Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 29

That about the beginning of April 1699 the Narrator arrived at Anguilla in the West-Indies and sent his Boat on Sh.o.r.e, where his men had the News That he and his People were proclaimed Pirates, which put them into such a Consternation that they sought all Opportunitys to run the Ship on sh.o.r.e upon some reef or Shoal, fearing the Narrator should carry them into some English Port.

From Anguilla they came to St. Thomas, where his Brother-in-law Samuel Bradley[16] was put on sh.o.r.e, being sick, and five more went away and deserted him, where he heard the same News, that the Narrator and his Company were proclaimed Pirates, which incensed the People more and more. From St. Thomas set saile for Moona, an Island between Hispaniola and Porto Rico, where they met with a Sloop called the _St.

Anthony_, bound for Montego[17] from Curaso, Mr. William Bolton[18]

Merchant and Samuel Wood Master. The men on board then swore they would bring the Ship no further. The Narrator then sent the said Sloop _St. Anthony_ for Curaso for Canvas to make Sails for the Prize, she being not able to proceed, and she returned in 10 Dayes, and after the Canvas came he could not persuade the men to carry her for New-England, but Six of them went and carried their Chests and things on board of two Dutch Sloops, bound for Curaso, and would not so much as heele the Vessel or do any-thing; the remainder of the men not being able to bring the _Adventure-Prize_ to Boston, the Narrator secured her in a good safe Harbour in some Part of Hispaniola, and left her in the Possession of Mr. Henry Boulton of Antego, Merchant, the Master, three of the old men, and 15 or 16 of the men that belonged to the said Sloop _St. Anthony_ and a Briganteen belonging to one Burt of Curaso.

[Footnote 16: Kidd's wife's brother; see doc. no. 78, note 1, and _N.Y. Col. Docs._, IV. 128, 144, 179. General McCrady, _History of South Carolina_, I. 262-263, mentions two affidavits in an old ma.n.u.script book in Charleston, by two sailors of the _Adventure's_ company, who declare that Bradley took no part with the piratical crew, but constantly protested against their course, and therefore was put ash.o.r.e sick on a rock near Antigua.]

[Footnote 17: The ma.n.u.script (a copy) says Montego, which is in Jamaica, but the name should be Antigua. The _Antonio_ belonged partly to Abraham Redwood of Antigua, afterward of Newport.]

[Footnote 18: Henry Bolton; see doc. no. 86. Samuel Wood's examination is in _Commons Journal_, XIII. 26.]

That the Narrator bought the said Sloop _St. Anthony_ of Mr. Bolton, for the Owners accompt, and after he had given Directions to the said Bolton to be careful of the Ship and Ladeing and persuaded him to stay three months till he returned, and then made the best of his way to New-York, where he heard the Earl of Bellomont was, who was princ.i.p.ally concerned in the _Adventure Gally_, and hearing his Lordship was at Boston, came thither and has now been 45 Dayes from the said Ship.

WM. KIDD.

Boston, 7th July 1699.

Further the Narrator saith, That the said Ship was left at St.

Katharina on the Southeast part of Hispaniola, about three Leagues to Leward of the Westerly end of Savano.[19] Whilst he lay at Hispaniola he traded with Mr. Henry Bolton of Antigua, and Mr. William Burt of Curracao,[20] Merchants, to the value of Eleven thousand two hundred Pieces of Eight, whereof he received the Sloop _Antonio_ at 3000 Pieces of 8/8, and four thousand two hundred Pieces of 8/8 by Bills of Exchange, drawn by Bolton and Burt upon Messieurs Gabril and Lemont,[21] Merchants in Curracao, made payable to Mr. Burt, who went himself to Curracao, and the Value of four thousand Pieces of 8/8 more in Dust and barr-gold, which Gold, with some more traded for at Madagascar, being Fifty Pound Weight or upwards in Quant.i.ty, the Narrator left in Custody of Mr. ---- Gardner of Gardner's-Island,[22]

near the Eastern end of Long-Island, fearing to bring it about by Sea. It is made up in a bagg put into a little box, lockt and nailed, corded about, and sealed. Saith, He took no receipt for it of Mr.

Gardner.

