Part 16 (1/2)

They stayed here all the monsoon time, which is about six months; after which they resolved for Madagascar. As they came in with the land, they spied a sail coming round from the east side of the island. They gave chase on both sides, so that they soon met. They hailed each other and receiving the same answer from each vessel, viz. _from the seas,_ they joined company.

This vessel was a small French s.h.i.+p, laden with liquors from Martinico, first commanded by one Fourgette, to trade with the pirates for slaves, at Ambonavoula, on the east side of the island, in the lat.i.tude of 17 deg. 30 min. and was by them taken after the following manner.

The pirates, who were headed by George Booth, now commander of the s.h.i.+p, went on board, (as they had often done,) to the number of ten, and carried money with them under pretence of purchasing what they wanted.

This Booth had formerly been gunner of a pirate s.h.i.+p, called the Dolphin. Capt. Fourgette was pretty much upon his guard, and searched every man as he came over the side, and a pair of pocket pistols were found upon a Dutchman, who was the first that entered. The captain told him that _he was a rogue, and had a design upon his s.h.i.+p_, and the pirates pretended to be so angry with this fellow's offering to come on board with arms, that they threatened to knock him on the head, and tossing him roughly into the boat, ordered him ash.o.r.e, though they had before taken an oath on the Bible, either to carry the s.h.i.+p, or die in the undertaking.

They were all searched, but they however contrived to get on board four pistols, which were all the arms they had for the enterprise, though Fourgette had 20 hands on board, and his small arms on the awning, to be in readiness.

The captain invited them into the cabin to dinner, but Booth chose to dine with the petty officer, though one Johnson, Isaac and another, went down. Booth was to give the watchword, which was _hurrah_. Standing near the awning, and being a nimble fellow, at one spring he threw himself upon it, drew the arms to him, fired his pistol among the men, one of whom he wounded, (who jumping overboard was lost) and gave the signal.

Three, I said, were in the cabin, and seven upon deck, who with handspikes and the arms seized, secured the s.h.i.+p's crew. The captain and his two mates, who were at dinner in the cabin, hearing the pistol, fell upon Johnson, and stabbed him in several places with their forks, but they being silver, did him no great damage. Fourgette s.n.a.t.c.hed his piece, which he snapped at Isaac's breast several times, but it would not go off. At last, finding his resistance vain, he submitted, and the pirates set him, and those of his men who would not join them, on sh.o.r.e, allowing him to take his books, papers, and whatever else he claimed as belonging to himself; and besides treating him very humanely, gave him several casks of liquor, with arms and powder, to purchase provisions in the country.

I hope this digression, as it was in a manner needful, will be excused.

I shall now proceed.

After they had taken in the Dolphin's company, which were on the island, and increased their crew, by that means, to the number of 80 hands, they sailed to St. Mary's, where Capt. Mosson's s.h.i.+p lay at anchor, between the island and the main. This gentleman and his whole s.h.i.+p's company had been cut off at the instigation of Ort-Vantyle, a Dutchman of New-York.

Out of her they took water casks and other necessaries; which having done, they designed for the river Methelage, on the west side of Madagascar, in the lat. of 16 degrees or thereabouts, to salt up provisions and to proceed to the East Indies, cruise off the islands of St. John, and lie in wait for the Moor s.h.i.+ps from Mocha.

In their way to Methelage they fell in (as I have said) with the pirate, on board of which was Capt. White. They joined company, came to an anchor together in the above named river, where they had cleaned, salted and took in their provisions, and were ready to go to sea, when a large s.h.i.+p appeared in sight, and stood into the same river.

The pirates knew not whether she was a merchantman or man-of-war. She had been the latter, belonging to the French king, and could mount 50 guns; but being taken by the English, she was bought by some London merchants, and fitted out from that port to slave at Madagascar, and go to Jamaica. The captain was a young, inexperienced man, who was put in with a nurse.

The pirates sent their boats to speak with them, but the s.h.i.+p firing at them, they concluded it a man of war, and rowed ash.o.r.e; the grab standing in, and not keeping her wind so well as the French built s.h.i.+p, run among a parcel of mangroves, and a stump piercing her bottom, she sunk: the other run aground, let go her anchor, and came to no damage, for the tide of flood fetched her off.

The captain of the Speaker, for that was the name of the s.h.i.+p which frightened the pirates, was not a little vain of having forced these two vessels ash.o.r.e, though he did not know whether they were pirates or merchantmen, and could not help expressing himself in these words: ”How will my name ring on the exchange, when it is known I have run two pirates aground;” which gave handle to a satirical return from one of his men after he was taken, who said, ”Lord! how our captain's name will ring on the exchange, when it is heard, he frightened two pirate s.h.i.+ps ash.o.r.e, and was taken by their two boats afterwards.”

