THE HISTORY OF THE PIRATES. Daniel Defoe
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which, in these Cases, is absolute and uncontroulable, by their own Laws, viz. in fighting, chasing, or being chased; in all other Matters whatsoever, he is governed by a Majority; so the Brigantine having the Heels, as they term it, of the French Man, she came clear off.
But the next Day, the Captain's Behaviour was obliged to stand the Test of a Vote, and a Resolution passed against his Honour and Dignity, branding him with the Name of Coward, deposing him from the Command, and turning him out of the Company, with Marks of Infamy; and, with him, went all those who did not Vote for boarding the French Man of War. They had with them a small Sloop that had been taken by them some Time before, which they gave to Vane, and the discarded Members; and, that they might be in a Condition to provide for themselves, by their own honest Endeavours, they let them have a sufficient Quantity of Provisions and Ammunition along with them.
John Rackam was voted Captain of the Brigantine, in Vane's Room, and proceeded towards the Caribbee Islands, where we must leave him, till we have finished our Story of Charles Vane.
The Sloop failed for the Bay of Honduras, and Vane and his Crew put her into as good a Condition as they could by the Way, to follow the old Trade. They cruised two or three Days off the North-West Part of Jamaica, and took a Sloop and two Pettiagas, and all the Men entered with them; the Sloop they kept, and Robert Deal went Captain of her.
On the 16th of December the two Sloops came into the Bay, where they found only one at an Anchor, call'd the Pearl, of Jamaica, Captain Charles Rowling Master, who got under Sail at the Sight of them; but the Pirate Sloops coming near Rowling, and showing no Colours, he gave them a Gun or two; whereupon they hoisted the black Flag, and fired three Guns each, at the Pearl; she struck, and the Pirates took Possession, and carried her away to a small Island called Barnacko, and there they cleaned, meeting in the Way with a Sloop from Jamaica, Captain Wallden Commander, going down to the Bay, which they also made Prize of.
In February, Vane sailed from Barnacko, in order for a Cruize; but some Days after he was out, a violent Turnado overtook him, which separated him from his Consort, and after two Days Distress, threw his Sloop upon a small uninhabited Island, near the Bay of Honduras, where she was staved to Pieces, and most of her Men drowned: Vane himself was saved, but reduced to great Streights, for want of Necessaries, having no Opportunity to get any Thing from the Wreck. He lived here some Weeks, and was subsisted chiefly by Fishermen, who frequented the Island with small Craft, from the Main, to catch Tuttles, & c.
While Vane was upon this Island, a Ship put in from Jamaica for Water, the Captain of which, one Holford, an old Buccaneer, happened to be Vane's Acquaintance; he thought this a good Opportunity to get off, and accordingly applied to his old Friend; but he absolutely refused him, saying to him, Charles, I shan't trust you aboard my Ship, unless I carry you a Prisoner; for I shall have you caballing with my Men, knock me on the Head, and run away with my Ship a pirating. Vane made all the Protestations of Honour in the World to him; but, it seems, Captain Holford was too intimately acquainted with him, to repose any Confidence at all in his Words or Oaths. He told him, He might easily find a Way to get off, if he had a Mind to it: I am now going down the Bay, says he, and shall return hither, in about a Month; and if I find you upon the Island when I come back, I'll carry you to Jamaica, and hang you. Which Way can I get away? Answers Vane. Are there not Fishermen's Dories upon the Beach? Can't you take one of them? Replies Holford. What, says Vane, would you have me steal a Dory then? Do you make it a Matter of Conscience? Said Holford, to steal a Dory, when you have been a common Robber and Pirate, stealing Ships and Cargoes, and plundering all Mankind that fell in your Way? Stay there, and be d — n'd, if you are so Squeamish: And so left him.
After Captain Holford's Departure, another Ship put in to the same Island in her Way home for Water; none of whose Company knowing Vane, he easily passed upon them for another Man, and so was shipp'd or the Voyage. One would be apt to think that Vane was now pretty safe, and likely to escape the Fate which his Crimes had merited; but here a cross Accident happen'd that ruin'd all: Holford, returning from the Bay, was met with by this Ship; the Captains being very well acquainted together, Holford was invited to dine aboard of him, which he did; and as he passed along to the Cabin, he chanced to cast his Eye down the Hold, and there saw Charles Vane at work; he immediately spoke to the Captain, saying, Do you know who you have got aboard here? Why, says he, I have shipp'd a Man at such an Island, who was cast away in a trading Sloop, he seems to be a brisk Hand. I tell you, says Captain Holford, it is Vane the notorious Pirate. If it be him, replies the other, I won't keep him: Why then, says Holford, I'll send and take him aboard, and surrender him at Jamaica. Which being agreed to, Captain Holford, as soon as he returned to his Ship, sent his Boat with his Mate armed, who coming to Vane, showed him a Pistol, and told him, He was his Prisoner; which none opposing, he was brought aboard, and put in Irons; and when Captain Holford arrived at Jamaica, he delivered his old Acquaintance into the Hands of Justice; at which Place he was try'd, convicted, and executed, as was, some Time before, Vane's Consort, Robert Deal, brought thither by one of the Men of War.
Chap. VII.
Of Captain John Rackam, And his Crew.
RACKAM's beginning as a Pirate. An Account of Prizes taken by him. Is attack'd by a Spanish Guard Ship. His Stratagem to escape. More Prizes taken by him. Is taken, and how. Tried, condemned, and executed at Jamaica. The Names of his Crew condemn'd with him. An extraordinary Case of nine taken with him. Some Account of the Proceedings against them.
THIS John Rackam, as has been mentioned in the last Chapter, was Quarter-Master to Vane's Company, till they were divided, and Vane turned out for refusing to board and fight the French Man of War; then Rackam was voted Captain of that Division that remained in the Brigantine. The 24th of November 1718, was the first Day of his Command, and his first Cruize was among the Caribbee Islands, where he took and plunder'd several Vessels.
We have already taken Notice, that when Captain Woodes Rogers went to the Island of Providence, with the King's Pardon to such as should surrender, this Brigantine, which Rackam now commanded, made its Escape, thro’ another Passage, bidding Defiance to Mercy.
To Windward of Jamaica, a Madera Man fell into the Pirates Way, which they detained two or three Days, till they had made their Market out of her, and then gave her back to the Master, and permitted one Hosea Tisdell, a Tavern-Keeper at Jamaica, who had been pick'd up in one of their Prizes, to depart in her, she being then bound for that Island.
After this Cruize, they went into a small Island and cleaned, and spent their Christmas ashore, drinking and carousing as long as they had any Liquor left, and then went to Sea again for more, where they succeeded but too well, though they took no extraordinary Prize, for above two Months, except a Ship laden with Thieves from Newgate, bound for the Plantations, which, in a few Days, was retaken with all her Cargo, by an English Man of War.
Rackam stood off towards the Island of Burmudas, and took a Ship bound to England from Carolina, and a small Pink from New-England, and brought them to the Bahama Islands, where with the Pitch, Tar, and Stores, they clean'd again, and refitted their own Vessel; but staying too long in that Neighbourhood, Captain Rogers, who was Governor of Providence, hearing of these Ships being taken, sent out a Sloop well mann'd and arm'd, which retook both the Prizes, and in the mean while the Pirate had the good Fortune to escape.
From hence they sailed to the Back of Cuba, where Rackam kept a little kind of a Family, at which Place, they staid a considerable Time, living ashore with their Dalilahs, till their Money and Provision were expended, and then they concluded it Time to look out: They repaired to their Vessel,