IX: Of Captain Bartho. Roberts, and His Crew

Thus narrowly escaped, they sailed for Newfoundland, and arrived upon the banks the latter end of June, 1720. They entered the Harbour of Trepassey, with their black colours flying, drums beating, and trumpets sounding. There were two and twenty vessels in the harbour, which the men all quitted upon the sight of the pirate, and fled ashore. It is impossible particularly to recount the destruction and havoc they made here, burning and sinking all the shipping, except a Bristol galley, and destroying the fisheries, and stages of the poor planters, without remorse or compunction; for nothing is so deplorable as power in mean and ignorant hands, it makes men wanton and giddy, unconcerned at the misfortunes they are imposing on their fellow creatures, and keeps them smiling at the mischiefs, that bring themselves no advantage. They are like mad men, that cast firebrands, arrows, and death, and say, are not we in sport?

Roberts mann’d the Bristol galley he took in the harbour, and mounted 16 guns on board her, and cruising out upon the banks, he met with nine or ten sail of French ships, all which he destroyed except one of 26 guns, which they seiz’d, and carried off for their own use. This ship they christ’ned the Fortune, and leaving the Bristol galley to the Frenchmen, they sailed away in company with the sloop, on another cruise, and took several prizes, viz. the Richard of Biddiford, Jonathan Whitfield Master; the Willing Mind of Poole; the Expectation of Topsham; and the Samuel, Captain Cary, of London; out of these ships they increased their company, by entering all the men they could well spare, in their own service. The Samuel was a rich ship, and had several passengers on board, who were used very roughly, in order to make them discover their money, threatening them every moment with death, if they did not resign everything up to them. They tore up the hatches and entered the hold like a parcel of furies, and with axes and cutlashes, cut and broke open all the bales, cases, and boxes, they could lay their hands on; and when any goods came upon deck, that they did not like to carry aboard, instead of tossing them into the hold again, threw them overboard into the sea; all this was done with incessant cursing and swearing, more like fiends than men. They carried with them, sails, guns, powder, cordage, and 8 or 9,000 £ worth of the choicest goods; and told Captain Cary, that they should accept of no act of grace; that the K—— and P——t might be damned with their acts of g—— for them; neither would they go to Hope Point, to be hang’d up a sun drying, as Kidd’s, and Braddish’s company were; but that if they should ever be overpower’d, they would set fire to the powder, with a pistol, and go all merrily to hell together.

After they had brought all the booty aboard, a consultation was held whether they should sink or burn the ship, but whilst they were debating the matter, they spied a sail, and so left the Samuel, to give her chase; at midnight they came up with the same, which proved to be a snow from Bristol, bound for Boston, Captain Bowles Master: they us’d him barbarously, because of his country, Captain Rogers, who attack’d them off Barbados, being of the city of Bristol.

July the 16th, which was two days afterwards, they took a Virginia man called the Little York, James Philips Master, and the Love, of Liverpool, which they plundered and let go; the next day a snow from Bristol, call’d the Phoenix, John Richards Master, met with the same fate from them; as also a brigantine, Captain Thomas, and a sloop called the Sadbury; they took all the men out of the brigantine, and sunk the vessel.

When they left the banks of Newfoundland, they sailed for the West Indies, and the provisions growing short, they went for the latitude of the island Deseada, to cruise, it being esteemed the likeliest place to meet with such ships as (they used in their mirth to say) were consigned to them, with supplies. And it has been very much suspected that ships have loaded with provisions at the English colonies, on pretence of trading on the coast of Africa, when they have in reality been consigned to them; and though a show of violence is offered to them when they meet, yet they are pretty sure of bringing their cargo to a good market.

However, at this time they missed with their usual luck, and provisions and necessaries becoming more scarce every day, they retired towards St. Christopher’s, where being deny’d all succour or assistance from the government, they fir’d in revenge on the town, and burnt two ships in the road, one of them commanded by Captain Cox, of Bristol; and then retreated farther to the island of St. Bartholomew, where they met with much handsomer treatment. The Governor not only supplying them with refreshments, but he and the chiefs carressing them in the most friendly manner: and the women, from so good an example, endeavoured to outvie each other in dress, and behaviour, to attract the good graces of such generous lovers, that paid well for their favours.

Sated at length with these pleasures, and having taken on board a good supply of fresh provisions, they voted unanimously for the coast of Guinea, and in the latitude of 22 N. in their voyage thither, met with a French ship from Martinique, richly laden, and, which was unlucky for the master, had a property of being fitter for their purpose, than the banker. Exchange was no robbery they said, and so after a little mock complaisance to Monsieur, for the favour he had done them, they shifted their men, and took leave: this was their first Royal Fortune.

In this ship Roberts proceeded on his designed voyage; but before they reached Guinea, he proposed to touch at Brava, the southernmost of Cape Verde Islands and clean. But here again by an intolerable stupidity and want of judgment, they got so far to leeward of their port, that despairing to regain it, or any of the windward parts of Africa, they were obliged to go back again with the trade-wind, for the West Indies; which had very near been the destruction of them all. Suriname was the place now designed for, which was at no less than 700 leagues distance, and they had but one hogshead of water left to supply 124 souls for that passage; a sad circumstance that eminently exposes the folly and madness among pirates, and he must be an inconsiderate wretch indeed, who, if he could separate the wickedness and punishment from the fact, would yet hazard his life amidst such dangers, as their want of skill and forecast made them liable to.

