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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XXX.
Of Capt. Thomas Howard, And his Crew
We have said in another Life, viz. White's, that he was a Lighterman on the River Thames, his Father was of the Business, and had the Character of a very honest Man. After his Father's Decease, he grew very extravagant, and squander'd away not only what he had left his Son, but what he had allotted for his Widow Mother to our Adventurer, whose Indulgence putting every Thing into her Son's Hands, was follow'd by being her self turn'd out of Doors, for he sold the House over her Head. After having ruin'd himself and Mother, his Friends fearing the Wickedness of his Inclinations would bring a Scandal upon them, persuaded him to go to Sea, and procur'd him a Voyage to Jamaica, on board a Merchant Ship. At this Island he ran away from his Ship, and associating himself with some desperate Fellows, they stole a Canoe, and went away to the grand Camanas to join some others of their own Stamp, who lurked thereabouts, with Design to go on the Account, the Term for Pirating: They met those they look'd for, made up a Company of 20 Men, surprized and made themselves Masters of a Turtling Sloop, and set out in Search of Booty.
The first Prizes they made were only Turtlers, which, however, encreas'd the Number of their Crew, some being willing to join them, others being forced, with Threats of being set ashore on some desolate Key.
They after some Time cruizing met with an Irish Brigantine, who had Provisions and Servants on board. They made an Exchange with the Master, gave him Provision to carry him to Jamaica, and allow'd five Hands to go with him; the rest (except the Servants, who readily took on with the pyrates) were all forced.
Not long after, they surprized a Sloop which had been trading on the Spanish Coast; as she had 6 Guns, and was a fit Vessel for their Turn, they chang'd her against the Brigantine; several Hands belonging to this Sloop enter'd Volunteers, and several more were obliged to join them by Compulsion.
After this Capture, they steer'd for the Coast of Virginia, and, in their Way, met with a large New England Brigantine, laden with Provisions, bound for Barbadoes. This they made Prize of; and shifting their own Guns on board her, sent the Master away in the Sloop; after forcing some of his Men with them. They had now a Vessel of 10 Guns, and a Crew of 80 Men, of whom one James was Captain, and Howard Quarter-Master.
While they lay on the Coast of Virginia, they made Prize of several Ships from England, out of which they took Men, Liquors, Provisions, Cloaths, and whatever else they either liked or thought necessary. As these Ships had several Felons on board, who were Transports, they had out of them a Number of Volunteers, beside forced Men; so that they had a large Complement. Among other Virginia Ships which fell into their Hands, they made Prize, with little Trouble, of a fine Galley, mounted with 24 Guns, which afforded them a great many Volunteers, as she had a Number of transported Malefactors and Servants on board. They changed their Brigantine for this Ship, and soon after, the Man of War, which waited on this Coast, heaving in Sight, they thought proper to take their Departure.
From the Coast of Virginia, they shap'd their Course for that of Guiney, where they took a great many Ships of different Nations, all which they rifled of what they thought fit: Out of these Ships they forced on board a Number of Men, equal to the Number of those formerly compell'd, who desired, and whom they permitted, to be discharged, after much Entreaty.
After they had been some Months on the Coast, they spied a large three deck'd Portuguese Ship from Brazil, mounted with 36 Guns; they gave Chase and came up with her: The Captain would make no Resistance, but his Mate, who was an Englishman, named Rutland, thinking it Shame to give up such a Ship, resolved to defend her; which the Portuguese Captain consented to, but went himself out of Harm's Way. Rutland, who had been Master of an English Brigantine, taken from him on the same Coast by another Gang of pyrates, fought them the better Part of a Forenoon; but the Portuguese flying the Decks, and only thirty Men, who were English, Dutch, and French, standing by him, he was obliged to ask Quarters, which were given. When the pyrates came on board, they asked Rutland, if he was Commander? he answer'd, No. They enquired after him, and being told, he was somewhere in the Hold, they search'd, and found him hid in the Powder-Room; whence they hawled him up, and whipp'd him round the Deck for his
Cowardice. Rutland, and those who fought the Ship, they forced on board, and their Complement being now 180 Men, they exchanged their Galley for the Portuguese Ship, carried her in Shore, and ripping off her upper Deck, made her deep wasted, and much snugger, by cutting down some of her Gunnel. This Prize they named the Alexander.
They went down the Coast in this Ship, and made several Prizes, some of which they discharged, and put on board such of their forced Men as begg'd their Discharge; others, they sunk, and burnt others; but forced on board all Carpenters, Cawlkers, Armorers, Surgeons, and Musicians. In their Way to Cape Lopez, where they designed, and afterwards did clean, they found a large Bristol Ship at an Anchor, which had lost a great many Men by Sickness, and had then but few healthy on board, who got into the Boat, and endeavoured to get to Shore, but were prevented by the pyrates: Here they changed some more of their forced Men, and did intend to change their Ship; but on a Survey, found the Bristol Man too old for their Purpose, and therefore left her at an Anchor, after they had taken what they thought of Use to them; this Ship belong'd to one Mr. Godly of Bristol.
They met with nothing else in their Way to Cape Lopez, where they clean'd their Ship, took in Wood and Water, and then stood away to Sea again.
At their leaving Cape Lopez, they spied an English Ship, which they came up with and engaged; the Merchant Man made an obstinate Defence, and finding the Design to board, made to close Quarters. Howard and seven or eight more entered, but the Pyrate’s Boatswain not having secured his lashing, they fell a-stern, and left these Men on board the Merchant-Ship, who seeing themselves in Danger, hawl'd up the Boat, which the Chace had a-stern, and, cutting the Rope, got on board the Alexander, which being considerably the larger Ship, and drawing a great deal more Water, stuck on an unknown Bank, which the Merchant Man went over, and by this lucky Accident escaped.
This obliged the pyrates to start their Water, and throw over the Wood to get the Ship off, which put ’em under a Necessity of going back to Cape Lopez to take in those Necessaries. After having a second time wooded and water'd, they put again to Sea, fell in with and took two Portuguese Brigantines, which they burnt, and setting the Men on Shoar, they made for, and doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and shap'd their Course for Madagascar, where to the Northward of, and forty Mile from, the Bay of Augustine, and near a small Island, they run the Ship on a Reef, where she stuck fast. The Captain being then sick in his Bed, the Men went ashoar on the small adjacent Island, and carried off a great deal of Provision and Water to lighten the Ship, on board of which none but the Captain, the Quarter-Master, and about eleven more were left.
The Quarter-Master, who was Howard, with the others, took all the Treasure, and put it on board the Boats, made off for the Main of Madagascar; the Captain, hearing no Body stir upon Deck, made shift to crawl out of his Cabbin, and seeing ’em put off, fir'd the two fore chace Guns at ’em, which alarm'd (to no Purpose) the Men ashoar; as the Sea ebb'd, the Ship lay dry, and they could walk to her from the Island. She might have been saved had they had the Boats to carry out an Anchor; but for want of them they brought every Thing ashoar, at Tide of Flood, upon Rafts.
As the Ship lay in a quiet Place, they had Opportunity to rip her up, and build a Vessel out of her Wreck. The major Part of the Crew being English and Dutch, who sided together, they forced about 36 Portuguese and French (thinking the Crew too numerous for their Provisions in their present Circumstances) to get upon a Raft, and take their Chance with the Sea-Breeze to get to the Island of Madagascar, about 3 Leagues from them. They finish'd a Vessel of 60 Tuns, but the Day they design'd to have launch'd her, a Pyrate Brigantine hove in Sight, who took ’em on board.
Howard and his Consorts stood