as a man of the worst character adding that the latter had already killed over 20 people with his own hand meanwhile the master of a coasting schooner who had entered the harbour brought news that the zephyr had arrived at havanna and announced the circumstances of her capture by the schooner the pirate captain on the receipt of this intelligence and remembering that he had admonished lumsden not to call at havanna was beside himself with rage rushing into the cabin where the sick man lay he exclaimed to smith see what dependence can be placed on your countrymen that old rascal has gone to the havanna and broken a solemn promise but this will be a lesson to me not to trust the english again for i now find them as treacherous as the americans he thinks proceeded the pirate with increasing anger he is out of my rage but mark me if he remains a few days longer at the havanna he shall never live to see england i have three or four already on the watch to assassinate him and the pirate usually carried out his threats of vengeance that same evening while the crew were at their evening meal accompanied by the usual carousing and guitar playing the merriment was suddenly brought to a halt by the sound of approaching oars instantly the men were sent to quarters and every man stood in readiness to open fire the boat was hailed in spanish and a spanish voice returned to the hail the oarsmen were allowed to come alongside and informed the captain that some more of the original members of the crew who were accomplices of the man that had been accused of plotting had now arrived and were prepared to revenge the deaths of those men whom the captain had killed in the creek as already narrated now it should be mentioned at once that following out his threat to have lumsden assassinated the pirate captain had already sent at least one man whose name was stromeida overland to havanna this man was to procure a horse and to hurry to the port so that he might arrive before the zephyr had cleared this intention had reached the ears of the late members of the pirates crew and they in turn vowed as a means of partially revenging themselves to kill the man now on his way to havanna story is indeed varied by so much plotting and counter plot that it is not easy to unravel the main narrative however the receipt of this news caused great consternation among the schooner's crew and to show how little for their own part they sympathized with any mutineers ten of the ship's company now volunteered to go ashore to protect the man hurrying towards havanna the captain thoroughly approved of the suggestion and well supplied with arms and ammunition the party set forth the oars dug into the water and the boat advanced to the shore about midnight the boat returned to the schooner and the captain was informed that on the beach they had met a servant dispatched post haste from the magistrate whom we have already mentioned as the father of seraphina this gentleman sent information that stromeida was already a prisoner and about to be put to death the captain was further informed that on hearing this news the men from the schooner had taken a circuitous route through the wood had eluded the scouts of the mutinous gang that were seeking to kill stromeida and had surprised four of this gang while busy under a tree playing cards and drinking these four men they had captured and had next proceeded to the magistrates house into which they had fired their muskets through the doors and windows and discharged their blunderbusses the precise object of this action was difficult to ascertain unless they had expected that other mutineers were there hiding and they had quite unintentionally wounded the magistrate but they found stromeida lying bound hand and foot and having released him the latter was able to resume his journey to havanna it was found that two of the mutineers party had been killed two more were taken prisoners and two others acting as scouts had escaped after wounding one of the schooners crew smith was approaching convalescence but he was yet far from recovered all the time that he had been lying on his bed of sickness many a thought had passed through his mind many a longing to escape from this life as an involuntary pirate many times too he had thought of seraphina and of her promise that if she could assist his escape she would fly with him to england the accident to the magistrate was now the means of smith having opportunity to see seraphina once again were the circumstance not true and actual one would have called the incident a rather far-fetched coincidence but i have already emphasized the fact that this is no fiction it was policy for the pirate captain and the magistrate to render every assistance to each other their aims and ambitions were in many respects identical therefore on learning of the latter's injury smith still supposed to possess a unique medical ability was sent to dress the magistrates wounds the englishman himself had not yet recovered from his own injuries so reclining on a mattress with one of the ship's hatches underneath he was transferred to a boat and rode ashore no time had been wasted for it was now only two a.m for most of three miles smith was carried on the back of a horse through a forest until they arrived at the house of the magistrate having been carried into the house the first sight to greet him was seraphina who rushing to his embrace cried take me for they have just killed my father with this announcement she burst into tears smith was taken to the room where the magistrate was lying attended by the latter's wife oh my dear mother exclaimed seraphina this is the good englishman who has come to cure my father for in spite of the lady's lack of logic the magistrate was not wounded mortally lying stretched out on his bed covered with blood he presented a sorry spectacle nonetheless lying on another bed was another man who had also been wounded during the same incident it was seen that the magistrate's arm had been fractured by a ball which had passed through his shoulder and lodged in his arm with no little skill smith succeeded in extracting