Section 9 of Great Pirate Stories. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Tisto. Great Pirate Stories by Various. Edited by Joseph Louis French. Section 9. A true account of three notorious pirates. A true account of three notorious pirates. Howard Pyle, editor. Footnote. A contemporary narrative. From The Buccaneers of America. End footnote. One. Captain Teach. Alias Blackbeard. Edward Teach was a Bristol man born, but had sailed some time out of Jamaica in privateers in the late French war. Yet though he had often distinguished himself for his uncommon boldness and personal courage, he was never raised to any command till he went a pirating, which I think was in the latter end of the year 1716, when Captain Benjamin Hornigold put him into a sloop that he had made prize of, and with whom he continued in concert ship till a little while before Hornigold surrendered. In the spring of the year 1717, Teach and Hornigold sailed from Providence, for the Maine of America, and took in their way a billop from the Havana with 120 barrels of flour, as also a sloop from Bermuda, Thurbar Master, from whom they took only some gallons of wine, and then let him go, and a ship from Madeira to South Carolina, out of which they got plunder to a considerable value. After cleaning on the coast of Virginia, they returned to the West Indies, and in the latitude of 24 made prize of a large French guinea man bound to Martinico, which by Hornigold's consent Teach went aboard of as captain and took a cruise in her. Hornigold returned with his sloop to Providence, where at the arrival of Captain Rogers, the governor, he surrendered to mercy pursuant to the king's proclamation. Aboard of this guinea man, Teach mounted forty guns, and named her the Queen Anne's Revenge, and cruising near the island of St. Vincent, took a large ship called the Great Allen, Christopher Taylor Commander. The pirates plundered her of what they thought fit, put all the men ashore upon the island above mentioned, and set fire to the ship. A few days after, Teach fell in with the Scarborough, man of war, of thirty guns, who engaged him for some hours. But she, finding the pirate well manned and having tried her strength, gave over the engagement and returned to Barbados, the place of her station, and Teach sailed toward the Spanish America. In this way he met with a pirate sloop of ten guns, commanded by one major bonnet, lately a gentleman of good reputation and estate in the island of Barbados, whom he joined. But in a few days after, Teach, finding that bonnet knew nothing of a maritime life, with the consent of his own men, put in another captain, one Richards, to command bonnet's sloop, and took the major on board his own ship, telling him that as he had not been used to the fatigues and care of such a post, it would be better for him to decline it and live easy at his pleasure in such a ship as his, where he would not be obliged to perform the necessary duties of a sea voyage. At Ternif, ten leagues short of the bay of Honduras, the pirates took in fresh water, and while they were at anchor there, they saw a sloop coming in, whereupon Richards, in the sloop called the Revenge, slipped his cable and run out to meet her, who, upon seeing the black flag hoisted, struck his sail and came to under the stern of Teach, the Commodore. She was called the Adventure from Jamaica, David Harriet Master. They took him and his men aboard the great ship, and sent a number of other hands with Israel Hands, Master of Teach's ship, to man the sloop for the piratical account. The ninth of April they wade from Ternif, having lain there about a week, and sailed to the bay, where they found a ship and four sloops. Three of the latter belonged to Jonathan Bernard of Jamaica, and the other to Captain James. The ship was of Boston, called the Protestant Caesar, Captain Wire, Commander. Teach hoisted his black colors and fired a gun, upon which Captain Wire and all his men left their ship and got ashore in their boat. Teach's quartermaster and eight of his crew took possession of Wire's ship, and Richards secured all the sloops, one of which they burnt out of spite to the owner. The Protestant Caesar they also burnt, after they had plundered her, because she belonged to Boston, where some men had been hanged for piracy, and the three sloops belonging to Bernard they let go. From hence the rovers sailed to Turkle, and then to the Grand Caymans, a small island about thirty leagues to the westward of Jamaica, where they took a small turtler, and so to the Havana, and from thence to the Bahama Rex, and from the Bahama Rex they sailed to Carolina, taking a brigantine and two sloops in their way, where they lay off the bar of Charlestown for five or six days. They took here a ship as she was coming out, bound for London, demanded by Robert Clark, with some passengers on board for England. The next day they took another vessel coming out of Charlestown, and also two pinks coming into Charlestown, likewise a brigantine with fourteen negroes aboard, all of which being done in the face of the town, struck so great a terror to the whole province of Carolina, having just before been visited by Vane, another notorious pirate, that they abandoned themselves to despair, being in no condition to resist their force. There were eight sail in the harbor ready for the sea, but none dared to venture out, it being almost impossible to escape their hands. The inward bound vessels were under the same unhappy dilemma, so that the trade of this place was totally interrupted. What made these misfortunes heavier to them was a long, expensive war the colony had had with the natives, which was but just ended when these robbers infested them. Teach detained all the ships and prisoners, and being in want of medicines resolved to demand a chest from the government of the province. Accordingly, Richards, the captain of the revenge sloop, with two or three more pirates, were sent up along with Mr. Marks, one of the prisoners whom they had taken in Clark's ship, and very insolently made their demands, threatening that if they did not send immediately the chest of medicines, and let the pirate ambassadors return without offering any violence to their persons, they would murder all their prisoners, send up their heads to the governor, and set the ships they had taken on fire. Whilst Mr. Marks was making application to the council, Richards and the rest of the pirates walked the streets publicly in the sight of all the people, who were fired with the utmost indignation looking upon them as robbers and murderers, and particularly the authors of their wrongs and oppressions, but durst not so much as think of executing their revenge for fear of bringing more calamities upon themselves, and so they were forced to let the villains pass with impunity. The government was not long in deliberating upon the message, it was the greatest affront that could have been put upon them, yet for the saving so many men's lives, among them Mr. Samuel Ragh, one of the council, they complied with the necessity, and sent aboard a chest, valued at between three and four hundred pounds, and the pirates went back safe to their ships. Blackbeard, for so teach was generally called, as we shall hear after show, but as soon as he had received the medicines and his brother rogues, let go the ships and the prisoners, having first taken out of them in gold and silver about fifteen hundred pounds sterling, besides provisions and other matters. From the bar of Charlestown they sailed to North Carolina, Captain Teach in the ship, which they called the man of war, Captain Richards and Captain Hans in the sloops, which they termed privateers, and the other sloops serving them as a tender. Teach began now to think of breaking up the company and securing the money and the best of the effects for himself and some others of his companions he had most friendship for, and to cheat the rest. Accordingly, on pretense of running into top sail inlet to clean, he grounded his ship, and then as if it had been done undesignedly and by accident he orders Hans sloop to come to his assistance and get him off again, which he, endeavoring to do, ran the sloop on shore near the other, and so both were lost. This done, Teach goes into the tender sloop with forty hands and leaves the revenge there, then takes seventeen others and maroons them upon a small sandy island about a league from the main where there was neither bird, beast nor herb for their subsistence and where they must have perished if Major Bonnet had not, two days after, taken them off. Teach goes up to the governor of North Carolina with about twenty of his men and they surrender to his majesty's proclamation and receive certificates thereof from his Excellency, but it did not appear that their submitting to this pardon was from any reformation of manners, but only to await a more favorable opportunity to play the same game over again, which he soon after affected, with greater security to himself and with much better prospect of success, having in this time cultivated a very good understanding with Charles Eden Esquire, the governor above mentioned. The first piece of service this kind governor did to Blackbeard was to give him a right to the vessel which he had taken when he was a pirating in the great ship called the Queen Anne's Revenge, for which purpose a court of vice admiralty was held at Bathtown and though Teach had never any commission in his life and the sloop belonging to the English merchants and taken in time of peace, yet was she condemned as a prize taken from the Spaniards by the said Teach. These proceedings show that governors are but men. Before he sailed upon his adventures, he married a young creature of about sixteen years of age, the governor performing the ceremony, as it is a custom to marry here by a priest, so it is there by a magistrate, and this, I have been informed, made Teach's fourteenth wife, whereof about a dozen might be still living. In June 1718 he went to see upon another expedition and steered his course towards Bermudas. He met with two or three English vessels in his way, but robbed them only of provisions, stores and other necessaries and for his present expense, but near the island afore mentioned he fell in with two French ships, one of them was laden with sugar and cocoa and the other light, both bound to Martinico. The ship that had no lading he let go and putting all the men of the loaded ship aboard her, he brought home the other with her cargo to North Carolina, where the governor and the pirates shared the plunder. When Teach and his prize arrived, he and four of his crew went to his excellency and made affidavit that they found the French ship at sea without a soul on board her, and then a court was called and the ship condemned. The governor had sixty hogs heads of sugar for his dividend and one Mr. Knight, who was his secretary and collector for the province, twenty, and the rest was shared among the other pirates. The business was not yet done. The ship remained and it was possible one or other might come into the river that might be acquainted with her and so discover