The Pirates' Who's Who Part 17

EUCALLA, DOMINGO.

A negro. Hanged at Kingston, Jamaica, on February 7th, 1823. Made a moving harangue to the spectators from the gallows, ending with a prayer. Of the ten pirates executed this day, Eucalla showed the greatest courage.

EVANS, CAPTAIN JOHN. Welsh pirate.

Was master of a sloop belonging to the Island of Nevis. Afterwards being in Jamaica and out of employment, and berths being scarce, he decided to go "on the account," and in September, 1722, rowed out of Port Royal in a canoe with a few chosen companions. They began piracy in a small way, by paddling along the coast and landing at night to break into a house or two and robbing these of anything they could carry away.

At last at Dun's Hole they found what they were looking for, a small Bermuda sloop lying at anchor. Evans stepped aboard and informed the crew of the sloop that he was captain of their vessel, "which was a piece of news they knew not before." Going on sh.o.r.e, Evans stood treat to his crew at the village inn, spending three pistols on liquid refreshment. He so took the fancy of the publican by his open-handed ways that he was invited to call again. This Evans and his companions did, in the middle of the same night, and rifled the house and took away all they could carry aboard their sloop.

Mounting four guns and christening their little vessel the _Scowerer_, they set sail for Hispaniola. Good luck immediately followed, as on the very next day they took their first prize, a Spanish sloop, an extraordinarily rich prize for her size, for the crew were able to share a sum of 150 a man. For a while all was _coleur de rose_, prize after prize simply falling into their hands. But an unhappy accident was soon to bring an end to Evans's career. The boatswain was a noisy, surly fellow, and on several occasions the captain had words with him about his disrespectful behaviour. The boatswain on one of these occasions so far forgot himself as not only to use ill language to his captain but to challenge him to a fight on the next sh.o.r.e they came to with pistol and sword. On reaching land the cowardly boatswain refused to go ash.o.r.e or to fight, whereupon the captain took his cane and gave him a hearty drubbing, when the boatswain, all of a sudden drawing a pistol, shot Evans through the head, so that he fell down dead. Thus was brought to a tragic and sudden end a career that showed early signs of great promise. The boatswain jumped overboard and swam for the sh.o.r.e, but a boat put off and brought him back to the vessel. A trial was at once held, but the chief gunner, unable to bear with the slow legal procedure any further, stepped forward and shot the prisoner dead.

The crew of thirty men now shared their plunder of some 9,000 and broke up, each going his own way.

EVERSON, CAPTAIN JACOB, _alias_ JACOBS.

In January, 1681, Sir Henry Morgan, then Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica, received information that a famous Dutch buccaneer, Everson, was anch.o.r.ed off the coast in an armed sloop, in company with a brigantine which he had lately captured. This was more than the ex-pirate Governor could tolerate, so he at once set out in a small vessel with fifty picked men. The sloop was boarded at midnight, but Everson and a few others escaped by leaping overboard and swimming to the sh.o.r.e. Most of the prisoners were Englishmen, and were convicted of piracy and hanged.

EXQUEMELIN, ALEXANDER OLIVIER, or ESQUEMELING in English, OEXMELIN in French. Buccaneer.

A surgeon with the most famous buccaneers, Exquemelin will always be known as the historian who recorded the deeds of the buccaneers in his cla.s.sic book, "Bucaniers of America, or a true account of the a.s.saults committed upon the coasts of the West Indies, etc.," published by W. Cooke, London, 1684. This book was first published in Dutch at Amsterdam in 1678, then in German in 1679, in Spanish in 1681. Since then almost innumerable editions and reprints have appeared.

The author was a Fleming, who arrived at Tortuga Island in 1666 as an engage of the French West India Company. After serving for three years under an inhuman master he became so ill that he was sold cheaply to a surgeon. By the kind treatment of his new master Exquemelin soon regained his health, and at the same time picked up the rudiments of the craft of barber surgeon. He was in all the great exploits of the buccaneers, and writes a clear, entertaining, and apparently perfectly accurate first-hand account of these adventures. He returned to Europe in 1674, and shortly afterwards published his book.