this ball and then proceeded to bind up the wound exhausted with his labors smith was afterwards allowed to recline in another room and seraphina full of gratitude came to attend on him it had been some time since their first meeting and the unfortunate accident to the magistrate had thus brought them together once again on many an occasion smith during the period intervening had been planning some means of escape and now away from the schooner he was able to relate the experiences through which he had recently passed he reminded the lady of her promise and her affection to which she replied in terms which left no possible doubt in smith's mind i have resolved she answered to accompany you and will remove every obstacle in the best way i can but caution is necessary you must therefore be patient a little later and the time came for smith to be carried down by the pirates to the beach night had vanished and it was now broad daylight arrived back on the schooner smith found that this was not to be the last of such visits as the pirate captain regularly sent him ashore to heal the magistrates wounds on other occasions on each of these visits smith was able to obtain interviews with seraphina and to advance further their plans for flight she had made every preparation she said to escape to england in his company i have arranged all she went on the guide is in readiness and it only remains for us to fix the time and find the opportunity many schemes were proposed and as many rejected until at length it was agreed that smith should come over late in the second evening under the pretense of performing some essential surgical operation on the magistrate it was resolved that in the meantime she should have the horses and guide waiting a short distance away the best laid schemes of lovers however sometimes work out badly for the guide proved to be treacherous informed seraphina's father and mother and had it not been for the consummate skill of seraphina herself in turning this accusation against the accuser serious complications would have ensued as it was nothing worse happened than the loss of the fifty dollars with which the guide had been paid in advance but on board the schooner the pirate captain was beginning to chafe a little at the magistrates continued illness and declared that as soon as smith's services could possibly be dispensed with the englishman was to be put to death for there was a possibility that if he escaped his knowledge which he had now obtained of the channels through the dangerous reefs would enable any english man of war to find her way into the harbor of the pirate the captain's suspicions of a plot for smith's escape had begun to take definite shape and hence forth he resolved that even if it were necessary for the magistrate to be attended by smith the former should in the future be brought off to the schooner instead of smith going ashore strometa who had been able to reach havanna in safety and to return to the schooner came back with tidings which depressed the pirate captain he had done his best to carry out the work of assassination but unfortunately for him the brig with lumsdon on board had already left havanna before strometa had reached there so life on the pirate ship returned to its normal state smith was regaining his strength but he had not lost anything of his intention to escape if chance should present itself one day whilst at anchor a sale was described in the offing and the captain made her out to be an english brig with full quarters and the familiar white streak which was so much favored in those days the schooner was got under way and the deck cleared for action meanwhile the gunner informed smith that there were not enough cartridges made up for a long action in case the stranger should keep up a resistance so the englishman set to work to make some more before this had been done a second english brig was seen as the schooner continued to chase the first of these craft which took not the slightest notice of the corsair although the latter fired several guns and hoisted american colors the captain was fuming with rage the chase kept on until the schooner's long gun was shot it and fired this at last produced the desired effect and the brig hove too the schooner then hauled down the american colors which the pirate had hoisted and showed a red flag in their place a boat was lowered from the schooner six armed men a pilot and smith being sent away in her for the latter had no thoughts again of resisting but smith was strictly enjoined to hold no conversation with the brig's crew or captain and the pilot was instructed to throw the brig's skipper overboard then tack the craft towards the shore and send smith back to the schooner however smith persuaded the pilot to disobey that mandate on reaching the brig the latter's captain met the pirates at the gangway and inquired who they were to which question nothing but an evasive answer was given the brig was tacked towards the land and then the corsair firing a musket smith was ordered to tell the captain and crew to get in a boat and proceed on board the schooner end of chapter 23 recording by linda johnson chapter 24 of the romance of piracy this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox.org the romance of piracy by edward kebel chatterton chapter 24 chance and circumstance the brig's skipper had been eyeing smith for some time and now claimed acquaintance but although his face was familiar to smith he could not guess the former's name it surprised the brig's captain to be told this was a pirate ship and on reaching the corsair's deck and being asked in a rough tone for his name smith heard the name cook and then recollected that he was slightly acquainted with the mariner with more than a little tact he now claimed cook as his cousin and begged the pirate that he would not maltreat him in this request smith succeeded on condition that cook gave information as to what amount of money and cargo the brig had on board there upon the man handed smith the bills of lading from which it was seen that the ship carried nothing but rum cook was questioned as to