A General History of the Pyrates Part 15

This severe Punishment did not at all convince _Jones_ that he was in the wrong, but rather animated him to some sort of a Revenge; but not being able to do it upon _Roberts_'s Person, on Board the Ship, he and several of his Comrades, correspond with _Anstis_, Captain of the Brigantine, and conspire with him and some of the princ.i.p.al Pyrates on Board that Vessel, to go off from the Company. What made _Anstis_ a Malecontent, was, the Inferiority he stood in, with Respect to _Roberts_, who carried himself with a haughty and magisterial Air, to him and his Crew, he regarding the Brigantine only as a Tender, and, as such, left them no more than the Refuse of their Plunder. In short, _Jones_ and his Consort go on Board of Captain _Anstis_, on Pretence of a Visit, and there consulting with their Brethren, they find a Majority for leaving of _Roberts_, and so came to a Resolution to bid a soft Farewel, as they call it, that Night, and to throw over-board whosoever should stick out; but they proved to be unanimous, and effected their Design as above-mentioned.

I shall have no more to say of Captain _Anstis_, till the Story of _Roberts_ is concluded, therefore I return to him, in the pursuit of his Voyage to _Guiney._ The loss of the Brigantine was a sensible Shock to the Crew, she being an excellent Sailor, and had 70 Hands aboard; however, _Roberts_ who was the Occasion of it, put on a Face of Unconcern at this his ill Conduct and Mismanagement, and resolved not to alter his Purposes upon that Account.

_Roberts_ fell in to Windward nigh the _Senegal_, a River of great Trade for Gum, on this Part of the Coast, monopolized by the _French_, who constantly keep Cruisers, to hinder the interloping Trade: At this Time they had two small Ships on that Service, one of 10 Guns and 65 Men, and the other of 16 Guns and 75 Men; who having got a Sight of Mr. _Roberts_, and supposing him to be one of these prohibited Traders, chased with all the Sail they could make, to come up with him; but their Hopes which had brought them very nigh, too late deceived them, for on the hoisting of _Jolly Roger_, (the Name they give their black Flag,) their _French_ Hearts failed, and they both surrendred without any, or at least very little Resistance. With these Prizes they went into _Sierraleon_, and made one of them their Consort, by the Name of the _Ranger_, and the other a Store-Ship, to clean by.

_Sierraleon_ River disgorges with a large Mouth, the Starboard-Side of which, draughts into little Bays, safe and convenient for cleaning and watering; what still made it preferable to the Pyrates, is, that the Traders settled here, are naturally their Friends. There are about 30 _English_ Men in all, Men who in some Part of their Lives, have been either privateering, buccaneering, or pyrating, and still retain and love the Riots, and Humours, common to that sort of Life. They live very friendly with the Natives, and have many of them of both s.e.xes, to be their _Grometta_'s, or Servants: The Men are faithful, and the Women so obedient, that they are very ready to prost.i.tute themselves to whomsoever their Masters shall command them. The Royal _African_ Company has a Fort on a small Island call'd _Bence_ Island, but 'tis of little Use, besides keeping their Slaves; the Distance making it incapable of giving any Molestation to their Starboard Sh.o.r.e. Here lives at this Place an old Fellow, who goes by the Name of _Crackers_, who was formerly a noted Buccaneer, and while he followed the Calling, robb'd and plundered many a Man; he keeps the best House in the Place, has two or three Guns before his Door, with which he Salutes his Friends, (the Pyrates, when they put in) and lives a jovial Life with him, all the while they are there.

Here follows a List, of the rest of those lawless Merchants, and their Servants, who carry on a private Trade with the Interlopers, to the great Prejudice of the Royal _African_ Company, who with extraordinary Industry and Expence, have made, and maintain, Settlements without any Consideration from those, who, without such Settlements and Forts, would soon be under an Incapacity of pursuing any such private Trade. Wherefore, 'tis to be hop'd, proper Means will be taken, to root out a pernicious set of People, who have all their Lives, supported themselves by the Labours of other Men.

Two of these Fellows enter'd with _Robert_'s Crew, and continued with them, till the Destruction of the Company.

_A List of the White-Men, now living on the high Land of_ Sierraleon, _and the Craft they occupy._

J_OHN Leadstone_, three Boats and Periagoe.

His Man _Tom_,

His Man _John Brown._

_Alexander Middleton_, one Long-Boat,

His Man _Charles Hawkins._

_John Pierce_, Partners, one Long-Boat.

_William Mead_, Partners, one Long-Boat.

Their Man _John Vernon._

_David Chatmers_, one Long-Boat.

_John Chatmers_, one Long-Boat.

_Richard Richardson_, one Long-Boat.

_Norton_, Partners, two Long-Boats, and two small Boats.

