Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 60

[Footnote 70: Reefed?]

_Sunday 6._ Opened a bb. of beef. moderate Weather. Out both Reefs of Our Main Sail. hope to G.o.d to have fine weather. Gott Clear of the Reefs and Hurricane which was terrible. Very few G.o.dly Enough to Return G.o.d thanks for their deliverance.

_Munday 7th._ Fine Moderate Weather but Cloudy. Att 6 AM. the Capt.

Ordered the Carpenter to fitt the pinnace with mast and Ordered a Suit of Sails for her.

_Tuesday 8th._ The Weather as above. opened a bb of flowr. Arms to three New hands s.h.i.+pt att providence, Viz Jno. Arnold, Nath Gwinn, and Jno. Jennings, also a pistoll to James Hayes, with whom the Capt.

Exchanged a Muskett for a fowling peice he had.

_Wednesday 9th._ Squally Weather with Rain. Lett Humphry Walters and Tim'y Northwood have 5 yds. of Ozenbrig Each for frock and trowsers, also 6 yds. to John Elderidge. Markt the Sloops Arms on the b.u.t.t with Letter R and the Pistolls with a Cross on the Stock.

_Thursday 10th._ Opened a bb. of beef. Squally Rainy Weather.

_Friday 11th._ The first Settled day Since we left providence. the Joyners made an Arm Chest to Carry in the pinnace when we Go on the Look out. Latt.i.tude per Mas'rs Obs'n 24:32.

_Sat.u.r.day 12._ Fresh breezes of Wind with some Squalls of Rain. att 11 AM. the Capt. Saw the Land off the poup. it was the Croca.s.sess.[71]

[Footnote 71: Caicos, probably; rocky islets at the southeast of the Bahama group.]

_Sunday 13th._ The Capt. Gave the people a Case bottle of Rum for a Tropick bottle[72] for his pinnace. the people Chrisned her and Named her the _Spaniards dread_. Att 11 AM. made the Land of Hispaniola and the Island of Tortudas.[73] We have now Gott in Cruizing Ground, the Lord send Us Good Success against our Ennemies. Squally Rainy Weather for the most part of these 24 hours.

[Footnote 72: A bottle with which to celebrate the "crossing of the line" of the Tropic of Cancer.]

[Footnote 73: Tortuga, north of Haiti.]

_Munday 14th._ Hard Gales of Wind. brought too off of trotudas Under Our foreSail. att 5 AM. Saw a Sloop bearing down Upon us. Gott all things Ready to Receive her. fired Our bow Chase then Hoisted our Jibb and Main Sail and Gave her Chase, and we out Sailing of her she brot.

too. she was a Sloop from Philadelphia bound to Jamaica. We then brot.

too again Under Our ballast main, it blowing a meer frett of wind att No. Opened a bb. of beef and a tierce of bread.

_Tuesday 15._ Still Under Ballast-main Sail. about 5 AM. the Gale abated. Loost Our fore Sail and took the Reef out of our Main Sail.

about 7 AM. Saw the Land which proved to be Cape Maze.[74]

[Footnote 74: Cape Maysi, the eastern point of Cuba.]

_Wednesday 16._ Moderate Weather but an Uncommon Wind att So. Cruzing off of Cape Maze. delivered to Saml. Nixon a New hand a Gun and Cartouch Box, to Marshall a pistoll and Cartouch box he having Lost his that he had found him before, to Ephraim Read and Benjn. Blanchard Each a pistoll theirs being broke, and to Humphry Walters a Cutla.s.ses having lost is [his] Given him before, all which Arms they are to pay for.

_Thursday 17._ Still Cruizing as above. att 7 PM. saw 2 Sloops, one on Our Starbord and the other on the Larboard Bow, steering No.West. We fired Severall Shott to bring them too but one of them was Obstinate.

Capt. Hubbard brot. too att the first Shott. he was Come from Jamaica and bound to York. he Informd Us that there was a large fleet Just Arrived from England to Join the Admiral, that Admiral Vernon was Gone to St. Aga[75] de Cuba, that there was a hott press both by Sea and Land, and that the Spanish Admiral with a Large Man of Warr was blown up att the Avanah,[76] which News We hope is true, that the other Sloop was one Capt. Styles bound also to York and Saild in Comp'y with him, that there was a s.h.i.+p also to Load,[76a] which we Saw with a Schooner, the former bound to London and the Schooner to Rhode Island.