the other brig still in sight and replied that she was either a transport with troops on board or else she was the brig victoria from black river jamaica he thought more probably she was the former but on taking another look at her changed his opinion in favor of the victoria chase was therefore given now the name of cook's ship was the industry and her crew were at once employed on board the schooner and ordered to the corsair's guns rapidly the victoria was overhauled and now the long gun was fired across her boughs which the brig answered by hoisting her colors and backing her main yard smith and a pilot were sent aboard her the brig's officers and part of her crew were as before sent off to the schooner and the newest capture was steered to follow the corsair as she ran into the land near cape blanco but a change in the weather came and instead of the clear bright atmosphere there followed a dense haze with rain there was for a time almost a panic on the prize as the breeze freshened and the ship sped on for suddenly immediately a stern out of the mist appeared another schooner coming up fast and in the wake of the corsair the man at the wheel was a bad steersman and sheared the vessel about a good deal as the wind was free steering sails were set by the pilot's instructions in order to get away from the pursuer one of the pirate's crew was pacing the deck with rage and in a state of nervousness less the stranger should be a man of war he cursed the steersman for his bad helmsman ship and this only made the sailor more confused and to steer a more erratic course than before the corsair therefore turned round upon smith and swore that if the latter did not make the helmsman handle the ship better he would take his knife and kill the Englishman smith accordingly did what he could and later on in the day as the weather find down the stranger was seen with great relief to the pirate to be no ship of war indeed it was chiefly the corsair's bad helmsmanship which made it seem that any chase was occurring every hour smith's hopes for escape were being accentuated by a treatment that was barely indurable one of the projects that now arose in his mind was a daring scheme embracing the intention of killing the pilot and the other members of the schooners crew and then take the ship to new orleans to have cheated the schooners captain of the victoria would have been a fine thing for the rest of the brig's crew would certainly have assisted smith however the corsair's skipper was far too wide awake for any game of that sort and at dusk the corsair's gunner was sent aboard the victoria while smith was ordered back to the schooner the prisoners were sent below into the hold and sentries placed on the hatchways making escape impossible all three ships had come to anchor outside the reef consisting of the corsair the industry and the victoria but later on captain cook was permitted to get the industry underway as her cargo of rum was not deemed worth the corsair's attention the victoria and the schooner however proceeded towards rio omedia for the victoria's cargo of coffee was distinctly worth having the schooner was certainly no dull sailor and on the way she outran the victoria by a long distance and soon reached her port hour after hour went by and as the victoria had not arrived the next morning the pirate began to be anxious a few hours later a boat was seen rowing towards the schooner containing that portion of the pirate's crew that had been left aboard the victoria so it was then presumed on board the schooner that the brig had been recaptured and then abandoned but what had happened was that on sighting again the ship seen the day before which had been supposed to be a man of war they had become panic-stricken and fearful of being captured prisoners had preferred to run the victoria onto the reef and abandon her the reader will rightly imagine that this information did not please the choleric corsair but a little later on the victoria was lightened of her cargo floated off the reef and taken into rio medias where also the pirate schooner arrived there is reason to believe that the british admiralty was somewhat remiss in those days in their duty of policing the seas of the west indies having regard to the number of pirates which were known to harris british shipping it even became a joke among the pirates who would laughingly remark that naval officers preferred to spend their time amusing themselves at hirvana rather than seek out these wasps of the sea however as it happened just when the victoria had been floated and taken into harbour the jamaica fleet was observed under sail and once more the pirates were afflicted with nerves they therefore deemed it best to make the poor victoria resemble a wreck and she was for a second time drawn up onto the outer edge of the reef smith for his own part was smarting under the british neglect which could tolerate this sort of thing for at the head of the jamaica fleet he could aspire british man of war and although she was passing within a league of the victoria and the schooner yet no notice was taken of either the pirates waited till the fleet had passed on their way and then once more the victoria was hauled off the reef and taken to a mudbank a couple of coasting vessels arrived from havanna and speedily unloaded into their holds the rest of the victoria's coffee to the great prophet the schooner's captain a week later the schooner was joined in harbour by the arrival of another piratical schooner who skipper asserted that he had successfully plundered three british ships no one who has any knowledge of the depredations that were carried on at this time can deny that the life of a sea robber was if exciting at least remunerative to the interested parties like the old smugglers the work was carried on in a business-like manner with capitalists at the back of the concern the principle on which this systematic piracy was conducted may be described as follows the corsair captain would agree with the owner of the ship to put guns muskets and everything else necessary on board the pirate ship this would be done with