the roguery. But Teach thought of a contrivance to prevent this for upon a pretense that she was leaky and that she might sink and so stop up the mouth of the inlet of the cove where she lay, he obtained an order from the governor to bring her out into the river and set her on fire, which was accordingly executed, and she was burnt down to the water's edge, her bottom sunk, and with it their fears of her ever rising in judgment against them. Captain Teach, alias Blackbeard, passed three or four months in the river, sometimes lying at anchor in the coves, at other times sailing from one inlet to another, and with such sloops as he met for the plunder he had taken and would often give them presents for stores and provisions he took from them, that is, when he happened to be in a giving humor. At other times he made bold with them and took what he liked without saying by your leave, knowing well they dared not send him a bill for the payment. He often diverted himself with going ashore among the planters where he reveled night and day. By these he was well received and whether out of love or fear I cannot say. Sometimes he used them courteously enough and made them presents of rum and sugar in recompense of what he took from them, but as for liberties, which it is said he and his companions often took with the wives and daughters of the planters, I cannot take upon me to say whether he paid them ad valorum or no. At other times he carried it in a lordly manner towards them and would lay some of them under contribution. Nay, he often proceeded to bully the governor. Not that I can discover the least cause of quarrel between them, but it seemed only to be done to show he dared do it. The sloops trading up and down this river, being so frequently pillaged by Blackbeard, consulted with the traders and some of the best planters what course to take. They saw plainly it would be in vain to make an application to the governor of North Carolina to whom it properly belonged to find some redress, so that if they could not be relieved from some other quarter, Blackbeard would be like to reign with impunity. Therefore, with as much secrecy as possible, they sent a deputation to Virginia to lay the affair before the governor of that colony and to solicit an armed force from the men of war lying there to take or destroy this pirate. This governor consulted with the captains of the two men of war, Viz the Pearl and Lime, who had lain in St. James River about ten months. It was agreed that the governor should hire a couple of small sloops and the men of war should man them. This was accordingly done and the command of them was given to Mr. Robert Maynard, first lieutenant of the Pearl and experienced officer with great bravery and resolution as will appear by his gallant behavior in this expedition. The sloops were well manned and furnished with ammunition and small arms but had no guns mounted. About the time of their going out the governor called an assembly in which it was resolved to publish a proclamation offering certain rewards to any person or persons who, with any year after that time should take or destroy any pirate. The original proclamation, in our hands, is as follows. By His Majesty's Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia a proclamation, publishing the rewards given for apprehending or killing pirates. Whereas, by an act of assembly made at a session of assembly begun at the capital in Williamsburg the eleventh day of November in the fifth year of His Majesty's reign entitled, An Act to Encourage the Apprehending and Destroying of Pirates. It is, amongst other things, enacted that all and every person or persons who, from and after the fourteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighteen and before the fourteenth day of November which shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and nineteen shall take any pirate or pirates on the sea or land or in case of resistance shall kill any such pirate or pirates between the degrees of thirty-four and thirty-nine of Northern latitude and within one hundred leagues of the continent of Virginia or within the provinces of Virginia or North Carolina upon the conviction or making proof of the killing of all and every such pirate and pirates before the governor and council shall be entitled to have and receive out of the public money in the hands of the treasurer of this colony the several rewards following. That is to say for Edward Teach, commonly called Captain Teach or Blackbeard one hundred pounds for every other commander of a pirate ship, sloop or vessel forty pounds for every lieutenant master or quarter master boson or carpenter twenty pounds for every other inferior officer fifteen pounds and for every private man taken on board such ship sloop or vessel ten pounds and that for every pirate which shall be taken by any ship sloop or vessel belonging to this colony or North Carolina within the time aforesaid in any place whatsoever the like rewards shall be paid accordingly to the quality and condition of such pirates wherefore for the encouragement of all such persons as shall be willing to serve his majesty and their country in so just and honorable and undertaking as the suppressing a sort of people who may be truly called enemies to mankind I have thought fit with the sense and consent of his majesty's counsel to issue this proclamation hereby declaring the said rewards shall be punctually and justly paid in current money of Virginia according to the directions of the said act and I do order and appoint this proclamation to be published by the sheriffs at their respective country houses and by all ministers and readers in the several churches and chapels of this colony given at our council chamber in Williamsburg this 24th day of November 1718 in the fifth year of his majesty's reign God save the king a Spotswood the 17th of November 1718 the lieutenant sailed from Kikaton in the James River in Virginia and the 31st in the evening came to the mouth of where he got sight of the pirate this expedition was made with all imaginable secrecy and the officer managed with all the prudence that was necessary stopping all boats and vessels he met within the river from going up and thereby preventing any intelligence from reaching Blackbeard and receiving at the same time an account from them all of the place where the pirate was lurking but notwithstanding this caution Blackbeard had information of the from his excellency of the province and his secretary Mr. Knight wrote him a letter particularly concerning it intimating quote that he had sent him four of his men which were all he could meet with in or about town and so bid him be upon his guard unquote these men belonged to Blackbeard and were sent from Bathtown to Ocaracoc Inlet where the sloop lay which is about twenty leagues Blackbeard had heard several reports which happened not to be true and so gave the less credit to this advice nor was he convinced till he saw the sloops then it was time to put his vessel in a posture of defense he had no more than twenty-five men on board though he gave out to all the vessels he spoke with that he had forty when he had prepared for battle he sat down and spent the night in drinking with the master of a trading sloop who it was thought had more business with Teach than he should have had Lieutenant Maynard came to an anchor for the place being Shole and the channel Intricate there was no getting in where Teach lay that night but in the morning he weighed and sent his boats ahead of the sloops to sound and coming within gunshot of the pirate received his fire whereupon Maynard hoisted the king's colors and stood directly towards him with the best way that his sails and oars could make Blackbeard cut his cable and endeavored to make a running fight keeping a continual fire at his enemies with his guns Mr. Maynard, not having any kept a constant fire with small arms while some of his men labored at their oars in a little time Teach's sloop ran aground and Mr. Maynard, drawing more water than that of the pirate he could not come near him so he anchored within half gunshot of the enemy and in order to lighten his vessel that he might run him aboard the lieutenant ordered all his ballast to be thrown overboard and all the water to be staved and then weighed and stood for him upon which Blackbeard hailed him in this rude manner quote, damn you for villains who are you and from whence came you unquote you may see by our colors we are no pirates unquote Blackbeard bid him send his boat on board that he might see who he was but Mr. Maynard replied thus quote, I cannot spare my boat but I will come aboard of you as soon as I can with my sloop unquote upon this Blackbeard took a glass of liquor and drank to him with these words quote, damn nations sees my soul if I give you quarter or take any from you unquote in answer to which Mr. Maynard told him quote, that he expected no quarter from him nor should he give him any unquote by this time Blackbeard sloop fleeted as Mr. Maynard sloops were rowing towards him which being not above a foot high in the waist and consequently the men all exposed as they came near together there being hitherto little or no execution done on either side the pirate fired a broad side charged with all manner of small shot a fatal stroke to them the sloop the lieutenant was in having twenty men killed and wounded and the other sloop nine this could not be helped for there being no wind they were obliged to keep to their oars otherwise the pirate would have got away from him which it seems the lieutenant was resolute to prevent after this unlucky blow Blackbeard sloop fell broadside to the shore Mr. Maynard s other sloop which was called the ranger fellow stern being for the present disabled so the lieutenant finding his own sloop had way and would soon be on board of teach he ordered all his men down for fear of another broadside which must have been their destruction and the loss of their expedition Mr. Maynard was the only person that kept the deck except the man at the helm whom he directed to lie down snug and the men in the hold were ordered to get their pistols and their swords ready for close fighting and to come up at his command in order to which two ladders were placed in the hatchway for the more expedition when the lieutenant sloop boarded the other captain teaches men through in several new fashion sort of grenades this case bottles filled with powder and small shot slugs and pieces of lead or iron with a quick match in the mouth of it which being lighted without side presently runs into the bottle to the powder and as it is instantly thrown on board generally does great execution besides putting all the crew into a confusion but by good providence they had not that effect here the men being in the hold blackbeard seeing few or no hands aboard told his men quote that they were all knocked to head except three or four and therefore says he let's jump on board and cut them to pieces unquote whereupon under the smoke of one of the bottles just mentioned blackbeard enters with fourteen men over the boughs of Maynard sloop and were not seen by