Their sins, we may presume were never so troublesome to their memories, as now, that inevitable destruction seem’d to threaten them, without the least glimpse of comfort or alleviation to their misery; for, with what face could wretches who had ravaged and made so many necessitous, look up for relief; they had to that moment lived in defiance of the power that now alone they must trust for their preservation, and indeed without the miraculous intervention of providence, there appeared only this miserable choice, viz. a present death by their own hands, or a ling’ring one by famine.

They continued their course, and came to an allowance of one single mouthful of water for 24 hours; many of them drank their urine, or sea water, which, instead of allaying, gave them an inextinguishable thirst, that killed them: others pined and wasted a little more time in fluxes and apyrexies, so that they dropped away daily. Those that sustain’d the misery best, were such as almost starved themselves, forbearing all sorts of food, unless a mouthful or two of bread the whole day, so that those who survived were as weak as it was possible for men to be and alive.

But if the dismal prospect they set out with, gave them anxiety, trouble, or pain, what must their fears and apprehensions be, when they had not one drop of water left, or any other liquor to moisten or animate. This was their case, when (by the working of divine providence, no doubt,) they were brought into soundings, and at night anchored in seven fathom water: this was an inexpressible joy to them, and, as it were, fed the expiring lamp of life with fresh spirits; but this could not hold long. When the morning came, they saw land from the masthead, but it was at so great a distance, that it afforded but an indifferent prospect to men who had drank nothing for the two last days; however, they dispatch’d their boat away, and late the same night it return’d, to their no small comfort, with a load of water, informing them, that they had got off the mouth of Meriwinga River on the coast of Suriname.

One would have thought so miraculous an escape should have wrought some reformation, but alas, they had no sooner quenched their thirst, but they had forgot the miracle, till scarcity of provisions awakened their senses, and bid them guard against starving; their allowance was very small, and yet they would profanely say, that providence which had gave them drink, would, no doubt, bring them meat also, if they would use but an honest endeavour.

In pursuance of these honest endeavours, they were steering for the latitude of Barbados, with what little they had left, to look out for more, or starve; and, in their way, met a ship that answered their necessities, and after that a brigantine; the former was called the Greyhound, belonging to St. Christopher’s, and bound to Philadelphia, the mate of which signed the pirate’s articles, and was afterwards captain of the Ranger, consort to the Royal Fortune.

Out of the ship and brigantine, the pirates got a good supply of provisions and liquor, so that they gave over the designed cruise, and watered at Tobago, and hearing of the two sloops that had been fitted out and sent after them at Corcovado, they sailed to the island of Martinique, to make the Governor some sort of an equivalent, for the care and expedition he had shown in that affair.

It is the custom at Martinique, for the Dutch interlopers that have a mind to trade with the people of the island, to hoist their jacks when they come before the town: Roberts knew the signal, and being an utter enemy to them, he bent his thoughts upon mischief; and accordingly came in with his jack flying, which, as he expected, they mistook for a good market, and thought themselves happiest that could soonest dispatch off their sloops and vessels for trade. When Roberts had got them within his power, (one after another,) he told them, he would not have it said that they came off for nothing, and therefore ordered them to leave their money behind, for that they were a parcel of rogues, and hoped they would always meet with such a Dutch trade as this was; he reserved one vessel to set the passengers onshore again, and fired the rest, to the number of twenty.

Roberts was so enraged at the attempts that had been made for taking of him, by the governors of Barbados and Martinique, that he ordered a new jack to be made, which they ever after hoisted, with his own figure portray’d, standing upon two skulls, and under them the letters A.B.H. and A.M.H., signifying a Barbadian’s and a Martinican’s head, as may be seen in the plate of Captain Roberts.

At Dominica, the next Island they touched at, they took a Dutch interloper of 22 guns and 75 men, and a brigantine belonging to Rhode Island, one Norton Master. The former made some defence, till some of his men being killed, the rest were discouraged and struck their colours. With these two prizes they went down to Guadalupe, and brought out a sloop, and a French flyboat laden with sugar; the sloop they burnt, and went on to Moonay, another island, thinking to clean, but finding the sea ran too high there to undertake it with safety, they bent their course for the north part of Hispaniola, where, at Bennett’s Key, in the Gulf of Samina, they cleaned both the ship and the brigantine. For though Hispaniola be settled by the Spaniards and French, and is the residence of a president from Spain, who receives, and finally determines appeals from all the other Spanish West India islands; yet is its people by no means proportioned to its magnitude, so that there are many harbours in it, to which pirates may securely resort without fear of discovery from the inhabitants.

