 A Ballad of John Silver by John Masefield Coffee Break Collection 18, Pirates 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 Chris Pyle A Ballad of John Silver We were schooner-rigged and rake-ish with a long and lissom hull, and we flew the pretty colors of the crossbones and the skull. We'd a big black Jolly Roger flapping grimly at the fore, and we sailed the Spanish water in the happy days of yore. We'd a long brass gun amid ships like a well-conducted ship. We had a brace of pistols and a cutlass at the hip. It's a point which tells against us and a fact to be deplored, but we chased the goodly merchant men and laid their ships aboard. Then the dead men fouled the scuppers and the wounded filled the chains, and the paintwork all was splatter-dashed with other people's brains. She was boarded, she was looted, she was scuttled till she sank, and the pale survivors left us by the medium of the plank. Oh, then it was, while standing by the taff rail on the poop, we could hear the drowning folk lament the absent chicken coop. Then having washed the blood away, we'd little else to do than to dance a quiet hornpipe as the old salts taught us to do. Oh, the fiddle on the folk-soul and the slapping naked souls! And the genial down the middle-jake and curtsy when she rolls. With the silver seas around us and the pale moon overhead, and the lookout not a-looking and his pipe-bowl glowing red. Ah, the pigtail-quitting pirates and the pretty pranks we played! All have since been put astop to by the naughty board of trade. The schooners and the merry crews are laid away to rest. A little south the sunset and the islands of the blessed. End of A Ballad of John Silver by John Macefield Recording by Chris Pyle An old song re-sung by John Macefield Coffee Break Collection 18, Pirates 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 Chris Pyle An old song re-sung I saw a ship assailing, assailing, assailing, with emeralds and rubies and sapphires in her hold, and a boson and a blue coat bawling at the railing, piping through a silver cauld that had a chain of gold. The summer wind was failing and the tall ship rolled. I saw a ship asssteering, asssteering, asssteering, with roses and red thread worked upon her sails, with sacks of purple amethyst, the spoils of buccaneering, skins of musky yellow wine, and silks and bales. Her merry men were cheering, hauling on the brails. I saw a ship assinking, assinking, assinking, with glittering sea water splashing on her decks with seamen in her spirit room, singing songs and drinking, pulling clerret bottles down and knocking off the necks. The broken glass was chinking as she sank among the wrecks. End of an Old Song Resung by John Macefield Recording by Chris Pyle The Adventures, Trial and Execution of Captain Gao by Charles Elms Coffee Break Collection 18, Pirates This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Adventures, Trial and Execution of Captain Gao Captain Gao sailed from Amsterdam in July 1724 on board the George galley for Santa Cruz, where they took in beeswax. Scarcely had they sailed from that place when Gao and several others who had formed a conspiracy seized the vessel. One of the conspirators cried, There is a man overboard. The captain instantly ran to the side of the vessel when he was seized by two men who attempted to throw him over. He, however, so struggled that he escaped from their hands. One winter with a knife attempted to cut him at the throat, but missing his aim the captain was yet saved. But Gao, coming aft, shot him through the body and throwing him over the rail he caught hold of the main sheet. But Gao, taking up an axe, with two blows, so disabled him that he fell into the sea and was drowned. The conspirators proceeded to murder all who were not in their horrid plot, which, being done, James Williams came upon deck and, striking one of the guns with his cutlass, saluted Gao in the following words, Captain Gao, you are welcome, welcome to your command. Williams was declared lieutenant, and the other officers being appointed, the captain addressed them, saying, If, hereafter, I see any of you whispering together, or if any of you refuse to obey my orders, let every such man depend upon it, that he shall certainly go the same way as those that are just gone before. The first prize was the Sarah Snow of Bristol. After they had rifled the vessel and received one man from it, they allowed her to prosecute her voyage. The delight of pool was the next vessel that fell into their hands, but they not long after captured two others from which they received a quantity of fish and from the other, bread, beef and pork. They also forced two men from the latter ship. A French ship, not long after, furnished them with wine, oil, figs, oranges and lemons to the value of five hundred pounds. In a short time after they captured their last prize and, as she made no resistance, they plundered and dismissed her. They next sailed for the Orkney Isles to clean, but were apprehended by a gentleman of that country, brought up to London and tried before a court of abnormality, in May 1725. When the first indictment was read, Gao obstinately refused to plead for which the court ordered his thumbs to be tied together with whip-cord. The punishment was several times repeated by the executioner and another officer. They drew in the cord every time till it broke, but he still being stubborn, refusing to submit to the court, the sentence was pronounced against him, which the law appoints in such cases, that is, that he should be taken back to prison and there pressed to death. The jailer was then ordered to conduct him back and see that the sentence was executed the next morning. Meanwhile the trials of the prisoners, his companions, went forward. But the next morning when the press was prepared, pursuant to the order of the court the day before, he was so terrified with the apprehension of dying in that manner that he sent his humble petition to the court, praying that he might be admitted to plead. This request being granted he was brought again to the bar and arraigned upon the first indictment to which he pleaded not guilty. Then the depositions that had been given against the other prisoners were repeated upon which he was convicted and received the sentence of death accordingly, which he suffered in company with Captain Weaver and William Ingram. The stories of these two men are so interwoven with others that it will be impossible to distinguish many of their particular actions. They were however proved to have been concerned if not the principal actors in the following piracies. First the seizing a Dutch ship in August 1722 and taking from thence a hundred pieces of Holland, value eight hundred pounds, a thousand pieces of eight value two hundred and fifty pounds. Secondly the entering and pillaging the dolphin of London, William Haddock, out of which they got three hundred pieces of eight, value seventy-five pounds, forty gallons of rum and other things on the twentieth of November in the same year. Thirdly the stealing out of a ship called the Don Carlos Lot-Nikin's Master, four hundred ounces of silver value one hundred pounds, fifty gallons of rum, value thirty shillings, a thousand pieces of eight, a hundred pistols and other valuable goods. And fourthly the taking from a ship called the England, ten pipes of wine value two hundred and fifty pounds, the two last charges both in the year 1721. Weaver returned home and came to Mr. Thomas Smith at Bristol in a very ragged condition and pretending that he had been robbed by pirates, Smith, who had been acquainted with him eight or nine years before, provided him with necessaries and he walked about unmolested for some time. But Captain Joseph Smith, who knew him when a pirate one day met him and asked him to go and take a bottle with him. When they were both in the tavern he told him that he had been a considerable sufferer by his boarding his vessel. Therefore, said he, as I understand that you are in good circumstances I expect that you will make me some restitution which if you do I will never hurt a hair of your head because you were very civil to me when I was in your hands. But as this recompense was never given Weaver was apprehended and executed. End of The Adventures, Trial and Execution of Captain Gal by Charles Elms Adventure with Pirates by James O. Brayman Coffee Break Collection 18 Pirates This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Adventure with Pirates There lived, not many years ago, on the eastern shore of Mount Desert, a large island off the coast of Maine, an old fisherman by the name of Jedediah Spinit who owned a schooner of some hundred tons burden in which he, together with some four stout sons, was wont to go about once a year to the Grand Banks for the purpose of catching codfish. The old man had five things upon the peculiar merits of which he loved to boast. His schooner, Betsy Jenkins, and his four sons. The four sons were all their father represented them to be and no one ever doubted his word when he said that their like was not to be found for fifty miles around. The oldest was thirty-two, while the youngest had just completed his twenty-sixty year and they answered to the names of Seth, Andrew, John and Samuel. One morning a stranger called upon Jedediah to engage him to take to Havana some iron machinery belonging to steam engines for sugar plantations. The terms were soon agreed upon and the old man and his sons immediately set about putting the machinery on board. That accomplished they set sail for Havana with a fair wind and for several days proceeded on their course without any adventure of any kind. One morning, however, a vessel was described off their starboard quarter which, after some hesitation, the old man pronounced a pirate. There was not much time allowed