This adventurer was mate
of a sloop that sailed from Jamaica, and was
taken by Captain Winter, a pirate, just
before the settlement of the pirates at
Providence island. After the pirates had
surrendered to his Majesty's pardon, and
Providence island was peopled by the English
government, Captain England sailed to
Africa. There he took several vessels,
particularly the Cadogan, from Bristol,
commanded by one Skinner. When the latter
struck to the pirate, he was ordered to come
on board in his boat. The person upon whom
he first cast his eye, proved to be his old
boatswain, who stared him in the face, and
accosted him in the following manner: "Ah,
Captain Skinner, is it you? the only person
I wished to see: I am much in your debt, and
I shall pay you all in your own coin." The
poor man trembled in every joint, and
dreaded the event, as he well might. It
happened that Skinner and his old boatswain,
with some of his men, had quarrelled, so
that he thought fit to remove them on board
a man-of-war, while he refused to pay them
their wages. Not long after, they found
means to leave the man-of-war, and went on
board a small ship in the West Indies. They
were taken by a pirate, and brought to
Providence, and from thence sailed as
pirates with Captain England. Thus
accidentally meeting their old captain, they
severely revenged the treatment they had
received.
After the rough salutation which has been
related, the boatswain called to his
comrades, laid hold of Skinner, tied him
fast to the windlass, and pelted him with
glass bottles until they cut him in a
shocking manner, then whipped him about the
deck until they were quite fatigued,
remaining deaf to all his prayers and
entreaties; and at last, in an insulting
tone, observed, that as he had been a good
master to his men, he should have an easy
death, and upon this shot him through the
head.
The Pirates pelting Captain Skinner
with Glass Bottles.
Having taken such things out of the ship as
they stood most in need of, she was given to
Captain Davis in order to try his fortune
with a few hands.
Captain England, some time after, took a
ship called the Pearl, for which he
exchanged his own sloop, fitted her up for
piratical service, and called her the Royal
James. In that vessel he was very fortunate,
and took several ships of different sizes
and different nations. In the spring of
1719, the pirates returned to Africa, and
beginning at the river Gambia, sailed down
the coast to Cape Corso, and captured
several vessels. Some of them they pillaged,
and allowed to proceed, some they fitted out
for the pirate service, and others they
burned.
Leaving our pirate upon this coast, the
Revenge and the Flying King, two other
pirate vessels, sailed for the West Indies,
where they took several prizes, and then
cleared and sailed for Brazil. There they
captured some Portuguese vessels; but a
large Portuguese man-of-war coming up to
them, proved an unwelcome guest. The Revenge
escaped, but was soon lost upon that coast.
The Flying King in despair run ashore. There
were then seventy on board, twelve of whom
were slain, and the remainder taken
prisoners. The Portuguese hanged
thirty-eight of them.
Captain England, whilst cruising upon
that coast, took the Peterborough of
Bristol, and the Victory. The former they
detained, the latter they plundered and
dismissed. In the course of his voyage,
England met with two ships, but these taking
shelter under Cape Corso Castle, he
unsuccessfully attempted to set them on
fire. He next sailed down to Whydah road,
where Captain La Bouche had been before
England, and left him no spoil. He now went
into the harbor, cleaned his own ship, and
fitted up the Peterborough, which he called
the Victory. During several weeks the
pirates remained in this quarter, indulging
in every species of riot and debauchery,
until the natives, exasperated with their
conduct, came to an open rupture, when
several of the negroes were slain, and one
of their towns set on fire by the pirates.
Leaving that port, the pirates, when at
sea, determined by vote to sail for the East
Indies, and arrived at Madagascar. After
watering and taking in some provisions they
sailed for the coast of Malabar. This place
is situated in the Mogul Empire, and is one
of its most beautiful and fertile districts.
It extends from the coast of Canora to Cape
Comorin. The original natives are negroes;
but a mingled race of Mahometans, who are
generally merchants, have been introduced in
modern times. Having sailed almost round the
one half of the globe, literally seeking
whom they might devour, our pirates arrived
in this hitherto untried and prolific field
for their operations.