_Richard Warren_, Partners, two Long-Boats, and two small Boats.

_Roberts Glynn_, Partners, two Long-Boats, and two small Boats.

His Man _John Franks._

_William Waits_, and one young Man.

_John Bonnerman._

_John England_, one Long-Boat.

_Robert Samples_, one Long-Boat.

_William Presgrove_, one Sloop, two Long-Boats, a small Boat, and Periagoe.

_Harry_, one Sloop, two Long-Boats, a small Boat, and Periagoe.

_Davis_, one Sloop, two Long-Boats, a small Boat, and Periagoe.

_Mitchel_, one Sloop, two Long-Boats, a small Boat, and Periagoe.

_Richard Lamb_,

With _Roquis Rodrigus_, a _Portuguese._

_George Bishop._

_Peter Brown._

_John Jones_, one Long-Boat,

His _Irish_ young Man.

At _Rio Pungo, Benjamen Gun._

At _Kidham, George Yeats._

At _Gallyneas, Richard Lemmons._

The Harbour is so convenient for Wooding and Watering, that it occasions many of our trading Ships, especially those of _Bristol_, to call in there, with large Cargoes of Beer, Syder, and strong Liquors, which they Exchange with these private Traders, for Slaves and Teeth, purchased by them at the _Rio Nune_'s, and other Places to the Northward, so that here was what they call good Living.

Hither _Roberts_ came the End of _June_, 1721, and had Intelligence that the _Swallow_, and _Weymouth_, two Men of War, of 50 Guns each, had left that River about a Month before, and designed to return about _Christmas_; so that the Pyrates could indulge themselves with all the Satisfaction in the World, in that they knew they were not only secure whilst there, but that in going down the Coast, after the Men of War, they should always be able to get such Intelligence of their Rendezvous, as would serve to make their Expedition safe. So after six Weeks stay, the Ships being cleaned and fitted, and the Men weary of whoring and drinking, they bethought themselves of Business, and went to Sea the Beginning of _August_, taking their Progress down the whole Coast, as low as _Jaquin_, plundering every Ship they met, of what was valuable in her, and sometimes to be more mischieviously wicked, would throw what they did not want, overboard, acc.u.mulating Cruelty to Theft.

In this Range, they exchanged their old _French_ Ship, for a fine Frigate built Ship, call'd the _Onslow_, belonging to the Royal _African_ Company, Captain _Gee_ Commander, which happened to lye at _Sestos_, to get Water and Necessaries for the Company. A great many of Captain _Gee_'s Men were ash.o.r.e, when _Robert_'s bore down, and so the Ship consequently surpriz'd into his Hands, tho' had they been all on Board, it was not likely the Case would have been otherwise, the Sailors, most of them, voluntarily joyning the Pyrates, and encouraging the same Disposition in the Soldiers, (who were going Pa.s.sengers with them to _Cape-Corso-Castle_) whose Ears being constantly tickled with the Feats and Gallantry of those Fellows, made them fancy, that _to go_, was only being bound on a Voyage of Knight Errantry (to relieve the Distress'd, and gather up Fame) and so they likewise offer'd themselves; but here the Pyrates were at a Stand, they entertain'd so contemptible a Notion of Landmen, that they put 'em off with Refusals for some time, till at length, being weary'd with Solicitations, and pittying a Parcel of stout Fellows, which they said, were going to starve upon a little Canky and Plantane, they accepted of them, and allow'd them Share, as it was then term'd out of Charity.

There was a Clergyman on Board the _Onslow_, sent from _England_, to be Chaplain of _Cape-Corso-Castle_, some of the Pyrates were for keeping him, alledging merrily, that their Ship wanted a Chaplain; accordingly they offered him a Share, to take on with them, promising, he should do nothing for his Money, but make Punch, and say Prayers; yet, however brutish they might be in other Things, they bore so great a Respect to his Order, that they resolved not to force him against his Inclinations; and the Parson having no Relish for this sort of Life, excused himself from accepting the Honour they designed him; they were satisfied, and generous enough to deliver him back every Thing he owned to be his: The Parson laid hold of this favourable Disposition of the Pyrates, and laid Claim to several Things belonging to others, which were also given up, to his great Satisfaction; in fine, they kept nothing which belonged to the Church, except three Prayer-Books, and a Bottle-Screw.

The Pyrates kept the _Onslow_ for their own Use, and gave Captain _Gee_ the _French_ Ship, and then fell to making such Alterations as might fit her for a Sea-Rover, pulling down her Bulk-Heads, and making her flush, so that she became, in all Respects, as compleat a Ship for their Purpose, as any they could have found; they continued to her the Name of the _Royal Fortune_, and mounted her with 40 Guns.