Whilst they were here, two sloops came in, as they pretended, to pay Roberts a visit, the masters, whose names were Porter and Tuckerman, addressed the pirate, as the Queen of Sheba did Solomon, to wit, that having heard of his fame and achievements, they had put in there to learn his art and wisdom in the business of pirating, being vessels on the same honourable design with himself; and hoped with the communication of his knowledge, they should also receive his charity, being in want of necessaries for such adventures. Roberts was won upon by the peculiarity and bluntness of these two men, and gave them powder, arms, and whatever else they had occasion for, spent two or three merry nights with them, and at parting, said, he hoped the L—— would prosper their handy works.

They passed some time here, after they had got their vessel ready, in their usual debaucheries; they had taken a considerable quantity of rum and sugar, so that liquor was as plenty as water, and few there were, who denied themselves the immoderate use of it; nay, sobriety brought a man under a suspicion of being in a plot against the commonwealth, and in their sense, he was looked upon to be a villain that would not be drunk. This was evident in the affair of Harry Glasby, chosen master of the Royal Fortune, who, with two others, laid hold of the opportunity at the last island they were at, to move off without bidding farewell to his friends. Glasby was a reserved sober man, and therefore gave occasion to be suspected, so that he was soon missed after he went away; and a detachment being sent in quest of the deserters, they were all three brought back again the next day. This was a capital offence, and for which they were ordered to be brought to an immediate trial.

Here was the form of justice kept up, which is as much as can be said of several other courts, that have more lawful commissions for what they do.—Here was no feeing of council, and bribing of witnesses was a custom not known among them; no packing of juries, no torturing and wresting the sense of the law, for by-ends and purposes, no puzzling or perplexing the cause with unintelligible canting terms, and useless distinctions; nor was their sessions burdened with numberless officers, the ministers of rapine and extortion, with ill-boding aspects, enough to fright Astraea from the court. The place appointed for their trials, was the steerage of the ship; in order to which, a large bowl of rum punch was made, and placed upon the table, the pipes and tobacco being ready, the judicial proceedings began; the prisoners were brought forth, and articles of indictment against them read; they were arraigned upon a statute of their own making, and the letter of the law being strong against them, and the fact plainly proved, they were about to pronounce sentence, when one of the judges mov’d, that they should first smoke t’other pipe; which was accordingly done.

All the prisoners pleaded for arrest of judgment very movingly, but the court had such an abhorrence of their crime, that they could not be prevailed upon to show mercy, till one of the judges, whose name was Valentine Ashplant, stood up, and taking his pipe out of his mouth, said, he had something to offer to the court in behalf of one of the prisoners; and spoke to this effect.—By G——, Glasby shall not die; d——n me if he shall. After this learned speech, he sat down in his place, and resumed his pipe. This motion was loudly opposed by all the rest of the judges, in equivalent terms; but Ashplant, who was resolute in his opinion, made another pathetical speech in the following manner. G‑d——n ye gentlemen, I am as good a man as the best of you; d——m my s——l if ever I turned my back to any man in my life, or ever will, by G——; Glasby is an honest fellow, notwithstanding this misfortune, and I love him, D——l d——n me if I don’t: I hope he’ll live and repent of what he has done; but d——n me if he must die, I will die along with him. And thereupon, he pulled out a pair of pistols, and presented them to some of the learned judges upon the bench; who, perceiving his argument so well supported, thought it reasonable that Glasby should be acquitted; and so they all came over to his opinion, and allowed it to be law.

But all the mitigation that could be obtained for the other prisoners, was, that they should have the liberty of choosing any four of the whole company to be their executioners. The poor wretches were ty’d immediately to the mast, and there shot dead, pursuant to their villainous sentence.

When they put to sea again, the prizes which had been detained only for fear of spreading any rumour concerning them, which had like to have been so fatal at Corcovado, were thus disposed of: they burnt their own sloop, and mann’d Norton’s brigantine, sending the master away in the Dutch interloper, not dissatisfied.

With the Royal Fortune, and the brigantine, which they christened the Good Fortune, they pushed towards the latitude of Deseada, to look out for provisions, being very short again, and just to their wish, Captain Hingstone’s ill fortune brought him in their way, richly laden for Jamaica; him they carried to Berbudas and plundered; and stretching back again to the West Indies, they continually met with some consignment or other, (chiefly French,) which stored them with plenty of provisions, and recruited their starving condition; so that stocked with this sort of ammunition, they began to think of something worthier their aim, for these robberies that only supplied what was in constant expenditure, by no means answered their intentions; and accordingly they proceeded again for the coast of Guinea, where they thought to buy gold dust very cheap. In their passage thither, they took numbers of ships of all nations, some of which they burnt or sunk, as the carriage or characters of the masters displeased them.

Notwithstanding the successful adventures of this crew, yet it was with great difficulty they could be kept together, under any kind of regulation; for being almost always mad or drunk, their behaviour produced infinite disorders, every man being in his own imagination a captain, a prince, or a king. When Roberts saw there was no managing of such a company of wild ungovernable brutes, by gentle means, nor to keep them from drinking to excess, the cause of all their disturbances, he put on a rougher deportment, and a more magisterial carriage towards them, correcting whom he thought fit; and if any seemed to resent his usage, he told them, they might go ashore and take satisfaction of him, if they thought fit, at sword and pistol, for he neither valu’d or fear’d any of them.