Styles Received Some damage by his Obstinacy for not bringing too, having hulled him and tore his Sails. Att 5 AM. Saw a top sail Vessell, the Master Going to Mast-head to See what Course she Steer'd had the misfortune to break his Arm Just above his wrist. Gave the Vessell Chase as farr as Inagua Island[77] where she brot. too. We made the Capt. Come on board with his papers. he Came from Lougan[78]

and was bound to Nantz in france, Loaded with Sugar, Indigo and Hydes, also 300 ps. of 8/8 Sent by the Intendant to the Receiver of the Customs of Nantz. We went aboard in his Yawl and found his Cargo Agreeable to his Bills of Lading and Manifest togather with his Clearance, so lett him past. he Informed Us that there was a Brigt.

belonging to the Spaniards att Lougan that Came in there by disstress having Lost his Mast, Which Gentleman we hope to have the Honour to dine or Sup with before Long. he further told Us that the Last North Wind had done Great damage having drove Severall Vessell to Sea all Unrigged.

[Footnote 75: Santiago. Vernon and Wentworth, having failed to take Cartagena, were now planning an attack, which proved to be equally unsuccessful, on Santiago de Cuba.]

[Footnote 76: The _Invencible_, flags.h.i.+p of Don Rodrigo de Torres, was struck by lightning in Havana harbor, June 30, 1741, and blown up.

Letter of the viceroy Horcasitas, that day, describing the occurrence, in Pezuela, _Historia de Cuba_, II. 575-577. The admiral did not perish.]

[Footnote 76a: Leeward.]

[Footnote 77: A large island in the southern Bahamas.]

[Footnote 78: Leogane in Haiti (French).]

_Friday 18th._ Calm Weather for these 24 hours. Opened a bb. of beef and a bb. flowr. Att 5 AM. saw two Sails Under Cape Nicholas[79] but coud not speak with them it being start[80] Calm. the Mas'r is in a fair way of doing well with his Arm.

[Footnote 79: The northwest cape of Haiti.]

[Footnote 80: Stark.]

_Sat.u.r.day 19th._ Still moderate Weather. Saw a Sail. Gave Chase.

_Sunday 20th._ Att 5 PM. Came up with the Chase. she proved to be a french s.h.i.+p that was blown out of Loogan in the Hurricane 6 days ago.

she was obliged to Cut her Mizenmast to Gett Clear of the Land. her Quarters were all Stove in and her head Carried away and neither Anchor nor Cable aboard but perris.h.i.+ng for want of water. she had 16 hands aboard and but one Sailor, which was the Master. she had on board 30 hhds. of Sugar, one hhd. and a barrell of Indigo, 13 hhds. of Bourdeaux Wine and provisions plenty. We ordered his boat on board. as soon as the Master Came over the side he fell on his knees and beg'd for help and told us his deplorable Case. We Spared him some Water and put one of Our hands aboard to Navigate his Vessell he being an Intire Stranger on the Coast. he kept Comp'y with Us all Night. the Mas'r Sent us a hhd. of Wine. Att 5 AM. saw the s.h.i.+p a League to Windward of Us. We then made in for the Mole by Cape Nicholas[81] and she Steering after Us We bro't her in, but the Wind Coming ahead and his s.h.i.+p out of trim coud not work up as far as We, So she Came to an Anchor a League below Us. the Capt. of the s.h.i.+p is named Doulteau, the s.h.i.+p _La Genereuse_ from Roch.e.l.l in france, Dutch built. Opened a bb. pork and a bb. flowr.

[Footnote 81: The mole which gives the port its present name of Mole-Saint-Nicolas.]

_Munday 21st._ Our Lieut. went ash.o.a.re to see if he coud kill any Cattle, with 2 more hands. Some of the people went to find water, found 7 Wells, Cleared them. the people on board being in fis.h.i.+ng Cought abundance of fish. some of Our hands compl[ained] they were poisoin'd by Eating of the fish. Att 6 AM. Our pinnace went to the s.h.i.+p to tow her Up, but the Sea breeze Coming in fresh was obliged to moor her as well as we Cou'd.

_Tuesday 22d._ The Capt. Sent me a board the s.h.i.+p to know if they wanted any a.s.sistance. Att 9 PM. they fired a Gun and hoisted a Light for the pinnace to Come on board to tow them up. the Capt. Sent her with 20 hands and towd her above where we Lay and moor'd her head and Stern free from all dangers. Our people very busy in wooding and watering.

_Wednesday 23._ Att 6 PM. the Master of the s.h.i.+p, Chas. Tesier, Came on board to Return Our Capt. thanks for his kind a.s.sistance and Offered him any thing he might have Occasion for. he Gave the people another hhd. of Clarett and some Sugar and a Quarter Cask for the Capts. own drinking, also 6 Lenghth of old Junk.[82] Att 6 AM. Left the poor frenchman in hopes of letting his Capt. Know where he was.

Weighd Anchor from the mold for Cape Maze with a fresh Gale att NW.

