Part 12
While they lay on the coast of Virginia, they made prize of several ships from England, out of which they took men, liquors, provisions, clothes and whatever else they liked or thought necessary. As these ships had several felons on board, who were transports, they had out of them a number of volunteers, besides forced men; so that they had a large complement. Among other Virginia ships which fell into their hands, they made prize, with little trouble, of a fine galley, mounted with 24 guns, which afforded them a great many volunteers, as she had a number of transported malefactors and servants on board. They changed their brigantine for this ship, and soon after, the man of war, which waited on this coast, heaving in sight, they thought proper to take their departure.
From the coast of Virginia, they shaped their course for that of Guinea, where they took a great many ships of different nations, all which they rifled of what they thought fit. Out of these ships they forced on board a number of men, equal to the number of those formerly compelled, who desired, and whom they permitted, to be discharged, after much entreaty.
After they had been some months on the coast, they spied a large three decked Portuguese ship, from Brazil, mounted with 36 guns. They gave chase and came up with her. The captain would make no resistance; but his mate, who was an Englishman, named Rutland, thinking it a shame to give up such a ship, resolved to defend her; which the Portuguese captain consented to, but went himself out of harm’s way. Rutland, who had been master of an English brigantine, taken from him on the same coast by another gang of pirates, fought them the better part of a forenoon; but the Portuguese flying the decks, and only 30 men, who were English, Dutch, and French, standing by him, he was obliged to ask quarters, which were given. When the pirates came on board, they asked Rutland if he was commander? He answered, no. They inquired after him, and being told he was somewhere in the hold, they searched, and found him hid in the powder room; whence they hauled him up, and whipped him round the deck for his cowardice. Rutland, and those who fought the ship, were forced on board, and their complement being now 180 men, they exchanged their galley for the Portuguese ship, carried her in shore, and ripping off her upper deck, made her deep waisted, by cutting down some of her gunnel. This prize they named the Alexander.
They went down the coast in this ship, and made several prizes, some of which they discharged, and put on board such of their forced men as begged their discharge; others they sunk, and burnt others; but forced on board carpenters, caulkers, armourers, surgeons, and musicians. In their way to Cape Lopez, where they designed, and afterwards did clean, they found a large Bristol ship at an anchor, which had lost a great many men by sickness, and had then but few healthy on board, who got into the boat, and endeavoured to get on shore, but were prevented by the pirates. Here they changed some more of their forced men, and did intend to change their ship; but on a survey, found the Bristol ship too old for their purpose, and therefore left her at an anchor, after they had taken what they thought of use to them. This ship belonged to one Mr. Godly, of Bristol.
They met with nothing else in their way to Cape Lopez, where they cleaned their ship, took in wood and water, and then stood away to sea again. At their leaving Cape Lopez, they spied an English ship, which they came up with and engaged. The merchantman made an obstinate defence, and finding the design to board, made to close quarters. Howard, and seven or eight more, entered; but the pirate’s boatswain not having secured his lashing, they fell astern, and left these men on board the merchant ship, who seeing themselves in danger, hauled up the boat, which the chase had astern, and cutting the rope, got on board the Alexander, which being considerably the larger ship, and drawing a great deal more water, struck on an unknown bank, which the merchantman went over, and by this lucky accident escaped.
This obliged the pirates to start their water, and throw over the wood to get the ship off, which put them under a necessity of going back to Cape Lopez to take in those necessaries. After having a second time wooded and watered, they put again to sea, fell in with and took two Portuguese brigantines, which they burnt, and setting the men on shore, they made for, and doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and shaped their course for Madagascar, where to the northward of, and near a small island, they run the ship on a reef, where she stuck fast. The captain being then sick in his bed, the men went ashore on the small adjacent island, and carried off a great deal of provisions and water to lighten the ship, on board of which none but the captain, the quarter-master, and about eleven more were left.
The quarter-master, who was Howard, with the others, took all the treasure, put it on board the boats, and made off for the main of Madagascar. The captain, hearing nobody stir upon deck, made shift to crawl out of his cabin, and seeing them put off, fired the two fore chase guns at them, which alarmed (to no purpose) the men ashore. As the sea ebbed, the ship lay dry, and they could walk to her from the island. She might have been saved had they the boats to carry out an anchor; but for want of them they brought every thing ashore, at tide of flood, upon rafts. As the ship lay in a quiet place, they had opportunity to rip her up, and build a vessel out of her wreck. The major part of the crew being English and Dutch who sided together, they forced about 36 Portuguese and French (thinking their crew too numerous for their provisions in the present circumstances) to get upon a raft, and take their chance with the sea-breeze to get to the island of Madagascar, about three leagues from them. They finished a vessel of 60 tons, but the day they designed to have launched her, a pirate brigantine hove in sight, who took them on board.
