When they were under Sail, they went to Voting for a new Captain, and the Quarter-Master, who had behaved so well in the last Affair with the Arabians, was chosen; but he declining all Command, the Crew made Choice of Bowen for Captain, Pickering to succeed him as Master, Samuel Herault, a Frenchman, for Quarter-Master, and Nathaniel North, for Captain Quarter-Master.
Things being thus settled, they came to the Mouth of the Red Sea, and fell in with 13 Sail of Moors Ships, which they kept Company with the greater Part of the Day, but were afraid to venture on them as they took them for Portuguese Men of War; at length part were for boarding, and advised it, the Captain, tho’ he said little, did not seem inclin’d, for he was but a young Pyrate, tho’ an old Commander of a Merchant Man.
Those who push’d for boarding then, desired Captain Boreman, already mentioned, to take the Command; but he said, he would not usurp on any, that no Body was more fit for it than he who had it, that for his Part, he would stand by his Fusil and went forward to the Forecastle with such as would have had him taken the Command, to be ready to board; on which, the Captain’s Quarter-Master said, if they were resolved to engage their Captain, (whose Representative he was) did not want Resolution, therefore, he ordered them to get their Tacks on board (for they had already made a clear Ship) and get ready for boarding; which they accordingly did, and coming up with the sternmost Ship, they fired a Broadside into her, which killed two Moors, clapp’d her on board and carried her; but Night coming on, they made only this Prize, which yielded them 500 l. per Man.
From hence they sailed to the Coast of Mallabar; the Adventures of these Pyrates on this Coast are already set down in Captain Bowen’s Life, to which I refer the Reader, and shall only observe, Captain White was all this while afore the Mast, being a forced Man from the Beginning.
Bowen’s Crew dispersing, Captain White went to Methelage, where he lived ashore with the King, not having any Opportunity of getting off the Island, till another Pyrate Ship, called the Prosperous, commanded by one Thomas Howard, who had been bred a Lighterman on the River of Thames, came in: This Ship was taken at Augustine, by some Pyrates from Shore, and the Crew of their own Long-Boat, which join’d them, at the Instigation of one Ranten, Boatswain’s Mate, who was sent for Water. They came on board in the Night and surprized her, tho’ not without Resistance, in which the Captain and chief Mate was killed, and several others wounded, the Particulars of which will be found in Hore’s Life. Those who were ashore with Captain White, resolving to enter in this Ship, determined him to go also, rather than be left alone with the Natives, hoping, by some Accident or other, to have an Opportunity of returning home. He continu’d on board this Ship, in which he was made Quarter-Master, till they met with, and all went on board of Bowen, as is set down in his Life, in which Ship he continued after Bowen left them, as shall be mentioned in the Appendix. At Port Dolphin he went off in the Boat to fetch some of the Crew left ashoar, the Ship being blown to Sea the Night before. The Ship not being able to get in, and he supposing her gone to the West-Side of the Island, as they had formerly proposed, he steered that Course in his Boat with 26 Men. They touch’d at Augustine expecting the Ship, but she not appearing in a Week, the Time they waited, the King order’d ’em to be gone, telling ’em they impos’d on him with Lies, for he did not believe they had any Ship; however, he gave ’em fresh Provision. They took in Water, and made for Methelage. Here, as Captain White was known to the King, they were kindly received, and staid about a Fortnight in Expectation of their Ship, but she not appearing, they raised their Boat a-streak, salted up the Provisions the King gave ’em, put Water aboard, and stood for the North-End of the Island, designing to go round, believing their Ship might be at the Island of St. Mary. When they came to the North-End, the Current, which sets to the North-West for eight Months in the Year, was so strong they found it impossible to get round. Wherefore they got into a Harbour, of which there are many for small Vessels. Here they staid about three Weeks or a Month, when part of the Crew were for burning the Boat, and for travelling over Land to a black King of their Acquaintance, whose Name was Reberimbo, who lived at a Place called Manangaromasigh, in the Latitude of 15, or thereabouts. As this King had been several times assisted by the Whites in his Wars, he was a great Friend to them. Captain White disswaded them from this Undertaking, and, with much ado, saved the Boat; but one half of the Men being resolved to go by Land, they took what Provisions they thought necessary, and set out, Captain White, and those who staid with him, convoy’d ’em a Day’s Journey, and then returning, he got into the Boat with his Companions, and went back to Methelage, fearing these Men might return, prevail with the rest, and burn the Boat.
