A General History of the Pyrates Part 7

And consider that Death is not the only Punishment due to _Murderers_; for they are threatened to have _their Part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone, which is the second Death_, Rev. 21. 8. See _Chap._ 22. 15.

Words which carry that Terror with them, that considering your Circ.u.mstances and your Guilt, surely the Sound of them must make you tremble; _For who can dwell with everlasting Burnings?_ Chap. 33. 14.

As the _Testimony_ of your _Conscience_ must convince you of the great and many Evils you have committed, by which you have highly offended G.o.d, and provoked most justly his Wrath and Indignation against you, so I suppose I need not tell you that the only Way of obtaining Pardon and Remission of your Sins from G.o.d, is by a true and unfeigned _Repentance_ and _Faith_ in Christ, by whose meritorious Death and Pa.s.sion, you can only hope for Salvation.

You being a Gentleman that have had the Advantage of a _liberal Education_, and being generally esteemed a Man of _Letters_, I believe it will be needless for me to explain to you the Nature of _Repentance_ and _Faith_ in Christ, they being so fully and so often mentioned in the Scriptures, that you cannot but know them. And therefore, perhaps, for that Reason it might be thought by some improper for me to have said so much to you, as I have already upon this Occasion; neither should I have done it, but that considering the Course of your Life and Actions, I have just Reason to fear, that the Principles of Religion that had been instilled into you by your _Education_, have been at least corrupted, if not entirely defaced, by the _Scepticism_ and _Infidelity_ of this wicked Age; and that what Time you allowed for Study, was rather applied to the _Polite Literature_, and the vain _Philosophy_ of the Times, than a serious Search after the _Law_ and _Will_ of G.o.d, as revealed unto us in the Holy _Scriptures_: For _had your Delight been in the Law of the Lord, and that you had meditated therein Day and Night_, Psal. 1. 2. you would then have found that G.o.d's _Word was a Lamp unto your Feet, and a Light to your Path_, Psal. 119. 105.

and that you would account all other Knowledge but _Loss_, in Comparison of _the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus_, Phil. 3. 8. _who to them that are called is the Power of G.o.d, and the Wisdom of G.o.d_, 1 Cor. 1. 24.

_even the hidden Wisdom which G.o.d ordained before the World_, Chap. 2. 7.

You would then have esteemed the _Scriptures_ as the _Great Charter_ of Heaven, and which delivered to us not only the most perfect _Laws_ and _Rules_ of Life, but also discovered to us the Acts of _Pardon_ from G.o.d, wherein they have offended those righteous Laws: For in them only is to be found the great _Mystery_ of fallen Man's _Redemption, which the Angels desire to look into_, 1 Pet. 1. 12.

And they would have taught you that _Sin_ is the debasing of _Human Nature_, as being a _Derivation_ from that _Purity, Rect.i.tude_, and _Holiness_, in which G.o.d created us, and that _Virtue_ and _Religion_, and walking by the Laws of G.o.d, were altogether preferable to the Ways of _Sin_ and _Satan_; for that the _Ways_ of Virtue are _Ways of Pleasantness, and all their Paths are Peace_, Prov. 3. 17.

But what you could not learn from G.o.d's Word, by reason of your _carelesly_, or but _superficially_ considering the same, I hope the Course of his _Providence_, and the present _Afflictions_ that he hath laid upon you, hath now convinced you of the same: For however in your seeming Prosperity you might make a _Mock at your Sins_ Prov. 3. 17. yet now that you see that G.o.d's Hand hath reached you, and brought you to publick Justice, I hope your present unhappy Circ.u.mstances hath made you seriously reflect upon your past Actions and Course of Life; and that you are now sensible of the Greatness of your Sins, and that you find the Burden of them is intolerable.

And that therefore being thus _labouring, and heavy laden with Sin_, Mat.

11. 28. you will esteem that as the most valuable _Knowledge_, that can shew you how you can be reconciled to that Supreme G.o.d that you have so highly offended; and that can reveal to you Him who is not only the powerful _Advocate with the Father for you_, 1 John 2. 1. but also who hath paid that Debt that is due for your Sins by his own Death upon the Cross for you; and thereby made full Satisfaction for the Justice of G.o.d. And this is to be found no where but in G.o.d's Word, which discovers to us that _Lamb of G.o.d which takes away the Sins of the World_, John 1. 29. which is _Christ_ the Son of G.o.d: For this know, and be a.s.sured, _that there is none other Name under Heaven given among Men, whereby we must be saved_, Acts 4.