secrecy at havanna and the owner was probably a supposedly respectable citizen the ship would then put to sea in charge of a master on the pretense that she was bound for a neighboring port but when night came on she would let go anchor not many miles farther on and close to the shore the corsair captain would now row off to her take over the command and send the master ashore as soon as the latter reached havanna the owner would complain to the governor that while his ship was at sea she was attacked by pirates and seized the master would then be brought as a witness to prove this assertion and the story would be generally believed and as it was known beforehand that the naval authorities would not show much activity the owner might content himself with the knowledge that his ship was away earning handsome dividends as a pirate without interference on the part of the government ships but on rare occasions the latter did besture themselves and it happened that whilst smith was captive on board the schooner in rio medias news came that the governor of havanna was about to adopt hostile measures against the pirates lumston's narrative had not improbably something to do with this and it was reported that five gunboats were to come down inside the reef within the next five days and the magistrate seraphina's father was ordered to render every assistance in his power it should be mentioned that although the magistrate had up till now been visiting the schooner to have his wounds dressed in the cabin by smith yet the latter was no longer allowed ashore and now that the schooner's captain had been told by the magistrate this warning news of the approaching naval advent the former deemed it best to put to sea and cruise in the vicinity of cape cent Antonio for an indefinite period the visits of the magistrate had become even more frequent since in acting out his double life he must needs keep the corsair fully up to date regarding the movements of the gunboats seraphina also used to come on board with him and was able to smuggle the intelligence to smith that the plans for escape were being pressed forward and a new guide had been engaged the reader will like to know what became of the ill-starred victoria before we pass on this fine ship after being so badly used and ignominiously cast upon reef or mudbank was now taken in hand by the magistrate who fearing that her presence when the gunboats visited Rio Medias might provoke awkward questions had her destroyed but in the meantime a change was coming over the schooner and something important was about to happen first of all a certain amount of ill feeling began to arise generated by the suspicion that the pirate captain had secreted large sums of money for himself in the sharing of the prizes the ship was therefore cleft into two discordant parties and the differences were only settled by the arrival from Havana of the two owners of the ship or capitalists but still a more important incident occurred which has a potent influence on the rest of smith's career for at last the pirate captain himself fell ill and was attacked by fever it is significant in everyday life that he who is a bully is also a coward and this brutish man who had terrorized and tortured others was now positively frightened that he would die the pirate therefore sent for smith and such was his fear of succumbing that he promised the englishman his liberty if he should succeed in curing him but smith had lived too long aboard the schooner to have much trust in any promise from a man of that character and he resolved to take whatever advantage he could of this illness to make his escape so long hoped for and planned a reality with no little resource then the englishman insisted on confining the pirate to his cabin the next afternoon it chanced that a couple of fishermen came aboard and exchanged their cargo of fish for a consignment of spirits and as the evening turned out wet and stormy they decided to remain on board the time was spent very pleasantly with the pirate crew and there was no lack of alcohol as the evening went on every man became intoxicated and so the watch was neglected smith realized that here at last was his grand opportunity the only watchful man aboard was the fever-stricken captain so in order to settle him smith in preparing the sick man's mess of arrow root was careful this time to add a quantity of opiate he also caused him to drink a liberal amount of wine the result was that at midnight the captain was fast asleep quietly and carefully smith crept up on deck there was no one there everyone was deeply wrapped in slumber there was not a sound anywhere except the roar of the sea the howling of the wind in the rigging and the slatting of the rain against the ship it was a dirty night with not a star visible in the whole heaven but the angry storm-rent clouds scutting across the arc smith seized his bag into which he had been careful to place his navigating instruments and some biscuit then once more he mounted the companion ladder with the stealth of a cat and crept aft to the schooner's stern where the fisherman's canoe was made fast with his heart thumping inside him and intrepidation lest the slightest noise might betray him he let himself down the painter into the canoe cut the rope and in order to avoid making a sound allowed the craft to drift for some way with the current when once so far away as to be beyond hearing he got the little ship trimmed set the sail and began to steer for where he imagined Havana lay then committing himself to god he held on his course as the frail craft sped on through the darkness next morning he found himself 40 miles away from the schooner's anchorage so already he had obtained a fair start throughout the whole day it blew from the southwest which was a fair wind and this was supremely fortunate for in those regions a breeze from that point of the compass is rare all day long and through the following night he was sailing and never a ship pirate or merchant or man of war came into sight with many an anxious look over his shoulder he glanced a stern to see if he were being followed