Part 15
The first cruise he made, they took a couple of good prizes, which made every man’s share very considerable; but North, as he got his money lightly, so he spent it, making the companions of his dangers the companions of his diversions, or rather joining himself with them, and following their example; which all (who are acquainted with the way of life of a successful Jamaica privateer) know is not an example of the greatest sobriety and economy. His money being all spent, he took the same method for a recruit, that is, he went a second time privateering, and met with such success, that he engaged very heartily in this course of life, and made several lucky cruises. Some time after, he grew tired, thought of trading, and shipped himself on board a brigantine, bound for the Spanish coast, commanded by one Capt. Reesby. This vessel went both on the trading and privateering account, so that the men shipped for half wages, and equal shares of what prizes they should make, in the same manner as to the shares, as on board a privateer. Their trading answered very poorly, and their privateering business still worse, for they returned without making any prize. They were forced to leave the Spanish coast on account of a Spanish guarda-la-costa, of 40 guns and 350 Frenchmen, commanded by a captain of the same nation. When they made the island of Jamaica, they fell in with Bluefields, off which place two French privateer sloops were cruising, one of which was formerly a privateer of Jamaica, called the Paradox. They immediately clapped Captain Reesby on board, taking him for a trader from the Spanish coast, and weakly manned. However, they were soon sensible of the mistake, for Reesby took one of them, and the other was obliged to a good pair of heels for his safety. Reesby lost 10 men killed outright in the engagement, and had 7 wounded. The latter, though he had made but a broken voyage, he put ashore at Bluefields, and ordered great care to be taken of them, at the owners’ expense. Here he took in fresh provision, and then beat up to Port Royal, where Reesby paid his men very honourably, gave them a handsome entertainment, and begged they would not leave him, as he had a very great value for them all; but for North particularly, who was a good swimmer, managed a canoe with great dexterity, and feared nothing.
Upon this desire of the captain’s, North and the greater part tarried ashore till Capt. Reesby was refitted, and went a second voyage with him to the coast, at seventeen dollars a month, and no share. They carried 300 negroes, besides bale goods, and disposed of all the slaves and goods to great advantage. Upon their return to Jamaica, after some stay on the island, Capt. Reesby not going out again, North went once more a privateering, and made considerable booty. While North was ashore after a cruise, he was pressed on board the Mary man of war, made a cruise in her to the Spanish coast, and returned to Jamaica; but hearing the Mary was soon to go to England, he, and three more, resolved to swim ashore from the keys, where the men of war lay, but he was taken as he was going off the head, and whipped. He, however, found means to make his escape, before the ship left the island, and went on board the Neptune sloop, a privateer, commanded by Capt. Lycence, then lieutenant of the Reserve, who, while the ship was in the carpenter’s hands, got a commission of the governor to take a cruise. Capt. Moses, who commanded the Reserve, went on board their sloop, under the command of his lieutenant, for diversion only. They cruised off Hispaniola, where they met with a French letter-of-marque, of 18 guns, and 118 men, who had the day before engaged the Swan man of war, and shook her off. The Neptune attacked her, and Capt. Moses was one of the first wounded, and carried down. Lycence ordered to board, but the quarter-master, who steered, mistook the helm, the sloop fell off, and the French pouring in a volley of small shot, Capt. Lycence was killed, which being told to Moses, as the surgeon dressed him, he ordered North to the helm, bid them not to be discouraged, and he would be upon deck immediately. Accordingly, he came up as soon as dressed, laid the ship on board, where they made a very obstinate resistance; but the French captain being killed, who received eleven shot before he dropped, they, at length, became masters.
The privateer lost 10 men, and 20 were wounded. The French had 50 killed and wounded, among whom was the captain, who had received two shot, as he was going down to the surgeon to get his blood stanched, and came upon deck just as he was boarded, where, encouraging his men, he was distinguished and aimed at. When they had brought the prize into Jamaica, as she was an English bottom, built at Bristol, and called the Crown, the former owners sued to have half the ship and cargo, and recovered one third.