him until the air cleared however he just then gave a signal to his men who all rose in an instant and attacked the pirates with as much bravery as ever was done upon such an occasion blackbeard and the lieutenant fired the first shots at each other by which the pirate received a wound and then engaged with swords till the lieutenants unluckily broke and stepping back to cock a pistol blackbeard with his cutlass was striking at that instant that one of Maynard s men gave him a terrible wound in the neck and throat by which the lieutenant came off with only a small cut over his fingers they were now closely and warmly engaged the lieutenant and twelve men against blackbeard and fourteen till the sea was tinctured with blood round the vessel blackbeard received a shot into his body from the pistol the lieutenant maynard discharged yet he stood his ground and fought with great fury till he received five and twenty wounds and five of them by shot at length as he was cocking another pistol having fired several before he fell down dead by which time eight more out of the fourteen dropped and all the rest much wounded jumped overboard and called out for quarter which was granted it was only prolonging their lives a few days the sloop ranger came up and attacked the men that remained in blackbeard sloop with equal bravery till they likewise cried for quarter here was the end of that courageous brute who might have passed in the world for a hero had he been employed in a good cause the lieutenant caused blackbeard's head to be severed from his body and hung up at the bolt sprit end then he sailed to bath town to get relief for his wounded men in rummaging the pirate sloop they found several letters and written papers which discovered the correspondence between governor eden the secretary and collector and also some traders at new york and blackbeard it is likely he had regard enough for his friends to have destroyed these papers before action in order to hinder them from falling into such hands where the discovery would be of no use either to the interest or reputation of these fine gentlemen if it had not been his fixed resolution to have blown up together when he found no possibility of escaping when the lieutenant came to bath town he made bold to seize from the governor's storehouse the sixty hogs heads of sugar and from honest mr. knight which it seems was their dividend in the plunder taken in the French ship the latter did not survive this shameful discovery for being apprehensive that he might be called to account for these trifles fell sick it is thought with the fright and died in a few days after the wounded men were pretty well recovered the lieutenant sailed back to the men of war in james river in virginia with blackbeard's head still hanging at the bolt sprit end and fifteen prisoners thirteen of whom were hanged it appearing upon trial that one of them vis Samuel Odell was taken out of the trading sloop but the night before the engagement this poor fellow was a little unlucky at his first entering upon his new trade there appearing no less than seventy wounds upon him after the action not with standing which he lived and was cured of them all the other person that escaped the gallows was one Israel hands the master of blackbeard's sloop and formerly captain of the same before the queen Anne's revenge was lost in top sail inlet the aforesaid hands happened not to be in the fight but was taken afterwards ashore at bath town having been some time before disabled by blackbeard in one of his savage humours after the following manner one night drinking in his cabin with hands the pilot and another man blackbeard without any provocation privately draws out a pair of pistols and cocks them under the table which being perceived by the man he withdrew and went upon deck leaving hands the pilot and the captain together when the pistols were ready he blew out the candle and crossing his hands discharged them at his company hands the master was shot through the knee and blamed for life the other pistol did no execution being asked the meaning of this he only answered by damning them that quote if he did not now and then kill one of them they would forget who he was unquote hands being taken was tried and condemned but just as he was about to be executed he arrived at Virginia with a proclamation for prolonging the time of his majesty's pardon to such pirates as should surrender by a limited time therein expressed notwithstanding the sentence hands pleaded the pardon and was allowed the benefit of it and was alive some time ago in London begging his bread now that we have given some account of teacher's life and actions it will not be a myth that we speak of his beard it did not a little contribute towards making his name so terrible in those parts Plutarch and other grave historians have taken notice that several great men amongst the Romans took their surnames from certain odd marks in their countenances as Cicero from a mark or vetch on his nose so our hero captain teach assumed the cognomen of black beard from that large quantity of hair which like a frightful meteor covered his whole face and frightened America more than any comet that has appeared there a long time this beard was black which he suffered to grow of an extravagant length as to breadth it came up to his eyes he was accustomed to twist it with ribbons in small tails after the manner of our romily wigs and turn them about his ears in time of action he were a sling over his shoulders with three brace of pistols hanging in holsters like bandoliers and stuck lighted matches under his hat which appearing on each side of his face his eyes naturally looking fierce and wild made him altogether such a figure that imagination cannot form an idea of a fury from hell to look more frightful if he had the look of a fury his humors and passions were suitable to it in the commonwealth of pirates he who goes the greatest length of wickedness is looked upon with a kind of envy amongst them as a person of a more extraordinary gallantry and is therefore entitled to be distinguished by some post and if such a one has but courage he must certainly be a great man the hero of whom we are writing was thoroughly accomplished this way and some of his frolics of wickedness were so extravagant as if he aimed at making his men believe he was a devil incarnate for being one day at sea and a little flushed with drink quote come says he let us make a hell of our own and try how long we can bear it unquote accordingly he with two or three others went down into the hold and closing up all the hatches filled several pots of brimstone and other combustible matter and set it on fire and so continued till they were almost suffocated when some of the men cried out for air at length he opened the hatches not a little pleased that he held out the longest the night before he was killed he sat up and drank till the morning with some of his own men and the master of a merchantman and having had intelligence of the two sloops coming to attack him as has been before observed one of his men asked him in case anything should happen to him in the engagement with the sloops whether his wife knew where he had buried his money he answered quote that nobody but himself and the devil knew where it was and the longest liver should take all unquote those of his crew who were taken alive told a story which may appear a little incredible however we think it will not be fair to omit it since we had it from their own mouths that once upon a cruise they found out that they had a man on board more than their crew such a one was seen several days amongst them sometimes below and sometimes upon deck yet no man in the ship could give an account who he was or from whence he came but that he disappeared a little before they were cast away in their great ship but it seems they verily believed it was the devil one would think these things should induce them to reform their lives but so many reprobates together encouraged and spirited one another up in their wickedness to which a continual course of drinking did not a little contribute for in Blackbeard's journal which was taken there were several memorandums of the following nature found writ with his own hand such a day rum all out our company somewhat sober a damned confusion amongst us rogues of plotting great talk of separation so I looked sharp for a prize such a day took one with a great deal of liquor on board so kept the company hot damned hot then all things were well again thus it was these wretches passed their lives with very little pleasure or satisfaction in the possession of what they violently take away from others and sure to pay for it at last by an ignominious death the names of the pirates killed in the engagement are as follows Edward Teach Commander Philip Morton Gunner Garrett Gibbons Boson Owen Roberts Carpenter Thomas Miller Quartermaster John Husk Joseph Curtis Joseph Brooks I Nathaniel Jackson all the rest except the two last were wounded and afterwards hanged in Virginia John Carnes Joseph Brooks II James Blake John Gills Thomas Gates James White Richard Stiles Caesar Joseph Phillips James Robbins John Martin Edward Salter Stephen Daniel Richard Greensale Israel Hans Samuel O'Dell Acquitted a year where the sloops lay twenty-five hogs heads of sugar eleven tierces and one hundred and forty-five bags of cocoa, a barrel of indigo, and a bale of cotton which with what was taken from the governor and secretary and the sale of the sloop came to two thousand five hundred pounds besides the rewards paid by the governor of Virginia pursuant to his proclamation which was divided among the companies of the two ships Lyme and Pearl that lay in James River the brave fellows that took them coming in for no more than their dividend amongst the rest and were paid it not till four years afterwards End of Section 9 Recording by Tisto TYSTO.com Section 10 of Great Pirate Stories This is a LibriVox Recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Tisto Great Pirate Stories by Various edited by Joseph Louis French Section 10 A True Account of Three Notorious Pirates, Part 2 A True Account of Three Notorious Pirates Howard Pyle, Editor Footnote A Contemporary Narrative from The Buccaneers of America and Footnote Two Captain William Kidd We are now going to give an account of one whose name is better known in England than most of those whose histories we have already related. The person we mean is Captain Kidd whose public trial and execution here rendered him the subject of all conversation so that his actions have been chanted about in ballads. However, it is now a considerable time since these things passed and though the people knew in general that Captain Kidd was hanged and that his crime was piracy yet there were scarce any even at that time who were acquainted with his life or actions or who could account for his turning pirate. In the beginning of King William's War, Captain Kidd commanded a privateer in the West Indies and by several adventurous actions acquired the reputation of a brave man as well as an experienced seaman. About this time the pirates were very