When the Speaker came within shot, she fired several times at the two vessels; and when she came to anchor, several more into the country, which alarmed the negroes, who, acquainting their king, he would allow him no trade, till the pirates living ash.o.r.e, and who had a design on his s.h.i.+p, interceded for them, telling the king, they were their countrymen, and what had happened was through a mistake, it being a custom among them to fire their guns by way of respect, and it was owing to the gunner of the s.h.i.+p's negligence that they fired shot.

The captain of the Speaker sent his purser ash.o.r.e, to go up the country to the king, who lived about 24 miles from the coast, to carry a couple of small arms inlaid with gold, a couple of bra.s.s blunderbusses, and a pair of pistols, as presents, and to require trade. As soon as the purser was ash.o.r.e, he was taken prisoner, by one Tom Collins, a Welshman, born in Pembroke, who lived on sh.o.r.e, and had belonged to the Charming Mary, of Barbadoes, which went out with a commission but was converted to a pirate. He told the purser he was his prisoner, and must answer the damage done to two merchants who were slaving. The purser answered, that he was not commander; that the captain was a hot rash youth, put into business by his friends, which he did not understand; but however, satisfaction should be made. He was carried by Collins on board Booth's s.h.i.+p, where, at first, he was talked to in pretty strong terms; but after a while very civilly used, and the next morning sent up to the king with a guide, and peace made for him.

The king allowed them trade, and sent down the usual presents, a couple of oxen between twenty and thirty people laden with rice, and as many more with the country liquor, called _toke_.

The captain then settled the factory on the sh.o.r.e side, and began to buy slaves and provisions. The pirates were among them, and had opportunities of sounding the men, and knowing in what posture the s.h.i.+p lay. They found by one Hugh Man, belonging to the Speaker, that there were not above 40 men on board, and that they had lost the second mate and 20 hands in the long boat, on the coast, before they came into this harbor, but that they kept a good look out, and had their guns ready primed. However, he, for a hundred pounds, undertook to wet all the priming, and a.s.sist in taking the s.h.i.+p.

After some days the captain of the Speaker came on sh.o.r.e, and was received with great civility by the heads of the pirates, having agreed before to make satisfaction. In a day or two after, he was invited by them to eat a barbacued shoat, which invitation he accepted. After dinner, Capt. Bowen, who was, I have already said, a prisoner on board the French pirate, but now become one of the fraternity, and master of the grab, went out, and returned with a case of pistols in his hand, and told the Captain of the Speaker, whose name I won't mention, that he was his prisoner. He asked, upon what account? Bowen answered, ”they wanted his s.h.i.+p, his was a good one, and they were resolved to have her, to make amends for the damage he had done them.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Hugh Man wetting the Priming of the Guns._]

In the mean while his boat's crew, and the rest of his men ash.o.r.e, were told by others of the pirates, who were drinking with them, that they were also prisoners: some of them answered, _Zounds, we don't trouble our heads what we are, let's have t'other bowl of punch_.

A watchword was given, and no boat to be admitted on board the s.h.i.+p.

This word, which was for that night, _Coventry_, was known to them. At 8 o'clock they manned the twelve-oared boat, and the one they found at Mayotta, with 24 men, and set out for the s.h.i.+p. When they were put off, the captain of the Speaker desired them to come back, as he wanted to speak with them. Capt. Booth asked what he wanted! He said, ”they could never take his s.h.i.+p.” ”Then,” said Booth, ”we'll die in or alongside of her.”--”But,” replied the captain, ”if you will go with safety, don't board on the larboard side, for there is a gun out of the steerage loaded with partridge, which will clear the decks.” They thanked him, and proceeded.

When they were near the s.h.i.+p they were hailed, 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--_Pirates, take to your arms my lads_, and immediately clapped a match to a gun, which, as the priming was before wet by the treachery of Hugh Man, only fizzed. 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 s.h.i.+p, and gave her to the captain of the Speaker, and those men who would go off with him, among whom was Man, who had betrayed his s.h.i.+p; for the pirates had both paid him the 100_l_ agreed, and kept his secret. The captain having thus lost his s.h.i.+p, sailed in that which the pirates gave him, for Johanna, where he fell ill and died with grief.

The pirates having here victualled, they sailed for the Bay of St.