Howard and his consorts stood along the W. side of the island, with design to round the N. end, and to go to St. Mary’s but finding the current too strong to stem, they lay there about a fortnight. In the interim they spied three sail of tall ships, which were men of war under Commodore Littleton, viz. the Anglesa, Hastings, and Lizard, who had carried a pardon to the island of St. Mary’s, accepted of by many of the pirates. Thinking these might be also pirates, they made a smoke, which brought the boats ashore; but finding they were men of war’s boats, the pirates thought fit to abscond; wherefore, finding nothing nor any body, the said men of war’s boats returned, and the ships kept their cruise.
They had here plenty of fish and wild hogs which they found in the woods. One day, when Howard was hunting, his comrades took the opportunity, went off, rounded the north end, and left Mr. Howard to provide for himself.
About four or five-and-twenty leagues from the Cape, they went into a fine harbour on the east side, not frequented, nay, hardly known to the European ships. They were here received handsomely, treated and provided with fresh meat, and what necessaries they wanted, by the king of this district, whose name was Mushmango, who had formerly been driven from Augustin by war, and travelling through the heart of the country, had here fixed his settlement. When the boats were victualled, and while Johnson, who took on him the command after they had deserted Howard, was ashore with three more, the rest went off with the boats and booty, and stood away to the southward, along the coast, designing for St. Mary’s, going every night into some harbour, or coming to an anchor under some point when the winds proved contrary.
Johnson addressed himself to the king, and told him the boat and goods were his property; upon which he went along shore with a number of men, and found the boat at an anchor, and all asleep, except one to look out, at whom the king fired his blunderbuss, and killed him. The report of the piece awakened the others, who cut and stood off the coast. The king returned, gave Johnson an account of his expedition, and furnished him a canoe, some calabashes of fresh water, provisions, and lances, that he might pursue after his people. Johnson kept the shore on board till he came to the island of St. Mary’s, where he heard his comrade fugitives were gone to, and settled at Ambonavoula, in a village belonging to the natives on the river of Manansallang. Leaving his canoe, he went into one belonging to an inhabitant, who carried him to his companions.
After he had been here some few months, Fourgette, already mentioned in White’s life, came in with his ship from Martinico. With this vessel they sailed to the west side, and came to an anchor at an island called Anquawla, 30 leagues from the place where they left Howard.
Some of the subjects of the king of Anquawla had before met with, and brought hither, Capt. Howard, who seeing the ship at anchor near shore, hailed her, and desired the boat might be sent to fetch him off, which was accordingly done, and he joined the rest of the crew. Here two boys ran away from them, whom they demanded of the king; but he not delivering them, they went ashore by day-break, surprised his town, and brought off twelve of his concubines, whom they detained on board, till their boys, who were blacks, were returned, and then delivered them back. From this ship he went on board the Speaker, where he continued till she was lost on Mauritius, when he came back to Madagascar, and settled at Augustin. Here he tarried till the Prosperous, a ship of 36 guns, commanded by Capt. Hilliard, came in, which Howard and some other pirates (with the assistance of the boatswain and some of the crew belonging to the ship,) seized. In taking this ship, the captain and his chief mate were killed, and several others wounded. Howard was by the company declared captain. Several of the ships crew took on with them, and they went round the south end to the east side, till they came the length of Maritan, where they found some of the Speaker’s company, whom they took on board, and made up their complement about 70 men.
From hence they steered for the island of St. Mary’s, where they heeled their ship, watered, wooded, and shipped some more hands. Here they had an invitation from one Ort Van Tyle, who lived on the main of Madagascar, to come to the ceremony of christening two of his children. They were kindly received and treated by him, but it having been reported that this Ort Van Tyle had murdered some pirates, they in revenge, though they had no certainty of the fact, took him prisoner, plundered his house, and what goods they could not take off in a great canoe belonging to him, they threw into the river or burnt. Ort Van Tyle they designed to carry on board, and hang at the yard-arm; but one of the pirates helped him to escape, and he took into the woods, where meeting some of his blacks, he waylaid his canoe and Howard’s pinnace by the river side. Besides what goods they had on board of this Dutchman’s they had several women and children belonging to him and some white men, who had left them under his care. The pirates set the women to the paddles, and the canoe was overset on the bar; Ort Van Tyle fired on the men, and shot one through the arm and through the thigh, whom with his comrade, he took prisoner, and kept with him. The rest of the men got ashore on the south side of the river and escaped him; the women on the north side, and returned home. When the pinnace came down, he fired and shot the captain through the arm, but he got on board, where his arm was set. After this, the Prosperous sailed for Methelage, where they victualled, with a design to go to the East-Indies. While they lay here, came in a large Dutch ship, well manned, and of 40 guns. The Prosperous was not strong enough to attack her, and the Dutch, fearing he should spoil his trade, would not meddle with Howard, though hard words passed, and the Dutchman threatened to fall foul on him if he did not leave the place, which Howard thought fit to do, and sailed to Mayotta.