[Footnote 19: Savona, or Saona, a small island off the southeasternmost part of Santo Domingo. Santa Catalina is a still smaller island, a little farther to the west.]

[Footnote 20: Burt or Burke, an Irish trader, was of Dutch Curacao to Kidd, of French St. Kitts to Governor Codrington, but a British subject to the Danish governor of St. Thomas. See doc. no. 83.]

[Footnote 21: Walter Gribble (see doc. no. 86, note 7) and William Lamont.]

[Footnote 22: See doc. no. 79.]

The Gold that was seized at Mr. Campbel's the Narrator traded for at Madagascar, with what came out of the Gally.

Saith, That he carried in the _Adventure Gally_ from New-York, 154 Men; Seventy whereof came out of England with him. Some of his Sloop's Company put two Bailes of Goods on sh.o.r.e at Gardner's-Island, being their own proper. The Narrator delivered a Chest of Goods, _viz._ Muslins, Latches, Romals[23] and flowered Silke, unto Mr. Gardner of Gardner's-Island aforesaid, to be kept there for the Narrator. put no Goods on sh.o.r.e any-where else. Several of his Company landed their Chests and other Goods at several places.

[Footnote 23: Handkerchiefs.]

Further saith, He delivered a small Bayle of course Callicoes unto a Sloop-Man of Rhode-Island that he had emploied there. The Gold seized at Mr. Campbell's the Narrator intended for Presents to some that he expected to do him Kindness. Some of his Company put their Chests and Bailes on board a New Yorke Sloop lying at Gardner's-Island.

WM. KIDD.

Presented and taken, die praedict.[24] before his Excellency and Council.

ISA. ADDINGTON, Secretary.

[Footnote 24: _Die praedicta_, on the day aforesaid.]

_77. Lord Bellomont to the Board of Trade. July 8, 1699._[1]

[Footnote 1: Public Record Office, C.O. 5:860, no. 62; _Commons Journal_, XIII, 18-19. Endorsed as received and read Aug. 31. Richard Coote (1636-1701), earl of Bellomont in the peerage of Ireland, was designated as governor of Ma.s.sachusetts in June, 1695, and as governor of New York in July, three months before his agreement with Livingston and Kidd, but was not commissioned till June 18, 1697. He arrived in New York Apr. 2, 1698, and first came to Boston May 26, 1699. The part he had taken in sending out Kidd to capture pirates made Kidd's piracy a matter of special indignation and embarra.s.sment to him, particularly when the affair was used in Parliament, in the session of 1700, as a means of attack on the Lord Chancellor Somers (see doc. no. 71, note 1). The agreement with Kidd was an unwise arrangement, but there is no doubt that Bellomont was an honest and zealous official.]

BOSTON, 8th July, 99.

_My Lords_,

I have the Misfortune to be ill of the Gout at a time when I have a great deal of business to exercise both my head and my hand.

It will not be unwellcome News to your Lordships to tell you that I secured Captain Kidd last Thursday in the Gaol of this Town with five or six of his men. He had been hovering on the Coast towards New-York for more than a fortnight, and sent to one Mr. Emot to come from New-York to him at a place called Oyster-Bay in Na.s.sau Island[2] not far from New-York. He brought Emot from thence to Rhoad Island and there landed him, sending him hither to me with an Offer of his comeing into this port provided I would pardon him. I was a litle p.u.s.s.iled how to manage a treaty of that kind with Emot, a cunning Jacobite, a fast Friend of Fletcher's and my avowed enimie. When he proposed my pardoning Kid, I told him It was true the King had allowed me a power to pardon Pyrates; But that I was so tender of useing it (because I would bring no Staine on my Reputation), that I had set myselfe a Rule never to pardon Pyracy without the King's expresse leave and Command. Emot told me that Kid had left the great Moorish Ship he took in India (which Ship I have since found went by the Name of the _Quidah-Marchant_), in a Creek on the Coast of Hispaniola, with Goods to the Value of thirty Thousand pounds: That he had bought a Sloop, in which he was come before to make his termes: that he had brought in the Sloop with him severall Bailes of East India goods, threescore pound weight of gold in Dust and in Ingotts, about a hundred weight of Silver and several other things which he beleived would sell for about Ten Thousand pounds. Emot also told me that Kid was very innocent and would make it appear that his men forced him, locking him up in the Cabin of the _Adventure Galley_ while they robbed two or three Ships, and he could prove this by many witnesses.