Not long after their settlement at
Madagascar, they took a cruise, in which
they captured two Indian vessels and a
Dutchman. They exchanged the latter for one
of their own, and directed their course
again to Madagascar. Several of their hands
were sent on shore with tents and
ammunition, to kill such beasts and venison
as the island afforded. They also formed the
resolution to go in search of Avery's crew,
which they knew had settled upon the island;
but as their residence was upon the other
side of the island, the loss of time and
labour was the only fruit of their search.
They tarried here but a very short time,
then steered their course to Johanna, and
coming out of that harbor, fell in with two
English vessels and an Ostend ship, all
Indiamen, which, after a most desperate
action, they captured. The particulars of
this extraordinary action are related in the
following letter from Captain Mackra.
"Bombay, November 16th, 1720.
"We arrived on the 25th of July last, in
company with the Greenwich, at Johanna, an
island not far from Madagascar. Putting in
there to refresh our men, we found fourteen
pirates who came in their canoes from the
Mayotta, where the pirate ship to which they
belonged, viz. the Indian Queen, two hundred
and fifty tons, twenty-eight guns, and
ninety men, commanded by Captain Oliver de
la Bouche, bound from the Guinea coast to
the East Indies, had been bulged and lost.
They said they left the captain and forty of
their men building a new vessel, to proceed
on their wicked designs. Captain Kirby and I
concluding that it might be of great service
to the East India Company to destroy such a
nest of rogues, were ready to sail for that
purpose on the 17th of August, about eight
o'clock in the morning, when we discovered
two pirates standing into the bay Johanna,
one of thirty-four, and the other of
thirty-six guns. I immediately went on board
the Greenwich, where they seemed very
diligent in preparation for an engagement,
and I left Captain Kirby with mutual
promises of standing by each other. I then
unmoored, got under sail, and brought two
boats a-head to row me close to the
Greenwich; but he being open to a valley and
a breeze, made the best of his way from me;
which an Ostender in our company, of
twenty-two guns, seeing, did the same,
though the captain had promised heartily to
engage with us, and I believe would have
been as good as his word, if Captain Kirby
had kept his. About half an hour after
twelve, I called several times to the
Greenwich to bear down to our assistance,
and fired a shot at him, but to no purpose;
for though we did not doubt but he would
join us, because, when he got about a league
from us he brought his ship to and looked
on, yet both he and the Ostender basely
deserted us, and left us engaged with
barbarous and inhuman enemies, with their
black and bloody flags hanging over us,
without the least appearance of ever
escaping, but to be cut to pieces. But God
in his good providence determined otherwise;
for, notwithstanding their superiority, we
engaged them both about three hours; during
which time the biggest of them received some
shot betwixt wind and water, which made her
keep off a little to stop her leaks. The
other endeavored all she could to board us,
by rowing with her oars, being within half a
ship's length of us above an hour; but by
good fortune we shot all her oars to pieces,
which prevented them, and by consequence
saved our lives.
"About four o'clock most of the officers
and men posted on the quarter-deck being
killed and wounded, the largest ship making
up to us with diligence, being still within
a cable's length of us, often giving us a
broadside; there being now no hopes of
Captain Kirby's coming to our assistance, we
endeavored to run a-shore; and though we
drew four feet of water more than the
pirate, it pleased God that he stuck fast on
a higher ground than happily we fell in
with; so was disappointed a second time from
boarding us. Here we had a more violent
engagement than before: all my officers and
most of my men behaved with unexpected
courage; and, as we had a considerable
advantage by having a broadside to his bow,
we did him great damage; so that had Captain
Kirby come in then, I believe we should have
taken both the vessels, for we had one of
them sure; but the other pirate (who was
still firing at us,) seeing the Greenwich
did not offer to assist us, supplied his
consort with three boats full of fresh men.
About five in the evening the Greenwich
stood clear away to sea, leaving us
struggling hard for life, in the very jaws
of death; which the other pirate that was
afloat, seeing, got a warp out, and was
hauling under our stern.
"By this time many of my men being killed
and wounded, and no hopes left us of
escaping being all murdered by enraged
barbarous conquerors, I ordered all that
could to get into the long-boat, under the
cover of the smoke of our guns; so that,
with what some did in boats, and others by
swimming, most of us that were able, got
ashore by seven o'clock. When the pirates
came aboard, they cut three of our wounded
men to pieces. I with some of my people made
what haste I could to King's-town,
twenty-five miles from us, where I arrived
next day, almost dead with the fatigue and
loss of blood, having been sorely wounded in
the head by a musket-ball.