troublesome in those parts wherefor Captain Kidd was recommended by the Lord Bellamont then Governor of Barbados as well as by several other persons to the government here as a person very fit to be entrusted with the command of a government ship and to be employed in cruising upon the pirates as knowing those sees perfectly well and being acquainted with all their lurking places but what reasons governed the politics of those times I cannot tell but this proposal met with no encouragement here though it is certain it would have been of great consequence to the subject our merchants suffering incredible damages by those robbers upon this neglect the Lord Bellamont and some others who knew what great captures had been made by the pirates and what a prodigious wealth must be in their possession were tempted to fit out a ship at their own private charge and to give the command of it to Captain Kidd and to give the thing a great reputation as well as to keep their seamen under the better command that procured the King's commission for the said Captain Kidd of which the following is an exact copy William Rex William III by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith etc to our trusty and well-beloved Captain William Kidd commander of the ship the adventure galley or to any other commander of the same time being greeting whereas we are informed that Captain Thomas II John Ireland Captain Thomas Wake and Captain William Mace or Maze and other subjects natives or inhabitants of New York and elsewhere in our plantations in America have associated themselves with diverse others wicked and ill-disposed persons and do against the law of nations commit many and great piracies, robberies and depredations on the seas upon the parts of America and in other parts to the great hindrance and discouragement of trade and navigation and to the great danger and hurt of our loving subjects our allies and all others navigating the seas upon their lawful occasions now know ye that we being desirous to prevent the aforesaid mischiefs as much as in us lies to bring the said pirates freebooters and sea rovers to justice have thought fit and to hereby give and grant to the said William Kidd to whom our commissioners for exercising the office of Lord High Admiral of England have granted a commission as a private man of war bearing date December 11 1695 and unto the commander of the said ship for the time being and unto the officers, mariners and others which shall be under your command full power and authority to apprehend, seize and take into your custody as well the said Captain Thomas II, John Ireland Captain Thomas Wake and Captain William Mace or Maze as all such pirates, freebooters and sea rovers being either our subjects of other nations associated with them which you shall meet with upon the seas or coasts of America or upon any other seas or coasts with all their ships and vessels and all such merchandises, money goods and wares as shall be found on board or with them in case they shall willingly yield themselves but if they will not yield without fighting then you are by force to compel them to yield and we do also require you to bring or cause to be brought such pirates, freebooters or sea rovers as you shall seize to a legal trial to the end they may be proceeded against according to the law in such cases and we do hereby command all our officers, ministers and other our loving subjects whatsoever to be aiding and assisting to you in the premises and we do hereby enjoin you to keep an exact journal of your proceedings in the execution of the premises and set down the names of such pirates and of their officers and company and the names of such ships and vessels as you shall by virtue of these presence take and seize and the quantity of arms, ammunition, provision and leading of such ships and the true value of the same as near as you judge and we do hereby strictly charge and command you as you will answer the contrary at your peril that you do not in any manner offend or molest our friends or allies their ships or subjects by color or pretense of these presence or the authority thereby granted in witness whereof we have caused our great seal of England to be affixed to these presence given at our court of Kensington the 26th day of January 1695 in the seventh year of our reign Captain Kidd had also another commission which was called a commission of reprisals for it being then wartime this commission was to justify him in the taking of French merchant ships in case he should meet with any with these two commissions he sailed out of Plymouth in May 1696 in the adventure galley of thirty guns and eighty men the place he first designed for was New York in his voyage thither he took a French banker but this was no act of piracy he having a commission for that purpose as we have just observed when he arrived at New York he put up articles for engaging more hands than necessary to his ship's crew since he proposed to deal with a desperate enemy the terms he offered were that every man should have a share of what was taken reserving for himself and owners forty shares upon which encouragement he soon increased his company to a hundred and fifty-five men with this company he sailed first for Madeira where he took in wine from thence he proceeded to Bonavist one of the Cape de Verde islands to furnish the ship with salt and from thence went immediately to St. Yago another of the Cape de Verde islands in order to stock himself with provisions when all this was done he bent his course to Madagascar the known rendezvous of pirates in his way he fell in with Captain Warren Commodore of three men of war he acquainted them with his design keeping them company two or three days and then leaving them made the best way for Madagascar where he arrived in February 1696 just nine months from his departure from Plymouth it happened that at this time the pirate ships were most of them out in search of prey so that according to the best intelligence captain could get there was not one of them at this time about the island where for having spent some time in watering his ship and taking in more provisions he thought of trying his fortune on the coast of Malabar where he arrived in the month of June following four months from his reaching Madagascar hear abouts he made an unsuccessful cruise touching sometimes at the island of Mahala sometimes at that of Joanna between Malabar and Madagascar his provisions were every day wasting and his ship began to want repair where for when he was at Joanna he found means of borrowing a sum of money from some Frenchman who had lost their ship but saved their effects and with this he purchased materials for putting his ship in good repair it does not appear all this while that he had the least design of turning pirate for near Mahala and Joanna both he met with several Indian ships richly laden to which he did not offer the least violence though he was strong enough to have done what he pleased with them and the first outrage or depredation I find he committed upon mankind was after his repairing his ship and leaving Joanna he touched at a place called Maby upon the Red Sea where he took some guinea corn from the natives by force after this he sailed to Bab's key a place upon a little island at the entrance of the Red Sea here it was that he first began to open himself to his ship's company and let them understand that he intended to change his measures for happening to talk of the mocha fleet which was to sail that way he said we have been unsuccessful hitherto but courage my boys we'll make our fortunes out of this fleet and finding that none of them appeared averse to it he ordered a boat out well manned to go upon the coast to make discoveries commanding them to take a prisoner and bring to him or get intelligence any way they could the boat returned in a few days bringing him word that they saw 14 or 15 ships ready to sail some with English some with Dutch and some with Moorish colors he cannot account for this sudden change in his conduct otherwise than by supposing that he first meant well while he had hopes of making his fortune by taking of pirates but now weary of ill success and fearing lest his owners out of humor at their great expense should dismiss him and he should want employment and be marked out for an unlucky man rather I say then run the hazard of poverty he resolved to do his business one way since he could not do it another he therefore ordered a man continually to watch at the mast head lest this fleet should go by them and about four days after towards evening it appeared in sight being convoyed by one English and one Dutch man of war kid soon fell in with them and getting into the midst of them fired at a Moorish ship and was next to him but the men of war taking the alarm bore down upon kid and firing upon him obliged him to shear off he not being strong enough to contend with them now he had begun hostilities he resolved to go on and therefore he went and cruised along the coast of Malabar the first prize he met was a small vessel belonging to Aden the vessel was Moorish and the owners were Moorish merchants but the master was an Englishman his name was Parker kid forced him and a Portuguese that was called Don Antonio which were all the Europeans on board to take on with them the first he designed as a pilot and the last as an interpreter he also used the men very cruelly causing them to be hoisted up by the arms and drummed with a naked cutlass to force them to discover whether they had money on board and where it lay but as they had neither gold nor silver on board he got nothing by his cruelty however he took from them a bale of pepper and a bale of coffee and so let them go a little time after he touched at Karawar a place upon the same coast where before he arrived the news of what he had done to the Moorish ship had reached them for some of the English merchants there had received an account of it from the owners who corresponded with them wherefore as soon as kid came in he was suspected to be the person who committed this piracy and one Mr. Harvey and Mr. Mason two of the English factory came on board and asked for Parker and Antonio the Portuguese but kid denied that he knew any such persons having secured them both in a private place in the hold where they were kept for seven or eight days that is till kid sailed from thence however the coast was alarmed and a Portuguese man of war was sent out to cruise kid met with her and fought her about six hours gallantly enough but finding her too strong to be taken he quitted her for he was able to run away from her when he would called Porco where he watered the ship and bought a number of hogs of the natives to fiddle his company soon after this he came up with a Moorish ship the masterware of was a Dutchman called Skipper Mitchell and chased her under French colors which they observing hoisted French colors too when he came up with her he hailed her in French and they having a Frenchman on board answered him in the same language upon which he ordered them to send their boat on board they were obliged to do so and having examined who they were and