About 400 leagues from the coast of Africa, the brigantine who had hitherto lived with them, in all amicable correspondence, thought fit to take the opportunity of a dark night, and leave the commodore, which leads me back to the relation of an accident that happened at one of the islands of the West Indies, where they water’d before they undertook this voyage, which had like to have thrown their government (such as it was) off the hinges, and was partly the occasion of the separation: the story is as follows.

Captain Roberts having been insulted by one of the drunken crew, (whose name I have forgot,) he, in the heat of his passion killed the fellow on the spot, which was resented by a great many others, put particularly one Jones, a brisk active young man, who died lately in the Marshalsea, and was his messmate. This Jones was at that time ashore a-watering the ship, but as soon as he came on board, was told that Captain Roberts had killed his comrade; upon which he cursed Roberts, and said, he ought to be served so himself. Roberts hearing Jones’ invective, ran to him with a sword, and ran him into the body; who, notwithstanding his wound, seized the Captain, threw him over a gun, and beat him handsomely. This adventure put the whole company in an uproar, and some taking part with the Captain, and others against him, there had like to have ensued a general battle with one another, like My Lord Thomont’s cocks; however, the tumult was at length appeas’d by the mediation of the quartermaster; and as the majority of the company were of opinion that the dignity of the Captain, ought to be supported on board; that it was a post of honour, and therefore the person whom they thought fit to confer it on, should not be violated by any single member; wherefore they sentenced Jones to undergo two lashes from every one of the company, for his misdemeanour, which was executed upon him as soon as he was well of his wound.

This severe punishment did not at all convince Jones that he was in the wrong, but rather animated him to some sort of a revenge; but not being able to do it upon Roberts’ person, on board the ship, he and several of his comrades, correspond with Anstis, captain of the brigantine, and conspire with him and some of the principal pirates on board that vessel, to go off from the company. What made Anstis a malcontent, was, the inferiority he stood in, with respect to Roberts, who carried himself with a haughty and magisterial air, to him and his crew, he regarding the brigantine only as a tender, and, as such, left them no more than the refuse of their plunder. In short, Jones and his consort go on board of Captain Anstis, on pretence of a visit, and there consulting with their brethren, they find a majority for leaving of Roberts, and so came to a resolution to bid a soft farewell, as they call it, that night, and to throw overboard whosoever should stick out; but they proved to be unanimous, and effected their design as abovementioned.

I shall have no more to say of Captain Anstis, till the story of Roberts is concluded, therefore I return to him, in the pursuit of his voyage to Guinea. The loss of the brigantine was a sensible shock to the crew, she being an excellent sailor, and had 70 hands aboard; however, Roberts who was the occasion of it, put on a face of unconcern at this his ill conduct and mismanagement, and resolved not to alter his purposes upon that account.

Roberts fell in to windward nigh the Senegal, a river of great trade for gum, on this part of the coast, monopolized by the French, who constantly keep cruisers, to hinder the interloping trade: at this time they had two small ships on that service, one of 10 guns and 65 men, and the other of 16 guns and 75 men; who having got a sight of Mr. Roberts, and supposing him to be one of these prohibited traders, chased with all the sail they could make, to come up with him; but their hopes which had brought them very nigh, too late deceived them, for on the hoisting of Jolly Roger, (the name they give their black flag,) their French hearts failed, and they both surrendered without any, or at least very little resistance. With these prizes they went into Sierra Leone, and made one of them their consort, by the name of the Ranger, and the other a store-ship, to clean by.

Sierra Leone River disgorges with a large mouth, the starboard-side of which, draughts into little bays, safe and convenient for cleaning and watering; what still made it preferable to the pirates, is, that the traders settled here, are naturally their friends. There are about 30 Englishmen in all, men who in some part of their lives, have been either privateering, buccaneering, or pirating, and still retain and love the riots, and humours, common to that sort of life. They live very friendly with the natives, and have many of them of both sexes, to be their grometta’s, or servants: the men are faithful, and the women so obedient, that they are very ready to prostitute themselves to whomsoever their masters shall command them. The Royal African Company has a fort on a small island call’d Bunce Island, but ’tis of little use, besides keeping their slaves; the distance making it incapable of giving any molestation to their starboard shore. Here lives at this place an old fellow, who goes by the name of Crackers, who was formerly a noted buccaneer, and while he followed the calling, robb’d and plundered many a man; he keeps the best house in the place, has two or three guns before his door, with which he salutes his friends, (the pirates, when they put in) and lives a jovial life with him, all the while they are there.

Here follows a list, of the rest of those lawless merchants, and their servants, who carry on a private trade with the interlopers, to the great prejudice of the Royal African Company, who with extraordinary industry and expense, have made, and maintain, settlements without any consideration from those, who, without such settlements and forts, would soon be under an incapacity of pursuing any such private trade. Wherefore, ’tis to be hop’d, proper means will be taken, to root out a pernicious set of people, who have all their lives, supported themselves by the labours of other men.