12. but only by the Name of the Lord _Jesus_.

But then consider how he invites all Sinners to come unto him, and, _that he will give them rest_, Matt. 11. 28. for he a.s.sures us, _that he came to seek and to save that which was lost_, Luke 19. 10, Mat. 18. 11. and hath promised, _that he that cometh unto him, he will in no wise cast out_, John 6. 37.

So that if now you will sincerely turn to him, tho' late, even at the _eleventh Hour_, Mat. 20. 6, 9. he will receive you.

But surely I need not tell you, that the _Terms_ of his _Mercy_ is _Faith_ and _Repentance_.

And do not mistake the _Nature_ of Repentance to be only a bare Sorrow for your Sins, arising from the Consideration of the _Evil_ and _Punishment_ they have now brought upon you; but your Sorrow must arise from the Consideration of your having offended a gracious and merciful G.o.d.

But I shall not pretend to give you any particular Directions as to the Nature of Repentance: I consider that I speak to a Person, whose Offences have proceeded not so much from his not _knowing_, as his _slighting_ and _neglecting_ his _Duty_: Neither is it proper for me to give Advice out of the Way of my own Profession.

You may have that better delivered to you by those who have made Divinity their particular Study; and who, by their Knowledge, as well as their Office, as being the _Amba.s.sadors of Christ_, 2 Cor. 5. 20. are best qualified to give you Instructions therein.

I only heartily wish, that what, in Compa.s.sion to your Soul, I have now said to you upon this sad and solemn Occasion, by exhorting you in general to _Faith_ and _Repentance_, may have that due Effect upon you, that thereby you may become a true _Penitent_.

And therefore having now discharged my Duty to you as a _Christian_, by giving you the best Counsel I can, with respect to the Salvation of your Soul, I must now do my Office as a _Judge_.

The _Sentence_ that the Law hath appointed to pa.s.s upon you for your Offences, and which this Court doth therefore award, is,

_That you, the said_ Stede Bonnet, _shall go from hence to the Place from whence you came, and from thence to the Place of Execution, where you shall be hanged by the Neck till you are dead_.

_And the G.o.d of infinite Mercy be merciful to your Soul_.

CHAP. V. OF Capt. _Edward England_, And his CREW.

E_Dward England_ went Mate of a Sloop that sail'd out of _Jamaica_, and was taken by Captain _Winter_, a Pyrate, just before their Settlement at _Providence_; from whence _England_ had the Command of a Sloop in the same laudable Employment: It is surprizing that Men of good Understanding should engage in a Course of Life, that so much debases humane Nature, and sets them upon a Level with the wild Beasts of the Forest, who live and prey upon their weaker Fellow Creatures: A Crime so enormous! That it includes almost all others, as Murder, Rapine, Theft, Ingrat.i.tude, _&c._ and tho' they make these Vices familiar to them by their daily Practice, yet these Men are so inconsistent with themselves, that a Reflection made upon their Honour, their Justice, or their Courage, is look'd upon as an Offence that ought to be punished with the Life of him that commits it: _England_ was one of these Men, who seem'd to have such a Share of Reason, as should have taught him better Things. He had a great deal of good Nature, and did not want for Courage; he was not avaritious, and always averse to the ill Usage Prisoners received: He would have been contented with moderate Plunder, and less mischievous Pranks, could his Companions have been brought to the same Temper, but he was generally over-rul'd, and as he was engaged in that abominable Society, he was obliged to be a Partner in all their vile Actions.

Captain _England_ sail'd to the Coast of _Africa_, after the Island of _Providence_ was settled by the _English_ Government, and the Pyrates surrendered to his Majesty's Proclamation; and took several s.h.i.+ps and Vessels, particularly the _Cadogan_ Snow belonging to _Bristol_, at _Sierraleone_, one _Skinner_ Master, who was inhumanly murthered by some of the Crew, that had lately been his own Men, and served in the said Vessel.