them for doubting for the vessel soon saluted them with a very agreeable whistling of an eighteen-pound shot under the stern. That means for us to heave to, remarked the old man. Then I guess we'd better do it, hadn't we? said Seth. Of course. Accordingly the Betsy Jenkins was brought up into the wind and her main boom hauled over to Windwood. Now, boys, said the old man, as soon as the schooner came to a stand all we can do is to be as cool as possible and to trust to fortune. There is no way to escape that I can see now, but perhaps if we are civil they will take such stuff as they want then let us go. At any rate there is no use crying about it for it can't be helped. Now get your pistols and see that they are surely loaded and have your knives ready but be sure and hide them so that the pirates shall see no show of resistance. In a few moments all the arms which the schooner afforded with the exception of one or two old muskets were secured about the persons of our down-easters and they quietly awaited the coming of the schooner. One word more, boys, said the old man, just as the pirate came round under the stern. Now watch every movement I make and be ready to jump the moment I speak. As Captain Spinitz ceased speaking the pirate laughed under the fisherman's leak-water and in a moment more the latter's deck was graced with the presence of a dozen as savage-looking mortals as eyes ever rested upon. Are you the captain of this vessel? demanded the leader of the boarders as he approached the old man. Yes, sir. What is your cargo? Machinery for engines. Nothing else? asked the pirate with a searching look. At this moment Captain Spinitz's eye caught what looked like a sail off to the south-wood and east-wood but no sign betrayed the discovery and, while a brilliant idea shot through his mind, he hesitatingly replied, well, there is a lethal something else. Ha! and what is it? Why, sir, perhaps I hadn't ought to tell, said Captain Spinitz, counterfeiting the most extreme perturbation. You see, it was given to me as a sort of trust and wouldn't be right for me to give up. You can take anything else you please for I suppose I can't help myself. You are an honest coger at any rate, said the pirate, but if you would live ten minutes longer just tell me what you've got on board exactly where it lays. The sight of the cocked pistol brought the old man to his senses and, in a deprecating tone, he muttered, Don't kill me, sir, don't. I'll tell you all. We have got forty thousand silver dollars nailed up in boxes and stowed away under some of the boxes just forward of the cabin bulkhead but Mr. Defoe didn't suspect that anybody would have thought of looking for it there. Perhaps so, he chuckled the pirate while his eyes sparkled with delight and then, turning to his own vessel, he ordered all but three of his men to jump on board the Yankee. In a few moments the pirates had taken off the hatches and, in their haste to get at the silver dollars, they forgot all else but not so with Spinit. He had his wits at work and no sooner had the last of the villains disappeared below the hatchway than he turned to his boys. Now, boys, for our lives Seth, you clap your knife across the four throat and peak halyards and you, John, cut the mane. Be quick now and the moment you've done it, jump aboard the pirate. Andrew and Sam you cast off the pirate's grappling and then you jump then we'll walk into them three chaps aboard the clipper. Now for it! No sooner were the last words out of the old man's mouth than his sons did exactly as they had been directed. The four and main halyards were cut and the two grapplings cast off at the same instant and, as the heavy gaffes came rattling down, our five heroes leaped on board the pirate. The moment the clipper felt at liberty her head swung off and, before the astonished buccaneers could gain the decks of the fishermen, their own vessel was a cable's length to leeward sweeping gracefully away before the wind while the three men left in charge were easily secured. Hello there! shouted Captain Spinit as the luckless pirates crowded around the lee gangway of their prize. When you find them silver dollars just let us know will you? Half a dozen pistol shots was all the answer the old man got but they did him no harm and, crowding up all sail, he made for the vessel he had discovered which lay dead to leeward of him and which he made out to be a large ship. The clipper cut through the water like a dolphin and, in a remarkably short space of time, Spinit left up under the ship's stern and explained all that had happened. The ship proved to be an East India man bound for Charleston, having all told thirty men on board, twenty of whom at once jumped into the clipper and offered their services in helping to take the pirate. Before dark Captain Spinit was once more within hailing distance of his own vessel and raising a trumpet to his mouth he shouted, Schooner, ahoy! Will you quietly surrender yourselves prisoners if we come on board? Come and try it, returned the pirate captain as he brandished his cutlass above his head in a threatening manner which seemed to indicate that he would fight to the last. But that was his last moment for Seth was crouched below the bullocks taking deliberate aim along the barrel of a heavy rifle and, as the bloody villain was in the act of turning to his men the sharp crack of Seth's Spinit's weapon rang its fatal death-peel and the next moment the captain fell back into the arms of his men with a brace of bullet in his heart. Now, shouted the old man as he leveled the long pivot gun and seized a lighted match I'll give you just five minutes to make your minds up in and, if you don't surrender I'll blow every one of you into the other world. The death of their captain and with all the sight of the pivot gun its peculiar properties they knew full well brought the pirates to their senses and they threw down their weapons and agreed to give themselves up. In two days from that time Captain Spinit delivered his cargo safely in Havana gave the pirate into the hands of the civil authorities and delivered the clipper up to the government in return for which he received a sum of money sufficient for an independence during the remainder of his life as well as a very handsome medal from the government End of Adventure with Pirates Capture of a Chinese Pirate Fleet by Anonymous from the Royal Gazette, September 20th, 1853 Coffee Break Collection 18 Pirates 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 Colleen McMahon Capture of a Chinese Pirate Fleet The friend of China details the destruction of a pirate fleet in the Chinese seas by HMSS Rattler, Commander Mallorish The latter received advice May 5th that the speck, a small English steamer employed in convoying Chinese junks had been so riddled by the pirate shot that she was compelled to leave the vessels to their fate The result of which was that the pirates took the hull and held them for a ransom of ten thousand dollars Captain M, being at Amoy immediately culled the Rattler and by great exertions left the next morning and about 7 p.m. same day reached the mouth of the Min Here the wind was so strong as to prevent communication with the shore At 4 a.m. on the 10th Mr. West, Master, was sent to Reconnoiter and at 3.30 p.m. he returned with the speck and intelligence that the piratical fleet were still at Namquang waiting the ransom money which they were advised had been sent to them over land At 5.30 p.m. Rattler with speck in tow proceeded The 11th broke with a thick fog and the ship had to lie until 8 a.m. When the fog lifting single rock was seen about one and a half miles a beam the pirates' haven seven miles distant Rattler now dashed on the fog still hanging so thick over the hills as to prevent the pirates' lookout from seeing her until she was right in among them Then commenced the panic Cutting cables and making sail they stood for the entrance of the harbor but a strong flood tide swept them inwards and they prepared an earnest for close action Rattler now opened the ball with a shot across the bowels of one vessel making for the river Whereupon the whole fleet seven heavily armed junks and Lorca-19 opened a fire of round shot, grape and pieces of chain about a foot long tied together Their aim being too high only a few shots struck the steamer giving them two broad sides from her starboard battery Rattler passed up, turned and took position stem on the tide then steaming towards them she opened fire Upon this the pirates bore up with intent to board Lieutenant Pitcock afterwards killed Tending the large eight inch gun took steady aim and sent a shell right into the pirate chief's large junk which, catching the magazine caused her to blow up with all hands The explosion also sinking a vessel near her The Lorca then dropped a stern, ceased firing and hoisted Portuguese colors at the mizzen and French at the main The others made the best of their way to the shore the pirates jumping overboard and swimming to land There they were met by the villagers who knocked them on the head as they reached the beach many being speared and stoned to death in the water Rattler now lowered her boats and in charge of Commander Dorville Mr. West and Messrs. Wilcox and Elliott, mates took possession of the fleet with little or no resistance Up to this period the casualties on our side were trifling but accounts having been brought that some of the pirates had captured a small junk killed the crew and were doing their best to get up the river Lieutenant Pitcock gave chase in the cutter He soon came up with the miscreants and two junks one of which he had boarded when the other dropped alongside and some fifty men who were hidden in the vessel in possession rushed up and overpowered them The last scene of Lieutenant Peay alive was on his knees with his