Here he built a Deck on his Boat, and lay by three Months, in which Time there came in three Pyrates with a Boat, who had formerly been trepann’d on board the Severn and Scarborough Men of War, which had been looking for Pyrates on the East-Side; from which Ships they made their escape at Mohila, in a small Canoe to Johanna, and from Johanna to Mayotta, where the King built ’em the Boat which brought ’em to Methelage. The Time of the Current’s setting with Violence to the North-West being over, they proceeded together in White’s Boat (burning that of Mayotta) to the North-End, where the Current running yet too strong to get round, they went into a Harbour and staid there a Month, maintaining themselves with Fish and wild Hog, of which there was great Plenty. At length, having a Slatch of fine Weather, and the Strength of the Current abating, they got round; and after sailing about 40 Mile on the East-Side, they went into a Harbour, where they found a Piece of a Jacket, which they knew belong’d to one of those Men who had left ’em to go over Land; he had been a forced Man, and a Ship Carpenter; this they supposed he had torn to wrap round his Feet, that Part of the Country being barren and rocky. As they sailed along this Coast, they came to an Anchor in convenient Harbours every Night, till they got as far as Manangaromasigh where King Reberimbo resided, where they went in to enquire for their Men, who left ’em at the North-End, and to recruit with Provisions. The latter was given ’em, but they could have no Information of their Companions.
From hence they went to the Island of St. Mary, where a Canoe came off to ’em with a Letter directed to any white Man. They knew it to be the Hand of one of their former Ship-Mates. The Contents of this Letter was to advise ’em to be on their Guard, and not trust too much to the Blacks of this Place, they having been formerly treacherous. They enquired after their Ship, and was inform’d, that the Company had given her to the Moors, who were gone away with her, and that they themselves were settled at Ambonavoula, about 20 Leagues to the Southward of St. Mary, where they lived among the Negroes as so many sovereign Princes.
One of the Blacks, who brought off the Letter, went on board their Boat, carried them to the Place called Olumbah, a Point of Land made by a River on one Side, and the Sea on the other, where twelve of ’em lived together in a large House they had built, and fortified with about 20 Pieces of Canon.
The rest of them were settled in small Companies of about 12 or 14 together, more or less, up the said River, and along the Coast, every Nation by it self, as the English, French, Dutch, &c. They made Enquiry of their Consorts after the Shares of Prizes which belong’d to them, and they found all very justly laid by to be given them, if ever they return’d, as were what belong’d to the Men who went over Land. Captain White hankering after home, proposed going out again in the Boat; for he was averse to settling with them; and many others agreed to go under his Command; and if they could not meet with a Ship to carry them to Europe, to follow their old Vocation. But the others did not think it reasonable he should have the Boat, but that it should be set to Sale for the Benefit of the Company. Accordingly it was set up, and Captain White bought it for 400 Pieces of Eight, and with some of his old Consorts, whose Number was increas’d by others of the Ship’s Crew, he went back the Way he had come, to Methelage: Here he met with a French Ship of about 50 Tuns and 6 Guns; she had been taken by some Pyrates who lived at Maratan, on the East-Side of the Island, and some of the Degrave East-India Man’s Crew, to whom the Master of her refused a Passage to Europe; for as he had himself been a Pyrate and Quarter-Master to Bowen in the Speaker, he apprehended their taking away his Ship, War being then between England and France, he thought they might do it without being called in question as Pyrates. The Pyrates who had been concerned in taking Herault’s Ship, for that was his Name, had gone up the Country, and left her to the Men belonging to the Degrave, who had fitted her up, clean’d and tallow’d her, and got in some Provision, with a Design to go to the East-Indies, that they might light on some Ship to return to their own Country.
Captain White finding these Men proposed their joining him, and going round to Ambonavoula, to make up a Company, which they agreed to, and unanimously chose him Commander. They accordingly put to Sea, and stood away round the South End of the Island, and touch’d at Don Mascarena, where he took in a Surgeon, and stretching over again to Madagascar, fell in with Ambonavoula, and made up his Complement 60 Men. From hence he shaped his Course for the Island of Mayotta, where he cleaned his Ship, and staid for the Season to go into the Red Seas: His Provisions being taken in, the Time proper, and the Ship well fitted, he steer’d for Babelmandel, and running into a Harbour waited for the Mocha Ships.