Capt. Moses’ ship not being fitted, he would take a second cruise in a privateer, and North went with him. Some time after their return, Capt. Moses being cruising in the Reserve, North, who was ashore, was pressed on board the Assistance man of war; and on the Reserve’s coming in, being recommended by Capt. Moses to his own captain, he was handsomely treated, and made one of the barge’s crew. He was very easy till the Assistance was ordered to England, and then, as he was apprehensive of going into a cold climate, he took his leave and said nothing. He then went on board a privateer again, and made several prizes, two of which were English bottoms, and sued for by former owners. North thinking it hard to venture his life, and have part of his prize money taken away, and the press being hot in Jamaica, he resolved to sail no more with the English; but went to Curacoa into the Dutch service, and sailed with a Spanish trader to the coast of New Spain several voyages. In the last he made, they were chased ashore by a couple of French sloops, one of which was commanded by a Dutchman, named Lawrence, who, with his comrade, took possession of their vessel and rifled her. The crew of the prize called to them, and asked if they would give them good quarters? which they promised; took them all on board, and used them very handsomely.
The French gave the prisoners a small sloop they took a while after, and they returned to Curacoa.
He having now forgot his resentment, returned to Jamaica, and went on board and cruised in a Spanish barcalonga, of 10 guns, commanded by Capt. Lovering, born at Jamaica. They cruised three months in the West-Indies, and making but a small hand of it, they steered for Newfoundland, to try their fortune on the banks. Here they met a man of war, who renewed their commission for six months longer. The first prize they made was a French ketch, with a Spanish pass, and would have passed for a Spaniard, but by strict search, and threatening the men, they discovered her to be what she really was, though she had, as a Spaniard, slipped through the fingers of a man of war before.
They carried their prize into harbour, went again upon a cruise, met with a French letter-of-marque, a Bristol built ship, called the Pelican, of 18 guns, and 75 men, half laden with fish. This ship stood them a long argument; they clapped her on board, and two of their men entered, but missing lashing, the barcalonga fell astern, and the two men were made prisoners. However, they came up with her again, clapped her on board a second time, and carried her into the same port where they had left the ketch.
They after this put to sea again, and being discovered by the French settlement ashore, they went into St. Mary’s Bay, where they fell in with a large French fly-boat, of 800 tons, 80 men, and 18 guns, laden with fish. They chased and came up with her, under French colours. When they were pretty near, the Frenchman hailed, and asked whence they came? A Guernsey-man, at the bowsprit end, answered, _from Petit Guave_, that they had been cruising on the Banks, and were going into the bay for refreshment. The Frenchman bade them come no nearer, but send their boat on board. They keeping on the chase, he fired at them. They did not mind this, but run up along side and boarded him. The French ran to their close quarters, and disputed the ship three quarters of an hour, when they all called for quarters except one man, who would take none, but ran like a madman into the midst of the English, and wounded several, though he was soon despatched by their pistols. They carried this prize to join the others, and turning all the prisoners ashore, except what were necessary to condemn their prizes, they stood, with a fleet of four sail, for Rhode-Island.
Here they condemned the fly-boat and ketch, but found great difficulty in getting the Pelican condemned, the English owners putting in their claim; but, at length, a Scotch lawyer did their business, upon leaving £300 in his hands to bear the charge of any future suit. Capt. Lovering dying here, the ship’s company bought the Pelican, broke up the barcalonga, sent her owners their shares, and got a commission for the master to cruise southward as far as the line, and to be valid for 18 months certain, two years allowing for accidents.
They fitted this ship for a long voyage, out of the joint stock of the company; but iron hoops being scarce in New-England, they were obliged to take casks hooped with wood, which I mention, because it proved the ruin of their voyage to the East-Indies for a whole year.
Being fitted for sea, they set sail and steered for the Cape of Good Hope, which they doubled in the month of June, made the best of their way to Madagascar, and went into Augustin Bay, where they victualled and watered; but before this was done it was August, which was too late to go to the East-Indies; which they proposed to do with design to cruise on the Moors, not intending to pirate among the Europeans, but honestly and quietly to rob what Moors fell in their way, and return home with clean consciences, and clean, but full hands, within the limited time of their commission.
From Augustin they went to Johanna, and the provision they had salted at Madagascar not being well done, it began to spoil. This, and their clothes wanting repair, made them desperately resolve to take the king of Johanna and make him ransom himself; but the master would not take charge of the ship, being unacquainted with the coast. They cruised among the islands, landed at Comaro, and took the town, but found no booty, excepting some silver chains, and checked linen. From hence they went to Mayotta, where they took in a Frenchman who had been marooned there, and maintained by the king. They consulted with him about surprising and taking the town; but he was averse to it, as he owed him the obligation of being preserved. However, he was in their hands, and must do as they would have him. They surrounded the king’s house after they had been three days in his town, and took him and all the inhabitants; but the king’s son made his way through the thickest of them with his cutlass, though he was shot afterwards. The pretence they made use of for this unjustifiable violence, was, that the king had poisoned the crew of a ship, which was their consort. He denied it, as well he might, for they themselves never heard of a ship of the name they gave this fictitious one. The king they carried on board, the other prisoners they put into a sort of temple, with a guard over them of 36 men.
