As for Captain Green’s Speech; after he had taken Notice of the Crimes he was to dye for, and appealed to all present to charge him, or the Crew, with any Injustice, since he had lived there; he goes on in giving an Account of his Faith, his living and dying in the Church of England, of their Manner of Life abroad, their Observance of religious Duties, and the Sense he had of the Impossibility of Salvation, if he dy’d with a Falshood in his Mouth. Then follows,—‘Pursuant to which, I in the Presence of Almighty God, declare to you his People, that I am innocent in Design or Deed, and free from the Crimes for which I am condemned. That to my Knowledge, I never all my Life-time wrong’d Man in his Person or Goods, or had Accession thereto. What the Custom of Pyrates is, I thank God I know not: But I understand my Accusers and Persecuters will have you to believe, that I think it unnecessary to confess before Men. Take what I say as good Christians ought to do; if you have no Charity, you wrong your selves, and cannot hurt me.’
‘I am told some of my Crew have confess’d the Crimes, and load us with Guilt; this is done since Sentence, and in hopes of saving themselves, which I wish they may do by lawful Means, and not have Accession to the shedding innocent Blood. I am a dying, these are still in hopes to live, chuse you which of us to believe, &c.’
To return to Captain Bowen, who pyratically possessed himself of Captain Drummond’s Ship and Brigantine, as aforesaid, he, being inform’d by the Crew, that when they left Don Mascarenhas, a Ship called the Rook Galley, Captain Honeycomb Commander, was lying in that Bay, resolved, with the other Pyrates, to sail thither, but it taking up seven or eight Days in watering their Vessels, and settling their private Affairs, they arrived not at the Island till after the Departure of the said Galley, who thereby happily escaped the villainous Snare of their unprovok’d Enemies.
The Night after the Pyrates left Maritan, the Brigantine ran on a Ledge of Rocks off the West Side of the Island Madagascar, which not being perceived by the Ship, Bowen came into Mascarenhas without her, not knowing what was become of his Consort.
Here Captain Bowen staid eight or ten Days, in which Time he supplied the Ship with Provisions, and judging, that the Rook Galley was gone to some other Island, the Ship sail’d to Mauritius, in search of her; but the Pyrates seeing four or five Ships in the N. W. Harbour, they thought themselves too weak to attempt any thing there, so they stood immediately for Madagascar again, and arrived safe, first to Port Dauphin, and then to Augustin Bay. In a few Days the Content Brigantine, which they supposed either to have been lost, or revolted that honourable Service, came into the same Bay, and informed their Brethren of the Misfortune that happened to them: The Rogues were glad, no doubt, of seeing one another again, and calling a Council together, they found the Brigantine in no Condition for Business, being then very leaky, therefore she was condemned, and forthwith halled ashore and burnt, and the Crew united, and all went aboard the Speedy Return.
At this Place the Pyrates were made acquainted, by the Negroes, of the Adventures of another Gang that had settled for some Time near that Harbour, and had one Howard for their Captain. It was the Misfortune of an India Ship called the Prosperous, to come into the Bay at a Time that these Rogues were looking out for Employment; who, under the Pretence of trading (almost in the same Manner that Bowen and his Gang had seized the Speedy Return) made themselves Masters of her, and sailed with her to New Mathelage. Bowen and his Gang consulting together on this Intelligence, concluded ’twas more for their Interest to join in Alliance with this new Company, than to act single, they being too weak of themselves to undertake any considerable Enterprize, remembring how they were obliged to bear away from the Island of Mauritius, when they were in search of the Rook Gally, which they might have taken, with several others, had they had at that Time a Consort of equal Force to their own Ship.
They accordingly set sail from the Bay, and came into New Mathelage, but found no Ship there, tho’ upon Enquiry they understood that the Pyrate they look’d for, had been at the Place, but was gone; so after some Stay they proceeded to Johanna, but the Prosperous not being there neither, they sailed to Mayotta, where they found her lying at Anchor; this was about Christmas 1702.
Here these two Powers struck up an Alliance, Howard liking the Proposals, came readily into it, and the Treaty was ratified by both Companies. They staid above two Months at this Island, thinking it, perhaps, as likely a Place to meet with Prey as cruising out for it, and so indeed it happened; for about the beginning of March, the Ship Pembroke belonging to our East-India Company, coming in for Water, was boarded by their Boats, and taken, with the Loss of the chief Mate and another Man that were killed in the Skirmish.
The two Pyrate Ships weighed, and went out to Sea along with their Prize, and that Day and the next plundered her of the best Part of her Cargo, Provisions and Stores, and then taking the Captain and Carpenter away, they let the Pembroke go where the Remainder of her Crew pleased, and came with their Ships into New Methelage. Here the two Captains consulted, and laid a Plan for a Cruize to India, for which Purpose they detained Captain Woolley of the Pembroke lately taken, in order to be their Pilot in those Seas; but a very hot Dispute arose between the two Companies, which Ship he should go aboard of, insomuch that they had gone together by the Ears, if an Expedient had not been found to satisfy each Party, that one might not have the Advantage of the other by the Captain’s Skill and Knowledge of the Indian Coast, and this was to knock the poor Man on the Head; and murder him; but at last, by the Authority of Bowen, Captain Woolley escaped the threaten’d Danger, by bringing his Company to consent to his remaining on board the Prosperous, where he then was.
The Speedy Return being foul, and wanting a little Repair, it was judged proper for her to go back to Augustin Bay to clean; in the mean while the Prosperous was to have a Pair of Boot-Tops where she lay, and likewise to take in Water and Provision, and then to join their Consort again at Mayotta, the Island appointed for the Rendezvous.