Two of these fellows enter’d with Robert’s crew, and continued with them, till the destruction of the company.

The harbour is so convenient for wooding and watering, that it occasions many of our trading ships, especially those of Bristol, to call in there, with large cargoes of beer, cider, and strong liquors, which they exchange with these private traders, for slaves and teeth, purchased by them at the Rio Nune’s, and other places to the northward, so that here was what they call good living.

Hither Roberts came the end of June, 1721, and had intelligence that the Swallow, and Weymouth, two men-of-war, of 50 guns each, had left that river about a month before, and designed to return about Christmas; so that the pirates could indulge themselves with all the satisfaction in the world, in that they knew they were not only secure whilst there, but that in going down the coast, after the men-of-war, they should always be able to get such intelligence of their rendezvous, as would serve to make their expedition safe. So after six weeks stay, the ships being cleaned and fitted, and the men weary of whoring and drinking, they bethought themselves of business, and went to sea the beginning of August, taking their progress down the whole coast, as low as Jaquin, plundering every ship they met, of what was valuable in her, and sometimes to be more mischieviously wicked, would throw what they did not want, overboard, accumulating cruelty to theft.

In this range, they exchanged their old French ship, for a fine frigate built ship, call’d the Onslow, belonging to the Royal African Company, Captain Gee Commander, which happened to lie at Sestos, to get water and necessaries for the Company. A great many of Captain Gee’s men were ashore, when Robert’s bore down, and so the ship consequently surpriz’d into his hands, though had they been all on board, it was not likely the case would have been otherwise, the sailors, most of them, voluntarily joining the pirates, and encouraging the same disposition in the soldiers, (who were going passengers with them to Cape Corso Castle) whose ears being constantly tickled with the feats and gallantry of those fellows, made them fancy, that to go, was only being bound on a voyage of knight errantry (to relieve the distress’d, and gather up fame) and so they likewise offer’d themselves; but here the pirates were at a stand, they entertain’d so contemptible a notion of landmen, that they put ’em off with refusals for some time, till at length, being weary’d with solicitations, and pitying a parcel of stout fellows, which they said, were going to starve upon a little canky and plantain, they accepted of them, and allow’d them ¼ share, as it was then term’d out of charity.

There was a clergyman on board the Onslow, sent from England, to be chaplain of Cape Corso Castle, some of the pirates were for keeping him, alleging merrily, that their ship wanted a chaplain; accordingly they offered him a share, to take on with them, promising, he should do nothing for his money, but make punch, and say prayers; yet, however brutish they might be in other things, they bore so great a respect to his order, that they resolved not to force him against his inclinations; and the parson having no relish for this sort of life, excused himself from accepting the honour they designed him; they were satisfied, and generous enough to deliver him back everything he owned to be his: the parson laid hold of this favourable disposition of the pirates, and laid claim to several things belonging to others, which were also given up, to his great satisfaction; in fine, they kept nothing which belonged to the church, except three prayerbooks, and a bottle-screw.

The pirates kept the Onslow for their own use, and gave Captain Gee the French ship, and then fell to making such alterations as might fit her for a sea-rover, pulling down her bulkheads, and making her flush, so that she became, in all respects, as complete a ship for their purpose, as any they could have found; they continued to her the name of the Royal Fortune, and mounted her with 40 guns.

She and the Ranger proceeded (as I said before,) to Jaquin, and from thence to Old Calabar, where they arrived about October, in order to clean their ships, a place the most suitable along the whole coast, for there is a bar with not above 15 foot water upon it, and the channel intricate, so that had the men-of-war been sure of their being harbour’d here, they might still have bid defiance to their strength, for the depth of water at the bar, as well as the want of a pilot, was a sufficient security to the rovers, and invincible impediments to them. Here therefore they sat easy, and divided the fruits of their dishonest industry, and drank and drove care away. The pilot who brought them into this harbour, was Captain L——e, who for this, and other services, was extremely well paid, according to the journal of their own accounts, which do not run in the ordinary and common way, of debtor, contra creditor, but much more concise, lumping it to their friends, and so carrying the debt in their heads, against the next honest trader they meet. They took at Calabar, Captain Loane, and two or three Bristol ships, the particulars of all which would be an unnecessary prolixity, therefore I come now to give an account of the usage they received from the natives of this place. The Calabar Negroes did not prove so civil as they expected, for they refused to have any commerce or trade with them, when they understood they were pirates: an indication that these poor creatures, in the narrow circumstances they were in, and without the light of the Gospel, or the advantage of an education, have, notwithstanding, such a moral innate honesty, as would upbraid and shame the most knowing Christian: but this did but exasperate these lawless fellows, and so a party of 40 men were detach’d to force a correspondence, or drive the Negroes to extremities; and they accordingly landed under the fire of their own cannon. The Negroes drew up in a body of 2,000 men, as if they intended to dispute the matter with them, and stayed till the pirates advanced within pistol-shot; but finding the loss of two or three, made no impression on the rest, the Negroes thought fit to retreat, which they did, with some loss: the pirates set fire to the town, and then return’d to their ships. This terrified the natives, and put an entire stop to all the intercourse between them; so that they could get no supplies, which obliged them, as soon as they had finished the cleaning and trimming of their ships, to lose no time, but went for Cape Lopez, and watered, and at Annobón took aboard a stock of fresh provisions, and then sailed for the coast again.

