The King of Pirates

Some of our Men were dead in the mean Time, I think about three; and the first Thing I did was to call a Muster, and see how Things stood as to Money: I found the Men had been very true to one another; there lay all the Money, in Chests piled up as I left it, and every Man’s Money having his Name upon it: Then acquainting the rest with the Promise I had made the Men that came with me, they all agreed to it; so the Money belonging to the dead Men, and to the rest of the forty Men who belong’d to the Sloop, was divided among the Men I brought with me, as well those who join’d at first, as those we took in at the Cape de Verd, and the Canaries: And the Bails of Goods which we found in the Ship, many of which were valuable for our own Use, we agreed to give them all to the fifteen Men mention’d above, who had been sav’d by our Men, and so to buy what we wanted of those Goods of them, which made their Hearts glad also.

And now we began to consult what Course to take in the World: As for going to England, tho’ our Men had a great Mind to be there, yet none of them knew how to get thither, notwithstanding I had brought them a Ship; but I, who had now made myself too publick to think any more of England, had given over all Views that Way, and began to cast about for farther Adventures; for tho’, as I said, we were immensely rich before, yet I abhorr’d lying still, and burying my self alive, as I call’d it, among Savages and Barbarians; besides, some of our Men were young in the Trade, and had seen nothing; and they lay at me every Day not to lie still in a Part of the World where, as they said, such vast Riches might be gain’d; and that the Dutchmen and Englishmen who were cast away, as above, and who our Men call’d the Comelings, were continually buzzing in my Ears what infinite Wealth was to be got, if I would but make one voyage to the Coast of Malabar, Coromandel, and the Bay of Bengale; nay, the three Portuguese Seamen offer’d themselves to attack and bring off one of their biggest Galleons, even out of the Road of Goa, on the Malabar Coast, the Capital of the Portuguese Factories in the Indies.

In a Word, I was overcome with these new Proposals, and told the rest of my People, I was resolv’d to go to Sea again, and try my good Fortune; I was sorry I had not another Ship or two, but if ever it lay in my Power to master a good Ship, I would not fail to bring her to them.

While I was thus fitting out upon this new Undertaking, and the Ship lay ready to Sail, and all the Men who were design’d for the Voyage, were on Board, being 85 in Number; among which were all the Men I brought with me, the 15 Comelings, and the rest made up out of our old Number; I say, when I was just upon the Point of setting Sail, we were all surpriz’d just in the Grey of the Morning to spy a Sail at Sea; we knew not what to make of her, but found she was an European Ship; that she was not a very large Vessel, yet that she was a Ship of Force too: She seem’d to shorten Sail, as if she look’d out for some Harbour; at first Sight I thought she was English; immediately I resolv’d to slip Anchor and Cable and go out to Sea and speak with her, if I could, let her be what she would: As soon as I was got a little clear of the Land, I fir’d a Gun, and spread English Colours: She immediately brought too, fir’d three Guns, and mann’d out her Boat with a Flag of Truce: I did the like, and the two Boats spoke to one another in about two Hours, when, to our infinite Joy, we found they were our Comrades who we left in the South Seas, and to whom we gave the Fregate at the Isle of Juan Fernando.

Nothing of this Kind could have happen’d more to our mutual Satisfaction, for tho’ we had long ago given them over either for Lost, or Lost to us; and we had no great Need of Company, yet we were overjoy’d at meeting, and so were they too.

They were in some Distress for Provisions, and we had Plenty; so we brought their Ship in for them, gave them a present Supply, and when we had help’d them to moor and secure the Ship in the Harbour, we made them lock all their Hatches and Cabins up, and come on Shore, and there we feasted them five or six Days, for we had a Plenty of all Sorts of Provisions, not to be exhausted; and if we had wanted an hundred Head of fat Bullocks, we could have had them for asking for of the Natives, who treated us all along with all possible Courtesy and Freedom in their Way.

The History of the Adventures and Success of these Men, from the Time we left them to the Time of their Arrival at our new Plantation, was our whole Entertainment for some Days. I cannot pretend to give the Particulars by my Memory; but as they came to us Thieves, they improv’d in their Calling to a great Degree, and, next to ourselves, had the greatest Success of any of the Buccaneers whose Story has ever been made publick.