A few days after the departure of the Prosperous, Capt. Bowen, in the Scotch ship, came in, anchored within small arm shot, and right ahead of the Dutchman, whom he saluted with 11 guns, shot and all, which the other returned with 15, after the same manner; drums beating and trumpets sounding on both sides. The Dutchman, however, was surprised, and under apprehensions. He hailed the pirate, and answer was returned, _From the seas_. He then bid them send their boat on board, which accordingly went with the quarter-master, who told the captain, that they had no design on him, but were going against the Moors, and came in for provision. He replied, they could get none there, and the best way was to be gone; however, the quarter-master went ashore, (where the Dutch had made his factory, and had some goods) and shot down three oxen, which he ordered the natives to help to cut in pieces. The Dutchman, perceiving a friendship between the natives and pirates, seeing Bowen full of men, and hearing two more pirates were expected, thought fit to go off in the night, and leave the goods he had put on shore.
A few days after, Bowen, seizing the goods left, went for Mayotta, where he joined the Prosperous, and lay for the season to go to the East-Indies. After some stay here, their salt provision perishing, they returned to Madagascar to revictual, Bowen to St. Augustin, and Howard (on board of whose ship was Capt. Whaley, taken as related in Bowen’s life) to Methelage, agreeing to meet at the island of St. Johns, to lie for the Moors fleet; where after some disappointments, they met, and got sight of the Moors fleet, one of which fell a prize to Bowen; but the Prosperous being a heavy sailer, did not come up with them till they were at an anchor at the bar of Surat, where they waited to lighten. The Moors seeing few hands on board, for Howard concealed his men, and not imagining a pirate would venture up, concluded him an English East-Indiaman. Howard clapped the largest on board, which stood him a smart engagement, and killed him about 30 men. At length the pirates forced Capt. Whaley who spoke the Moors language to go on board and offer quarter, which they excepted. There was on board this prize a nobleman belonging to the Great Mogul, who had been at Jaffa to buy horses for his master. The prize yielded them a great booty, though they found but part of the money which was on board. They intended to carry her to Madagascar, but her bowsprit being wounded in the boarding, she lost all her masts; wherefore they sent her adrift, and she ran ashore at Deman, belonging to the Portuguese.
From hence he steered to the Malabar coast, where he met Bowen and his prize, which mounted 56 guns. Both crews went on board Bowen, sunk the Prosperous, and burnt the Scotch ship, called the Speedy Return. Hence they stood along the coast of India; and Howard, with about 20 more, landed with what they had, and retired among the natives, where Howard married a women of the country, and being a morose, ill-natured fellow and using her ill, he was murdered by her relations.
CAPTAIN LEWIS.
This worthy gentleman was an early pirate. We first find him a boy on board the pirate Banister who was hanged at the yard arm of a man of war in sight of Port Royal, Jamaica. This Lewis and another boy were taken with him, and brought into the island hanging by the middle at the mizen peak. He had a great aptitude for languages, and spoke perfectly well that of the Mosquil Indians, French, Spanish, and English. I mention our own, because it is doubted whether he was French or English, for we cannot trace him back to his origin. He sailed out of Jamaica till he was a lusty lad, and was then taken by the Spaniards at the Havana, where he tarried some time; but at length he and six more ran away with a small canoe, and surprised a Spanish periagua, out of which two men joined them, so that they were now nine in company. With this periagua they surprised a turtling sloop, and forced some of the hands to take on with them; the others they sent away in the periagua.
He played at this small game, surprising and taking coasters and turtlers, till with forced men and volunteers he made up a company of 40 men. With these he took a large pink built ship, bound from Jamaica to the bay of Campeachy, and after her, several others bound to the same place; and having intelligence that there lay in the bay a fine Bermuda built brigantine of 10 guns, commanded by Capt. Tucker, he sent the captain of the pink to him with a letter, the purport of which was, that he wanted such a brigantine, and if he would part with her, he would pay him 10,000 pieces of eight; if he refused this, he would take care to lie in his way, for he was resolved, either by fair or foul means to have the vessel. Capt. Tucker, having read the letter, sent for the masters of vessels then lying in the bay, and told them, after he had shown the letter, that if they would make him up 54 men, (for there were about 10 Bermuda sloops) he would go out and fight the pirates. They said no, they would not hazard their men, they depended on their sailing, and every one must take care of himself as well as he could.