but no sail came into sight there was a big sea running and it was an adventurous voyage for so small a packet but smith was no novice at seamanship night and day did he keep her at it and then on his second morning out at six o'clock he came running into the port of Havana very fatigued with the nervous and physical strain but a free man again and safe as he was entering his eyes fell on a schooner lying in the harbor a man was walking the deck whose face smith knew running alongside he found it was a captain williams with whom he had been acquainted in America some years before so in a few minutes smith was allowed to clamber on board received a hearty welcome and was refreshed with food then he turned in for a sleep and feeling better thereafter proceeded ashore but he had not gone far when whom should he encounter but one of the crew belonging to the pirate so soon as the letter saw smith he rushed off and presently returned with a Spanish officer and a guard of soldiers who promptly arrested smith as a pirate the reader will instantly realize that the schooner's captain had on hearing of smith's escape taken measures to be avenged and the distance could be covered from Rio Medias to Havana as well by land as by sea but after such an exciting passage in a small boat the meeting was sheer bad luck for the Englishman the officer had smith thrown into prison and for two days he was kept in a dark dungeon and then brought before the judge an interpreter named Payne was employed who proved to be an unprincipled Irishman he told smith that lumsden had already made every particular known but at this juncture the harbour master came forward and declared that lumsden had stated that smith was detained forcibly the result was that after a few weeks detention smith was brought before the governor and subsequently surrendered to the British Admiral of the Jamaica station the rest of the story is quickly told had this been romance and not real life it should have ended by smith meeting again with Seraphina marrying her and living happily ever after as a fact he never saw that lady since the occasion when we last mentioned her after being taken on board the flagship Cybel the ship eventually crossed the Atlantic and arrived off the Isle of White he was now put into Irons again and in the same ship continued his voyage to Deptford thence he was sent to London and examined before the magistrate of the Thames police court who committed smith to Newgate on the 19th of December 1823 he was tried before the High Court of Admiralty on a charge of piracy with seizing the ship Victoria the property of Hyman Cohen and others and stealing 636 barrels of coffee value 5000 pounds and 100 barrels of coffee value 1000 pounds and also with seizing the ship industry on the high seas on 7th august 1822 several seamen and other witnesses were called by the prosecution who deposed to the active part smith had taken in their capture smith in his defense detailed the compulsory nature of his piratical actions and declared that he would never have partaken in the unlawful booty had it been within his choice he recounted with much feeling the circumstances of his captivity and the tortures which he had been forced to endure he also called about 20 witnesses who testified to his bravery and humanity and excellent character generally among these were captain haze commander of the ship on which smith had for some time been made also his brother john smith an officer in the royal navy but a miss sofia knight a prepossessing lady who stated that she had for some time passed been engaged to marry aron smith went into the witness box this lady's charm of manner together with her attacks of bitter weeping which also affected the prisoner so overcame the jury that they acquitted smith so that if he had been prevented from marrying seraphina he was now free to fall into the arms of sofia subsequently smith went to see again but before doing so he wrote an account of his amazing adventures to justify himself in the eyes of the world and to prove that he was no pirate this narrative appeared in the year 1824 and it is from his own story that i have taken this account of a real romance among the pirates of the sea end of chapter 24 recording by linda johnson chapter 25 of the romance of piracy this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org the romance of piracy by edward kebel chatterton chapter 25 the cruise of the defensor de pedro in the year 1827 a vessel called the defensor de pedro was being fitted out at buenos aires for a voyage to the coast of africa whence she intended to obtain slaves and then smuggle them across the atlantic into america this trade of fetching negroes from west africa to america was no new departure it had been in vogue ever since the 16th century and our own hawkins in the reign of queen elizabeth had to his discredit been engaged in the same disgraceful traffic even though we are writing in this present instance of the early 19th century the practice had not been discarded the south american portuguese had at that time the privilege of dealing in slaves on a certain part of the african coast but it was the intention of the captain of the defensor to run farther down so that he might purchase slaves at a much cheaper price among the crew which he shipped from buenos aires were the very scum of the latin races french spanish portuguese and others of the very worst character came aboard and among them was one arch fiend named benito de soto who had been born in a small village near coruna in galicia he had taken to the sea as his occupation and so in the year of which we are speaking he had found himself in buenos aires the ship and her crew of desperados crossed the atlantic and duly arrived off the african coast where a large number of slaves were shipped in order to complete his cargo the captain went ashore leaving the mate in charge of the ship this mate was a villain of the most pronounced type a man of reckless and ungovernable temperament seeing that in de soto there was a kindred spirit he proposed to the latter a plan for seizing the ship and