I shall not take upon me to vouch the whole Account of their Actions, neither will this Letter contain a full History of their Adventures; but if the Account which they gave us was true, you may take it thus:

First, that having met with good Success after they left us, and having taken some extraordinary Purchase, as well in some Vessels they took at Sea, as in the Plunder of some Towns on the Shore near Guyaquil, as I have already told you, they got Information of a large Ship which was loading the King’s Money at Puna, and had Orders to sail with it to Lima, in order to its being carry’d from thence to Panama by the Fleet, under the Convoy of the Flotilla, or Squadron of Men of War, which the King’s Governor at Panama had sent to prevent their being insulted by the Pirates, which they had Intelligence were on the Coast; by which, we suppose, they meant us who were gone, for they could have no Notion of these Men then.

Upon this Intelligence they cruis’d off and on upon the Coast for near a Month, keeping always to the Southward of Lima, because they would not fall in the Way of the said Flotilla, and so be overpower’d and miss of their Prize: At last they met with what they look’d for, that is to say, they met with the great Ship abovenam’d: But to their great Misfortune and Disappointment, (as they first thought it to be) she had with her a Man of War for her Convoy, and two other Merchant Ships in her Company.

The Buccaneers had with them the Sloop which they first sent to us for our Intelligence, and which they made a little Fregate of, carrying eight Guns, and some Patareroes: They had not long Time to consult, but in short they resolv’d to double man the Sloop, and let her attack the great Merchant-Ship, while the Fregate, which was the whole of their Fleet, held the Man of War in Play, or at least kept him from assisting her.

According to this Resolution, they put 50 Men on Board the Sloop, which was, in short, almost as many as would stand upon her Deck one by another; and with this Force they attack’d the great Merchant-Ship, which, besides its being well mann’d, had 16 good Guns, and about 30 Men on Board. While the Sloop thus began the unequal Fight, the Man of War bore down upon her to succour the Ship under her Convoy, but the Fregate thrusting in between, engag’d the Man of War, and began a very warm Fight with her, for the Man of War had both more Guns and more Men than the Fregate after she had parted with 50 Men on Board the Sloop: While the two Men of War, as we may now call them, were thus engag’d, the Sloop was in great Danger of being worsted by the Merchant-Ship, for the Force was too much for her, the Ship was great, and her Men fought a desperate and close Fight: Twice the Sloop-Men enter’d her, and were beaten off, and about nine of their Men kill’d, several other wounded, and an unlucky Shot taking the Sloop between Wind and Water, she was oblig’d to fall a-Stern, and heel her over to stop the Leek; during which the Spaniards steer’d away to assist the Man of War, and pour’d her Broadside in upon the Fregate, which tho’ but small, yet at a Time when she lay Yard-arm and Yard-arm close by the Side of the Spanish Man of War, was a great Extremity; however, the Fregate return’d her Broadside, and therewith made her sheer off, and, which was worse, shot her Main-mast thro’, tho’ it did not come presently by the Board.

During this Time, the Sloop having many Hands, had stopp’d the Leak, was brought to rights again, and came up again to the Engagement, and at the first Broadside had the good Luck to bring the Ship’s Foremast by the Board, and thereby disabled her; but could not for all that lay her athwart, or carry her by Boarding, so that the Case began to be very doubtful; at which, the Captain of the Sloop, finding the Merchant Ship was disabled, and could not get away from them, resolv’d to leave her a while and assist the Fregate; which he did, and running a Longside our Fregate, he fairly laid the Man of War on Board just thwart his Hawser; and besides firing into her with his great Shot, he very fairly set her on Fire; and it was a great Chance but that they had been all three burnt together, but our Men helpt the Spaniards themselves to put out the Fire, and after some Time master’d it: But the Spaniards were in such a terrible Fright at the Apprehension of the Fire, that they made little Resistance afterwards, and in short, in about an Hour’s Fight more, the Spanish Man of War struck, and was taken; and after that the Merchant Ship also, with all the Wealth that was in her: And thus their Victory was as compleat as it was unexpected.