sword through a Chinese born down by half a dozen spears Two had fallen by his hand just as he fell George Ryder, quartermaster, and Juno Phillips, A.S. both went down with him side by side fighting desperately to the last The rest of the cutter's crew were driven overboard all bearing honorable testimony to the brave defense of their gallant comrades Edward Ward, ordinary seaman, has no less than fifteen spear wounds The people on shore behaved admirably and by their aid Rattler's wounded men got on board their ship The encounter took place out of sight of the steamer The pinnace, gig, and a cutter were subsequently sent to look after the pirates The boats being in charge of Commander Dorville, Mr. Drownston, Perser, and measures Wilcox and Elliott Nothing could be seen of the pirates, but the bodies of Lieutenant Pitcock and George Ryder were recovered To return to the junks, the burning one was towed on shore and settled, and at low water not less than one hundred and seventy pounds of molten silver were taken out of her, together with a few burnt dollars and three bags of speci. Five junks and Lorca were next morning taken in tow, but at coming on to blow one of the junks was sunk and the Lorca had to be cast off. She subsequently arrived at Amoy Four junks and fifty prisoners were taken into Funchao and given up to the The number of guns captured of all sizes was eighty-four, of which the pirate Commodore's junk alone mounted sixteen Vis two thirty-two pounders, two long nine feet thirteen pounders, two eighteen pounder caronauts, four twelve pounders, and others of various caliber This is probably the most gallant and decisive achievement in the annals of any Navy, and the actors deserve the thanks of every merchant And of Capture of a Chinese Pirate Fleet Recording by Colleen McMahon Fifteen Men on the Dead Man's Chest Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Drink and the Devil had done for the rest Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Captain Billy Bones, his song Fifteen Men on the Dead Man's Chest Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Drink and the Devil had done for the rest Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum The mate was fixed by the boss' pike, the boss' brain with the marlin spike, and a cookie's throat was marked by like It had been gripped by finger's tin, and there they lay All good dead men, like break a day in a boozing-kin Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Fifteen Men of a whole ship's list Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Dead and be damned, and the rest gone whisked Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum The skipper lay with his knob and gore Where the Skullian's axe's cheek had shore And the Skullian he was stabbed times four And there they lay in the soggy skies Dripped all day long in up-staring eyes At mercs unset and at fowls sunrise Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Fifteen Men of them stiff and stark Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Ten of the crew had the murder mark Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Twas a cutlass swipe, born ounce of lead Or a yawing hole in a battered head And the skipper's glut with a rotting red And there they lay, I damn my eyes All lookouts clapped on paradise All souls bound just contrary-wise Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Fifteen Men of them good and true Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Every man jack could assail with old pew Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum There was chest on chest full of Spanish gold With a ton of plate in the middle hold And the cabin's riot of stuff untold And they lay there that it took the plum Sightless glare and their lips struck dumb While we shared all by the rule of thumb Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum More was seen through the stern light screen Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Chartines on doubt where a woman had been Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum A flimsy shift on a bunker cot With a thin dirk slot through the bosom spot And the lay stiff dry in a purplish blot Or was she winch, or some shuddering maid That dared the knife and that took the blade By God she was stuffed for a plucky jade Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Fifteen men on the dead man's chest Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Drink and the devil had done for the rest Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum We wrapped them all in a mainsail tight With twice-ten turns of a hozzer's bite And we heaved them over and out of sight With a Yo-Heave-Ho and a Fare-You-Well And a Solemn Plunge and the Solemn Swell Tin fathoms deep on the road to hell Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum End of Derelict, a Reminiscence of Treasure Island Execution of the Pirates by Ezra Baldwin-Strong Coffee Break Collection 18, Pirates 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 Phil Shempf Execution of the Pirates Ten of the pirates captured by the British Slope of War Tine were executed at Kingston, Jamaica, on Friday, the 7th of February, 1823. About a quarter of an hour before Day Dawn, the wretched culprits were Taken from the jail under a guard of Soldiers from the 50th Regiment And the City Guard. On their arrival at the Wery Wharf, The military retired, and the Prisoners with the Town Guard were put On board two Waries, in which they Proceeded to Port Royal Point, the usual place of execution in similar Cases. They were there met by a Strong Party of Military, consisting Of 50 men under command of an Officer. They formed themselves into A square round the place of Execution, with the Sheriff and His Officers with the Prisoners in The Centre. The gallows was of Considerable length, and contrived With a draw, so as to prevent the Unpleasant circumstances which Frequently occur. The Unfortunate men had been in Continual prayer from the time They were awakened out of a deep Sleep, till they arrived at that Place, where they were to close Their existence. They all expressed Their gratitude for the attention They had met with from the Sheriff and the Inferior Officers. Many pressed the hands Of the turnkey to their lips, And their knees prayed that God, Jesus Christ, and the Virgin Mary Would bless them and the other Jailers for their goodness. They all Then fervently joined in prayer. To the astonishment of all, no Clerical character of any Persuasion was present. They Repeatedly called out, a Donde Estial Padre, where is The Holy Father? Juan Hernandez called on all persons Present to hear him. He was Innocent. What they had said Confessing himself guilty was untrue. He had admitted himself Guilty because he hoped for pardon. But that now he was to die He called God, Jesus Christ The Holy Ghost, the Virgin Mary And the Saints to witness that He spoke truth. That he was No pirate, no murderer. He had been forced. The Lieutenant of the pirates was a wretch Who did not fear God and had Compelled him to act. Juan Gutierrez and Francisco Cias were loud in their protestations Of innocence. Manuel Lima said for himself He did not care. He felt for the old Man, Miguel Jose. How could he be a pirate who could Not help himself? If it were a Christian country, they would have Pardoned him for his gray hairs. He was innocent. They had both been Forced. Let none of his friends And relations ever venture to see. He hoped his death would be a Warning to them that the Man would never fear for the guilty. The language of this young man Marked him a superior to the Generality of his companions in Misfortune. The seaman Of the whim stated that he was Very kind to them when prisoners On board the piratical vessel. Just before he was turned off He addressed the old man Adios viejo, para siempre adios. Farewell, old man. Forever farewell. Several of the prisoners cried out Pardon, pardon. Domingo Yukaya, the black Man, then addressed them. Do not look for mercy here, but pray to God. We are all brought here to die. This is not built For nothing. Here we must end our lives. You know I am innocent, but I must die the same as you all. There is not anybody here Who can do us any good. So let us only think of God Almighty. We are not children, but Men. You know that all must die. And in a few years, those who Kill us must die too. When I was born, God set the way Of my death. I do not blame Anybody. I was taken by the Pirates, and they made me help them. They would not let me be idle. I could not show that this was the truth, And therefore they have judged Me by the people they have found me With. I am put to death On justly, but I blame nobody. It was my misfortune. Come, let us pray. If we are innocent, so much the last We have to repent. I do not come here to accuse anyone. Death must come, one day or other, Better to the innocent than guilty. He then joined in prayer With the others. He seemed to be much reverence to By his fellow prisoners. He chose those prayers he thought Most adapted to the occasion. Hundreds were witnesses to the Manly firmness of this Negro. Observing a bystander, listening To the complaints of one of his fellow Regis, he translated what had been Said into English. With a steady pace, and a resolute And resigned countenance, he ascended The fatal scaffold. Observing the executioner, unable to Untie a knot on the collar of one of The prisoners, he with his teeth Undid it. He then prayed Most fervently till the drop fell. Miguel José protested His innocence. No hay robado, no hay matado Ninguno muero inocente. I have robbed no one. I have killed no one. I die innocent. I am an old man, but my family Will feel my disgraceful death. Francisco Miguel prayed Devoutly, but inaudibly. His soul seemed to have quitted The body before he was