THE PIRATES OF THE HIGH SEAS – Know Your Infamous Buccaneers, Their Exploits & Their Real Histories (9 Books in One Edition). Даниэль Дефо
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some of them answer'd, Z— ds, we don't trouble our Heads what we are, let's have t'other Bowl of Punch.
A Watch Word was given, and no Boat to be admitted on board the Ship; this Word, which was for that Night, Coventry, was known to them: At Eight a-Clock they mann'd the twelve-oar'd Boat, and that they found at Mayotta, with 24 Men, and set out for the Ship.
When they were put off, the Captain of the Speaker desired them to come back, he wanted to speak with them; Captain Booth asked, what he wanted? He said, they could never take his Ship, then said Booth, we'll die in or along Side of her; but replied the Captain, if you will go with Safety, don't board on the Lar-board Side, for there is a Gun out of the Steerage loaded with Patridge, will clear the Decks; they thank'd him, and proceeded.
When they were near the Ship they were haled, and the Answer was, the Coventry; all well, said the Mate, get the Lights over the Side, but spying the second Boat, he asked what Boat that was? one answered, it was a Raft of Water, another, that it was a Boat of Beef; this Disagreement in the Answers made the Mate suspicious, who cried out pyrates, take to your Arms my Lads, and immediately clapp'd a Match to a Gun, which, as the Priming was before wet by the Treachery of Hugh Man, only fizz'd; they boarded in the Instant, and made themselves Masters of her, without the Loss of a Man on either Side.
The next Day they put necessary Provisions on board the French built Ship, and gave her to the Captain of the Speaker, and those Men who would go off with him, among whom was Man, who had betray'd his Ship; for the pyrates had both paid him the 100 l. agreed, and kept his Secret. The Captain having thus lost his Ship, sail'd in that the pyrates gave him, for Johanna, where he fell ill and died with Grief.
The pyrates having here victualled, they sail'd for the Bay of St. Augustine, where they took in between 70 and 80 Men, who had belonged to the Ship Alexander, commanded by Captain James, a Pyrate; they also took up her Guns, and mounted the Speaker with 54, which made up their Number 240 Men besides Slaves, of which they had about 20.
From hence they sailed for the East Indies, but stopp'd at Zanguebar for fresh Provisions, where the Portuguese had once a Settlement, but now inhabited by Arabians; some of them went ashore with the Captain to buy Provisions, the Captain was sent for by the Governor, who went with about 14 in Company: They past thro’ the Guard, and when they were entered the Governor's House, they were all cut off; and, at the same Time, others who were in different Houses of the Town were set upon, which made them fly to the Shore; the Long-Boat, which lay off at a Grapling, was immediately put in by those who look'd after her: There were not above half a dozen of the pyrates who brought their Arms ashore, but they played them so well, for they were in the Boat, that most of the Men got into her, the Quarter-Master ran down Sword in Hand, and tho’ he was attack'd by many, he behaved himself so well, that he got into a little Canoe, put her off and reached the Long-Boat.
In the Interim, the little Fort the Arabians had, play'd upon the Ship, which returned the Salute very warmly. Thus they got on board, with the Loss of Captain Booth and twenty Men, and set Sail for the East-Indies.
When they were under Sail, they went to Voting for a new Captain, and the Quarter-Master, who had behaved so well in the last Affair with the Arabians, was chosen; but he declining all Command, the Crew made Choice of Bowen for Captain, Pickering to succeed him as Master, Samuel Herault, a Frenchman, for Quarter-Master, and Nathaniel North, for Captain Quarter-Master.
Things being thus settled, they came to the Mouth of the Red Sea, and fell in with 13 Sail of Moors Ships, which they kept Company with the greater Part of the Day, but were afraid to venture on them as they took them for Portuguese Men of War; at length part were for boarding, and advised it, the Captain, tho’ he said little, did not seem inclin'd, for he was but a young Pyrate, tho’ an old Commander of a Merchant Man.