Gillmore Our mate Resignd his birth not being Qualifyed for it. John Webb was put in his Room. Opened a bb. flower.

[Footnote 82: Old rope.]

_Thursday 24._ Att 1 PM. was abreast of Cape Maze. Att 6 Lay too Under Our fore Sail. Att 7 AM. hoisted Our main Sail and Sett Our Jibb.

_Friday 25._ Fine Moderate Weather. Gott on Our Cruizing Ground the No. side of Cuba.

_Sat.u.r.day 26th._ About 5 PM. thought we Saw a Vessell att Anchor Under the Land. Lay off and on till 5 AM. then Saw 2 Sails, a brig'ne and a Sloop. Gave them Chase, the Sloop laying too for Us and the brig'ne making the best of her Way to Leaward. We presently Came up with the Sloop and when in Gun Shott hoisted Our pennant. the Compliment was Returned with a Spanish Ensign att Mast head and a Gun to Confirm it.

We then went along Side of him and Rec'd his broadside which we Chearfully Returnd with another. We then tackt, she dropping aStern, and bore away before the Wind Crowding all the sail she Cou'd and We doing the Like. Came again within Gunshott. In the time of Chase we s.h.i.+fted Our Bow Guns to Our fore ports and they had Done the like with their After Guns to their Cabbin Windows, pelting of Us with their Stern Chase and we pepering of them with Our fore Guns, So that after several brisk fiering they att Last struck. We Ordered his Canoe on board which was directly Mannd. the Capt. Came on board and delivered his Commission and Sword to Our Capt. and Surrendered himself a prisoner of War.[83] he was desperatly Wounded in the Arm and severall small Shott in his head and body. three more of his hands was wounded and one Negro boy Killed. This Vessell was fitted out in Novem'r Last from the Avanah and had been on Our Coast Early in the Spring and had taken severall Vessells and bro't them to the Avanah and was again fitted out last August and had mett with Good Success on the Coast of Virginia as per Acct. hereafter mentioned. she mounted 6 Guns and 12 Swivells and 38 hands, two of which were English men that [had] been [made] prisoners and Entered in their Service. their [names] is Caesar Dixon and Robert Patterson. We made all the Sail we Cou'd Crowd after the Brigt. which by this time was almost out of Sight. The damage we Received was not much. Only one man Slightly wounded in the Engagement by a Splinter, John Taylor, two more by an Accident a peice Going off after the fight and shott them both in the Arm. We Received upwards of 20 Shott in Our Sails, 2 through Our Mast and one through Our Gunnell port and all This day the _Revenge_ Establisht her Honour having almost Lost it by Letting the other privateer Go off with them four s.h.i.+ps as is mentioned before. In chase of the Brigt. who is making for the Land.

[Footnote 83: Captain Ponch (Ponce?) he is called in doc. no. 149, and this identifies him with the Captain "Paunche or some such name" whom John Grigg, mariner, of New York, saw at Havana when a prisoner there in 1742-1743, "the same", he says, "who was some time since taken by Captain Norton, and carried into Rhode Island, whence he got to the Havannah, And who is a person sayd to be well acquainted with these coasts". Affidavit in _N.Y. Col. Docs._, VI. 244.]

_Sunday 27th._ Att 4 AM. Came up with Chase. fired two Guns and bro't her too. she was taken by the privateer 23 days before in the Lat.i.tude 26 No. Coming from Barbadoes Loaded with Rum, Sugar and some baggs of Cotton, Commanded by Thomas Smith, bound to Boston. her Owners are Messrs. Lee and Tyler Merchts. there.[84] she had on board 5 Spaniards which we took aboard.

[Footnote 84: Thomas Lee of Salem and Boston (H.C. 1722) and John Tyler, brazier. Capt. Thomas Smith's narrative is doc. no. 149.]

_Munday 28th._ Put the Lieut. on board the privateer prize with Sevl.

hands, also put on board the Brig'ne Capt. Thos. Smith with verball Orders to follow Us till we Coud Gett Letters wrote to Send her to Rhode Island to Capt. Freebody. Opened a tierce of bread.

_Tuesday 29._ Lost Sight of both prizes. Lay too best part of the fore Noon to Lett them Come up with Us.

_Wednesday 30th._ Saw Our prize. bore down upon her. Ordered her Canoe on board, the C Q M[85] went on board to fetch her powder and other Stores out of her. Left but Six hands on board to Navigate her, with Verball Orders to keep us Comp'y. Had a Vandue of old Cloaths which amounted to 101 ps. 8/8 as per Leidger. No News of the Brig'ne. we Suppose she is Gone to the No'w'd. she has one of Our hands on board, Jere. Harman.[86]

[Footnote 85: Company's quartermaster.]