from whence they came he asked the Frenchman who was a passenger if he had a French pass for himself the Frenchman gave him to understand that he had then he told the Frenchman he must pass for captain and by God says he the Frenchman durst not refuse doing as he would have him the meaning of this was that he would seize the ship as fair prize and as if she had belonged to French subjects according to a commission he had for that purpose though one would think after what he had already done that he need not have recourse to a quibble to give his actions a color in short he took the cargo and sold it some time after yet still he seemed to have some fears upon him lest these proceedings should have a bad end for coming up with a Dutch ship some time when his men thought of nothing but attacking her kid opposed it upon which a mutiny arose and the majority being for taking the said ship and arming themselves to man the boat to go and seize her he told them such as did never should come on board him again which put an end to the design so that he kept company with the said ship some time without offering her any violence however this dispute was the occasion of an accident upon which an indictment was afterwards grounded against kid for Moore the gunner being one day upon deck and talking with kid about the said Dutch ship some words arose between them and Moore told kid he ruined them all upon which kid calling him dog took up a bucket and struck him with it which breaking his skull he died the next day but kid's penitential fit did not last long for coasting along Malabar he met with a great number of boats all of which he plundered upon the same coast he also lighted upon a Portuguese ship possession of a week and then having taken out of her some chests of Indian goods thirty jars of butter with some wax iron and a hundred bags of rice he let her go much about the same time he went to one of the Malabar islands for wood and water and his Cooper being a shore was murdered by the natives upon which kid himself landed and burnt and pillaged several of their houses the people running away but having taken one he caused him to be tied to a tree and commanded one of his men to shoot him then putting to sea again he took the greatest prize which fell into his hands while he followed his trade this was a Moorish ship of four hundred tons richly laden named the Keda merchant the master whereof was an Englishman who was called Wright for the Indians often make use of English or Dutch men to command their ships their own mariners not being so good artists in navigation kid chased her under French colours and having come up with her he ordered her to hoist out her boat and to send on board of him which being done he told Wright he was his prisoner and informing himself concerning the said ship he understood no Europeans on board except two Dutch and one Frenchman all the rest being Indians or Armenians and that the Armenians were part owners of the cargo kid gave the Armenians to understand that if they would offer anything that was worth his taking for their ransom he would hearken to it upon which they proposed to pay him twenty thousand rupees not quite three thousand pounds sterling he judged this would be making a bad bargain whereof he rejected it and setting the crew on shore at different places on the coast he soon sold as much of the cargo as came to near ten thousand pounds with part of it he also trafficked receiving an exchange provisions or such other goods as he wanted by degrees he disposed of the whole cargo and when the division was made it came to about two hundred pounds a man and having reserved forty shares to himself his dividend amounted to about eight thousand pounds sterling the Indians along the coast came on board and trafficked with all freedom and he punctually performed his bargains till about the time he was ready to sail and then thinking he should have no further occasion for them he made no scruple of taking their goods and setting them on shore without any payment in money or goods which they little expected for as they had been used to deal with pirates they always found the men of honor in the way of trade a people enemies to deceit and that scorned to rob but in their own way kid put some of his men on board the Cata merchant and with this ship and his own sailed for Madagascar as soon as he was arrived and had cast anchor there came on board of him a canoe in which were several Englishmen who had formerly been well acquainted with kid as soon as they saw him they saluted him and told him they were informed he was come to take them and hang them which would be a little unkind in such old acquaintances kid soon dissipated their doubts by swearing he had no such design and that he was now in every respect their brother and just as bad as they and calling for a cup of bamboo drank their captain's health these men belonged to a pirate ship called the Resolution formerly the Mako merchant where of one captain Coliford was commander and which lay at an anchor not far from them kid went on board with them promising them his friendship and assistance and Coliford in his turn came on board of kid and kid to testify his sincerity in iniquity finding Coliford in want of some necessaries made him a present of an anchor and some guns to fit him out for sea again the adventure galley was now so old and leaky that they were forced to keep two pumps continually going where for kid shifted all the guns and tackle out of her into the Cata merchant intending her for his man of war and as he had divided the money before he now made a division in the remainder of the cargo soon after which the greatest part of the company left him some going on board captain Coliford and others absconding in the country so that he had not above 40 men left he put to sea and happened to touch at Amboyna one of the dutch spice islands where he was told that the news of his actions had reached England and that he was there declared a pirate the truth of it is his piracies so alarmed our merchants that some motions were made in parliament to inquire into the commission that was given him and the persons who fitted him out these proceedings seemed to lean a little hard upon the lord Belamond who thought himself so much touched thereby that he published a justification of himself in a pamphlet after kids execution in the meantime it was thought advisable in order to stop the course of these piracies to publish a proclamation offering the kings free pardon to all such pirates as should voluntarily surrender themselves whatever piracies they had been guilty of at any time before the last day of April 1699 that is to say for all piracies committed eastward of the Cape of Good Hope to the longitude and meridian of Sokotora and Cape Cameron in which proclamation Avery and Kid were accepted by name footnote Avery was called the king of the pirates see the daughter of the great mogul and footnote when Kid left Amboyna he knew nothing of this proclamation for certainly had he had notice of his being accepted in it he would not have been so infatuated to run himself into the very jaws of danger but relying upon his interest with the Lord Belamon and fancying that a French pass or two he found on board some of the ships he took would serve to countenance the matter and that part of the booty he got would gain him new friends I say all these things made him flatter himself that all would be hushed and that justice would but wink at him wherefore he sailed directly for New York where he was no sooner arrived but by the Lord Belamon's orders he was secured with all his papers and effects many of his fellow adventurers who had forsook him at Madagascar came over from thence passengers some to New England and some to Jersey where hearing of the king's proclamation for pardoning of pirates they surrendered themselves to the governor of those places at first they were admitted to Bale after were laid in strict confinement where they were kept for some time till an opportunity happened of sending them with their captain over to England to be tried accordingly a sessions of admiralty being held at the Old Baley in May 1701 Captain Kidd Nicholas Churchill James Howe Robert Lumley William Jenkins Gabriel Lough Richard Barticorn Abel Owens and Darby Mullins were arraigned for piracy and robbery on the high seas and all found guilty except three these were Robert Lumley William Jenkins and Richard Barticorn who proving themselves to be apprentices to some of the officers of the ship and producing their indentures in court were acquitted the three above mentioned taking and sharing the ship and goods mentioned in the indictment yet as the gentleman of the long robe rightly distinguished there was a great difference between their circumstances and the rest for there must go an intention of the mind and a freedom of the will to the committing an act of felony or piracy a pirate is not to be understood to be under constraint but a free agent for in this case the bear act will not make a man guilty unless the will make it so kid was tried upon an indictment of murder also viz for killing Moore the gunner and found guilty of the same as to captain kids defense he insisted much upon his own innocence and the villainy of his men he said he went out in a laudable employment and had no occasion being then in good circumstances to go a pirating the men often mutinied against him and did as they pleased that he was threatened to be shot in his cabin and that ninety five left him at one time and set fire to his boat so that he was disabled from bringing his ship home or the prizes he took to have them regularly condemned which he said were taken by virtue of a commission under the broad seal they having French passes the captain called one Colonel Houston to his reputation who gave him an extraordinary character and declared to the court that he had served under his command and been in two engagements with him against the French in which he fought as well as any man he ever saw that there were only kids ship and his own against Monsieur Ducasse who commanded a squadron of six sale and they got the better of him but this being several years before the facts mentioned in the indictments were committed proved of no matter of service to the prisoner on his trial as to the friendship shown to Culliford a notorious pirate kid denied and said he intended to have taken him but his men being a parcel of rogues and villains refused to stand by him and several of them ran away from his ship to the said pirate but the evidence being full and particular against him he was found guilty as before mentioned when kid was asked what he had to say why sentence should not pass against him he answered that quote he had nothing to say but that he had been sworn against by perjured wicked people unquote and when sentence was pronounced he said quote my lord it is a very hard sentence for my part I am the innocentest man of the mall only I have been sworn against by perjured persons unquote before about a week after captain kid, Nicholas Churchill James Howe, Gabriel Lough Hugh Parrot, Abel Owen and Darby Mullins