Those who push'd for boarding then, desired Captain Boreman, already mentioned, to take the Command; but he said, he would not usurp on any, that no Body was more fit for it than he who had it, that for his Part, he would stand by his Fufil and went forward to the Forecastle with such as would have had him taken the Command, to be ready to board; on which, the Captain's Quarter-Master said, if they were resolved to engage their Captain, (whose Representative he was) did not want Resolution, therefore, he ordered them to get their Tacks on board (for they had already made a clear Ship) and get ready for boarding; which they accordingly did, and coming up with the sternmost Ship, they fired a Broadside into her, which killed two Moors, clapp'd her on board and carried her; but Night coming on, they made only this Prize, which yielded them 500 l. per Man.
From hence they sailed to the Coast of Mallabar; the Adventures of these pyrates on this Coast are already set down in Captain Bowen's Life, to which I refer the Reader, and shall only observe, Captain White was all this while asore the Mast, being a forced Man from the Beginning.
Bowen's Crew dispersing, Captain White went to Methelage, where he lived ashore with the King, not having any Opportunity of getting off the Island, till another Pyrate Ship, called the Prosperous, commanded by one Thomas Howard, who had been bred a Lighterman on the River of Thames, came in: This Ship was taken at Augustine, by some pyrates from Shore, and the Crew of their own Long-Boat, which join'd them, at the Instigation of one Ranten, Boatswain's Mate, who was sent for Water. They came on board in the Night and surprized her, tho’ not without Resistance, in which the Captain and chief Mate was killed, and several others wounded, the Particulars of which will be found in Hore's Life. Those who were ashore with Captain White, resolving to enter in this Ship, determined him to go also, rather than be left alone with the Natives, hoping, by some Accident or other, to have an Opportunity of returning home. He continu'd on board this Ship, in which he was made Quarter-Master, till they met with, and all went on board of Bowen, as is set down in his Life, in which Ship he continued after Bowen left them, as shall be mentioned in the Appendix. At Port Dolphin he went off in the Boat to fetch some of the Crew left ashoar, the Ship being blown to Sea the Night before. The Ship not being able to get in, and he supposing her gone to the West-Side of the Island, as they had formerly proposed, he steered that Course in his Boat with 26 Men. They touch'd at Augustine expecting the Ship, but she not appearing in a Week, the Time they waited, the King order'd ’em to be gone, telling ’em they impos'd on him with Lies, for he did not believe they had any Ship; however, he gave ’em fresh Provision. They took in Water, and made for Methelage. Here, as Captain White was known to the King, they were kindly received, and staid about a Fortnight in Expectation of their Ship, but she not appearing, they raised their Boat a-streak, salted up the Provisions the King gave ’em, put Water aboard, and stood for the North-End of the Island, designing to go round, believing their Ship might be at the Island of St. Mary. When they came to the North-End, the Current, which sets to the North-West for eight Months in the Year, was so strong they found it impossible to get round. Wherefore they got into a Harbour, of which there are many for small Vessels. Here they staid about three Weeks or a Month, when part of the Crew were for burning the Boat, and for travelling over Land to a black King of their Acquaintance, whose Name was Reberimbo, who lived at a Place called Manangaromasigh, in the Latitude of 15, or thereabouts. As this King had been several times assisted by the Whites in his Wars, he was a great Friend to them. Captain White disswaded them from this Undertaking, and, with much ado, saved the Boat; but one half of the Men being resolved to go by Land, they took what Provisions they thought necessary, and set out, Captain White, and those who staid with him, convoy'd ’em a Day's Journey, and then returning, he got into the Boat with his Companions, and went back to Methelage, fearing these Men might return, prevail with the rest, and burn the Boat.
Here he built a Deck on his Boat, and lay by three Months, in which Time there came in three pyrates with a Boat, who had formerly been trepann'd on board the Severn and Scarborough Men of War, which had been looking sixteen pyrates on the East-Side; from which Ships they made their escape at Mohila, in a small Canoe to Johanna, and from Johanna to Mayotta, where the King built ’em the Boat which