However, they all put to sea together, and spied a sail under the land, which had a breeze while they lay becalmed. Some said he was a turtler; others, the pirate, and so it proved; for it was honest Capt. Lewis, who putting out his oars, got in among them. Some of the sloops had four guns, some two, some none. Joseph Dill had two, which he brought on one side, and fired smartly at the pirate, but unfortunately one of them split, and killed three men. Tucker called to all the sloops to send him men, and he would fight Lewis, but to no purpose; nobody came on board him. In the mean while a breeze sprung up, and Tucker, trimming his sails, left them, who all fell a prey to the pirate; into whom, however, he fired a broadside at going off. One sloop, whose master I will not name, was a very good sailer, and was going off; but Lewis firing a shot, brought her to, and he lay by till all the sloops were visited and secured. Then Lewis sent on board him, and ordered the master into his sloop. As soon as he was on board, he asked the reason of his lying by, and betraying the trust his owners had reposed in him, which was doing like a knave and coward, and he would punish him accordingly; _for_, said he, _you might have got off, being so much a better sailer than my vessel_. After this speech, he fell upon him with a rope’s end, and then snatching up his cane, drove him about the decks without mercy. The master, thinking to pacify him, told him he had been out trading in that sloop several months, and had on board a good quantity of money, which was hid, and which, if he would send on board a black belonging to the owners, he would discover to him. This had not the desired effect, but one quite contrary; for Lewis told him he was a rascal and villain for this discovery, and he would pay him for betraying his owners, and redoubled his strokes. However, he sent and took the money and negro, who was an able sailor. He took out of his prizes what he had occasion for, 40 able negro sailors, and a white carpenter. The largest sloop, which was about 90 tons, he took for his own use, and mounted her with 12 guns. His crew was now about 80 men, whites and blacks.
After these captures, he cruised in the Gulf of Florida, laying in wait for the West-India homeward bound ships that took the leeward passage, several of which, falling into his hands, were plundered by him, and released. From hence he went to the coast of Carolina, where he cleaned his sloop, and a great many men whom he had forced, ran away from him. However, the natives traded with him for rum and sugar, and brought him all he wanted, without the government’s having any knowledge of him, for he had got into a very private creek; though he was very much on his guard, that he might not be surprised from the shore.
From Carolina he cruised on the coast of Virginia, where he took and plundered several merchantmen, and forced several men, and then returned to the coast of Carolina, where he did abundance of mischief. As he had now an abundance of French on board, who had entered with him, and Lewis, hearing the English had a design to maroon them, he secured the men he suspected, and put them in a boat, with all the other English, ten leagues from shore, with only ten pieces of beef, and sent them away, keeping none but French and negroes. These men, it is supposed all perished in the sea.
From the coast of Carolina he shaped his course for the banks of Newfoundland, where he overhauled several fishing vessels, and then went into Trinity Harbour in Conception Bay, where there lay several merchantmen, and seized a 24 gun galley, called the Herman. The commander, Capt. Beal, told Lewis, if he would send his quarter-master ashore he would furnish him with necessaries. He being sent ashore, a council was held among the masters, the consequence of which was, the seizing the quarter-master, whom they carried to Capt. Woodes Rogers. He chained him to a sheet anchor which was ashore, and planted guns at the point, to prevent the pirate getting out, but to little purpose; for the people at one of these points firing too soon, Lewis quitted the ship, and, by the help of oars and the favour of the night, got out in his sloop, though she received many shot in her hull. The last shot that was fired at the pirate did him considerable damage.
He lay off and on the harbour, swearing he would have his quarter-master, and intercepted two fishing shallops, on board of one of which was the captain of the galley’s brother. He detained them, and sent word, if his quarter-master did not immediately come off, he would put all his prisoners to death. He was sent on board without hesitation. Lewis and the crew inquired how he had been used, and he answered, very civilly. “It’s well,” said the pirate, “for had you been ill treated, I would have put all these rascals to the sword.” They were dismissed, and the captain’s brother going over the side, the quarter-master stopped him, saying, he must drink the gentlemen’s health ashore, particularly Capt. Rogers’, and, whispering him in the ear, told him, if the crew had known of his being chained all night, he would have been cut in pieces, with all his men. After this poor man and his shallop’s company were gone, the quarter-master told the usage he had met with, which enraged Lewis, and made him reproach his quarter-master, whose answer was, that he did not think it just the innocent should suffer for the guilty.