were executed at Execution Dock and afterwards hung up in chains at some distance from each other down the river where their bodies hung exposed for many years End of section 10 Recording by Tisto T-Y-S-T-O dot com Section 11 A true account of three notorious pirates, Howard Pyle editor Captain Bartholomew Roberts and his crew Bartholomew Roberts sailed in an honest employ from London aboard of the Princess Captain Plum Commander of which ship he was second mate. He left England November 1719 and arrived at Guinea about February following and being at Amarbo, taking in slaves for the West Indies was taken in the said ship by Captain Howell Davis. In the beginning he was very averse to this sort of life and would certainly have escaped from them had a fair opportunity presented itself yet afterwards he changed his principles as many besides him have done upon another element and perhaps for the same reason too vis preferment and what he did not like as a private man he could reconcile to his conscience as a commander. Davis having been killed in the island of Princes whilst planning to capture it with all its inhabitants the company found themselves under the necessity of filling up his post for which there appeared two or three candidates among the select part of them that were distinguished by the title of Lords such were Simpson, Ashplant, Anstis and such and on canvassing this matter how shattered and weak condition their government must be with that head since Davis had been removed in the manner before mentioned my Lord Dennis proposed it said over a bowl to this purpose that it was not of any great signification who was dignified with title for really and in good truth all good governments had like theirs the supreme power lodged with the community who might doubtless depute and revoke as suited interest or humour we are the original of this claim says he and should a captain be so saucy as to exceed prescription at any time why down with him it will be a caution after he is dead to his successors of what fatal consequence any sort of assuming may be however it is my advice that while we are sober we pitch upon a man of courage and skilled in navigation one who by his counsel and bravery seems best able to defend this commonwealth and waters from the dangers and tempests of an unstable element and the fatal consequences of anarchy and such a one I take Roberts to be a fellow I think in all respects worthy of your esteem and favour this speech was loudly applauded by all but Lord Simpson who had secret himself but on this disappointment grew sullen and left them swearing he did not care who they chose captain so it was not a papest for against them he had conceived an irreconcilable hatred for that his father had been a sufferer in Monmouth's rebellion Roberts was accordingly elected though he had not been above six weeks among them his choice was confirmed by both commoners and he accepted of the honor saying that since he had dipped his hands in muddy water and must be a pirate it was better being a commander than a common man as soon as the government was settled by promoting other officers in the room of those that were killed by the Portuguese the company resolved to avenge captain Davis's death he being more than ordinarily respected by the crew for his affability and good nature conduct and bravery upon all occasions and pursuant to this resolution about thirty men were landed in order to make an attack upon the fort which must be ascended to by a steep hill against the mouth of the cannon these men were headed by one Kennedy a bold daring fellow but very wicked and profligate they marched directly up under the fire of their ship guns and as soon as they were discovered the Portuguese quitted their post and fled to the town and the pirates marched in without opposition set fire to the fort and threw all the guns off the hill into the sea but this was not looked upon as a sufficient satisfaction for the injury they received therefore most of the company were for burning the town which Robert said he would yield to if any means could be proposed of doing it without their own destruction for the town had a secure situation in the fort a thick wood coming almost close to it affording cover to the defendants who under such an advantage he told them it was to be feared would fire and stand better to their arms beside that bear houses would be but a slender reward for their trouble and loss this prudent advice prevailed however they mounted the French ship they seized at this place with twelve guns and lightened her in order to come to the town the water being shoal and battered down several houses after which they returned on board gave back the French ship to those that had the most right to her and sailed out of the harbour by the light of two Portuguese ships which they were pleased to set on fire there Robert stood away to the southward and met with a Dutch guinea man which he made prize of but after having plundered her the skipper had his ship again two days after he took an English ship called the experiment Captain Cornet at Cape Lopez the men went all into the pirate service and having no occasion for the ship they burned her and then steered for Saint-Tomay but meeting with nothing in their way they sailed for an abona and their watered took in provisions and put it to a vote of the company whether their next voyage should be to the East Indies or to Brazil the latter being resolved they sailed accordingly and in 28 days arrived at Ferdinando an uninhabited island on that coast here they watered boot-topped their ship and made ready for the designed cruise upon this coast our rovers cruised for about nine weeks keeping generally out of sight of land but without seeing a sail which discouraged them so that they determined to leave the station and steer for the West Indies and in order they too stood in to make the land for the taking of their departure and thereby they fell in unexpectedly with the fleet of 42 sail of Portuguese ships off the bay of Los Todos Santos with all their lading in for Lisbon several of them of good force who lay too waiting for two men-o-war of 70 guns each their convoy however Roberts thought it should go hard with him but he would make up the market among them and thereupon mixed with the fleet and kept his men here till proper resolutions could be formed that done they came close up to one of the deepest and ordered her to send the mast onboard quietly threatening to give them no quarter if any resistance or signal of distress was made the Portuguese being surprised at these threats and the sudden flourish of cutlasses from the pirates without a word and the captain came on board Roberts looted him in a friendly manner telling him that they were gentlemen of fortune but that their business with him was only to be informed which was the richest ship in the fleet and if he directed them right he should be restored to his ship without molestation otherwise he must expect immediate death whereupon this Portuguese mast appointed to one of the 40 guns and 150 men a ship of greater force than the rover but this in no way dismayed them they were Portuguese they said and so immediately steered away from him when they came with inhale the master whom they had prisoner was ordered to ask how senior captain did and to invite him on board for that he had a matter of consequence to impart to him which being done he returned for answer that he would wait upon him presently but by the bustle that immediately followed the pirates perceived that they were discovered and that this was only a deceitful answer to gain time to put their ship in a posture of defense so without delay they poured in a broadside bordered and grappled her the dispute was short and warm wherein many of the Portuguese fell and two only of the pirates by this time the fleet was alarmed signals of top-gallon sheets flying it was fired to give notice to the men of war who rid still at an anchor and made but scurvy haste out to their assistance and if what the pirates themselves related to be true the commanders of these ships were blameable to the highest degree and unworthy of the title or so much as the name of men for Roberts finding the prize to sail heavy and yet resolving not to lose her lay by for the head most of them which much out sailed the other and prepared for battle which was ignominiously declined though of such superior force for not daring to venture on the pirate alone he tarried so long for his consort as gave them both time leisurely to make off they found the ship exceedingly rich being laden chiefly with sugar skins and tobacco and in gold 40,000 moidors beside chains and trinkets of considerable value particularly a cross set with diamonds designed for the king of Portugal which they afterwards presented to the governor of Caiana by whom they were obliged elated with this booty they had nothing now to think of but some safe retreat where they might give themselves up to all the pleasures luxury and wantoness might bestow and for the present pitched upon a place called the devil's islands in the river of Suriname on the coast of Caiana where they arrived and found the civilist reception imaginable not only from the governor and factory but their wives who exchanged wares and drove a considerable trade with them they seized in this river a sloop and by her gained intelligence that a brigantine had also sailed in company with her from Rhode Island laid with provisions for the coast a welcome cargo they growing short in the sea store and as Sancho says no adventures to be made without belly timber one evening as they were rummaging their mine of treasure the Portuguese prize this expected vessel was described at the mast head and Roberts imagining nobody could do the business so well as himself takes 40 men in the sloop and goes in pursuit of her but a fatal accident followed this rash too inconsiderable adventure for Roberts thinking of nothing less than bringing in the brigantine that afternoon never troubled his head about the sloop's provision nor inquired what there was on board to subsist such a number of men but out he sails after the expected prize which he not only lost further sight of but after eight days contending with contrary winds and currents found themselves 30 leagues to leeward the currents still opposing their endeavors and perceiving no hopes of beating up to their ship they came to an anchor and inconsiderately sent away the boat to give the rest of the company notice of their condition and to order the ship to them but too soon even the next day they once made them sensible of their infatuation for their water was all expended and they had taken no thought how they should be supplied till either their ship came or the boat returned which was not likely to be under five or six days here, like Tantalus they almost famished in sight of the fresh streams and lakes being drove to such extremity that at last they were forced to tear up the floor of the cabin and patch up a sort of tub or tray with rope yarns to paddle ashore and fetch off immediate supplies of water to preserve life after some