It seems some Quarrel had happened between them, so that _Skinner_ thought fit to remove these Fellows on Board of a Man of War, and at the same Time refused them their Wages; not long after they found Means to desert that Service, and s.h.i.+pping themselves aboard a Sloop in the _West-Indies_, was taken by a Pyrate, and brought to _Providence_, and sailed upon the same Account along with Captain _England_.

a.s.soon as _Skinner_ had struck to the Pyrate, he was ordered to come on Board in his Boat, which he did, and the Person that he first cast his Eye upon, proved to be his old Boatswain, who star'd him in the Face like his evil Genius, and accosted him in this Manner.-- _Ah, Captain_ Skinner! _Is it you? The only Man I wished to see; I am much in your Debt, and now I shall pay you all in your own Coin_.

The poor Man trembled every Joint, when he found into what Company he had fallen, and dreaded the Event, as he had Reason enough so to do; for the Boatswain immediately called to his Consorts, laid hold of the Captain, and made him fast to the Windless, and there pelted him with Gla.s.s Bottles, which cut him in a sad Manner; after which they whipp'd him about the Deck, till they were weary, being deaf to all his Prayers and Intreaties, and at last, because he had been a good Master to his Men, they said, he should have an easy Death, and so shot him thro' the Head. They took some few Things out of the Snow, but gave the Vessel and all her Cargo to _Howel Davis_ the Mate; and the rest of the Crew, as will be hereafter mentioned in the Chapter of Captain _Davis_.

Captain _England_ took a s.h.i.+p called the _Pearl_, Captain _Tyzard_ Commander, for which he exchanged his own Sloop, fitted her up for the pyratical Account, and new christen'd her, the _Royal James_, with which he took several s.h.i.+ps and Vessels of different Nations at the _Azores_ and _Cape de Verd Islands_.

In the Spring, 1719, the Rovers returned to _Africa_, and beginning at the River _Gambia_, sailed all down the Coast; and between that and _Cape Corso_, took the following s.h.i.+ps and Vessels.

The _Eagle_ Pink, Captain _Rickets_ Commander belonging to _Cork_, taken the 25th of _March_, having 6 Guns and 17 Men on Board, seven of which turned Pyrates.

The _Charlotte_, Captain _Oldson_, of _London_, taken _May_ the 26th, having 8 Guns and 18 Men on Board, 13 of which turned Pyrates.

The _Sarah_, Captain _Stunt_, of _London_, taken the 27th of _May_, having 4 Guns and 18 Men on Board, 3 of which turned Pyrates.

The _Bentworth_, Captain _Gardener_, of _Bristol_, taken the 27th of _May_, having 12 Guns and 30 Men on Board, 12 of which turned Pyrates.

The _Buck_ Sloop, Captain _Sylvester_, of _Gambia_, taken the 27th of _May_, having 2 Guns and 2 Men on Board, and both turned Pyrates.

The _Carteret_, Captain _Snow_, of _London_, taken the 28th of _May_, having 4 Guns and 18 Men on Board, 5 of which turned Pyrates.

The _Mercury_, Captain _Maggott_, of _London_, taken the 29th of _May_, having 4 Guns and 18 Men on Board, 5 of which turned Pyrates.

The _Coward_ Galley, Captain _Creed_, of _London_, taken the 17th of _June_, having 2 Guns and 13 Men on Board, 4 of which turned Pyrates.

The _Elizabeth_ and _Katherine_, Captain _Bridge_ of _Barbadoes_, taken _June_ the 27th, having 6 Guns and 14 Men on Board, 4 of which turned Pyrates.

The _Eagle_ Pink being bound to _Jamaica_, the _Sarah_ to _Virginia_, and the _Buck_ to _Maryland_, they let them go, but the _Charlotte_, the _Bentworth_, the _Carteret_, and the _Coward_ Galley, they burnt; and the _Mercury_, and the _Elizabeth_ and _Katherine_ were fitted up for Pyrate s.h.i.+ps, the former was new nam'd _Queen Ann_'s _Revenge_, and commanded by one _Lane_, and the other was call'd the _Flying King_, of which _Robert Sample_ was appointed Captain. These two left _England_ upon the Coast, sail'd to the _West-Indies_, where they took some Prizes, clean'd, and sail'd to _Brasil_ in _November_; they took several _Portuguese_ s.h.i.+ps there, and did a great deal of Mischief, but in the height of their Undertakings, a _Portuguese_ Man of War, which was an excellent Sailor, came a very unwelcome Guest to them, and gave them Chace; the Queen _Ann's Revenge_ got off, but was lost a little while after upon that Coast; and the _Flying King_, giving herself over for lost, ran ash.o.r.e: There were then 70 Men on Board, 12 of which were kill'd, and the rest taken Prisoners, of whom the _Portuguese_ hang'd 38, of which 32 were _English_, three _Dutch_, two _French_, and one of their own Nation.