I answered Emot that if Kid could make that appear he might safely come into this Port and I would undertake to get him the King's Pardon. I writ a Letter to Captain Kid inviteing him to come in,[3]

and that I would procure a pardon for him, provided he were as innocent as Mr. Emot said he was. I sent my letter to him by one Mr.

Campbell of this Town, and a Scotch as well as Kid, and his Acquaintance: within three or four days Campbell returned to me with a Letter from Kid, full of protestations of his Innocence, and informing me of his Design of coming with his Sloop into this Port. I must not forget to tell your Lordships that Campbell brought three or four small Jewells to my Wife, which I was to know nothing of; but she came quickly and discovered them to me and asked me whither she should keep them, which I advised her to do for the present. For I reflected that my shewing an over-nicety might do hurt, before I had made a full discovery what goods and treasure were in the Sloop. All this whole matter, even to my writing my Letter to Kid, was transacted with the privity and advice of the Councill.

[Footnote 2: Long Island.]

[Footnote 3: The letter, June 19, and Kidd's reply, June 24, are in _Commons Journal_, XIII. 22.]

Kid landed here this day Seven night; and I would not so much as speak with him but before Witnesses: I thought he looked very guilty, and to make me believe so he and his friend Livingston[4] (who posted hither from Albany, upon newes of Captain Kid's designe of comeing hither), and Campbell aforesaid began to juggle together and Imbezle some of the Cargo; besides, Kid did strangely trifle with me and the Councill three or four times that we had him under Examination. Mr. Livingston also came to me in a peremptory manner and demanded up his Bond and the articles which he sealed to me upon Kid's Expedition, and told me that Kid swore all the Oaths in the World that unless I did immediately indemnifie Mr. Livingston by giving up his Securities he would never bring in that great Ship and Cargo, but that he would take care to satisfie Mr. Livingston himself out of that Cargo. I thought this was such an Impertinence, in both Kid and Livingston, that it was time for me to look about me, and to secure Kid. I had notice that he designed my wife a Thousand Pound in Gold Dust and Ingotts last Thursday, but I spoyled his Complement by ordering him to be arrested and committed that Day, showing the Councill my orders from Court for that purpose. Two Gentlemen of the Councill, Two Merchants, and the Collector, have the Charge of all the Cargo, and they are preparing Inventories of every thing, which shall be sent to your Lordships by the next Ship.[5] I delivered up to those five persons the Jewells that I have formerly told you Kid sent by Campbell to my Wife, and that at the Councill Board.

[Footnote 4: Robert Livingston (1654-1725), first proprietor of Livingston Manor, a Scot like Kidd and Campbell, was a member of the council of New York, and secretary for Indian affairs.]

[Footnote 5: This inventory is printed in _Commons Journal_, XIII. 29, and, from a copy preserved by the Gardiner family at Gardiner's Island, in C.C. Gardiner, _Lion Gardiner and his Descendants_ (St.

Louis, 1890), pp. 84-85. Judge Samuel Sewall headed the commission, and supervised the shipping of part of the treasure to London; _Diary_, Ma.s.s. Hist. Soc., _Collections_, XLVI. 7. The total of what was secured by the authorities--obtained from Kidd's box and chest, from the _Antonio_, from Campbell, and from Gardiner--was 1111 troy ounces of gold, 2353 ounces of silver, 17-3/8 ounces of jewels or precious stones, 57 bags of sugar, 41 bales of merchandise, and 17 pieces of canvas. How much leaked away in sloops from Long Island Sound to New York and elsewhere, or in the West Indies, or was destroyed in the burning of the _Quedah Merchant_ in Hispaniola, is matter for conjecture. The total capture, listed above, was thought to be worth 14,000.--Since writing the above, I have come upon Mr. Ralph D. Paine's _The Book of Buried Treasure_ (London, 1911), which presents, at p. 82, a photograph of the inventory mentioned above. Mr.

Paine prints our docs. nos. 72, 76, 79, 82, 84, and part of 85.]