executed. Bretty Gillimillet called on All to witness his innocence. It was of no use for him to say An untruth, for he was going To God. Agustus Hernandez Repeatedly declared his innocence Requested that no one would Say he had made a confession He had none to make. Juan Hernandez was rather obstinate When the executioner pulled the cap Over his eyes. He said Rather passionately Quit the ease de mis ojos Remove it from my eyes. He then rubbed it up against One of the posts of the gallows. Miguel José made the same Complaint and drew the covering From his eyes by rubbing his head Against the fellow sufferer. Pedro Nondre was loud In his ejaculations for mercy. He wept bitterly. He was Covered with the marks of deep wounds. The whole of the ten, including The death-worn, having been placed On the scaffold and the ropes Suspended, the drop was let down. Nondre, being an immense Heavy man, broke the rope And fell to the ground alive. Juan Hernandez struggled long. Lima was much convulsed. The old man, Guillemilet And Miguel were apparently Dead before the drop fell. Ucaya, the black man, gave One convulsion and all was over. When Nondre recovered From the fall and saw his nine Lifeless companions stretched In death, he gave an agonizing Shriek. He wrung his hands. Screamed, Favore! Favore! May Matan sin causa! Oh, Buenos Cristianos! May Amparan! Amparame! Amparame! No hay Cristiano en esta tierra? Mercy! Mercy! They kill me without cause. Oh, good Christians! Protect me! Protect me! Oh, protect me! Is there no Christian in this land? He then lifted his eyes to heaven And prayed long and loud. Upon being again suspended He was for a long period convulsed. He was an immense powerful man And died hard. End of the Execution of the Pirates Home of Blackbeard One of America's cruelest pirates By Anonymous From The Dawson Record August 16, 1903 Coffee Break Collection 18 Pirates 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 Colleen McMahon Home of Blackbeard One of America's cruelest pirates Elizabeth City, North Carolina August 6 Within two miles of this town Still stands the former home Of the greatest pirate that ever Infested the American coast A man who, in the early part Of the 18th century Made himself master of the high seas And forced the world to acknowledge His naval supremacy As no other man has ever done This was Edward Teach Otherwise Blackbeard This whole locality was For more than a hundred years A rendezvous for pirates of the world And the wife of Governor Pinkney Walked the plank off Dair County, North Carolina When Edward Teach Left Bristol, England On his first cruise, he was a mere sailor Morgan, the famous buccaneer And privateer, had already Introduced piracy as a gentleman's vocation And until King Charles II Gave him command of Jamaica as governor He created widespread consternation The next king was not so friendly And Morgan is said to have returned To his loot. Teach was, by this time His boon companion and lieutenant After the death of Morgan Teach returned to England Where he squandered his gains With the support of one Cornigold, an old mariner Of Morgan's fleet Teach was enabled to fit out A vessel and go into piracy For himself With an excellent training in cruelty Under Morgan, Teach began a career Which is without a parallel It was left for him to adopt Mongolian methods, murdering women And children with relentless cruelty Teach's first action On leaving the English coast Was to follow the Gulf stream Straight to Carolina, where he made For the sounds. On the upper bank Of Pasquotank, he planted a colony Accessible from the sound The house which the pirate built Is now occupied by a well-to-do farmer It is two stories high With a deep basement Walled in by rocks Which have given way to time Exposing the basement to view from the outside All the material was originally Brought from England And though the floors and roofs have been repaired The outside walls of English glazed brick Show scarcely a crack The doors and inner walls are carved And paneled The attic above the second story Was, according to tradition, the death chamber Or execution room Here on the floor, dull splashes And spattered drops of blood are discernible There is in the great fireplace In the attic a hidden opening Which leads to the basement Into this opening, the bricks being first Removed, the bodies of murdered Captives were thrown into the moat Below, which swept them out To see the river and sound beyond A secret door led from the first floor To the basement Which seems to have been the chief jail As it has barred windows There are marks all over the woodwork Here, teach seems to have lived Undisturbed In the county court of Pasquotank County North Carolina, there are recorded Certain deeds granting titles To one, teach With the inlets along the banks Which protect and create the sounds And with the inadequate method of naval attack Invoke in the days of Spanish supremacy It was easy for the pirate chieftain To establish himself securely And defy the authorities Teach obtained the title Of Blackbeard soon after he became An independent pirate He made for himself a horsehair beard Which represented a fiendish And unnatural growth of nature As a means of spreading terror Among those who fell into his hands The beard was tied in red ribbon bows And had the desired effect Blackbeard's end was tragic While the pirate was in winter quarters And most of his cutthroats had scattered Over the Spanish main Governor Spotterswood of Virginia Sent Lieutenant Maynard of the British navy With about 30 picked men To seek Blackbeard The latter is said to have had 17 men with him Maynard went to the pirate's home In a small vessel Seeing the armed craft approach As usual daring Went out after it After an exchange of broadsides And a battle of short duration The English vessel suddenly presented A scene of a fright The men became frantic and rushed below deck Giving the ship up to the pirate Blackbeard was caught in a ruse And boldly grappled with his opponent's boat Mounting the gunnels The pirate crew dashed recklessly On the captured English vessel At command the hatchways were thrown back A swarm of expert swordsmen dashed To meet the buccaneers A terrible battle followed Blackbeard led his men with his usual Intrepidity. At the last When victory seemed within the grasp of Blackbeard a sword entered his body And he fell wounded so that his men Lost heart and were nearly all killed The head of teach was severed From the body and with this trophy Mounted on the bow sprit the English Lieutenant returned to Virginia Searchers for Blackbeard's treasure And dug all along the Carolina shores But all in vain Every occupant of his house has had the craze But not a trace of his ill-gotten wealth Has ever been found End of Home of Blackbeard One of America's cruelest pirates Recording by Colleen McMahon The Life and Exploits of Anne Bonney By Charles Elms Coffee Break Collection 18 Pirates The Life and Exploits of Anne Bonney This female pirate was a native of Cork Her father was an attorney And by his activity in business rose To considerable respectability in that place Anne was the fruit Of an unlawful connection With his own servant maid With whom he afterwards eloped to America With whom he afterwards eloped to America With whom he afterwards eloped to America With whom he afterwards eloped to America With whom he afterwards eloped to America With whom he afterwards eloped to America Leaving his own affectionate and lawful wife Leaving his own affectionate and lawful wife He settled at Carolina And for some time followed his own profession But soon commenced merchant And was so successful as to purchase A considerable plantation There he lived with his servant In the character of his wife But she dying, his daughter Anne Superintended the domestic affairs of her father During her residence with her parents She proposed to have a considerable fortune And was accordingly addressed By young men of respectable situations In life It happened with Anne however As with many others of her youth and sex That her feelings and not her interest Determined her choice of a husband She married a young sailor Without a shilling The avaricious father was so enraged That, death to the feelings of a parent He turned his own child out of doors Upon this cruel usage And the disappointment of her fortune Anne and her husband sailed For the island of Providence In the hope of gaining employment Acting apart very different From that of Mary Reed Anne's affections were soon estranged From her husband by Captain Rackham And eloping with him She went to see men's clothes Proving with child The captain put her on shore And entrusted her to the care of some friends Until her recovery When she again accompanied him In his expeditions Upon the king's proclamation Offering a pardon to all pirates He surrendered and went into the Privateering business as we have Related before He however soon embraced an opportunity To return to his favourite employment In all his piratical exploits Anne accompanied him And, as we have already recorded Displayed such courage and Intrepidity Along with Mary Reed and a seaman Were the last three who remained on board When the vessel was taken Anne was known to many Of the planters in Jamaica who remembered To have seen her in her father's house And they were disposed To intercede in her behalf Her unprincipled conduct In leaving her own husband and forming An enlist of the connection with Rackham Tended however to render her friends Less active By a special favour To visit her the day before he was executed But instead of condoling With him on account of his sad fate She only observed that she was sorry To see him there But if he had fought like a man He needed not have been hanged Like a dog Being with child she remained in prison Until her recovery