making off with her de soto cordially agreed the suggestion was now put before the rest of the crew and after going about the matter in a cautious manner they had so influenced 22 of them as to promise to join in the plan but the other 18 declined to be won over in spite of threats and persuasions the mate began to despair but de soto acting on his own initiative collected all the arms of the ship together summoned the conspirators and handed to each a brace of pistols and a cutlass having armed himself in a similar manner he then advanced to the head of the gang drew his sword and declared the mate to be the head of the ship and the confederates part owners and when the resistors still held out he ordered the ship's boat to be hoisted out and then dramatically pointed to the land and cried there is the african coast this is our ship one or other must be chosen by every man on board within five minutes still declining to submit the 18 got into the boat one by one only one pair of oars had been allowed them and as the ship was now at sea 10 miles from the shore they would in any case have had a hard row at the time when they left the ship the weather was calm and fine but soon afterwards heavy gales sprang up and there was the full force of the heavy atlantic sea to be encountered with night coming on and there can be little doubt that the boat never reached land but foundered in the terrible seas the defensor de pedro with her sails well bellied to the wind rolled and plunged through the dark night outside the gale held through the rigging and all the fiends of storm seemed to have been let loose that night so it was below in the tween decks where those other fiends made drunk with too much alcohol raised a violent uproar argument and quarreling for the mastery followed and de soto was not long in obtaining the mastery the mate could not resist and the jealousy of the former was impossible to be constrained so determined to have what he desired this avaricious de soto in one act made his own position doubly secure hither to he had aided the mate now he was going to end all that and as the mate lay in his drunken sleep the soto put a pistol to the man's head and shut away his life his next step was to conciliate the crew he pointed out to them that he had done this deed for their benefit and declared that he was now their leader and promised them every success provided they should obey him and as a mob always is swayed by the strongest character the crew hailed him as their captain with acclamation and unanimity as to the slaves these poor creatures were confined below under the hatches and de soto steered for the west indies where he sold them at a good price reserving one of them a boy as his servant they then proceeded to act the lives of ordinary pirates plundering many a fine vessel but bad as other pirates were there is little or nothing to choose between the atrocities of this present crew and those others of which the muslim corsairs already narrated were guilty de soto and his associates were devils incarnate and it is past the wit of man ever to imagine such a gang should have been allowed to mix with human beings i have no intention of detailing all their abominable doings but in order to convey some idea of the lengths to which they could go the following will be found sufficiently indicative a certain american brig had the misfortune to fall into their hands from her they took all the valuables they could lay their hands upon and then they sent all the people below fastened the hatches and set the brig on fire one man a negro they had allowed to be accepted him they kept on deck for the villainous pleasure of seeing the man tortured having hove to the pirate ship watched the flames tearing through the brig bursting up the decks and penetrating everywhere now it climbed the rigging and the monsters laughed with joy to see the poor nigger leaping from rope to rope till he climbed even to the masthead and presently fell there from exhausted into the roaring furnace which filled the hold but that was not the one solitary monstrous act in their piratical exploits and the following is really a story in itself everyone knows of the island called ascension which stands lonely in the south atlantic some eight or nine degrees below the equator in the year eighteen twenty eight a british ship named the morning star was homeward bound from silan that was of course many days prior to the opening of the suez canal and in the days of oak and hemp the morning star carried a valuable cargo as well as some passengers including a major and his wife two civilians and twenty five invalid soldiers on their way to england some of the latter had their wives also with them on the twenty first of february when near the island of ascension the defensor de pedros cited the morning star the two vessels proceeding in opposite directions as soon as de soto aspired her at daybreak he summoned all hands and prepared for attack having altered his course to give chase at first he supposed that she was a frenchman but one of his crew named barbazin of french nationality assured him the ship was british this delighted de soto for he guessed there would be the more booty when the yards had been squared and the pirate ship ran before the wind the morning star was about six miles away the defensor de pedros was a fast ship but as the other had now set a great deal more canvas the pirate was a long time coming up to her this made de soto like a wild animal pacing the deck muttering growls and exhibiting the utmost restlessness the delay was lashing him into a wild orgy of oaths and curses and ill temper the crew however were in a savage delight at the prospect of being able to capture so rich a vessel as she appeared to be barbazin was busy clearing for action and seeing that the men had breakfast and then were well armed the captain's black servant came up to ask if he would have his morning cup of chocolate when de soto and his grossly irritable impetuosity struck the boy violently with his telescope and if any of the crew interrupted him as he paced up and down there was trouble