The Captain of the Spanish Man of War was kill’d in the Fight, and about 36 of his Men, and most of the rest wounded, which it seems happen’d upon the Sloop’s lying athwart her. This Man of War was a new Ship, and with some Alteration in her upper Work, made a very good Fregate for them, and they afterwards quitted their own Ship, and went all on Board the Spanish Ship, taking out the Main-mast of their own Ship, and making a new Fore-mast for the Spanish Ship, because her Fore-mast was also weaken’d with some Shot in her; this, however, cost them a great deal of Labour and Difficulty, and also some Time, when they came to a certain Creek, where they all went on Shore, and refresh’d themselves a while.

But if the taking the Man of War was an unexpected Victory to them, the Wealth of the Prize was much more so; for they found an amazing Treasure on Board her, both in Silver and Gold; and the Account they gave me was but imperfect, but I think they calculated the Pieces of Eight to be about 13 Tun in Weight, besides that they had 5 small Chests of Gold, some Emeralds, and, in a Word, a prodigious Booty.

They were not, however, so modest in their Prosperity as we were; for they never knew when to have done, but they must Cruise again to the Northward for more Booty, when to their great Surprize, they fell in with the Flotilla or Squadron of Men of War, which they had so studiously avoided before, and were so surrounded by them, that there was no Remedy but they must fight, and that in a Kind of Desperation, having no Prospect now but to sell their Lives as dear as they could.

This unlucky Accident befel them before they had chang’d their ship, so that they had now the Sloop and both the Men of War in Company, but they were but thinly mann’d; and as for the Booty, the greater Part of it was on Board the Sloop, that is to say, all the Gold and Emeralds, and near half the Silver.

When they saw the Necessity of fighting, they order’d the Sloop, if possible, to keep to Windward, that so she might as Night come on, make the best of her Way, and escape; but a Spanish Fregate of 18 Guns tended her so close, and sail’d so well, that the Sloop could by no Means get away from the rest; so she made up close to the Buccaneers Fregate, and maintain’d a Fight as well as she could, till in the Dusk of the Evening the Spaniards boarded and took her, but most of her Men gat away in her Boat, and some by swimming on Board the other Ship: They only left in her five wounded Englishmen, and six Spanish Negroes. The five English the barbarous Spaniards hang’d up immediately, wounded as they were.

This was good Notice to the other Men to tell them what they were to expect, and made them fight like desperate Men till Night, and kill’d the Spaniards a great many Men. It prov’d a very dark rainy Night, so that the Spaniards were oblig’d by Necessity to give over the Fight till the next Day, endeavouring, in the mean time, to keep as near them as they could: But the Buccaneers concerting their Measures where they should meet, resolv’d to make Use of the Darkness of the Night to get off if they could; and the Wind springing up a fresh Gale at S. S. W. they chang’d their Course, and, with all the Sail they could make, stood away to the N. N. W. slanting it to Seawards as nigh the Wind as they could; and getting clear away from the Spaniards, who they never saw more, they made no Stay till they pass’d the Line, and arriv’d in about 22 Days Sail on the Coast of California, where they were quite out of the Way of all Enquiry and Search of the Spaniards.

Here it was they chang’d their Ship, as I said, and quitting their own Vessel, they went all on Board the Spanish Man of War, fitting up her Masts and Rigging, as I have said, and taking out all the Guns, Stores, &c. of their own Ship, so that they had now a stout Ship under them, carrying 40 Guns, (for so many they made her carry) and well furnish’d with all Things; and tho’ they had lost so great a Part of their Booty, yet they had still left a vast Wealth, being six or seven Tun of Silver, besides what they had gotten before.

With this Booty, and regretting heartily they had not practis’d the same Moderation before, they resolv’d now to be satisfy’d, and make the best of their Way to the Island of Juan Fernando; where keeping at a great Distance from the Shore, they safely arriv’d, in about two Months Voyage, having met with some contrary Winds by the Way.

However, here they found the other Sloop which they had sent in with their first Booty, to wait for them: And here understanding that we were gone for St. Julien, they resolv’d, (since the Time was so long gone that they could not expect to find us again) that they would have t’other Touch with the Spaniards, cost what it would. And accordingly, having first bury’d the most Part of their Money in the Ground, on Shore in the Island, and having revictual’d their Ship in the best Manner they could in that barren Island, away they went to Sea.