was reprieved From time to time and though we cannot Communicate to our readers any particulars Of her future life or the manner Of her death yet it is certain That she was not executed End of the life And exploits of Anne Bonney The life of Captain John Massey Who died for piracy By Arthur L. Hayward This is a LibriVox recording Or LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information Or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The life of Captain John Massey Who died for piracy By Arthur L. Hayward This is a Captain John Massey Who died for piracy The gentleman of whom we are now To speak though he suffered for piracy Was a man of another turn of mind Than any of whom we have hitherto Had occasion to mention Captain John Massey was of a family I need not dwell on Since he hath at present Two brothers living Who make a considerable figure In their respective professions This unhappy person had a natural Revacity in his temper Which sometimes rose to such a height That his relations took it for a degree Of madness They therefore hoping by a compliance With his humours To bring him to a better sense of things Sent him into the army Then in Flanders Under the command of the Duke of Malbra And there he assisted at the several Sieges which were undertaken By the Confederate army After his arrival As is Mons, Dwye, Bouchin and several others Yet though he was bold there Even to temerity He never received so much as one wound Through the whole course of the war In which after the siege of Lille He commanded as a lieutenant And that with great reputation On his return into England He at first wholly addicted himself To a religious sober life The several accidents of the war Having disposed him To a more serious temper By making him plainly perceive The hands of Providence in protecting And destroying According as its wisdom seeth fit But after a short stay in London He unhappily fell into the acquaintance Of a lewd woman Who so besotted him That he really intended to marry her If the regiments going to Ireland Had not prevented it But there the case was not much Mended since Captain Massey Gave too much way to the debaucheries Generally practised in that nation On his coming back from thence By the recommendation of the Duke Of Chandwa He was made by the Royal African Company A Lieutenant Colonel in their service And an engineer for erecting a fort On the coast of Africa He promised himself great advantage And a very honourable support From this employment But he and the soldiers under his command Being very ill Used by the person who commanded the ship In which he went over Being denied their proportion of provisions And in all other respects treated With much indignity It made a great impression On Captain Massey's mind Who could not bear to see Numbers of those poor creatures perish Not only without temporal necessities But wanting also the assistance Of a divine in their last moments For the chaplain of the ship Remained behind in the Madeiros On a foresight perhaps Of the miseries he should have suffered In the voyage In this miserable condition were things When the captain and his soldiers came Into the river Gambia Where the designed fort was to be built Here the water was so bad That the poor wretches already In the most dreadful condition Were many of them deprived of life A few days after they were on shore The captain was excessively troubled At the sight of them as foremen And too easily in hopes of relieving them Gave way to the persuasion Of a captain of a lighter vessel Than his own Who arrived in that port And persuaded him to turn pirate Rather than let his men starve After repeated solicitations Captain Massey and his men Went on board this ship And having their tolerable good Provisions who picked up their strength And took some very considerable prizes At the plight of the ship Massey was confused and amazed Not knowing well what to do For though he was glad to see his men Have meat yet it gave him great trouble When he reflected on the methods By which they acquired it In this disconsolate state His night was often so troublesome To him as his days For as he himself said He seldom shut his eyes But he dreamt that he was sailing In a ship to the gallows With several others round him After a considerable space The ship putting into the island Of Jamaica for necessary supply Of water and provision He made his escape to the governor And gave him such information That he took several vessels thereby But not being easy there He desired leave of Sir Nicholas Laws to return home Sir Nicholas gave him letters Of recommendation but not with Sanding those he knows sooner Returned in England but he was Apprehended and committed for piracy Soon after which he was bailed But the persons who became Security growing uneasy He surrendered in their discharge Soon after which he was tried Convicted and condemned During this space he remained In prison under condemnation He behaved with so much gravity Piety and compositeness As surprise all who saw him Many of whom were inclined to think His case hard No mercy was to be had And as he did not expected So false hopes never troubled His repose But as death was to cut him off From the world so he beforehand retired All his affections from thence And thought of nothing but that state Whether he was going In his passage to execution He pointed to the African house Said, they have used me severely But I pray God prosper and bless them In all their life God prosper and bless them In all their undertakings Mr. Nicholson of St. Sepulchre's Attended him in his last moments Just before he died He read the following speech to the people Good people I beg of you to pray For my departing soul I likewise pray God to forgive All the evidences that swore Against me as I do from my heart I challenge all the world to say I ever did a dishonourable act Or anything unlike a gentleman But what might be common To all young fellows in this age This was surely a rash action But I did not designately turn pirate I am sorry for it And I wish it were in my power To make amends to the honourable African company For what they have lost by my means I likewise declare upon the word Of a dying man That I never once thought of molesting His grace the Duke of Chendroit Although it had been maliciously reported That I always went With two loaded pistols to dispatch His grace As for the Duke I was always while living Devoted to his service For his good offices done unto me And I humbly beg all mighty God That he would be pleased to pour Down his blessings upon his good family Good people Once more I beg of you to pray For my departing soul I desire my dying words to be printed As for the truth and sincerity of it I sign them As a man departing this world John Massie After he had pronounced these words He signified it as his last request That neither his wife Not any of his relations might see His body after it was in the coffin Then praying a few moments to himself He submitted to his fate Being at the time of his death Twenty-eight years old He suffered at High Watermark Execution Dock On the 26th of July 1723 His unhappy death Being universally pitted End of The Life of Captain John Massie Who died for piracy The Life of Philip Roche A Pirate, etc. By Arthur L. Hayward Coffee Break Collection 18 Pirates This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org The Life of Philip Roche A Pirate, etc. As in The Life of Captain Massie My readers cannot take notice Of those great evils into which Men are brought by over-forwardness And in consideration So in The Life of the Malafactory Are now to speak of They will discern What a prodigious pitch of wickedness Rapine and cruelty Human nature is capable Of reaching unto When people abandon themselves To a desire of living after Their own wicked inclinations Without considering the injuries They do others while they gratify Their own lusts and sensual pleasures Philip Roche was the son Of a person of the same name In Ireland His father gave him all the education His narrow circumstances would permit Which extended, however, to reading And writing a tolerable good hand After which he sent him to sea Philip was a lad of ingenious parts And instead of forgetting As many do, or they have learned He, on the contrary, took all imaginable care To perfect himself in whatsoever He had but a slight notion Of before he went to sea He made abundance of coasting Voyages about his native island Went once or twice to Barbados And being a saving and industrious Young fellow, picked up money enough To become first mate in a trading vessel To a nont in France By which being suffered to buy goods Himself, he got considerably And was in a fair way to attaining As great a fortune as he could Reasonably expect But this slow method of getting money Did by no means satisfy Roche He was resolved to grow rich at once And not wait till much labour And many voyages had to do with him And he did not know what to do And not wait till much labour And many voyages had made him so When men once formed to themselves Such designs it is not long Before they find companions fit For their purpose Roche soon met with one Neil A fisherman of no education Barbarous but very daring A fellow who had all the qualities That could conspire to make a dangerous villain And who had already inured himself To the commission of whatever was black Or bloody Not only without remorse But without reluctance Neil recommended him to one Pierce Cullen as a proper associate In those designs they were contriving For this Cullen, as Neil informed him Was a fellow of principles And qualifications much like himself But had somewhat a better capacity For executing them And with Neil had been concerned In sinking a ship After ensuring her both in London And Amsterdam By providence had disappointed them In the success