The alarm being given in the country, the natives came down in a body, of some thousands, and attacked the guard; but the ship hearing the fire, and seeing the hills covered with blacks, discharged several great guns, loaded with partridge, which made a very great slaughter, and obliged them to retire.
The king ransomed himself for some silver chains to the value of a thousand dollars, and for what provision they demanded; and at setting him ashore, swore allegiance to them as masters of the country, and took an oath besides, never to poison any more white men.
After this notable expedition, they stayed here a fortnight, though always on their guard, and then went back for Augustin with about twenty slaves, which they carried away with them for servants. Here a sickness coming among them, they built huts ashore. They lost, notwithstanding all their care and precaution, their captain and thirty men, by the distemper which they contracted; but it abating, they thought of going to sea again, but on examining their water casks, they found the hoops all worm eaten and rotten, so that there was no proceeding; but this defect was repaired by their cooper, who was an ingenious fellow. He went into the woods with the Mayotta slaves, and with withes and other stuff he gathered, fitted them up, and made them tight; in acknowledgment of which service they chose him captain, and North was made quarter-master.
At Augustin they picked up some stragglers, among whom was David Williams, and on a muster, they found they had 105 men. They then made their vessel a free ship; that is, they agreed every man should have an equal share in all prizes; and proceeded for the mouth of the Red Sea.
In the night, after they had reached their station, they made two ships; one was the Mocha frigate, of 40 guns, commanded by Culliford: she had been an East-Indiaman, under the command of one Capt. Stout; the other ship was called the Soldada, of 16 guns, the captain’s name Shivers; they hailed one another, and on both sides gave the same answers, _from the seas_, and upon agreement, they all lay by that night. In the morning they consorted, and agreed to make an equal division of all prizes, which any of the three should take from that time for two months to come.
The Pelican spared wood, water, and some of her hands to Capt. Culliford, and here Williams shifted on board him. About ten days after these three had joined company, a large Moor’s ship, on which they afterwards mounted 70 guns, hove in sight.
They all gave chase, but the small ship came first up with the Moor, who exchanged several shot with the Soldada and Pelican; but the Soldada clapped her on board, and before the Pelican could enter a man, the Moors called for quarters. In boarding the Moor, she fired a broadside upon the Soldada, but only two shot hulled her, and killed two men, which was the only loss they had in taking a thousand prisoners, passengers and sailors.
All the money was carried on board the Mocha frigate, and divided between her crew and the Soldada, excluding without other reason than _sic volumus_, the Pelican from any share. The crew of the Pelican expostulated with them, and bid them remember they had spared both wood and water, or the Mocha could not have kept the station. Instead of any answer, they received a command to be gone, or they would sink them. They answered, they could not go by themselves, wanting the water and wood they had spared. The two consorts gave them a thousand dollars, and some water out of the Moor, telling them to buy wood, where they could purchase it, and so left the Pelican to herself, going away for the coast of Malabar, where they put the prisoners and horses they had taken ashore, sunk the Soldada, and thence went to the Isle of St. Mary’s on Madagascar. They shared out of this prize a thousand pounds a man in silver and gold, besides other goods; and the two pirates amounted to the number of 350 men.
The Pelican kept the same station for some days, when a large Moor ship hove in sight. They gave chase, and the Moor not suspecting her for an enemy, did not endeavour to get away. When the Pelican came up, she fired for the Moor to bring to, which made him set his small sails, though with the loss of several men; for the Pelican being close up, brought them down with small arms. When the Moor had, at length, hove out his small sails, the Pelican could not gain upon him enough to board, though she was not a pistol shot astern. Whenever she came upon his lee quarter, the Moor being a tall ship, took away the wind from the Pelican, and she could never get to windward of him. She plied her fore chase all this while, and drove the Moor’s from their stern chase, but could not, as they endeavoured to do, strike the Moor’s rudder, or any other way disable him. At length by the fear and bad steerage of the Moor, the Pelican run up alongside of them, but as she missed lashing, she was obliged to shoot ahead. In the mean while the Moor wore round, the Pelican put in stays after him, but not staying, and being all in confusion, wore also; but in this time the Moor had got the start, and setting all the canvass he could pack on his ship’s back, wronged the Pelican and got off.