"At this town I heard that the pirates
had offered ten thousand dollars to the
country people to bring me in, which many of
them would have accepted, only they knew the
king and all his chief people were in my
interest. Meantime, I caused a report to be
spread that I was dead of my wounds, which
much abated their fury. About ten days
after, being pretty well recovered, and
hoping the malice of our enemies was nigh
over, I began to consider the dismal
condition we were reduced to; being in a
place where we had no hopes of getting a
passage home, all of us in a manner naked,
not having had time to bring with us either
a shirt or a pair of shoes, except what we
had on. Having obtained leave to go on board
the pirates with a promise of safety,
several of the chief of them knew me, and
some of them had sailed with me, which I
found to be of great advantage; because,
notwithstanding their promise, some of them
would have cut me to pieces, and all that
would not enter with them, had it not been
for their chief captain, Edward England, and
some others whom I knew. They talked of
burning one of their ships, which we had so
entirely disabled as to be no farther useful
to them, and to fit the Cassandra in her
room; but in the end I managed the affair so
well, that they made me a present of the
said shattered ship, which was Dutch built,
and called the Fancy; her burden was about
three hundred tons. I procured also a
hundred and twenty-nine bales of the
Company's cloth, though they would not give
me a rag of my own clothes.
"They sailed the 3rd of September; and I,
with jury-masts, and such old sails as they
left me, made a shift to do the like on the
8th, together with forty-three of my ship's
crew, including two passengers and twelve
soldiers; having no more than five tuns of
water aboard. After a passage of forty-eight
days, I arrived here on the 26th of October,
almost naked and starved, having been
reduced to a pint of water a-day, and almost
in despair of ever seeing land, by reason of
the calms we met with between the coast of
Arabia and Malabar.
"We had in all thirteen men killed and
twenty-four wounded; and we were told that
we destroyed about ninety or a hundred of
the pirates. When they left us, they were
about three hundred whites, and eighty
blacks, on both ships. I am persuaded, had
our consort the Greenwich done his duty, we
had destroyed both of them, and got two
hundred thousand pounds for our owners and
selves; whereas the loss of the Cassandra
may justly be imputed to his deserting us. I
have delivered all the bales that were given
me into the Company's warehouse, for which
the governor and council have ordered me a
reward. Our governor, Mr. Boon, who is
extremely kind and civil to me, had ordered
me home with the packet; but Captain Harvey,
who had a prior promise, being come in with
the fleet, goes in my room. The governor had
promised me a country voyage to help to make
up my losses, and would have me stay and
accompany him to England next year." |
Captain Mackra was certainly in imminent
danger, in trusting himself and his men on
board the pirate ship, and unquestionably
nothing but the desperate circumstances in
which he was placed could have justified so
hazardous a step. The honor and influence of
Captain England, however, protected him and
his men from the fury of the crew, who would
willingly have wreaked their vengeance upon
them.
It is pleasing to discover any instance
of generosity or honor among such an
abandoned race, who bid defiance to all the
laws of honor, and, indeed, are regardless
of all laws human and divine. Captain
England was so steady to Captain Mackra,
that he informed him, it would be with no
small difficulty and address that he would
be able to preserve him and his men from the
fury of the crew, who were greatly enraged
at the resistance which had been made. He
likewise acquainted him, that his influence
and authority among them was giving place to
that of Captain Taylor, chiefly because the
dispositions of the latter were more savage
and brutal. They therefore consulted between
them what was the best method to secure the
favor of Taylor, and keep him in good humor.
Mackra made the punch to flow in great
abundance, and employed every artifice to
soothe the mind of that ferocious villain.
A single incident was also very favorable
to the unfortunate captain. It happened that
a pirate, with a prodigious pair of
whiskers, a wooden leg, and stuck round with
pistols, came blustering and swearing upon
the quarter deck, inquiring "where was
Captain Mackra." He naturally supposed that
this barbarous-looking fellow would be his
executioner; but, as he approached, he took
the captain by the hand, swearing "that he
was an honest fellow, and that he had
formerly sailed with him, and would stand by
him; and let him see the man that would
touch him." This terminated the dispute, and
Captain Taylor's disposition was so
ameliorated with punch, that he consented
that the old pirate ship, and so many bales
of cloth, should be given to Mackra, and
then sank into the arms of intoxication.