for that unhappy man but now the stencils were set and the defensor de pedros was adding to her speed so nicely that she was perceptibly gaining on the morning star this relieved the great monster of a load of anxiety so that he went below and feasted heartily on cold beef and chocolate and then sat down to enjoy his cigar more and more gained the pursuer on the chase so a gun was fired with the customary blank cartridge and british colors hoisted but the morning star still held on her way this infuriated the pirate shoot the long gun he commanded and give it her point blank this was done but the shot fell short and he leapt from the deck to curse his men for bungling when nearly abreast of the british ship de soto aimed the gun himself and fired again as the pirate ran up columbian colors the people on the morning star were in a state of terror by now though her captain did his best to restore confidence although one of his men had been wounded yet he kept a smart press of canvas on the ship and was resolved not to strike to a pirate unhappily the weeping women and the nervous passengers prevailed upon him to heave to for the invalid soldiers could not have made much of a resistance de soto was shouting through his speaking trumpet lower your boat down this moment and let your captain come on board with his papers one of the passengers volunteered to go on board the pirate but when the villains learned he was not the captain they sent him back after ill using him threatening that if the captain did not instantly come aboard they would blow the morning star up so the captain came off forthwith bringing with him the second mate three soldiers and a sailor boy de soto was awaiting them with a cutlass near the main mast the mate was sent to the forecastle and both he and the captain were immediately slain de soto then dispatched half a dozen men including barbazan to row off to the morning star and put everyone to death after that they were to sink her the six men each with a brace of pistols a cutlass and a long knife went aboard as told picture these blaggards with their latin features degenerated and their brutal expressions positively thirsting for human blood longing to deal death or misery right and left their garments consisted of a coarse cotton checkered jacket and trousers while their heads were covered with red woolen caps and broad canvas waist belts held their knives and pistols strong and vicious merciless and coarse they came aboard the indian man as the shrieks from the terrified women rent the sea air as the pirates jumped on deck they slashed about on either side swearing and slaying at the same time before long there was scarcely a man left in the ship alive though a mere handful took refuge below while the long gun on the pirate ship was ready aimed to blow the morning star to splinters if any opposition were shown when the ghastly work was finished on the deck the rascals went about their work of pillaging money plate valuable jewels nautical instruments charts everything that was of any value was taken on deck and sent across to the defensor even the clothes from the passengers backs were torn off the culprits then after two hours rummaging sat down in the cabin and were served with vions and sparkling wine by a reluctant steward unhappily a small piece of broken glass chanced to be found in the wine so one of the pirates in a fury grasped the trembling steward by the throat holding a pointed knife to his face for some time they went on drinking until the loud voice of disoto recalled them to the ship they had no time now to kill everyone as had been their orders but were content with boring holes in the hull and leaving the surviving people to drown like rats darkness came down over the saddened morning star she presented a sight of the most poignant misery her decks were slippery with human blood her masks had been sawn off by the miscreants who had but recently left her her rigging had been cut away and her holds and cabins had been pilfered and left in disorder when at last the deathly stillness convinced the imprisoned victims that they were alone the ladies succeeded in forcing their way out of the cabin where they had been left imprisoned to drown but down in the hold were the captive men and the hatches had been secured by heavy balks of timber the women shouted to them that the pirates had left and then with their united efforts the timber was moved away and the hatches opened at last they were restored to life but it was not to be for long they surmised as they found the ship had already six feet of water in her by working hard at the pumps she was kept afloat yet what was the good when there were no sails or spars and they must eventually succumb to the fatigue of pumping with shattered nerves and wounded bodies they were now to encounter a lingering death but by an act of god the very next day they fell in with a vessel which picked them up and brought them safely back to england where the arrival of these survivors created great excitement but we must now return to follow disoto and his gang the defensor had sailed far into the night before disoto learned that the people in the morning star had not been done to death but were only drowning he raged like an infuriated monster robbed of its prey cursed Barbizon and threatened his men with death and even now he decided to put back and look for the morning star he wanted to make quite sure they were dead and after cruising about some time as he could see no trace of her he concluded that she had already sunk to the depths below thus gratified he headed for europe and on the way plundered and sunk a brig murdering the entire crew with the exception of one man whom he brought aboard so that he might pilot them to corona of which the stranger had special expert knowledge and as soon as they came within near sight of the port the pirate came up to him as the latter steered and addressed him thus my friend is this the harbor of corona yes said the other disoto regarded him for a moment then said he you have done your duty well and i'm obliged to you for your services and with