The loss of this ship made the crew almost distracted, and caused for some time, a great division among them; some cursing the ship for a heavy sailer, and proposing to return home; others cursing themselves, and the ill-management by which they missed lashing, and proposed going to Madagascar, and breaking her up, since as she was a single bottom, she must be worm eaten; but time, which mollifies the greatest rage, abated these contentions, and put an end to the animosities which sprung from their disappointment.
They now resolved for the Malabar coast, on which they took three Moor ships in a little time. The first they discharged, after taking out 6000 dollars; the second they took for their own use, mounted her with 26 guns, and called her the Dolphin: the third they sold on the same coast for 18,000 dollars. Their own ship they set adrift. From this coast they made for Madagascar, and near the island of Mascarenhas lost all their masts in a hurricane. They put up jury masts, came to St. Mary’s and new masted. Here they found Captain Culliford, Capt. Shivers, and their prize, with three merchantmen from America, which had come to trade with them, one of which was the Pembroke, commanded by Samuel Burgess, and belonging to Frederick Phillips, merchant, at New-York. The captain of the Dolphin, and some of the men being weary of this life, went home in these merchants ships, and the crew chose one Samuel Inless, who lived on the island, for their captain. They fitted out for the Straits of Malacca, where they made several prizes of Moor ships, but of little value to them. North, on board one of the prizes, was separated from the rest by bad weather, and drove to great distress for water. The Moor merchant, who was on board with him, and whom he had treated very humanely, showed him a draught, by which he came to a small island not far from the Dutch settlement, and watered. The Moor told him, that he ran the risk of his life should it be known that he had given him a sight of this draught. In return for this service, when he met with his companions, he got the Moor’s ship discharged. After this they steered for Nicobar, near Achen, and, in the way, met a large Danish ship, which they plundered, and hove down by, cleaned, and returned to Madagascar, where they shared their booty, which was, besides goods, between 3 and £400 a man. A month after their arrival, Commodore Littleton’s squadron appeared in sight, which occasioned their hauling up the Dolphin; and, as they could not get her so high as they designed, they set fire to her.
Commodore Littleton brought a pardon for such of the pirates as would accept it, and many of them did, among whom were Culliford and Shivers, who went home with merchantmen. North accepted it also, but would not trust to it, finding the time fixed for their surrender had elapsed before the men of war arrived.
Most of the pirates having left the island of St. Mary’s, where the king’s ship lay, North thought it not safe for him to stay, and therefore putting all he had into the Dolphin’s boat, he designed to join his comrades on the main of Madagascar; but being overset by a squall, all the people were lost except himself, who swam ashore, and a negro woman whom he put on the bottom of the boat.
Being now on the main, and quite naked, he frightened the negroes he met with, as he got out of the water, for they took him for a sea-devil; but one women, who had been used to sell fowls at the white men’s houses, had the courage not to run away, and, when he came near, knew him. She gave him some of her own clothing, and calling a negro man who carried her things, and had run into the woods, they helped him to perform his journey to the dwelling of some white men, which was sixteen miles from the place where he came on shore. Being quite exhausted, he was kindly received and clothed by his comrades, whom he remained with till he had recovered his strength, and then went to a black prince of his acquaintance, with whom he tarried till the arrival of Capt. Fourgette, which was full a year.
In this vessel, which I have already said in White’s life was taken, he went round the north end to the west side, and came into Methelage, where they surprised the Speaker; the manner of which is also mentioned in the same life; and, after the death of Capt. Booth, was chosen captain’s quarter-master, by Bowen, who succeeded in the voyage, and the consequence of it are already set down, for he was in the Speaker till she was lost.
The next voyage he made was in the Speedy Return (taken from Capt. Drummond) in the capacity of company’s quarter-master, with design to cruise in the Red Sea; but touching at the island of Mayotta, they consorted with Capt. Howard, whom they met with at the island, as is already said. From thence they went and victualled at Augustin, having promised Capt. Bowen to meet him in two months; accordingly returning thither, and missing him, they went to Mayotta to inquire after him; but hearing that he was gone a voyage, and as the place of rendezvous was off the highlands of St. John’s, they steered their course thither, to join him, and lie for the Moor fleet for Mocha.