England now pressed Mackra to hasten away,
lest the ruffian, upon his becoming sober,
should not only retract his word, but give
liberty to the crew to cut him and his men
to pieces.
But the gentle temper of Captain England,
and his generosity towards the unfortunate
Mackra, proved the organ of much calamity to
himself. The crew, in general, deeming the
kind of usage which Mackra had received,
inconsistent with piratical policy, they
circulated a report, that he was coming
against them with the Company's force. The
result of these invidious reports was to
deprive England of his command, and to
excite these cruel villains to put him on
shore, with three others, upon the island of
Mauritius. If England and his small company
had not been destitute of every necessary,
they might have made a comfortable
subsistence here, as the island abounds with
deer, hogs, and other animals. Dissatisfied,
however, with their solitary situation,
Captain England and his three men exerted
their industry and ingenuity, and formed a
small boat, with which they sailed to
Madagascar, where they subsisted upon the
generosity of some more fortunate piratical
companions.
Captain Mackra, and the Pirate with a
wooden leg.
Captain Taylor detained some of the officers
and men belonging to Captain Mackra, and
having repaired their vessel, sailed for
India. The day before they made land, they
espied two ships to the eastward, and
supposing them to be English, Captain Taylor
ordered one of the officers of Mackra's ship
to communicate to him the private signals
between the Company's ships, swearing that
if he did not do so immediately, he would
cut him into pound pieces. But the poor man
being unable to give the information
demanded, was under the necessity of
enduring their threats. Arrived at the
vessels, they found that they were two
Moorish ships, laden with horses. The
pirates brought the captains and merchants
on board, and tortured them in a barbarous
manner, to constrain them to tell where they
had hid their treasure. They were, however,
disappointed; and the next morning they
discovered land, and at the same time a
fleet on shore plying to windward. In this
situation they were at a considerable loss
how to dispose of their prizes. To let them
go would lead to their discovery, and thus
defeat the design of their voyage; and it
was a distressing matter to sink the men and
the horses, though many of them were for
adopting that measure. They, however,
brought them to anchor, threw all the sails
overboard, and cut one of the masts half
through.
While they lay at anchor, and were
employed in taking in water, one of the
above-mentioned fleet moved towards them
with English colors, and was answered by the
pirate with a red ensign; but they did not
hail each other. At night they left the
Muscat ships, and sailed after the fleet.
About four next morning, the pirates were in
the midst of the fleet, but seeing their
vast superiority, were greatly at a loss
what method to adopt. The Victory had become
leaky, and their hands were so few in
number, that it only remained for them to
deceive, if possible, the English squadron.
They were unsuccessful in gaining any thing
out of that fleet, and had only the wretched
satisfaction of burning a single galley.
They however that day seized a galliot laden
with cotton, and made inquiry of the men
concerning the fleet. They protested that
they had not seen a ship since they left
Gogo, and earnestly implored their mercy;
but, instead of treating them with lenity,
they put them to the rack, in order to
extort farther confession. The day
following, a fresh easterly wind blew hard,
and rent the galliot's sails; upon this the
pirates put her company into a boat, with
nothing but a try-sail, no provisions, and
only four gallons of water, and, though they
were out of sight of land, left them to
shift for themselves.
It may be proper to inform our readers,
that one Angria, an Indian prince, of
considerable territory and strength, had
proved a troublesome enemy to Europeans, and
particularly to the English. Calaba was his
principal fort, situated not many leagues
from Bombay, and he possessed an island in
sight of the port, from whence he molested
the Company's ships. His art in bribing the
ministers of the Great Mogul, and the
shallowness of the water, that prevented
large ships of war from approaching, were
the principal causes of his safety.
The Bombay fleet, consisting of four
grabs, the London and the Candois, and two
other ships, with a galliot, having an
additional thousand men on board for this
enterprise, sailed to attack a fort
belonging to Angria upon the Malabar coast.
Though their strength was great, yet they
were totally unsuccessful in their
enterprise. It was this fleet returning home
that our pirates discovered upon the present
occasion. Upon the sight of the pirates, the
commodore of the fleet intimated to Mr.