of their wicked design For Cullen having been known Or at least suspected of doing such a thing Before, those with whom They had insured at London Instead of their paying the money Caused them to be seized And brought to a trial Which demolished all their schemes For cheating insurance offices Cullen brought in his brother To their confederacy And his reputation induced wise To come in likewise The project they had formed Was to seize some light ship And turn pirates in her Conceiving it no difficult matter afterwards To obtain a stronger vessel And one better fitted for their purpose The ship they pitched on To execute this their villainous purpose Was that of Peter Tark A Frenchman of a very generous disposition Who onroach and his companions Telling him a melancholy story Readily entertained them And perceiving roach Was an experienced sailor He entrusted him upon any occasion With the care and command of the ship Having done so one night Himself and the chief mate With the rest of the French Who were on board went to rest Except a man and a boy Whom roach commanded to go up And fill the sails He then called the rest of his Irish associates Into the water-deck There roach perceiving that Francis Wise Began to relent And fearing he should persuade others In the same measures He told him that if every Irishman on board Did not assist in destroying the French And put him and Cullen in a capacity Of retrieving the losses they had had at sea They would treat whoever hesitated In obeying them With as little mercy as they did the Frenchman But if they would all assist They should all fare alike In the booty Upon this the action began And two of them running up after the Frenchman And boy, one tossed the lad By the arm into the water And the other driving the man down upon the deck He there had his brain Stashed out by roach and his companions They fell next upon those Who were retired to their rest Some of whom upon the streets Of the man and boy who were murdered Rising hastily out of their bed And running up upon deck Or occasioned those dismal noises Were murdered themselves Before they well knew where they were The mate and the captain were next brought up And roach went immediately To binding them together In order to toss them overboard As had been consulted It was in vain for Portile too To plead the kindness he had done Then all, and particularly roach They were death to all sentiments Either of gratitude or pity And though the poor men Intreated only so much time As to say their prayers And recommend themselves to God Yet the villains Though they could be under no apprehensions Having already murdered all the rest of the men Would not even yield to this But Cullen hastened roach In binding them back to back To toss them at once into the sea Then hurrying down into the cabin They tapped a little barrel of rum To make themselves good cheer And laughed at the cries of the two poor Drammed men Whom they distinctly heard calling upon God Until their voices and their breaths Were lost in the waves After having drunk and eaten their fill With as much mirth and jollity As if they had been at a feast They began to plunder the vessel Breaking open the chests and taking out Of them what they thought proper Then to drinking they went again Pleasing themselves with a barbarous Expedition which they resolved To undertake as soon as they could get A ship proper to carry them into the West Indies intending there to follow The example the Buccaneers had set them And rob and plunder all who fell Into their hands From these villainies in intention The present state of their affairs Called upon them to make some provision For their immediate safety They turned therefore into the channel And putting the ship into Portsmouth There got her new painted And then sailed for Amsterdam Roach being unanimously recognized Their captain and all of them Promising faithfully to submit To him through the course of their Future expeditions On their arrival in Holland They had the ship a second time New painted and thinking Themselves now safe from all discovery Began to sell off Captain Tartu's Cargo as fast as they could No sooner had they Completed this but getting one Mr. Andersley to freight them With goods to England Themself also going as a passenger They resolved with themselves to make Prize of him and his events As they had also done With the French captain Mr. Andersley poor man Little dreaming of their design Came on board as soon as the wind Served and the next night A brisk gale blowing They tore him suddenly out of his bed And tossed him over Roach and Cullen being with The great cabin he swam round And round the ship called out to them And told them they should freely Have all his goods if they Would take him in and save his life For he had friends and fortunes Enough in England to make up that loss But his entreaties were all vain To a set of righteous who had long ago Abandoned all sentiments Of humour and mercy They therefore coroused as usual And after sharing the booty Steered the vessel for England Some information of their villainies Had by that time reached thither So that upon a letter being stopped At the post office which Roach As soon as they had landed Had written to his wife A messenger was immediately sent down Who brought Philip up in custody Being brought to the council Table and there examined He absolutely denied either that Himself was Philip Roach Or that he knew of any one of that name But his letters under his own hand To his wife being produced He was not able any longer To stand in that falsehood Yet those in authority knowing That there was not legal proof sufficient To bring these abominable men to justice Offered Roach his life Provided he gave such information That they might be able to apprehend And convict any three of his companions More wicked than himself But he was so far from complying therewith That he suffered those of his crew Who were taken to perishing custody Rather than become an evidence against them This was the fate of Neil Who perished of want in the Marshall Sea Having in vain petitioned For a trunk in which was a large quantity Of money, clothes and other things To a considerable value Which had been seized in Ireland By virtue of a warrant from the Lord Justice of that kingdom On the account of the detention of which While he perished for want of necessaries And clothes, Neil most heavily Complained, forgetting that these very things Were the plunder of those unhappy persons Whom they had so barbarously murdered After having received so much kindness And civility from them In the meanwhile Roach Being confined in Newgate Went constantly to the chapel And appeared of so obliging a temper That many persuaded themselves He could not be guilty of the bloody crimes Laid to his charge And taking advantage of these kind Thoughts of theirs He framed a new story in defence of himself He said that there happened A quarrel on board the ship Between an Irishman and a Frenchman And that Tartu, taking part With his own nation, threatened To lash the Irishman severely Though he was not in any way In the wrong This, he pretended, begat a general quarrel Between the two nations And the Irish being the stronger They overpowered and threw the French Overboard in the heat of their anger Without considering what they did Throughout the whole time he lay in Newgate He very much delighted himself With the exercise of his pen Continually writing upon one subject Or other And often assisting his fellow prisoners In writing letters Or whatever else they wanted in that kind When he was told that Neil Who died in the Marshallsea Gushed out all parts of his body With wood So that before he expired He was as if he had been dipped in gall Wrote, replied It was a just judgement That he who had always lived in blood Should die covered with it Some time afterwards Being told that one of his companions Had poisoned himself He said, alas That so evil an end Should follow so evil a life For his part he would suffer providence To take its course with him And rather die the most Ignominious death Than to his other crimes At that of self-murder The rest who had been apprehended Dying one by one in the same Dreadful condition with Neil That is, with the blood gushing from Every part of their body Which looked so much like a judgement That all who saw it were amazed He, Roach, began to think himself Perfectly safe after the death Of his companions Supposing that now there was nobody Testimony against him And therefore instead of appearing In any way dismayed he most earnestly Desired the speedy approach Of an admiralty session It was not long before it happened And when he found what evidence Would be produced against him He appeared much less solicitous about His trial than anybody in his condition Would have been expected to be For he very well knew It was impossible for them to prove Him guilty of the murders Impossible for him to be acquitted Of the piracy After receiving sentence of death He declared himself a papist And said that he could no longer comply With the service of the Church of England And come to chapel He did not, however, think that He was in any danger of death But suppose that the promises which had Been made him on this first examination Would now take place and prevent The execution of his sentence When therefore the messenger returned From Hanover and brought The express order that he should die He appeared exceedingly moved there at And without reflecting at all On the horrid and barbarous treatment With which he had used others He could not for bare complaining Of the great hardship he suffered In being put into the death warrant After a promise had been made Him of life Though nothing is more certain Than that he never performed any part Of those conditions upon which it was In place At the place of execution He