This was their last and fatal expedition, which we shall be more particular in, because, it cannot be imagined that they could have had assurance to have undertaken it, but upon a presumption, that the men-of-war, (whom they knew were upon the coast,) were unable to attack them, or else pursuant to the rumour that had indiscretionally obtained at Sierra Leone, were gone thither again.

It is impossible at this time, to think they could know of the weak and sickly condition they were in, and therefore founded the success of this second attempt upon the coast, on the latter presumption, and this seems to be confirmed by their falling in with the coast as low as Cape Lahou, (and even that was higher than they designed,) in the beginning of January, and took the ship called the King Solomon, with 20 men in their boat, and a trading vessel, both belonging to the Company. The pirate ship happened to fall about a league to leeward of the King Solomon, at Cape Apollonia, and the current and wind opposing their working up with the ship, they agreed to send the longboat, with a sufficient number of men to take her: the pirates are all volunteers on these occasions, the word being always given, who will go? And presently the stanch and firm men offer themselves; because, by such readiness, they recommend their courage, and have an allowance also of a shift of clothes, from head to foot, out of the prize.

They rowed towards the King Solomon with a great deal of alacrity, and being hailed by the commander of her, answered, Defiance; Captain Trahern, before this, observing a great number of men in the boat, began not to like his visitors, and prepared to receive them, firing a musket as they come under his stern, which they returned with a volley, and made greater speed to get on board: upon this, he applied to his men, and ask’d them, whether they would stand by him, to defend the ship, it being a shame they should be taken by half their number, without any repulse? But his boatswain, Philips, took upon him to be the mouth of the people, and put an end to the dispute; he said plainly, he would not, laid down his arms in the King’s name, as he was pleased to term it, and called out to the boat for quarters, so that the rest, by his example, were misled to the losing of the ship.

When they came on board, they brought her under sail, by an expeditious method, of cutting the cable; Walden, one of the pirates, telling the master, this yo-hope of heaving up the anchor was a needless trouble, when they designed to burn the ship. They brought her under Commodore Roberts’ stern, and not only rifled her of what sails, cordage, etc. they wanted for themselves, but wantonly throw’d the goods of the company overboard, like spendthrifts, that neither expected or designed any account.

On the same day also, they took the Flushing, a Dutch ship, robbed her of masts, yards and stores, and then cut down her foremast; but what sat as heavily as anything with the skipper, was, their taking some fine sausages he had on board, of his wife’s making, and stringing them in a ludicrous manner, round their necks, till they had sufficiently show’d their contempt of them, and then threw them into the sea. Others chopp’d the heads of his fowls off, to be dressed for their supper, and courteously invited the landlord, provided he would find liquor. It was a melancholy request to the man, but it must be comply’d with, and he was obliged, as they grew drunk, to sit quietly, and hear them sing French and Spanish songs out of his Dutch prayerbooks, with other profaneness, that he (though a Dutchman) stood amazed at.

In chasing too near in, they alarmed the coast, and expresses were sent to the English and Dutch factories, giving an account of it: they were sensible of this error immediately, and because they would make the best of a bad market, resolved to keep out of sight of land, and lose the prizes they might expect between that and Whydah, to make the more sure of that port, where commonly is the best booty; all nations trading thither, especially Portuguese, who purchase chiefly with gold, the idol their hearts were bent upon. And notwithstanding this unlikely course, they met and took several ships between Axim and that place; the circumstantial stories of which, and the panic terrors they struck into His Majesty’s subjects, being tedious and unnecessary to relate, I shall pass by, and come to their arrival in that road.

They came to Whydah with a St. George’s ensign, a black silk flag flying at their mizzen peak, and a jack and pendant of the same: the flag had a death in it, with an hourglass in one hand, and cross bones in the other, a dart by it, and underneath a heart dropping three drops of blood.—The jack had a man portray’d in it, with a flaming sword in his hand, and standing on two skulls, subscribed A.B.H. and A.M.H. i.e. a Barbadian’s and a Martinican’s head, as has been before taken notice of. Here they found eleven sail in the road, English, French and Portuguese; the French were three stout ships of 30 guns, and upwards of 100 men each, yet when Roberts came to fire, they, with the other ships, immediately struck their colours and surrendered to his mercy. One reason, it must be confess’d, of his easy victory, was, the commanders and a good part of the men being ashore, according to the custom of the place, to receive the cargoes, and return the slaves, they being obliged to watch the seasons for it, which otherwise, in so dangerous a sea as here, would be impracticable. These all, except the Porcupine, ransomed with him for eight pound of gold dust, a ship, not without the trouble of some letters passing and repassing from the shore, before they could settle it; and notwithstanding the agreement and payment, they took away one of the French ships, though with a promise to return her, if they found she did not sail well, taking with them several of her men for that end.