She and the _Ranger_ proceeded (as I said before,) to _Jaquin_, and from thence to _Old Calabar_, where they arrived about _October_, in order to clean their Ships, a Place the most suitable along the whole Coast, for there is a Bar with not above 15 Foot Water upon it, and the Channel intricate, so that had the Men of War been sure of their being harbour'd here, they might still have bid Defiance to their Strength, for the Depth of Water at the Bar, as well as the want of a Pilot, was a sufficient Security to the Rovers, and invincible Impediments to them. Here therefore they sat easy, and divided the Fruits of their dishonest Instustry, _and drank and drove Care away._ The Pilot who brought them into this Harbour, was Captain _L--e_, who for this, and other Services, was extreamly well paid, according to the Journal of their own Accounts, which do not run in the ordinary and common way, of _Debtor, contra Creditor_, but much more concise, lumping it to their Friends, and so carrying the Debt in their Heads, against the next honest Trader they meet. They took at _Calabar_, Captain _Loane_, and two or three _Bristol_ Ships, the Particulars of all which would be an unnecessary Prolixity, therefore I come now to give an Account of the Usage they received from the Natives of this Place. The _Calabar_ Negroes did not prove so civil as they expected, for they refused to have any Commerce or Trade with them, when they understood they were Pyrates: An Indication that these poor Creatures, in the narrow Circ.u.mstances they were in, and without the Light of the Gospel, or the Advantage of an Education, have, notwithstanding, such a moral innate Honesty, as would upbraid and shame the most knowing Christian: But this did but exasperate these lawless Fellows, and so a Party of 40 Men were detach'd to force a Correspondence, or drive the Negroes to Extremities; and they accordingly landed under the Fire of their own Cannon. The Negroes drew up in a Body of 2000 Men, as if they intended to dispute the Matter with them, and staid till the Pyrates advanced within Pistol-shot; but finding the Loss of two or three, made no Impression on the rest, the Negroes thought fit to retreat, which they did, with some Loss: The Pyrates set Fire to the Town, and then return'd to their Ships. This terrified the Natives, and put an entire stop to all the Intercourse between them; so that they could get no Supplies, which obliged them, as soon as they had finished the cleaning and triming of their Ships, to lose no Time, but went for Cape _Lopez_, and watered, and at _Anna-Bona_ took aboard a Stock of fresh Provisions, and then sailed for the Coast again.

This was their last and fatal Expedition, which we shall be more particular in, because, it cannot be imagined that they could have had a.s.surance to have undertaken it, but upon a Presumption, that the Men of War, (whom they knew were upon the Coast,) were unable to attack them, or else pursuant to the Rumour that had indiscretionally obtained at _Sierraleon_, were gone thither again.

It is impossible at this Time, to think they could know of the weak and sickly Condition they were in, and therefore founded the Success of this second Attempt upon the Coast, on the latter Presumption, and this seems to be confirmed by their falling in with the Coast as low as Cape _Lahou_, (and even that was higher than they designed,) in the beginning of _January_, and took the Ship called the _King Solomon_, with 20 Men in their Boat, and a trading Vessel, both belonging to the Company. The Pyrate Ship happened to fall about a League to Leeward of the _King Solomon_, at Cape _Appollonia_, and the Current and Wind opposing their working up with the Ship, they agreed to send the Long-Boat, with a sufficient Number of Men to take her: The Pyrates are all Voluntiers on these Occasions, the Word being always given, _who will go?_ And presently the stanch and firm Men offer themselves; because, by such Readiness, they recommend their Courage, and have an Allowance also of a Shift of Cloaths, from Head to Foot, out of the Prize.

They rowed towards the _King Solomon_ with a great deal of Alacrity, and being hailed by the Commander of her, answered, _Defiance_; Captain _Trahern_, before this, observing a great Number of Men in the Boat, began not to like his Visitors, and prepared to receive them, firing a Musket as they come under his Stern, which they returned with a Volley, and made greater Speed to get on Board: Upon this, he applied to his Men, and ask'd them, whether they would stand by him, to defend the Ship, it being a Shame they should be taken by half their Number, without any Repulse? But his Boatswain, _Philips_, took upon him to be the Mouth of the People, and put an End to the Dispute; he said plainly, he would not, laid down his Arms in the King's Name, as he was pleased to term it, and called out to the Boat for Quarters, so that the rest, by his Example, were mislead to the losing of the Ship.

When they came on Board, they brought her under Sail, by an expeditious Method, of cutting the Cable; _Walden_, one of the Pyrates, telling the Master, this _yo hope_ of heaving up the Anchor was a needless trouble, when they designed to burn the Ship. They brought her under Commadore _Roberts_'s Stern, and not only rifled her of what Sails, Cordage, _&c._ they wanted for themselves, but wantonly throw'd the Goods of the Company overboard, like Spend-thrifts, that neither expected or designed any Account.