Brown, the general, that as they had no
orders to fight, and had gone upon a
different purpose, it would be improper for
them to engage. Informed of the loss of this
favorable opportunity of destroying the
robbers, the governor of Bombay was highly
enraged, and giving the command of the fleet
to Captain Mackra, ordered him to pursue and
engage them wherever they should be found.
The pirates having barbarously sent away
the galliot with her men, they arrived
southward, and between Goa and Carwar they
heard several guns, so that they came to
anchor, and sent their boat to reconnoitre,
which returned next morning with the
intelligence of two grabs, lying at anchor
in the road. They accordingly weighed, ran
towards the bay, and in the morning were
discovered by the grabs, who had just time
to run under India-Diva castle for
protection. This was the more vexatious to
the pirates, as they were without water;
some of them, therefore, were for making a
descent upon the island, but that measure
not being generally approved, they sailed
towards the south, and took a small ship,
which had only a Dutchman and two Portuguese
on board. They sent one of these on shore to
the captain, to inform him that, if he would
give them some water and fresh provisions,
he might have his vessel returned. He
replied that, if they would give him
possession over the bar, he would comply
with their request. But, suspecting the
integrity of his design, they sailed for
Lacca Deva islands, uttering dreadful
imprecations against the captain.
Disappointed in finding water at these
islands, they sailed to Malinda island, and
sent their boats on shore, to discover if
there was any water, or if there were any
inhabitants.. They returned with the
information, that there was abundance of
water, that the houses were only inhabited
by women and children, the men having fled
at the appearance of the ships. They
accordingly hastened to supply themselves
with water, used the defenceless women in a
brutal manner, destroyed many of their
fruit-trees, and set some of their houses on
fire.
While off the island, they lost several
of their anchors by the rockiness of the
ground; and one day, blowing more violently
than usual, they were forced to take to sea,
leaving several people and most of the
water-casks; but when the gale was over,
they returned to take in their men and
water. Their provisions being nearly
exhausted, they resolved to visit the Dutch
at Cochin. After sailing three days, they
arrived off Tellechery, and took a small
vessel belonging to Governor Adams, and
brought the master on board, very much
intoxicated, who informed them of the
expedition of Captain Mackra. This
intelligence raised their utmost
indignation. "A villain!" said they, "to
whom we have given a ship and presents, to
come against us! he ought to be hanged; and
since we cannot show our resentment to him,
let us hang the dogs his people, who wish
him well, and would do the same, if they
were clear." "If it be in my power," said
the quarter-master, "both masters and
officers of ships shall be carried with us
for the future, only to plague them. Now,
England, we mark him for this."
They proceeded to Calicut, and attempting
to cut out a ship, were prevented by some
guns placed upon the shore. One of Captain
Mackra's officers was under deck at this
time, and was commanded both by the captain
and the quarter-master to tend the braces on
the booms, in hopes that a shot would take
him before they got clear. He was about to
have excused himself, but they threatened to
shoot him; and when he expostulated, and
claimed their promise to put him on shore,
he received an unmerciful beating from the
quarter-master; Captain Taylor, to whom that
duty belonged, being lame in his hands.
The day following they met a Dutch
galliot, laden with limestone, bound for
Calicut, on board of which they put one
Captain Fawkes; and some of the crew
interceding for Mackra's officer, Taylor and
his party replied, "If we let this dog go,
who has overheard our designs and
resolutions, he will overset all our
well-advised resolutions, and particularly
this supply we are seeking for at the hands
of the Dutch."
When they arrived at Cochin, they sent a
letter on shore by a fishing-boat, entered
the road, and anchored, each ship saluting
the fort with eleven guns, and receiving the
same number in return. This was the token of
their welcome reception, and at night a
large boat was sent, deeply laden with
liquors and all kinds of provisions, and in
it a servant of John Trumpet, one of their
friends, to inform them that it would be
necessary for them to run farther south,
where they would be supplied both with
provisions and naval stores.
They had scarcely anchored at the
appointed place, when several canoes, with
white and black inhabitants, came on board,
and continued without interruption to
perform all the good offices in their power
during their stay in that place. In
particular, John Trumpet brought a large
boat of arrack, and sixty bales of sugar, as
a present from the governor and his
daughter; the former receiving in return a
table-clock, and the other a gold watch, the
spoil of Captain Mackra's vessel. When their
provisions were all on board, Trumpet was
rewarded with about six or seven thousand
pounds, was saluted with three cheers, and
eleven guns; and several handsfull of silver
were thrown into the boat, for the men to
gather at pleasure.