Some of the foreigners, who never had dealing this way before, desired for satisfaction to their owners, that they might have receipts for their money, which were accordingly given, a copy of one of them, I have here subjoined, viz.

This is to certify whom it may or doth concern, that we gentlemen Of fortune, have received eight pounds of gold dust, for the ransom of the Hardey, Captain Dittwitt Commander, so that we discharge the said ship,

Witness our Hands, this

13th of Jan. 1721–2

Batt. Roberts,

Harry Glasby

Others were given to the Portuguese captains, which were in the same form, but being sign’d by two waggish fellows, viz. Sutton, and Sympson, they subscribed by the names of,

Aaron Whifflingpin,

Sim. Tugmutton

But there was something so singularly cruel and barbarous done here to the Porcupine, Captain Fletcher, as must not be passed over without special remark.

This ship lay in the road, almost slaved, when the pirates came in, and the commander being onshore, settling his accounts, was sent to for the ransom, but he excused it, as having no orders from the owners; though the true reason might be, that he thought it dishonourable to treat with robbers; and that the ship, separate from the slaves, towards whom he could mistrust no cruelty, was not worth the sum demanded; hereupon, Roberts sends the boat to transport the Negroes, in order to set her on fire; but being in haste, and finding that unshackling them cost much time and labour, they actually set her on fire, with eighty of those poor wretches on board, chained two and two together, under the miserable choice of perishing by fire or water: those who jumped overboard from the flames, were seized by sharks, a voracious fish, in plenty in this road, and, in their sight, tore limb from limb alive. A cruelty unparalell’d! And for which had every individual been hanged, few I imagine would think that justice had been rigorous.

The pirates, indeed, were obliged to dispatch their business here in haste, because they had intercepted a letter from General Phips to Mr. Baldwin, the Royal African Company’s agent at Whydah, (giving an account, that Roberts had been seen to windward of Cape Three Points,) that he might the better guard against the damages to the Company’s ships, if he should arrive at that road before the Swallow man-of-war, which he assured him, (at the time of that letter,) was pursuing them to that place. Roberts call’d up his company, and desired they would hear Phips’ speech, (for so he was pleased to call the letter,) and notwithstanding their vapouring, persuaded them of the necessity of moving; for, says he, such brave fellows cannot be supposed to be frightned at this news, yet that it were better to avoid dry blows, which is the best that can be expected, if overtaken.

This advice weigh’d with them, and they got under sail, having stay’d only from Thursday to Saturday night, and at sea voted for the Island of Anna Bona; but the winds hanging out of the way, crossed their purpose, and brought them to Cape Lopez, where I shall leave them for their approaching fate, and relate some further particulars of His Majesty’s ship the Swallow, viz. where it was she had spent her time, during the mischief that was done, and by what means unable to prevent it; what also was the intelligence she received, and the measures thereon formed, that at last brought two such strangers as Mr. Roberts and Capt. Ogle, to meet in so remote a corner of the world.

The Swallow and Weymouth left Sierra Leone, May 28, where, I have already taken notice, Roberts arrived about a month after, and doubtless learn’d the intent of their voyage, and cleaning on the coast; which made him set down with more security to his diversion, and furnish him with such intimations, as made his first range down the coast in August following, more prosperous; the Swallow and Weymouth being then at the Port of Prince’s a-cleaning.

Their stay at Prince’s was from July 28 to Sept. 20, 1721, where, by a fatality, common to the irregularities of seamen, (who cannot in such cases be kept under due restraints,) they buried 100 men in three weeks time, and reduced the remainder of the ships companies into so sickly a state, that it was with difficulty they brought them to sail; and this misfortune was probably the ruin of Roberts, for it prevented the men-of-war’s going back to Sierra Leone, as it was intended, there being a necessity of leaving His Majesty’s ship Weymouth (in much the worse condition of the two) under the guns of Cape Corso, to impress men, being unable at this time, either to hand the sails, or weigh her anchor; and Roberts being ignorant of the occasion or alteration of the first design, fell into the mouth of danger, when he thought himself the farthest from it; for the men-of-war not endeavouring to attain further to windward (when they came from Prince’s) then to secure Cape Corso Road under their lee, they luckily hovered in the track he had took.

The Swallow and Weymouth fell in with the continent at Cape Apollonia, Octo. 20th, and there received the ungrateful news from one Captain Bird; a notice that awaken’d and put them on their guard; but they were far from expecting any temerity should ever bring him a second time on the coast, while they were there; therefore the Swallow having seen the Weymouth into Cape Corso Road Nov. 10th, she ply’d to windward as far as Bassam, rather as an airing to recover a sickly ship’s company, and show herself to the trade, which was found everywhere undisturb’d, and were, for that reason, returning to her consort, when accidently meeting a Portuguese ship, she told her, that the day before she saw two ships chase into junk, an English vessel, which she believed must have fallen into their hands. On this story, the Swallow clung her wind, and endeavoured to gain that place, but receiving soon after (Octo. the 14th) a contrary report from Captain Plummer, an intelligent man, in the Jason of Bristol, who had come further to windward, and neither saw or heard anything of this; she turned her head down the second time, anchored at Cape Apollonia the 23rd, at Cape Tres Puntas the 27th, and in Corso Road January the 7th, 1721–2.