If I had kept Mr. Secretary Vernon's Orders for seizing and securing Kid and his a.s.sociates with all their Effects with less Secrecy, I had never got him to come in: for his Country men, Mr. Graham[6] and Livingston, would have been sure to caution him to shift for him selfe and would have been well paid for their pains. I received the Lords Justices[7] Orders about Kid, and likewise Mr. Secretary Vernon's, about three moneths before my leaveing New-York, but I never discovered them to any body, and when I heard people say, that the neighbouring Governors had Orders from Court to seize him, I laughed, as if I believed noe such thing. I wish they may not let him escape here, as they have Bradish, a notorious Pyrate. About a fortnight ago, Bradish and another Pyrate got out of the Gaol of this Town and escaped with the Consent of the Gaoler as there is great reason to beleive.[8]

[Footnote 6: James Graham, another Scot, was attorney-general of New York and a member of the council.]

[Footnote 7: Acting as chief executive, in the absence of King William.]

[Footnote 8: Joseph Bradish and others of the crew of the ship _Adventure_ of London, on a voyage from London to Borneo in 1698, piratically seized the ship and ran away with it to Block Island. John Higginson of Salem, in a letter of Oct. 3, 1699, after mention of Kidd, adds, "And there was one Bradish, a Cambridge man, who sailed in an interloper bound for India, who, in some part of the East Indies, took an opportunity, when the captain and some of the officers were on sh.o.r.e, to run away with the ship, and came upon our coast, and sunk their ship at Block Island, and brought much wealth ash.o.r.e with them; but Bradish, and many of his company, and what of his wealth could be found, were seized and secured. But Bradish, and one of his men, broke prison and run away amongst the Indians; but it is supposed that he will be taken again." Ma.s.s. Hist. Soc., _Collections_, XXVII. 210.

Judge Sewall reports him as recaptured Oct. 26, 1699, and sent to England with Kidd Feb. 16, 1700. _Ibid._, XLV. 503; XLVI. 6.]

As the Law stands in this Country a Pyrate cannot be punished with Death; therefore I desire to receive orders what to do with Bradish's Crew, and also with Kid, and those Men of his I have taken.[9]

[Footnote 9: A Ma.s.sachusetts act of 1692 punishing piracy with death had been disallowed by the crown. Judge Sewall, in the debate in the council as to the matter, declared that he knew of no power they had to send men out of the province to be tried. _Ibid._, XLVI. 4. He was probably right.]

Since my leaving New-York one of the four Ships has come in that went from thence to Madagascar last Summer and of which I informed your Lordships, and has brought Sixty Pyrates and a vast deall of Treasure.

I hear that every one of the Pyrates paid 150 l. for his pa.s.sage, and the owners, I am told, have cleared thirty Thousand pounds by this Voyage. It is observable that Mr. Hackshaw, one of the Merchants that pet.i.tioned against me to your Lordships, and Stephen Delancy, a hot headed saucy Frenchman and Mr. Hackshaw's Correspondent, are the cheife owners of this Ship. I hear there were 200 Pyrates at Madagascar when this Ship came away, who intended to take their pa.s.sage in Frederick Phillips Ship and the other Two belonging to New York.

A great Ship has been seen off this Coast any time this Week; it is supposed to be one Maise, a Pyrate who has brought a vast deale of wealth from the red Seas.[10] There is a Sloop also at Rhoad Island, which is said to be a Pyrate. I hear the men goe a sh.o.a.r there in the day time and return to the Sloop at night and spend their gold very liberally. We can do nothing towards the taking those Ships, for want of a man of War. I am manning out a Ship to go in Quest of the _Quidah-Marchant_ left by Kid on the Coast of Hispaniola: by some papers which we seized with Kid, and by his own Confession, wee have found out where the Ship lyes;[11] and according to his account of the Cargo we compute her to be worth seventy thousand pounds. The Ship that carries this is just upon Sailing, and will not be persuaded to stay any longer; so that I cannot send your Lordships the Inventories of the Goods brought in by Kid, nor the Informations we have taken about him from his own men, till next opportunity. I am, with Respect,

My Lords

Your Lordships most humble and obedient Servant

BELLOMONT.