There being little wind that night, they
remained at anchor, and in the morning were
surprised with the return of Trumpet,
bringing another boat equally well stored
with provisions, with chests of piece-goods
and ready-made clothes, and along with him
the fiscal of the place. At noon they espied
a sail towards the south, and immediately
gave chase, but she outsailed them, and
sheltered under the fort of Cochin. Informed
that they would not be molested in taking
her from under the castle, they sailed
towards her, but upon the fort firing two
guns, they ran off for fear of more serious
altercation, and returning, anchored in
their former station. They were too welcome
visitants to be permitted to depart, so long
as John Trumpet could contrive to detain
them. With this view he informed them, that
in a few days a rich vessel, commanded by
the Governor of Bombay's brother, was to
pass that way.
That government is certainly in a
wretched state, which is under the necessity
of trading with pirates, in order to enrich
itself; nor will such a government hesitate
by what means an injury can be repaired, or
a fortune gained. Neither can language
describe the low and base principles of a
government which could employ such a
miscreant as John Trumpet in its service. He
was a tool in the hands of the government of
Cochin; and, as the dog said in the fable,
"What is done by the master's orders, is the
master's action;" or, as the same sentiment
is, perhaps, better expressed in the legal
axiom; "Qui facit per alium facit per se."
While under the direction of Trumpet,
some proposed to proceed directly to
Madagascar, but others were disposed to wait
until they should be provided with a store
ship. The majority being of the latter
opinion, they steered to the south, and
seeing a ship on shore were desirous to get
near her, but the wind preventing, they
separated, the one sailing northward and the
other southward, in hopes of securing her
when she should come out, whatever direction
she might take. They were now, however,
almost entrapped in the snare laid for them.
In the morning, to their astonishment and
consternation, instead of being called to
give chase, five large ships were near,
which made a signal for the pirates to bear
down. The pirates were in the greatest dread
lest it should be Captain Mackra, of whose
activity and courage they had formerly
sufficient proof. The pirate ships, however,
joined and fled with all speed from the
fleet. In three hours' chase none of the
fleet gained upon them, except one grab. The
remainder of the day was calm, and, to their
great consolation, the next day this dreaded
fleet was entirely out of sight.
Their alarm being over, they resolved to
spend the Christmas in feasting and mirth,
in order to drown care, and to banish
thought. Nor did one day suffice, but they
continued their revelling for several days,
and made so free with their fresh
provisions, that in their next cruise they
were put upon short allowance; and it was
entirely owing to the sugar and other
provisions that were in the leaky ship that
they were preserved from absolute
starvation.
In this condition they reached the island
of Mauritius, refitted the Victory, and left
that place with the following inscription
written upon one of the walls: "Left this
place on the 5th of April, to go to
Madagascar for Limos." This they did lest
any visit should be paid to the place during
their absence. They, however, did not sail
directly for Madagascar, but the island of
Mascarius, where they fortunately fell in
with a Portuguese of seventy guns, lying at
anchor. The greater part of her guns had
been thrown overboard, her masts lost, and
the whole vessel disabled by a storm; she
therefore, became an easy prey to the
pirates. Conde de Ericeira, Viceroy of Goa,
who went upon the fruitless expedition
against Angria the Indian, and several
passengers, were on board. Besides other
valuable articles and specie, they found in
her diamonds to the amount of four millions
of dollars. Supposing that the ship was an
Englishman, the Viceroy came on board next
morning, was made prisoner, and obliged to
pay two thousand dollars as a ransom for
himself and the other prisoners. After this
he was sent ashore, with an express
engagement to leave a ship to convey him and
his companions to another port.
Meanwhile, the pirates received
intelligence that a vessel was to the
leeward of the island, which they pursued
and captured. But instead of performing
their promise to the Viceroy, which they
could easily have done, they sent the
Ostender along with some of their men to
Madagascar, to inform their friends of their
success, with instructions to prepare masts
for the prize; and they soon followed,
carrying two thousand negroes in the
Portuguese vessel.