They beat about on the South of the Line all up the Coast of Chili, and Part of Peru, till they came to the Height of Lima itself.

They met with several Ships, and took several, but they were loaden chiefly with Lumber or Provisions, except that in one Vessel they took between 40 and 50000 Pieces of Eight, and in another 75000. They soon inform’d themselves that the Spanish Men of War were gone out of those Seas up to Panama, to boast of their good Fortune, and carry Home their Prize; and this made them the bolder. But tho’ they spent near five Months in this second Cruise, they met with nothing considerable; the Spaniards being every where alarm’d, and having Notice of them, so that nothing stirr’d Abroad.

Tir’d then with their long Cruise, and out of Hope of more Booty, they began to look Homeward, and to say to one another that they had enough; so, in a Word, they came back to Juan Fernando, and there furnishing themselves as well as they could with Provisions, and not forgeting to take their Treasure on Board with them, they set forward again to the South; and after a very bad Voyage in rounding the Terra del Fuego, being driven to the Latitude of 65 Degrees, where they felt Extremity of Cold, they at length obtain’d a more favourable Wind, viz. at S. and S. S. E; with which, steering to the North, they came into a milder Sea and a milder Coast, and at length arriv’d at Port St. Julien, where, to their great Joy, they found the Post or Cross erected by us; and understanding that we were gone to Madagascar, and that we would be sure to remain there to hear from them, and withal that we had been gone there near two Year, they resolv’d to follow us.

Here they staid, it seems, almost half a Year, partly fitting and altering their Ship, partly wearing out the Winter Season, and waiting for milder Weather; and having victuall’d their Ship in but a very ordinary Manner for so long a Run, viz. only with Seals Flesh and Penguins, and some Deer they kill’d in the Country, they at last launch’d out, and crossing the great Atlantick Ocean, they made the Cape of Good Hope in about 76 Days, having been put to very great Distresses in that Time for Want of Food, all their Seals Flesh and Penguins growing nauseous and stinking in little less than half the Time of their Voyage; so that they had nothing to subsist on for seven and twenty Days, but a little Quantity of dry’d Venison which they kill’d on Shore, about the Quantity of 3 Barrels of English Beef, and some Bread; and when they came to the Cape of Good Hope, they gat some small Supply, but it being soon perceiv’d on Shore what they were, they were glad to be gone as soon as they had fill’d their Casks with Water, and gat but a very little Provisions; so they made to the Coast of Natal on the South East Point of Africa, and there they gat more fresh Provisions, such as Veal, Milk, Goats-Flesh, some tolerable Butter, and very good Beef: And this held them out till they found us in the North Part of Madagascar, as above.

We staid about a Fortnight in our Port, and in a sailing Posture, just as if we had been Wind-bound, meerly to congratulate and make merry with our new-come Friends, when I resolv’d to leave them there, and set Sail; which I did with a Westerly Wind, keeping away North till I came into the Latitude of seven Degrees North; so coasting along the Arabian Coast E. N. E. towards the Gulph of Persia, in the Cruise I met with two Persian Barks loaden with Rice; one of which I mann’d and sent away to Madagascar, and the other I took for our own Ship’s Use. This Bark came safe to my new Colony, and was a very agreeable Prize to them; I think verily almost as agreeable as if it had been loaded with Pieces of Eight, for they had been without Bread a great while; and this was a double Benefit to them, for they fitted up this Bark, which carry’d about 55 Tun, and went away to the Gulph of Persia in her to buy Rice, and brought two or three Freights of that which was very good.

In this Time I pursu’d my Voyage, coasted the whole Malabar Shore, and met with no Purchase but a great Portugal East-India Ship, which I chac’d into Goa, where she got out of my Reach: I took several small Vessels and Barks, but little of Value in them, till I enter’d the great Bay of Bengale, when I began to look about me with more Expectation of Success, tho’ without Prospect of what happen’d.

I cruis’d here about two Months, finding nothing worth while; so I stood away to a Port on the North Point of the Isle of Sumatra, where I made no Stay; for here I gat News that two large Ships, belonging to the Great Mogul, were expected to cross the Bay from Hugely in the Ganges to the Country of the King of Pegu, being to carry the Grandaughter of the Great Mogul to Pegu, who was to be marry’d to the King of that Country, with all her Retinue, Jewels, and Wealth.