They learned that their consort the Weymouth, was, by the assistance of some soldiers from the castle, gone to windward, to demand restitution of some goods or men belonging to the African Company, that were illegally detained by the Dutch at Des Minas; and while they were regretting so long a separation, an express came to General Phips, from Axim, the 9th, and followed by another from Dixcove, (an English factory,) with information that three ships had chased and taken a galley nigh Axim Castle, and a trading boat belonging to the company: no doubt was made, concerning what they were, it being taken for granted they were pirates, and supposed to be the same that had the August before infested the coast. The natural result therefore, from these two advices, was, to hasten for Whydah; for it was conclued the prizes they had taken, had informed them how nigh the Swallow was, and withal, how much better in health than she had been for some months past; so that unless they were very mad indeed, they would (after being discovered) make the best of their way for Whydah, and secure the booty there, without which, their time and industry had been entirely lost; most of the gold lying in that corner.

The Swallow weighed from Cape Corso, January the 10th, but was retarded by waiting some hours on the Margaret, a company’s ship, at Accra, again on the Portugal, and a whole day at Apong, on a person they used to stile Miss Betty: a conduct that Mr. Phips blamed, when he heard the pirates were miss’d at Whydah, although he had given it as his opinion, they could not be passed by, and intimated, that to stay a few hours would prove no prejudice.

This, however, hinder’d the Swallow’s catching them at Whydah, for the pirates came into that road, with a fresh gale of wind, the same day the Swallow was at Apong, and sail’d the 13th of January from thence, that she arrived the 17th. She gained notice of them by a French shallop from Grand Papa, the 14th at night, and from Little Papa next morning by a Dutch ship; so that the man-of-war was on all sides, as she thought, sure of her purchase, particularly when she made the ships, and discovered three of them to get under sail immediately at sight of her, making signals to one another, as though they designed a defence; but they were found to be three French ships; and those at anchor, Portuguese and English, all honest traders, who had been ransack’d and ransom’d.

This disappointment chagreen’d the ship’s company, who were very intent upon their market; which was reported to be an arm-chest full of gold, and kept with three keys; though in all liklyhood, had they met with them in that open road, one or both would have made their escapes; or if they had thought sit to have fought, an emulation in their defence would probably have made it desperate.

While they were contemplating on the matter, a letter was received from Mr. Baldwin, (Governor here for the company,) signifying, that the pirates were at Jaquin, seven leagues lower. The Swallow weighed at two next morning, January the 16th, and got to Jaquin by daylight, but to no other end, than frightening the crews of two Portuguese ships onshore, who took her for the pirate that had struck such terror at Whydah: she returned therefore that night, and having been strengthened with thirty volunteers, English and French, the discarded crews of the Porcupine, and the French ship they had carried from hence, she put to sea again January the 19th, conjecturing, that either Calabar, Prince’s, the River Gabon, Cape Lopez, or Annobón, must be touched at for water and refreshment, though they should resolve to leave the coast. As to the former of those places, I have before observed, it was hazardous to think of, or rather impracticable; Prince’s had been a sour grape to them, but being the first in the way, she came before the harbour the 29th, where learning no news, without losing time, steered for the River Gabon, and anchored at the mouth of it February the 1st.

This river is navigable by two channels, and has an island about five leagues up, called Popaguays or Parrots, where the Dutch cruisers, for this coast, generally clean, and where sometimes pirates come in to look for prey, or to refit, it being very convenient, by reason of a soft mud about it, that admits a ship’s lying onshore, with all her guns and stores in, without damage. Hither Captain Ogle sent his boat and a lieutenant, who spoke with a Dutch ship, above the island, from whom he had this account, viz. That he had been four days from Cape Lopez, and had left no ship there. However, they beat up for the cape, without regard to this story, and on the 5th, at dawning, was surprised with the noise of a gun, which, as the day brightened, they found was from Cape Lopez Bay, where they discovered three ships at anchor, the largest with the King’s colours and pendant flying, which was soon after concluded to be Mr. Roberts and his consorts; but the Swallow being to windward, and unexpectedly deep in the bay, was obliged to steer off, for avoiding a sand, called the Frenchman’s Bank, which the pirates observed for some time, and rashly interpreting it to be fear in her, righted the French Ranger, which was then on the heel, and ordered her to chase out in all haste, bending several of their sails in the pursuit. The man-of-war finding they had foolishly mistaken her design, humoured the deceit, and kept off to sea, as if she had been really afraid, and managed her steerage so, under the direction of Lieutenant Sun, an experienced officer, as to let the Ranger come up with her, when they thought they had got so far as not to have their guns heard by her consort at the cape. The pirates had such an opinion of their own courage, that they could never dream anybody would use a stratagem to speak with them, and so was the more easily drawn into the snare.