was so faint, confused And in such a consternation That he could not speak either to the people Or to those who were nearer at hand Dying with the greatest marks Of dejection and confusion That could possibly be seen in any criminal whatever He was about 30 years old At the time of his execution Which was at High Watermark Execution Dock On the 14th of August 1723 End of The life of Philip Roach A pirate, etc On Pirates by Richard Middleton Coffee Break Collection 18 Pirates 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 April 6,090 California United States of America On Pirates Of the nameless classics Which were of so much concern To all of us when we were young The most important were certainly Those salt and blusterous volumes That told of pirates It was in vain for kindly relatives To give us books on Nelson and his like For their craft Beautiful though they might be to the eye Had ever the moralities lurking Between decks And if we met them it was only that We might make their crews walk the plank And add new stores of guns And treasure to the crimson vessel With the sinister flag Which it was our pleasure to command And yet The books they gave us this splendid dominion Where are they now? In truth I cannot say Examination of recent boys' books Has convinced me that the old spirit is lacking For if pirates are there It is only as the hapless victims Of horrible British crews With every virtue save that one Which youth should cherish most The revolutionary spirit Who would be a mid-shipman When he might be a pirate? Yet all the books would have it so And even Mr. Kenneth Graham Who knows everything that is worth knowing Does not always take the right side In such matters The grown-up books are equally Unsatisfactory to the inquiring mind Treasure Island Which is sometimes loosely referred to As if it were a horn-book for young pirates Hardly touches the main problems Of pirate life at all Stevenson's consideration for youth And the fond parent Made him leave out all oaths No ships are taken No lovely females captured Nobody walks the plank And Captain John Silver For all the main strength and masterfulness That Henley suggested to the author Falls lamentably short Of what a pirate should be Captain Teach of Lucera In the Master of Ballantree Is better, and there were the makings Of a very good pirate captain In the master himself. But this section of the book is too short To supply our requirements. The book must be all pirates. Defoes Captain Singleton Repents and is therefore disqualified And Marriott's pirate Is, as Stevenson said, Written in sand with a salt spoon. Mr. Graham Mr. Clark Russell in one of his romances Ingeniously melts a pirate Who has been frozen for a couple of centuries Into life. But though he promises well at first He is but a torpid ferocity And ends as it began In words. Nor are the histories of the pirates More satisfying. Captain Johnson's history of notorious Pirates I have not seen. But anyone who wishes to lose an illusion Can read the trial of William Kidd And a few of his companions in the state Trials of the year 1701. The captain of the adventure galley Appears to have done little to merit The name of Pirate, beyond killing His gunner, with a bucket. And miserable results of his pilfering Bear no relationship to the enormous Horde associated with his name In the gold bug of Poe. Though there is certainly a familiar Note in finding included among His captives a number of barrels Of sugarcane. Which were divided in shares among the Crew. The captain himself having forty shares The Turkish pirates mentioned in Purchase cut a very poor figure. You can read there how four English Youths overcame a prize crew Of thirteen men who had been put In the ship Jacob. In a storm they slew the pirate captain. For with the handle of a pump They gave him such a palt on the pat As made his brains forsake the Possession of his head. They then killed three of the other Pirates with cuddle axes And brought the ship safely into Spain. Where they sold the nine Turks For galley slaves for a good sum Of money. And as I think a great deal More than they were worth. Not thus would the chronicles have Described the pirates who fought In corrals with such splendid Devotion in my youth. To dive beneath the handle of a pump Is an unworthy end for a pirate The history of the buccaneers of America Written by a brother of Fanny Birney. A book which was the subject Of one of Mr. Andrew Lang's appreciative Essays is near the mark. For among other notable fellows Mentioned therein is one Francois Lulanois who put to death The whole crew of a Spanish ship. Ninety men, by beheading them Performing himself the office of Executioner. One of the gentlemen In the book turned buccaneer In order to pay his debts. While He told of another that he shot one Of his crew in church for behaving Irreverently during mass. Sir Henry Morgan and Richard Salkins Performed some pretty feats Of piracy. But their main energies Were concerned in the sacking of towns. And the whole book suffers From an unaccountable prejudice. Which the author displays against The brave and hardworking villains Of whom he writes. In truth these real pirates Are disappointing men to meet. They're usually lacking in fierceness And infidelity to the pirate ideals Of courage and faithfulness to their Comrades. While the fine Nobility of character which was never Absent from those other pirates is Unknown in the historical kind. Few if any of them merit The old Portuguese punishment for Pirates, which consisted in Hanging them from the yards of their Own ship and setting the latter To drift with the winds and waves Without rudder or sails. For rogues and a source of considerable Danger to honest mariners. If that were a fitting end for great Naves, the Mina Ruffians Must be content with the pump handle And the bucket. It is hard If our hearts may not go out to Those gloomy vessels with their Cargos of gold and courage in Rome. That sail, it seems, The mental seas of youth no more. Were they really bad for us? These sanguinary tussles? Those starlit nights of dissipation? A pinafore would wipe away A deal of blood. And the rum, Though we might drink it boiling like Wilt. In no wise Lessened our interest in homemade Cake. But these regrets are of Yesterday, and today I must Draw what consolation I may From the kindly comment of Mr. Lang. Alluring as the Pirate's profession is, we must Not forget that it had a seamy side And was by no means all rum and Pieces of eight. And there is No pulse to a generous nature In roasting men, because they Will not show you where to steal Hogs. End of On Pirates. Excerpt from Captain Thomas White from the History of The Pirates by Henry Benton and Thomas Carey Published in 1829. Coffee Break Collection 18. Pirates. This is a LibriVox recording Sir in the Public domain. For more information Or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Captain Thomas White He was born at Plymouth Where his mother kept a public House. She took great care Of his education and when he Was growing up, as he had An inclination to the sea Procured him the King's Letter. After he had served Some years on board a man Of war, he went to Barbados Where he married, got into The merchant service and designed To settle in the island. He had the command of the Merry-gold Brigitine, given Him, in which he made two Successful voyages to Guinea And back to Barbados. In his third he had the Misfortune to be taken by A French pirate, as were Several other English ships. The Masters and Ifurier officers of which they Detained, being in want Of good artists. The Brigitine, belonging to White, they kept for their own Use, and sunk the vessel they Before sailed in. In meeting with a ship on the Guinea coast more fit for their Purpose, they went on board Her and burnt the Brigitine. It is not my Business here to give an Account of this French pirate History obliges me, though I beg leave to take notice of Their barbarity to the English Prisoners, for they would Set them up as a butt or mark To shoot at, several of whom Were thus murdered in cold Blood by way of diversion. White was marked out for a Sacrifice by one of these Villains, for I know not What reason had sworn his Death, which he escaped thus. One of the crew, who had a Right, knew this fellow's design To kill him in the night, and Therefore advised him to lie Between him and the ship's Side, with intention to save Him, which indeed he did, but Was himself shot dead by the Murderous villain whom his Took him for White. After some time cruising along The coast, the pirates doubled The Cape of Good Hope, and Shaped their course for Madagascar, Where, being drunk and At, they knocked their ship on the Head, at the south end of the Island, at a place called by the Natives, Alexa. The country Thereabouts was governed by a King, named Mothly. When the ship struck, Captain White, Captain Bournman, Born in the Isle of White, Formerly a Lieutenant Of a man of war, but in The merchant's service when he Fell into the hands of the Pirates. Captain Bowen, and Other prisoners, got into the Long Boat, and with broken oars And barrel-staves, which They found in the bottom of the Boat, paddled to Augustan Bay, Which is about fourteen or fifteen Leagues from the wreck, where They landed, and were kindly Received by the King of Bava, The name of that part of the Island, who spoke good English. They stayed here a year and A half at the King's expense, Who gave them a plentiful sense of provision, as was His custom to all white men, Who met with any misfortune on His coast. His humanity Not only provided for all such, But for the first European Vessel that came in, he always Obliged to take in the Unfortunate people, let the Vessel be what it would, for He had no notion of any Difference between pirates and Merchants. At the