This was a Booty worth watching for, tho’ it had been some Months longer; so I refolv’d that we would go and Cruise off of Point Negaris, on the East Side of the Bay, near Diamond Isle; and here we ply’d off and on for three Weeks, and began to despair of Success; but the Knowledge of the Booty we expected spurr’d us on, and we waited with great Patience, for we knew the Prize would be immensely rich.

At length we spy’d three Ships coming right up to us with the Wind; we could easily see they were not Europeans by their Sails, and began to prepare ourselves for a Prize, not for a Fight; but were a little disappointed, when we found the first Ship full of Guns, and full of Soldiers, and in Condition, had she been manag’d by English Sailors, to have fought two such Ships as ours were; however, we resolv’d to attack her if she had been full of Devils as she was full of Men.

Accordingly, when we came near them, we fir’d a Gun with Shot as a Challenge; they fir’d again immediately three or four Guns; but fir’d them so confusedly that we could easily see they did not understand their Business; when we consider’d how to lay them on Board, and so to come thwart them, if we could; but falling, for want of Wind, open to them, we gave them a fair Broadside; we could easily see, by the Confusion that was on Board, that they were frighted out of their Wits; they fir’d here a Gun and there a Gun, and some on that Side that was from us, as well as those that were next to us. The next Thing we did was to lay them on Board, which we did presently, and then gave them a Volley of our Small-shot, which, as they stood so thick, kill’d a great many of them, and made all the rest run down under their Hatches, crying out like Creatures bewitch’d: In a Word, we presently took the Ship, and having secur’d her Men, we chac’d the other two: One was chiefly fill’d with Women, and the other with Lumber. Upon the Whole, as the Grandaughter of the Great Mogul was our Prize in the first Ship, so, in the second was her Women, or, in a Word, her Houshold, her Eunuchs, all the Necessaries of her Wardrobe, of her Stables, and of her Kitchin; and in the last, great Quantities of Houshold-stuff, and Things less costly, tho’ not less useful.

But the first was the main Prize. When my Men had enter’d and master’d the Ship, one of our Lieutenants call’d for me, and accordingly I jump’d on Board; he told me, he thought no Body but I ought to go into the great Cabin, or, at least, no Body should go there before me; for that the Lady herself and all her Attendance was there, and he fear’d the Men were so heated they would murder them all, or do worse.

I immediately went to the great Cabin-door, taking the Lieutenant that call’d me, along with me, and caus’d the Cabin-door to be open’d: But such a Sight of Glory and Misery was never seen by Buccaneer before; the Queen (for such she was to have been) was all in Gold and Silver, but frighted; and crying, and at the Sight of me she appear’d trembling, and just as if she was going to die. She sate on the Side of a kind of a Bed like a Couch with no Canopy over it, or any Covering, only made to lie down upon; she was, in a Manner, cover’d with Diamonds, and I, like a true Pirate, soon let her see that I had more Mind to the Jewels than to the Lady.

However, before I touch’d her, I order’d the Lieutenant to place a Guard at the Cabin-door; and fastening the Door, shut us both in, which he did: The Lady was young, and, I suppose, in their Country Esteem, very handsome, but she was not very much so in my Thoughts: At first, her Fright, and the Danger she thought she was in of being kill’d, taught her to do every Thing that she thought might interpose between her and Danger; and that was to take off her Jewels as fast as she could, and give them to me; and I, without any great Compliment, took them as fast as she gave them me, and put them into my Pocket, taking no great Notice of them, or of her, which frighted her worse than all the rest, and she said something which I could not understand; however, two of the other Ladies came, all crying, and kneel’d down to me with their Hands lifted up: What they meant I knew not at first, but by their Gestures and Pointings I found at last it was to beg the young Queen’s Life, and that I would not kill her.

I have heard that it has been reported in England that I ravish’d this Lady, and then used her most barbarously; but they wrong me, for I never offer’d any Thing of that Kind to her, I assure you; nay, I was so far from being inclin’d to it, that I did not like her; and there was one of her Ladies who I found much more agreeable to me, and who I was afterwards something free with, but not even with her either by Force, or by Way of Ravishing.