You will think it prodigious impudent that so small a Number should undertake to proceed a pyrating, especially when neither of them had sufficient Skill in Navigation: Yet this they did, leaving those People, their Ship-Mates abovemention’d, to the Mercy of the barbarous Natives, and sail’d away down the Coast, making them a black Flag, which they merrily said, would be as good as 50 Men more, i. e. would carry as much Terror; and that they did not doubt of soon increasing their Crew, to put them in an enterprizing Capacity; but their vain Projection was soon happily frustrated, and after this Manner.
The Master whose Life they had preserved, (perhaps only for supplying their own Unskillfulness in Navigation,) advised them, that since contrary to their Expectations, they had met with no Ship between Cape Mount, and the Bite of Calabar, to proceed to the Island of St. Thomas’s, where they might recruit with Provisions and Water, and sell off the Slaves (about 70 of them) which they perceived would be a useless Lumber, and incommodious to their Design. They arrived there in August 1721, and one Evening, while Part of them were on Shore, applying for this Purpose to the Governor, and the other Part carelesly from the Deck, Mr. Rowry stepp’d into the Boat belonging to the Vessel, and pushed off, very suddenly: They heard the Noise it made, and soon were upon Deck again, but having no other Boat to pursue, nor a Musket, ready to fire, he got safe on Shore, and ran to the Governor with his Complaint, who immediately imprisoned those already there, and sent a Launch off to take the rest out of the Ship.
The Swallow arrived at St. Thomas’s the Beginning of October following, where, on Mr. Rowry’s Remonstrance, Application was made to the Portuguese Governor of that Island, for a Surrendery of these five English Prisoners then in the Castle; but he not only peremptorily excused himself from it, as a Matter out of his Power, without particular Direction from the Court of Portugal; but withal insinuated, that they had only taken Refuge there from the Hardships and Severity they had met with from their Master. The manner of Denial, and the avaritious Temper of the Gentleman, which I had Occasion to be acquainted with, makes it very suspicious, that he proposed considerable Gains to himself; for if Mr. Rowry had not made such an Escape to him, the Slaves had been his for little or nothing, as a Bribe to silence his Suspicions, which any Man, less acute than he, must have had from the awkward and unskilful Carriage of such Merchants. But enough of this; perhaps he is not the only Governor abroad that finds an Interest in countenancing these Fellows.
[*: Term for stealing of Men used all over the Coast.]
An Account of the Pyracies and Murders committed by Philip Roche, &c.
PHilip Roche was born in Ireland, and from his Youth had been bred up to the Sea; he was a brisk genteel Fellow, of 30 Years of Age at the Time of his Death; one whose black and savage Nature did no ways answer the Comliness of his Person, his Life being almost one continued Scene of Villany, before he was discovered to have committed the horrid Murders we are now speaking of.
This inhumane Monster had been concerned with others, in insuring Ships to a great Value, and then destroying them; by which Means, and other Rogueries, he had got a little Money; and being Mate of a Ship, was dilligent enough in trading for himself between Ireland and France, so that he was in a Way of getting himself a comfortable Livelihood: But, as he resolved to be rich, and finding fair Dealing brought in Wealth but slowly, he contriv’d to put other Things in Execution, and certainly had murthered several innocent Persons in the Prosecution of his abominable Schemes; but as I have now forgot the particular Circumstances of those Relations, I shall confine my self at present to the Fact for which he suffer’d.
Roche getting acquainted with one Neal, a Fisherman at Cork, whom he found ready for any villainous Attempt, he imparted his Design to him, who being pleas’d with the Project, brings one Pierce Cullen and his Brother into the Confederacy, together with one Wise, who at first was very unwilling to come into their Measures, and, indeed, had the least Hand in the Perpetration of what follows.
They pitch’d upon a Vessel in the Harbour, belonging to Peter Tartoue, a French Man, to execute their cruel Intentions upon, because it was a small one, and had not a great Number of Hands on Board, and ’twas easy afterwards to exchange it for one more fit for Pyracy; and therefore they apply’d themselves to the Master of her, for a Passage to Nantz, whereto the Ship was bound; and accordingly, the Beginning of November 1721, they went aboard; and when at Sea, Philip Roche being an experienced Sailor, the Master of the Vessel readily trusted him with the Care of her, at times, while he and the Mate went to rest.