_England_, in going down the Coast, took the _Peterborough_ Galley of _Bristol_, Captain _Owen_; and the _Victory_, Captain _Ridout_; the former they detained, but plundered the latter, and let her go. In _Cape Corso_ Road, they saw two Sail at Anchor, but before they could reach them, they slipp'd their Cables and got close under _Cape Corso Castle_, these were the _Whydah_, Captain _Prince_, and the _John_, Captain _Rider_: The Pyrates upon this made a fire s.h.i.+p of a Vessel they had lately taken, and attempted to burn them, as tho' they had been a common Enemy, which if effected, they could not have been one Farthing the better for it; but the Castle firing warmly upon them, they withdrew, and sail'd down to _Whydah_ Road, where they found another Pyrate, one Captain _la Bouche_, who getting thither before _England_ arrived, had forestall'd the Market, and greatly disappointed their Brethren.

Captain _England_, after this Baulk, went into a Harbour, clean'd his own s.h.i.+p, and fitted up the _Peterborough_, which he call'd the _Victory_; they liv'd there very wantonly for several Weeks, making free with the Negroe Women, and committing such outragious Acts, that they came to an open Rupture with the Natives, several of whom they kill'd, and one of their Towns they set on Fire.

When the Pyrates came out to Sea, they put it to a Vote what Voyage to take, and the Majority carrying it for the _East-Indies_, they shap'd their Course accordingly, and arrived at _Madagascar_, the Beginning of the Year 1720. They staid not long there, but after taking in Water and Provisions, sail'd for the Coast of _Malabar_, which is a fine fruitful Country in the _East-Indies_, in the Empire of the _Mogul_, but immediately subject to its own Princes: It reaches from the Coast of _Canara_ to _Cape Camorin_, which is between 7 30, and 12 North Latt.i.tude, and in about 75 East Longitude, counting from the Meridian of _London_. The old Natives are Pagans, but there are a great Number of _Mahometans_ inhabiting among them, who are Merchants, and generally rich. On the same Coast, but in a Province to the Northward lies _Goa, Surat, Bombay_, where the _English, Dutch_, and _Portuguese_ have Settlements.

Hither our Pyrates came, having made a Tour of half the Globe, as the Psalmist says of the Devils, _Going about like roaring Lions, seeking whom they might devour_. They took several Country s.h.i.+ps, that is, _Indian_ Vessels, and one European, a _Dutch_ s.h.i.+p, which they exchanged for one of their own, and then came back to _Madagascar_.

They sent several of their Hands on Sh.o.r.e with Tents, Powder, and Shot, to kill Hogs, Venison, and such other fresh Provision as the Island afforded, and a Whim came into their Heads to seek out for the Remains of _Avery_'s Crew, whom they knew to be settled somewhere in the Island.--Accordingly some of them travell'd several Days Journey, without hearing any Intelligence of them, and so were forc'd to return with the Loss of their Labour, for these Men were settled on the other Side of the Island, as has been taken Notice of under the Chapter of _Avery_.

They stay'd not long here, after they had clean'd their s.h.i.+ps, but sailing to _Juanna_; they met two _English_, and one _Ostend India_ Men, coming out of that Harbour, one of which, after a desperate Resistance, they took; the Particulars of which Action is at length related in the following Letter, wrote by the Captain from _Bombay_.

A LETTER from Captain _Mackra_, dated at _Bombay, Nov._ 16, 1720.