days the long wished-for boat came back but with the most unwelcome news in the world for Kennedy who was lieutenant and left in absence of Roberts to command the privateer and prize was gone off with both this was mortification with a vengeance and you may imagine that they did not depart without some hard speeches from those that were left and had suffered by their treachery and that there need be no further mention of this Kennedy I shall leave Captain Roberts to vent his wrath for both sent execrations and follow the other whom we may reckon from that time as steering his course toward execution dock Kennedy was now chosen captain of the revolted crew but could not bring his company to any determined resolution some were for pursuing the old game but the greater part of them seemed to have inclinations to turn from those evil courses and get home privately for there was no active pardon in force therefore they agreed to break up and every man to shift for himself as he should see occasion the first thing they did was depart with the great Portuguese prize and having the master of the sloop whose name I think was Cain aboard whom they said was a very honest fellow for he had humoured them upon every occasion told them of the brigantine that Roberts went after and when the pirates first took him he complimented them at any odd rate telling them that they were welcome to his sloop and cargo and wished that the vessel had been larger and the loading richer for their sakes to this good natured man they gave the Portuguese ship which was then above half loaded three or four negroes and all his own men who returned thanks to his kind benefactors and departed Captain Kennedy in the rover sailed to Barbados near which island they took a very peaceable ship belonging to Virginia the commander was a Quaker whose name was Knot he had neither pistol, sword nor cutlass on board and Mr. Knot appearing so passive to all they said to him some of them thought this was a good opportunity to go off and accordingly eight of the pirates went aboard and he carried them safe to Virginia they made the Quaker a present of ten chests of sugar, ten rolls of Brazil tobacco thirty midores and some gold dust in all to the value of about two hundred and fifty pounds they also made presents to the sailors some more, some less and lived a jovial life all the while they were upon their voyage Captain Knot giving them their way nor indeed could he help himself unless he had taken an opportunity to surprise them when they were either drunk or asleep for awake they wore arms upon the ship and put him in a continual terror it not being his principal or the sects to fight and less with art and collusion he managed these weapons well till he arrived at the capes and afterwards four of these pirates went off in a boat which they had taken with them for more easily making their escapes and made up the bay towards Maryland but were forced back by storm into an obscure place of the country where meeting with good entertainment among the planters they continued several days without being discovered to be pirates in the meantime Captain Knot leaving for others aboard his ship who intended to go to North Carolina made what haste he could to discover to Mr. Spotswood the governor what sort of passengers he had been forced to bring with him who by good fortune got them seized and search being made after the others who were reveling about the country they were also taken and all tried convicted and hanged two Portuguese Jews who were taken on the coast of Brazil and whom they had brought with them to Virginia being the principal evidences the latter had found means to lodge part of their wealth with the planters who never brought it to account but Captain Knot surrendered up everything that belonged to them that were taken aboard even what they presented to him in lieu of such things as they had plundered him of in their passage and obliged his men to do the like some days after the taking of the Virginia men last mentioned in cruising at the latitude of Jamaica Kennedy took a sloop bound thither loaded with bread and flour aboard of this sloop went all the hands who were for breaking the gang and left those behind that had a mind to pursue further adventures among the former was Kennedy their captain of whose honor they had such a despicable notion that they were about to throw him overboard when they found him in the sloop as fearing he might betray them all at their return to England he having in his childhood been bred a pickpocket and before he became a pirate a housebreaker both professions that these gentlemen have a very mean opinion of however Captain Kennedy by taking solemn oaths of fidelity to his companions was suffered to proceed with them in this company there was but one that pretended any skill in navigation for Kennedy could neither read nor write he being preferred to the command merely for his courage which indeed he had offered signalized particularly in taking the Portuguese ship and he proved to be a pretender only for shaping their course to Ireland where they agreed to land they ran away to the north west coast of Scotland and they were tossed about by hard storms of wind for several days without knowing where they were and in great danger of perishing at length they pushed the vessel into a little creek and went all the shore leaving the sloop at anchor for the next comers the whole company refreshed themselves in a little village about 5 miles from the place where they had left the sloop and passed there for shipwrecked sailors and no doubt might have travelled on without suspicion but the mad and riotous manner of their living on the road occasioned their journey to be cut short as we shall observe presently Kennedy and another left them here and travelling to one of the seaports shipped themselves for Ireland and arrived there in safety 6 or 7 wisely withdrew from the rest travelled at their leisure and got to their much desired port of London without being disturbed or suspected but the main gang alarmed the country wherever they came drinking and roaming at such a rate that people shut themselves up in their houses in some places not daring to venture out against so many mad fellows in other villages they treated the whole town squandering their money as if like Aesop they wanted to lighten their burdens this expensive manner of living they procured two of their drunken stragglers to be knocked on the head they being found murdered in the road and their money taken from them all the rest to the number of 17 as they drew nigh to Edinburgh were arrested and thrown into jail upon suspicion of they knew not what however the magistrates were knocked long at a loss for proper accusations for two of the gang offering themselves for evidences were accepted of and the others were brought to a speedy trial whereof nine were convicted and executed Kennedy having spent all his money came over from Ireland and kept a public house on Deptford Road and now and then it was thought made an excursion abroad in the way of his former profession till one of his household gave information against him for a robbery for which he was committed to Bridewell but because she would not do the business by halves she found out a mate of a ship that Kennedy had committed piracy upon and foolishly confessed to her this mate whose name was Grant paid Kennedy a visit in Bridewell and knowing him to be the man procured a warrant and had him committed to the Marshallsea prison the game that Kennedy had now to play was to turn evidence himself accordingly he gave a list of eight or ten of his comrades but not being acquainted with their habitations only one was taken who though condemned appeared to be a man of fair character was forced into their service and took the first opportunity to get from them and therefore received a pardon but Walter Kennedy being a notorious offender was executed July 19, 1721 at Execution Dock the rest of the pirates who were left in the ship Rover stayed not long behind for they went to shore to one of the West India Islands what became of them afterwards I cannot tell for their ship was found at sea by a belonging to Christophers and carried into that island with only nine negroes aboard thus we see what a disastrous fate ever attends the wicked and how rarely they escape the punishment due to their crimes who abandoned to such a profligate life rob, spoil and pray upon mankind contrary to the light and law of nature as well as the law of God it might have been hoped that the examples of these deaths would have been as marks to the remainder of the gang how to shun the rocks their companions had split on that they would have surrendered to mercy or divided themselves forever from such pursuits as in the end they might be sure would subject them to the same law and punishment which they must be conscious they now equally deserved impending law which never let them sleep well unless drunk but all the use that was made of it here would commend the justice of the court that had condemned Kennedy for he was a sad dog they said and deserved the fate he met with but to go back to Roberts who we left on the coast of Cayana in a previous passion at what Kennedy and the crew had done and who was now projecting new adventures with his small company in the sloop but finding hitherto that they had been but as a rope of sand they formed a set of articles for the better conservation of their society and doing justice to one another excluding all Irishmen of the benefit of it to whom they had an implacable aversion upon the account of Kennedy how indeed Roberts could think an oath would be obligatory where defiance had been given to the laws of God and man I cannot tell but he thought their greatest security lay in this that it was every one's interest to observe them if they minded to keep up so abominable a combination the following is the substance of the articles as taken from the pirate's own informations one every man has a vote in affairs of moment has equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized and may use them at pleasure unless a scarcity no uncommon thing among them make it necessary for the good of all to vote a retrenchment two every man to be called fairly in turn by list on board of prizes because over and above their proper share they were on these occasions allowed a shift of clothes but if they defrauded the company to the value of a dollar in plate jewels or money marooning was their punishment this was a barbarous custom of putting the offender on shore on some desolate or uninhabited cape or island with a gun, a few shot a bottle of water a bottle of powder to subsist or starve if the robbery was only between one another they contented themselves with slitting the ears and nose of him that was guilty and set him on shore not in an uninhabited place but somewhere where he was sure to encounter ships three no person to game at cards or dice for money four the lights and candles to be put out at eight o'clock at night if any of the crew after that hour still remained inclined to drinking they were to do it on the open deck which Roberts