expiration of the Pirate Brigantine came in, on Board which the King obliged Them to enter, or travel by Land, to some other place, Which they durst not do, and Of two evils chose the least, That of going on board the Pirate Vessel, which was Commanded by one William Reed, who received them very Civilly. This commander went Along the coast and picked up What Europeans he could meet With. His crew, however, did And he would have been glad to Take on board some of the wrecked Frenchmen, but for the Barbarity they had used towards The English prisoners. However It was impracticable, for the French, pretending to lord it Over the natives, whom they Began to treat inhumanly, were Set upon by them, one half Of their number cut off, and The other half made slaves. Reed, with his gang in the Brigantine of sixty tons, steered For the Gulf of Persia, where They met a grab, a one-masted Vessel, of about two hundred Tons, which was made prize. They found nothing On board, but bail-goods, most Of which they threw overboard To search for gold, and to make Room in the vessel. But, as They learned afterwards, they Threw over in their search, what They so greedily hunted for, for There was a considerable quantity Of gold concealed in one of Them, they tossed into the sea. In this cruise Captain Reed fell ill, and died, and Was succeeded by one James. The Brigantine, being small, Crazy, and worm-eaten, they Shaped their course for the Island of Mayota, where They took out the masts of The Brigantine, fitted up the Grab, and made a ship of her. Here they took in a quantity Of fresh provision, which is In this island very plentiful And very cheap, and found a Twelve-ort boat, which formerly Belonged to the Ruby East India man, which had been lost There. They stayed here on the Monsoon time, which is About six months, after which They resolved for Madagascar. As they came in with the Land, they spied a ship Coming round from the east Side of the island. They gave Chase on both sides, so that They soon met. They hailed Each other, and received the same Answer from each vessel, namely From the seas. They joined Company. This vessel was A small French ship laid in With liquors from Martinico, First commanded by one Furgate, to trade with The pirates for slaves At Ambanawalla, on the East side of the island, in The latitude of seventeen Degrees, thirty minutes, and Was by them taken after The following manner. The pirates, who were headed By George Booth, now commander Of the ship, went on board, as They had often done, to the Number of ten, and carried Money with them under pretense Of purchasing what they wanted. This Booth had formerly been A gunner of a pirate ship Called the Dolphin. Captain Furgate was pretty much upon His guard, and searched Every man as he came over And a pair of pocket pistols were Frowned upon a Dutchman who Was the first entered. The Captain told him he was a Rogue, and had a design upon His ship, and the pirates Pretended to be so angry with This fellow's offering to come on Board with arms that they threatened To knock him on the head, and Tossing him roughly into the boat Ordered him ashore, though They had before taken an oath On the Bible, either to carry By in the undertaking. They were all searched, but They, however, contrived to get on Board four pistols, which were All the arms they had for the Enterprise, though Furgate had Twenty hands on board, and his Small arms on the awning to be In readiness. The Captain Invited them into cabin to Dinner, but Booth chose to Dine with the petty officers, Though one Johnson Isaac, and Another went down. He gave the watchword, which was Hurrah, standing near the awning And being a nimble fellow at One spring threw himself upon It, drew the arms to him, fired His pistol forward among the men, One of whom he wounded, who Jumping overboard was lost, and Gave the signal. Three, I said, were in the cabin And seven upon the deck, who had Hand spikes, and the arms Seized secured the ship's crew. The Captain and his two Mates, who were dining at dinner In the cabin, hearing the pistol Fell upon Johnson, and stabbed Him in several places with their Forks, but they, being silver, Did him no great damage. Furgate snatched his piece, which He snapped at Isaac's breast Several times, but it would Not grow off. At last Finding his resistance vain he Submitted, and the pirate set Him and those of his men who Would not join them on shore Join them to take his books, papers, And whatever else he claimed As being to himself, and Besides treating him very Humanely, gave him several Casks of liquor, with Arms and powder to Purchase provisions in that Country. I hope this digression, As it was in a manner Needful, will be excused. End of Captain Thomas White. Syllabus For the United States v. Smith, decided by the Supreme Court in 1820. Coffee Break Collection 18 Pirates. This is a LibriVox Recording. All LibriVox Recordings are in the public Domain. For more information Or to volunteer, please Visit LibriVox.org The United States v. Smith The Act of the 3rd of March, 1819 C. 76 S. 5 Referring to the law of nations For a definition of the crime Of piracy is a constitutional Exercise of the power Of Congress to define And punish that crime. The crime of piracy Is defined by the law Of nations with reasonable Certainty, robbery Or forcible depredation Upon the sea, Animo Ferrande is piracy By the law of nations And by the act of Congress. This is an indictment for piracy Against the prisoner Thomas Smith, before the circuit Court of Virginia on the act Of Congress by the 3rd Of March, 1819 C. 76 Footnote E Which provides section 5 That if any person Or persons whatsoever Shall on the high seas Commit the crime of piracy As defined by the law of nations And such offender Or offenders shall afterwards Be brought into or found In the United States Every such offender or Offenders shall upon conviction Thereof, before the circuit Court of the United States For the district into which May be brought, or in which He or they shall be found Be punished with death And footnote A The jury found a special Verdict as follows We of the jury find that The prisoner Thomas Smith In the month of March, 1819 And others were part Of the crew of a private Armed vessel called the Criolo Commissioned by the government Of Buenos Aires A colony then at war with Spain And a line in the port Of Margarita That in the month of March, 1819 The said prisoner and others Of the crew, mutinied Confined their officer, left the vessel And in the said port of Margarita Seized by violence A vessel called the Irresistible A private armed vessel Lying in the port Commissioned by the government Of Articas That the said prisoner and others Having so possessed themselves Of the said vessel The Irresistible Appointed their officers Proceeded to see on a cruise Without any documents or commission Whatever, and while on that cruise In the month of April, 1819 On the high seas Committed the offence Charged in the indictment By the plunder and robbery Of the Spanish vessel Therein mentioned If a plunder and robbery A foresaid be piracy under the act Of the Congress of the United States Entitled An act to protect the commerce Of the United States And punish the crime of piracy Then we find The said prisoner guilty If the plunder and robbery Above stated be not piracy Under the said act of Congress Then we find him not guilty The Circuit Court Divided on the question Whether this be piracy As defined by the law of nations So as to be punishable Under the act of Congress Of the 3rd of March, 1819 And thereupon the question Was certified to this court For its decision End of Syllabus For the United States Versus Smith The United States, 1820 We shipped with Captain Whipple Who never knew of fear The captain of the Providence The Yankee Privateer We sailed and we sailed And made good cheer There were many pretty men On the Yankee Privateer The British Lord High Admiral He wished old Whipple harm He wrote that he would hang him At the end of his yard arm My lord wrote Captain Whipple back It seems to me it's clear We sailed and we sailed And made good cheer But not a British frigate Could come near the Privateer We sailed to the South Earth And nothing did we meet Till we found three British frigates In their West Indian fleet Old Whipple shut our ports As we crawled up near And they sent us all below On the Yankee Privateer So slowly he sailed We dropped to the rear At night we put the lights out And forward we ran And silently we boarded The biggest merchant man We knocked down the watch And the lovers shook for fear She's a prize without a shot To the Yankee Privateer We sent the prize north While we lay near And all day we slept On the bold Privateer For ten nights we followed And air the moon rose See why their ships should disappear They found they had in convoy A Yankee Privateer But we sailed and sailed And made good cheer Not a coward was on board Of the Yankee Privateer The biggest British frigate Bore round to give us chase But though he was the fleeter Old Whipple wooden race Till he'd raked her for an aft For the lovers couldn't steer Then he showed them the heels We sailed and we sailed And made good cheer But not a British frigate Could come near the Privateer Then northward we sailed To the town we all know And there lay our prizes all anchored In a row And welcome were we to our friends so dear And we shared a million dollars On the bold Privateer We'd sailed and we sailed And made good cheer We had all full pockets We'd been unfurled And we bore the stars and stripes Over the oceans of the world From the proud flag of Britain We swept the seas clear And we earned our independence On the Yankee Privateer Then landsmen and sailors Won more cheer Here is three times three For the Yankee Privateer End of the Yankee Privateer Recording by Chris Pyle