The Pirates' Who's Who Part 28

My name was Robert Kidd, when I sailed, when I sailed, My name was Robert Kidd, when I sailed, My name was Robert Kidd, G.o.d's laws I did forbid, And so wickedly I did, when I sailed.

My parents taught me well, when I sailed, when I sailed, My parents taught me well, when I sailed, My parents taught me well, To shun the gates of h.e.l.l, But 'gainst them I rebelled, when I sailed.

I'd a Bible in my hand, when I sailed, when I sailed, I'd a Bible in my hand, when I sailed, I'd a Bible in my hand, By my father's great command, And sunk it in the sand, when I sailed.

I murdered William Moore, as I sailed, as I sailed, I murdered William Moore, as I sailed, I murdered William Moore, And laid him in his gore, Not many leagues from sh.o.r.e, as I sailed.

I was sick and nigh to death, when I sailed, when I sailed, I was sick and nigh to death, when I sailed, I was sick and nigh to death, And I vowed at every breath, To walk in wisdom's ways, as I sailed.

I thought I was undone, as I sailed, as I sailed, I thought I was undone, as I sailed, I thought I was undone, And my wicked gla.s.s had run, But health did soon return, as I sailed.

My repentance lasted not, as I sailed, as I sailed, My repentance lasted not, as I sailed, My repentance lasted not, My vows I soon forgot, d.a.m.nation was my lot, as I sailed.

I spyed the s.h.i.+ps from France, as I sailed, as I sailed, I spyed the s.h.i.+ps of France, as I sailed, I spyed the s.h.i.+ps from France, To them I did advance, And took them all by chance, as I sailed.

I spyed the s.h.i.+ps of Spain, as I sailed, as I sailed, I spyed the s.h.i.+ps of Spain, as I sailed, I spyed the s.h.i.+ps of Spain, I fired on them amain, 'Till most of them was slain, as I sailed.

I'd ninety bars of gold, as I sailed, as I sailed, I'd ninety bars of gold, as I sailed, I'd ninety bars of gold, And dollars manifold, With riches uncontrolled, as I sailed.

Thus being o'er-taken at last, I must die, I must die, Thus being o'er-taken at last, I must die, Thus being o'er-taken at last, And into prison cast, And sentence being pa.s.sed, I must die.

Farewell, the raging main, I must die, I must die, Farewell, the raging main, I must die, Farewell, the raging main, To Turkey, France and Spain, I shall n'er see you again, I must die.

To Execution Dock I must go, I must go, To Execution Dock I must go, To Execution Dock, Will many thousands flock, But I must bear the shock, and must die.

Come all ye young and old, see me die, see me die, Come all ye young and old, see me die, Come all ye young and old, You're welcome to my gold, For by it I've lost my soul, and must die.

Take warning now by me, for I must die, for I must die, Take warning now by me, for I must die, Take warning now by me, And shun bad company, Lest you come to h.e.l.l with me, for I die.

KILLING, JAMES.

One of Major Stede Bonnet's crew, who gave evidence against him at his trial at Charleston in 1718.

KING, CHARLES.

Attempted to escape in the _Larimore_ galley, but was captured and brought into Salem. Tried at Boston with the rest of Quelch's crew in June, 1704.

KING, FRANCIS.

One of Captain Quelch's crew captured in the _Larimore_ galley by Major Sewall, and brought into Salem Harbour on June 11th, 1704. Tried at Boston and condemned to be hanged. Was reprieved while standing on the gallows.

KING, JOHN.

One of Captain Quelch's crew taken out of the _Larimore_ galley. Tried at Boston in June, 1704.

KING, MATTHEW.

Of Jamaica.

One of Major Stede Bonnet's crew. Was hanged at Charleston, South Carolina, on November 8th, 1718, and buried in the marsh below low-water mark.

KNEEVES, PETER.

Of Exeter in Devon.

Sailed with Captain Charles Harris, and was tried for piracy with the rest of his crew at Rhode Island in 1723. Hanged at Newport at the age of 32.

KNIGHT, CAPTAIN W. Buccaneer.

In 1686 Knight was cruising off the coast of Peru and Chile with Swan, Townley, and Davis. At the end of that year, having got a fair quant.i.ty of plunder, he sailed round the Horn to the West Indies.

KNIGHT, CHRISTOPHER.

One of Captain Coward's crew. Tried for piracy at Boston in January, 1690, and found guilty, but afterwards reprieved.

KNOT, CAPTAIN.

An old Ma.s.sachusetts pirate who retired from the sea and was settled in Boston in 1699. His wife gave information to the Governor, the Earl of Bellomont, of the whereabouts of a pirate called Gillam, who was "wanted."

KOXINGA. His real name was Kuo-hsing Yeh, Koxinga being the Portuguese version.

The son of a Chinese pirate, Cheng Chih-lung, by a j.a.panese mother, he was born in 1623.

From early youth Koxinga was inspired with a hatred of the Manchus, who had imprisoned his father.

The young pirate soon became so successful in his raids along the coast of China that the Emperor resorted to the extraordinary expedient of ordering the inhabitants of more than eighty seaboard towns to migrate ten miles inland, after destroying their homes.

There can be no doubt that Koxinga was a thorough-going cut-throat pirate, worked solely for his own ambitious ends and to satisfy his revengeful feelings, but the fact that he fought against the alien conquerors, the Dutch in Formosa, and defeated them, caused him to be regarded as a hero pirate.

His father was executed at Peking, which only increased his bitterness against the reigning house. Koxinga made himself what was, to all intents and purposes, the ruler of Formosa, and the island became, through him, part of the Chinese Empire.

After his death, which took place in 1662, he received official canonization.

The direct descendant of Koxinga, the pirate, is one of the very few hereditary n.o.bles in China.

LACY, ABRAHAM.

Of Devons.h.i.+re.