FALL, JOHN.

This buccaneer was one of Captain Sharp's crew. On the death of John Hilliard, the s.h.i.+p's master, Fall was promoted to the larboard watch.

Nothing further is known of this man.

FARRINGTON, THOMAS.

One of John Quelch's crew on the brigantine _Charles_. Tried for piracy at Boston in June, 1704, at the Star Tavern.

FENN, CAPTAIN JOHN.

In the year 1721 Captain Anstis took prize a stout s.h.i.+p, the _Morning Star_, bound from Guiney to Carolina. This s.h.i.+p the pirates armed with thirty-two pieces of cannon, manned her with a crew of one hundred men, and placed Fenn in command, who had until then been gunner in Anstis's s.h.i.+p, the _Good Fortune_. Fenn was a one-handed man. By carelessness, or perhaps because of Fenn only having one hand, the _Morning Star_ was run on to a reef in the Grand Caymans and lost. Fenn and a few others had just been taken on board by his consort when two King's s.h.i.+ps arrived, and the _Good Fortune_ barely escaped capture.

Fenn was soon given another s.h.i.+p, one armed with twenty-four guns. In April, 1723, while cleaning their s.h.i.+p at the Island of Tobago, they were suddenly surprised by the arrival of a man-of-war, the _Winchelsea_.

Setting fire to their s.h.i.+p, the crew ran to hide in the woods. Fenn was caught a few days later struggling through the jungle with his gunner.

FERDINANDO, LEWIS.

In 1699 he captured a sloop belonging to Samuel Salters, of Bermuda.

FERN, THOMAS.

A Newfoundland fish-splitter.

In August, 1723, joined with John Phillips in stealing a small vessel, which they called the _Revenge_, and went "on the account." Fern was appointed carpenter. Fern gave trouble afterwards over the promotion of a prisoner, an old pirate called Rose Archer, to the rank of quartermaster.

Later on Fern headed a mutiny and attempted to sail off on his own in one of the prize vessels. He was caught, brought back, and forgiven, but on attempting to run away a second time, Captain Phillips killed him, "pursuant to the pirates articles."

FERNON, WILLIAM.

A Somersets.h.i.+re man.

Taken from a Newfoundland s.h.i.+p, he became a seaman aboard Bartholomew Roberts's _Royal Fortune_. Died at the age of 22.

FIFE, CAPTAIN JAMES.

Surrendered to Governor Woodes Rogers at New Providence Island, Bahamas, in June, 1718, and received the royal pardon to pirates. Was afterwards killed by his own crew.

FILLMORE, JOHN.

A fisherman of Ipswich.

Taken out of the _Dolphin_ when fis.h.i.+ng for cod off the Banks of Newfoundland in 1724 by the pirate Captain Phillips, and forced to join the pirates. Having no other means of escape he, with two others, suddenly killed Phillips and two more pirates and brought the vessel into Boston Harbour. Millard Fillmore, thirteenth President of the United States, was the great grandson of John Fillmore.

FITZERRALD, JOHN.

Of Limerick.

This Irish pirate was hanged at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1723, at the age of 21.

FLEMING, CAPTAIN. Pirate.

This notorious Elizabethan pirate did his country a great service by bringing to Plymouth the first tidings of the approach of the Spanish Armada in 1585.

To quote John Smith, the great Elizabethan traveller and the founder of the colony of Virginia, "Fleming was an expert and as much sought for as any pirate of the Queen's reign, yet such a friend to his Country, that discovering the Spanish Armada, he voluntarily came to Plymouth, yielded himself freely to my Lord Admirall, and gave him notice of the Spaniards coming: which good warning came so happily and unexpectedly, that he had his pardon, and a good reward."

FLETCHER, JOHN.

Of Edinburgh.

Tried at Newport, Rhode Island, for piracy in 1723, found "not guilty."