believed would give a check to their debauchers for he was a Superman himself but found at length that all his endeavors and an end to this debauch proved ineffectual five to keep their peace, pistols and cutlass clean and fit for service in this they were extravagantly nice endeavouring to outdo one another in the beauty and richness of their arms giving sometimes at an auction at the mast thirty or forty pounds a pair for pistols they were slung in time of service with different coloured ribbons over their shoulders in a way peculiar to these fellows in which they took great delight six no boy or woman to be allowed amongst them if any man were found to be seducing any of the latter sex and carried her to sea disguised he was to suffer death so that when any fell into their hands as chanced in the onslaught they put a sentinel immediately over her to prevent ill consequences from so dangerous an instrument of division and quarrel but then he lies the roguery they contend who shall be the sentinel which happens generally to be one of the greatest bullies seven to desert the ship or their quarters in battle was punished with death or marooning eight no striking one another on board but every man's quarrel to be ended on shore at sword and pistol the quartermaster of the ship when the parties will not come to any reconciliation accompanies them on shore with what assistance he thinks proper and turns the disputants back to back at so many places distance at the word of command they turn and fire immediately or else the pieces knocked out of their hands if both miss they come at their cutlaces and then he is declared victor who draws the first blood nine breaking up their way of living till each had shared a thousand pounds if in order to this any man should lose a limb or become a cripple in their service he was to have eight hundred dollars out of the public stock and for lesser hurts proportionably ten the captain and quartermaster to receive two shares of a prize the master one share and a half the other officers one and a quarter eleven the musicians to have rest on the Sabbath day but the other six days and nights none without special favor these we are assured were some of Robert's articles but as they had taken care to throw overboard the original they had signed and sworn to there is a great deal of room to suspect the latter contains something too horrid to be disclosed to any except such as were willing to be sharers in the iniquity of them let them be what they will they were together the test of all newcomers who were initiated by an oath taken on a bible reserved for that purpose only and were subscribed in presence of the worshipful Mr. Roberts and in case any doubt should arise concerning the construction of these laws and it should remain a dispute whether the party had infringed them or no a jury was appointed to explain them and to bring a verdict upon the case in doubt since we are now speaking of the laws of this company I shall go on and in as brief a manner as I can relate the principal customs and government of this roguish commonwealth which are pretty near the same with all pirates for the punishment of small offenses which are not provided for by the articles and which are not of consequence enough to be left to a jury there is a principal officer among the pirates called the quarter master of the men's own choosing who claims all authority this way accepting in time of battle if they disobey his command a quarrelsome and mutinous with one another misuse prisoners plunder beyond his order and in particular if they be negligent of their arms which he musters at discretion he punishes at his own arbitrement with drubbing or whipping which no one else dare do without incurring the lash from all the ship's company in short this officer is trustee for the whole is the first person on board any prize separating for the company's use what he pleases and returning what he thinks fit to the owners accepting gold and silver which they have voted not returnable after a description of the quarter master of his duty who acts as a sort of civil magistrate on board a pirate ship I shall consider their military officer the captain what privileges he exerts in such anarchy and unrulyness of the members why truly very little they only permit him to be captain on condition that they may be captain over him they separate to his use the great cabin and sometimes vote him small parcels of plate and china but then every man as the humor takes him will use the plate and china intrude into his apartment swear at him sees a part of his victuals and drink if they like it without his offering to find fault or contest it yet Roberts by a better management than usual became the chief director of everything of moment and it happened thus the rank of captain being obtained by the suffrage of the majority it falls on one superior for knowledge and boldness pistol proof as they call it who can make those fear who do not love him Roberts is said to have exceeded his fellows in these respects and when advanced enlarge the respect that followed it by making a sort of privy council of half a dozen of the greatest bullies such as were his competitors and had interest enough to make his government easy yet even those in the latter part of his reign he had run counter to in every project that opposed his own opinion for which and because he grew reserved and would not drink and roar at their rate a cabal was formed to take away his captainship which death did more effectively the captain's power is uncontrollable in chase or in battle drumming, cutting or even shooting anyone who dares deny his command the same privilege he takes over prisoners who receive good or ill usage mostly as he approves of their behaviour for though the meanest would take upon them to misuse a master of a ship yet he would control herein when he sees it and merrily over a bottle give his prisoners this double reason for it first that it preserved his precedence and second that it took the punishment out of the hands of a much more rash and mad set of fellows than himself when he found that rigor was not expected from his people for he often practised it to appease them then he would give strangers to understand that it was pure inclination that inducted him to a good treatment of them and not any love or partiality to their persons for says he there is no of you but will hang me I know whenever you can clinch me within your power and now seeing the disadvantages they were under for pursuing their plans a small vessel ill-repaired and without provisions of stores they resolved one and all with the little supplies they could get to proceed for the West Indies not doubting to find a remedy for all these evils and to retrieve their loss in the latitude of Desiado one of the islands they took two sloops which supplied them with provisions and other necessaries and a few days afterwards took a brigantine belonging to Rhode Island and proceeded to Barbados off of which island they fell in with a Bristol ship of ten guns in her voyage out from whom they took an abundance of clothes some money, twenty-five bales of goods five bales of powder a cable, hawza ten casks of oatmeal six casks of beef and several other goods besides five of their men and after they had detained her three days let her go who being bound for the aforesaid island she acquainted the governor and it happened as soon as she arrived whereupon a Bristol galley that lay in the harbour was ordered to be fitted out with all imaginable expedition of twenty guns and eighty men there being no man of war upon that station and also a sloop with ten guns and forty men the galley was commanded by one Captain Rogers of Bristol and the sloop by Captain Graves of that island and Captain Rogers by a commission from the governor was appointed Commodore the second day after Rogers sailed out of the harbour he was discovered by Roberts who knowing nothing of their design gave them chase the Barbados ships kept an easy sail till the pirates came up with them and then Roberts gave them a gun expecting they would have immediately struck to his piratical flag but instead thereof he was forced to receive the fire of a broadside with three hazards at the same time so that an engagement assumed but Roberts being hardly put to it was obliged to crowd all the sail the sloop could bear to get off the galley sailing pretty well kept company for a long while keeping a constant fire which called the pirate however at length by throwing over their guns and other heavy goods and thereby lightening the vessel they with much ado got clear but Roberts could never endure a Barbados man afterwards and when any ships belonging to that island fell in his way he was more particularly severe to them than others Captain Roberts sailed in the sloop to the island of Dominico where he watered and got provisions of the inhabitants to whom he gave goods in exchange at this place he met with thirteen Englishmen who had been set ashore by a French guard dillacost belonging to Martinico taken out of two New England ships that had been seized as prizes by the said French sloop the men willingly entered with the pirates and it proved a seasonable recruiting they stayed not long here though they had immediate occasion for cleaning their sloop but did not think this a proper place and therein they judged right for the touching of this island had like to have been their destruction because they having resolved to go away to the Granada islands for the aforesaid purpose by some accident it came to be known to the French colony who sending word to the governor of Martinico he equipped and man two sloops to go in quest for them the pirates sailed directly from the Granadillos and hauled into a lagoon at Curyoku where they cleaned with unusual dispatch staying but a little above a week by which expedition they missed of the Martinico sloops only a few hours Roberts sailing overnight and the French arriving the next morning this was a fortunate escape especially considering that it was not from any fears of their being discovered that they made so much haste from the island but as they had the impudence themselves own for the want of wine and women thus narrowly escaped they sailed for Newfoundland and arrived upon the banks the latter end of June 1720 they entered the harbor of Trapassi with their black colours flying drums beating and trumpet sounding there were two and twenty vessels in the harbor which the men all quitted at the sight of the pirate and fled ashore it is impossible particularly to recount the destruction and havoc they made there burning and sinking or the shipping except a Bristol galley and destroying the fisheries and stages of the poor planters without remorse or compunction for nothing is so deplorable as power in mean and ignorant hands it makes men wanton and giddy unconcerned at the misfortunes they are imposing on their fellow creatures and keeps them smiling at the mischiefs that bring themselves no advantage they are like madmen that cast firebrands arrows and death and say end of section 11 recording by Timothy Ferguson Gold Coast, Australia