that he drew his pistol and shot him dead then flinging his still warm body over the ship's side he took the steering himself and brought his ship into corona after her long and wicked voyage but the story is not yet complete hitherto the ungodly have prospered now it is their turn to suffer after disoto had obtained ship's papers in a false name after he had made a brief sojourn to sell most of his booty he set sail again for cadiz where he hoped to be able to market the remainder of his spoil it was not to be a long voyage just down the coast round capesing vincent and so to his destination he carried a fair wind all the way to until he was quite within sight of the neighboring coastline but as night was approaching and he wanted daylight to go to his anchorage he hoped to till the dawn should return but during the night the wind backed to the westward and before long it was blowing the full force of agale making cadiz a lee shore and the whole drift of the atlantic to send in a cruel sea disoto left his ship all he could so as to clear a point that stretched out from the shore but all the time he was close hauled trying to get to windward his ship was making a lot of leeway and he found it impossible to claw off from the land the weather got from bad to worse and the night was as black as a nigger's head to windward the howling gale to leeward the sound of the breakers and over everything the impending doom of ship at the mercy of the wind it was only a question of time now the end was certain and the defensor struck the ground in the shallows with a dull sickening thud for a moment she drifted a little nearer to the shore on the top of a succeeding wave and then down she bumped harder than ever as her crew momentarily expected her back to be broken in twain aloft there was a miserable flapping of canvas and loose gear on deck below the men who had bullied others were now themselves craven cowards at last their own destiny in this dark wild night had come so it seemed but by providential indulgence they were allowed to remain together all night in the wrecked ship and in the morning they were able to row ashore no other thought had disoto now than to sell the wreck to the highest bidder and to purchase another craft to renew their peretical endeavors as the night and winds had passed so had their own fears and good resolutions and every member of the crew was ready to go afloat again with disoto in a new ship if they could obtain what they wanted they therefore proceeded to cadiz and presenting themselves to the authorities soto pretended that they were poor shipwrecked mariners that the captain had perished and that he himself was mate the yarn was accepted with sympathy as to the wreck she was sold for the sum of 350 pounds or to be more accurate the contract had been signed for that amount but just then fortunately the last act of the drama began and the plot took a new and unexpected turn there were some inconsistencies in the accounts of the pirate's stories so the money was not paid and six of the men were arrested on suspicion disoto and one of the crew became alarmed and fled from cadiz arriving at the neutral ground six others got right away the reader in spite the reader in spite of his natural resentment of disoto's character cannot but admire the amazing ingenuity of the fellow and the consummate ease with which he could always invent some new stratagem to suit his change of fortunes and now once more the pirate had to set his wits to work he carried with him a letter of credit from cadiz and he wished to get into gibraltar in order to obtain money his companion decided not to attempt such a risky proposition and so escaped the fate which was disoto's by means of a false pass the soto obtained admission into the garrison and then took up his abode in a certain low tavern where he remained a few weeks pretending to the innkeeper that he had come to gibraltar on his way to cadiz from malaga and was waiting for a friend he dressed expensively and seemed quite happy but after a while he was arrested and brought to court there was plenty of evidence against him and the pocket book which had belonged to the captain of the morning star together with certain other articles taken from that ship were proved to have been found in disoto's room in the tavern furthermore that black boy whom he had retained from another ship as narrated and had been cruelly treated by disoto now came forward as a witness and thus the chain of evidence was gradually completed to convict the lawless tyrant the governor passed the sentence of death and right up till the day of the execution the culprit still protested his innocence but at length he was at the last moved to repentance and if there is much to say against the man there is to be added that in his final hour he showed amazing courage and played the man even assisting his executioners in adjusting the halter in the life of such a man as disoto there is little that can rouse one to enthusiasm the romance of the days of piracy becomes clouded over by the horrible cruelties and unmerciful slaughter which accompanied the robberies by sea stripped of all its excitement and the glamour of brave deeds such a story as that of this dago is just one long account of avarice and its attainment neither divine nor human laws neither loyalty to his superior officers nor respect for his fellow men nothing did disoto allow to stand in his way to fulfill his ambition he plotted and schemed he murdered and he pillaged he fabricated falsehoods and he collected fabulous wealth but when the net benefit to himself is reckoned up the reader may naturally ask the question kuei bono whom did it benefit certainly not himself and certainly not his crew it provided a life of excitement and debauchery it caused misery and suffering to some and death to others that in a word was the grand total of a wasted life the pity of it is that all this wild energy this daring this ingenuity this brilliant seamanship and fighting capability might not have been used to some better and more lasting purpose end of chapter 25 recording by linda johnson