Few Days after he took a Vessel of the same Nation, who gave an Account, that he had killed above 40 Men in the Guarda del Costa, beside a Number wounded; he kept along the Coast to the Southward, and took a French Ship of 18 Guns, laden with Wine and Brandy, bound for the South-Sea, which he carried with him into the River of Plate. He sent some of his Men ashore to kill some wild Cattle, but they were taken by the Crew of a Spanish Man of War; on their Examination before the Captain, they said they were two Guiney Ships, with Slaves belonging to the South-Sea Company, and on this Story were allowed to return to their Boats: Here five of his forced Men ran away with his Canoe, he plundered the French Ship, cut her adrift, and she was stranded. He proceeded along the Brazil Coast, and hearing a Pyrate Ship was lost upon it, and the Pyrates imprisoned, he used all the Portuguese, who fell into his Hands, who were many, very barbarously, cutting off their Ears and Noses; and as his Master was a Papist, when they took a Priest, they made him say Mass at the Main-mast, and would afterwards get on his Back and ride him about the Decks, or else load and drive him like a Beast. He from this went to the Guiney Coast, and took Captain Hill in the Indian Queen.
In Luengo Bay he saw two Ships at Anchor, one a Dutchman of 44 Guns, the other an English Ship, called the Fame, Captain Bowen, Commander; they both cut and ran ashore, the Fame was lost, but the Dutch Ship, the Pyrate, got off and took with him. When he was at Sea again he discharged Captain Hill, and stood away for the East-Indies. Near the Cape he took an Ostend East-India Man, of which Mr. Nash, a noted Merchant in London, was Supercargo. Soon after he took a Dutch East-India Man, discharged the Ostender, and made for Madagascar; at the Isle of St. Mary, he met with some of Captain Halsey’s Crew, whom he took on board with other Stragglers, and shaped his Course for the East-Indies, and in the Way, at the Island of Johanna, took, in Company of two other Pyrates he met at St. Mary’s, the Cassandra East-India Man, commanded by Captain James Macragh; he continued his Course for the East-Indies, where he made a very great Booty, and returning, touch’d at the Isle of Mascarenas, where he met with a Portuguese Ship of 70 Guns, with the Vice-Roy of Goa, on board. This Ship he made Prize of, and hearing she had Money on board, they would allow of no Ransom, but carried her to the Coast of Zanguebar, where was a Dutch Fortification, which they took and plunder’d, razed the Fort, and carried off several Men who enter’d voluntarily. From hence they stood for St. Mary’s, where they shared their Booty, broke up their Company, and settled among the Natives: Here a Snow came from Bristol, which they obliged to carry a Petition to the Governor of Mascarenas for a Pardon, tho’ they paid the Master very generously. The Governor returned Answer, he would take them into Protection if they would destroy their Ships, which they agreed to, and accordingly sunk the Flying Dragon, &c. Condent and some others went to Mascarenas, where Condent married the Governor’s Sister-in-Law, and stay’d some Time; but as I have been credibly inform’d, he is since come to France, settled at St. Maloes, and drives a considerable Trade as a Merchant.
A DESCRIPTION of Magadoxa,
taken partly from the Journal
of Captain Beavis, and also from
an original Manuscript of a Molotto,
who was taken by the Natives, and
lived amongst them sixteen Years.
In the Year 1700, Capt. William Beavis, Commander of the Ship, called the Albemarle, then in the Service of the East-India Company, sail’d from England, bound for Surrat, in the East-Indies, but after having been some Months at Sea, having the Misfortune to meet with contrary Masorns, he lost his Passage, so that he was forced on the Coast of Zanguebar, in the higher Ethiopia, or the Continent of Africk, where he endeavoured to find out some Place of Safety, that the Ship might ride secure, and where he might meet with some Necessaries for refreshing his Company, while he waited for the Change of Winds, which he could not expect in less than three or four Months.
They came in with the Land, and cast Anchor on the ninth of November, the Year before-mentioned; the Tenth it blew hard, but on the Eleventh the Weather being pretty fair, the Captain sent the Yawl on Shore, in two different Places, at considerable Distance from each other, they found the Land every where sandy, and all over green with Shrubs, but saw no Houses, nor could they discover the least Track of any human Creature; however, they saw Deer, but could not come near enough to have a Shot at them; they also found the Dung of Wolves, Hares, and some other Animals, but saw none; and near the Water-side they found the Shells of a great Number of Craw-Fish, but met with none alive; wherefore, they guessed that they were left here by some Creatures, who fished them up and usually fed upon them.
Finding this Place altogether inhospitable, they weigh’d Anchor and sail’d along the Shore, till the 17th of the same Month, when the Captain looking thro’ his Spying-glass, saw three or four Men walking along the Sea-Side, and sometimes sitting down, but could not discern any House, Fire, or Smoak, but when they had sail’d about a League farther, they perceived an Inlet or Bay, where the Captain fancied there might be a River; he could also perceive several tall Trees, which were the first they had seen since they came upon the Coast, which made the Captain conjecture, that there must be some Inhabitants.
Upon this, they came to an Anchor, and manning out the Boat, the Captain sent Mr. Baldwin the third Mate in her, to go into the Bay, in order to discover whether there was any River which discharged itself into it; when they were in with the Shore, they perceived about fifty or sixty People standing upon a Bank near the Water-side, and one separating himself from the Rest, approached nearer to them, and held up a white Piece of Linnen at the End of a Stick, and waved it at them, which they understood to be a Flag of Friendship, and which the Boat answered by the like Signal; then the Person on Shore beckon’d to them with his Hand, which they took to be an Invitation to come on Shore, and accordingly they ventured; there were two of the Boat’s Men who spoke a little Portuguese, who saluted this Man in that Language; as soon as they came near him, his Gesture appeared very civil, but they could not understand a Syllable of what he said in Answer, but by his Signs, they fancied he invited them to come to their Huts, in order to eat and drink.