W_E arrived the_ 25_th of_ July _last, in Company of the_ Greenwich, _at_ Juanna, (_an Island not far from_ Madagascar) _putting in there to refresh our Men, we found fourteen Pyrates that came in their Canoes from the_ Mayotta, _where the Pyrate s.h.i.+p to which they belong'd_, viz. _the_ Indian Queen, _two hundred and fifty Tons, twenty eight Guns, and ninety Men, commanded by Capt._ Oliver de la Bouche, _bound from the_ Guinea _Coast to the_ East-Indies, _had been bulged and lost. They said they left the Captain and_ 40 _of their Men building a new Vessel to proceed on their wicked Design. Capt._ Kirby _and I concluding it might be of great Service to the_ East-India _Company to destroy such a Nest of Rogues, were ready to sail for that Purpose the_ 17_th of_ August, _about Eight o'Clock in the Morning, when we discovered two Pyrate s.h.i.+ps standing into the Bay of_ Juanna, _one of thirty four, and the other of thirty Guns. I immediately went on Board the_ Greenwich, _where they seem'd very diligent in Preparations for an Engagement, and I left Capt._ Kirby _with mutual Promises of standing by each other. I then unmoor'd, got under Sail, and brought two Boats a-head to row me close to the_ Greenwich; _but he being open to a Valley and a Breeze, made the best of his Way from me; which an_ Ostender _in our Company, of_ 22 _Guns, seeing, did the same, though the Captain had promised heartily to engage with us, and I believe would have been as good as his Word, if Capt._ Kirby _had kept his. About half an Hour after Twelve, I called several times to the_ Greenwich _to bear down to our a.s.sistance, and fir'd Shot at him, but to no Purpose. For tho' we did not doubt but he would join us, because when he got about a League from us, he brought his s.h.i.+p to, and look'd on, yet both he and the_ Ostender _basely deserted us, and left us engaged with barbarous and inhuman Enemies, with their black and b.l.o.o.d.y Flags hanging over us, without the least Appearance of escaping being cut to Pieces. But G.o.d, in his good Providence, determin'd otherwise; for notwithstanding their Superiority, we engaged 'em both about three Hours, during which, the biggest received some Shot betwixt Wind and Water, which made her keep off a little to stop her Leaks.

The other endeavoured all she could to board us, by rowing with her Oars, being within half a s.h.i.+p's Length of us above an Hour; but by good Fortune we shot all her Oars to Pieces, which prevented them, and by consequence saved our Lives_.

_About Four o'Clock, most of the Officers and Men posted on the Quarter-Deck being killed and wounded, the largest s.h.i.+p making up to us with all Diligence, being still within a Cable's Length of us, often giving us a Broadside, and no hopes of Capt._ Kirby_'s coming to our a.s.sistance, we endeavoured to run ash.o.a.r; and tho' we drew four Foot Water more than the Pyrate, it pleased G.o.d that he stuck fast on a higher Ground than we happily fell in with; so was disappointed a second time from boarding us.

Here we had a more violent Engagement than before. All my Officers, and most of my Men, behaved with unexpected Courage; and as we had a considerable Advantage by having a Broadside to his Bow, we did him great Damage, so that had Capt._ Kirby _come in then, I believe we should have taken both, for we had one of them sure; but the other Pyrate_ (_who was still firing at us_) _seeing the_ Greenwich _did not offer to a.s.sist us, he supplied his Consort with three Boats full of fresh Men. About Five in the Evening the_ Greenwich _stood clear away to Sea, leaving us struggling hard for Life in the very Jaws of Death; which the other Pyrate, that was afloat, seeing, got a-warp out, and was hauling under our Stern; by which time many of my Men being killed and wounded, and no Hopes left us from being all murdered by enraged barbarous Conquerors, I order'd all that could, to get into the Long-Boat under the Cover of the Smoak of our Guns; so that with what some did in Boats, and others by swimming, most of us that were able got ash.o.a.r by Seven o' Clock. When the Pyrates came aboard, they cut three of our wounded Men to Pieces. I, with a few of my People, made what haste I could to the_ King's-Town, _twenty five Miles from us, where I arrived next Day, almost dead with Fatigue and Loss of Blood, having been sorely wounded in the Head by a Musket Ball_.

_At this Town I heard that the Pyrates had offered ten thousand Dollars to the Country People to bring me in, which many of them would have accepted, only they knew the King and all his chief People were in my Interest. Mean time, I caused a Report to be spread, that I was dead of my Wounds, which much abated their Fury. About ten Days after, being pretty well recovered, and hoping the Malice of our Enemies was nigh over, I began to consider the dismal Condition we were reduced to, being in a Place where we had no Hopes of getting a Pa.s.sage home, all of us in a manner naked, not having had Time to get another s.h.i.+rt, or a Pair of Shoes_.