Madagascar is an island larger than Great
Britain, situated upon the eastern coast of
Africa, abounding with all sorts of
provisions, such as oxen, goats, sheep,
poultry, fish, citrons, oranges, tamarinds,
dates, cocoa-nuts, bananas, wax, honey,
rice, cotton, indigo, and all other fruits
common in that quarter of the globe; ebony
of which lances are made, gums of several
kinds, and many other valuable productions.
Here, in St. Augustine's bay, the ships
sometimes stop to take in water, when they
make the inner passage to India, and do not
intend to stop at Johanna.
When the Portuguese ship arrived there,
they received intelligence that the Ostender
had taken advantage of an hour when the men
were intoxicated, had risen upon them, and
carried the ship to Mozambique, from whence
the governor ordered her to Goa.
The pirates now divided their plunder,
receiving forty-two diamonds per man, or in
smaller proportion according to their
magnitude. A foolish jocular fellow, who had
received a large diamond of the value of
forty-two, was highly displeased, and so
went and broke it in pieces, exclaiming,
that he had many more shares than either of
them. Some, contended with their treasure,
and unwilling to run the risk of losing what
they possessed, and perhaps their lives
also, resolved to remain with their friends
at Madagascar, under the stipulation that
the longest livers should enjoy all the
booty. The number of adventurers being now
lessened, they burned the Viceroy, cleaned
the Cassandra, and the remainder went on
board her under the command of Taylor, whom
we must leave for a little while, in order
to give an account of the squadron which
arrived in India in 1721.
When the commodore arrived at the Cape,
he received a letter that had been written
by the Governor of Pondicherry to the
Governor of Madras, informing him that the
pirates were strong in the Indian seas; that
they had eleven sail, and fifteen hundred
men; but adding, that many of them retired
about that time to Brazil and Guinea, while
others fortified themselves at Madagascar,
Mauritius, Johanna, and Mohilla; and that a
crew under the command of Condin, in a ship
called the Dragon, had captured a vessel
with thirteen lacks of rupees on board, and
having divided their plunder, had taken up
their residence with their friends at
Madagascar.
Upon receiving this intelligence,
Commodore Matthews sailed for these islands,
as the most probable place of success. He
endeavored to prevail on England, at St.
Mary's, to communicate to him what
information he could give respecting the
pirates; but England declined, thinking that
this would be almost to surrender at
discretion. He then took up the guns of the
Jubilee sloop that were on board, and the
men-of-war made several cruises in search of
the pirates, but to no purpose. The squadron
was then sent down to Bombay, was saluted by
the fort, and after these exploits returned
home.
The pirate, Captain Taylor, in the
Cassandra, now fitted up the Portuguese
man-of-war, and resolved upon another voyage
to the Indies; but, informed that four
men-of-war had been sent after the pirates
in that quarter, he changed his
determination, and sailed for Africa.
Arrived there, they put in a place near the
river Spirito Sancto, on the coast of
Monomotapa. As there was no correspondence
by land, nor any trade carried on by sea to
this place, they thought that it would
afford a safe retreat. To their
astonishment, however, when they approached
the shore, it being in the dusk of the
evening, they were accosted by several shot.
They immediately anchored, and in the
morning saw that the shot had come from a
small fort of six guns, which they attacked
and destroyed.
This small fort was erected by the Dutch
East India Company a few weeks before, and
committed to the care of 150 men, the one
half of whom had perished by sickness or
other causes. Upon their petition, sixteen
of these were admitted into the society of
the pirates; and the rest would also have
been received, had they not been Dutchmen,
to whom they had a rooted aversion.
In this place they continued during four
months, refitting their vessels, and amusing
themselves with all manner of diversions,
until the scarcity of their provisions
awakened them to industry and exertion.
They, however, left several parcels of goods
to the starving Dutchmen, which Mynheer
joyfully exchanged for provisions with the
next vessel that touched at that fort.
Leaving that place, they were divided in
opinion what course to steer; some went on
board the Portuguese prize, and, sailing for
Madagascar, abandoned the pirate life; and
others going on board the Cassandra, sailed
for the Spanish West Indies. The Mermaid
man-of-war, returning from a convoy, got
near the pirates, and would have attacked
them, but a consultation being held, it was
deemed inexpedient, and thus the pirates
escaped. A sloop was, however, dispatched to
Jamaica with the intelligence, and the
Lancaster was sent after them; but they were
some days too late, the pirates having, with
all their riches, surrendered to the
Governor of Portobello. |
