From the Coast of Virginia, they shap’d their Course for that of Guiney, where they took a great many Ships of different Nations, all which they rifled of what they thought fit: Out of these Ships they forced on board a Number of Men, equal to the Number of those formerly compell’d, who desired, and whom they permitted, to be discharged, after much Entreaty.
After they had been some Months on the Coast, they spied a large three deck’d Portuguese Ship from Brazil, mounted with 36 Guns; they gave Chase and came up with her: The Captain would make no Resistance, but his Mate, who was an Englishman, named Rutland, thinking it Shame to give up such a Ship, resolved to defend her; which the Portuguese Captain consented to, but went himself out of Harm’s Way. Rutland, who had been Master of an English Brigantine, taken from him on the same Coast by another Gang of Pyrates, fought them the better Part of a Forenoon; but the Portuguese flying the Decks, and only thirty Men, who were English, Dutch, and French, standing by him, he was obliged to ask Quarters, which were given. When the Pyrates came on board, they asked Rutland, if he was Commander? he answer’d, No. They enquired after him, and being told, he was somewhere in the Hold, they search’d, and found him hid in the Powder-Room; whence they hawled him up, and whipp’d him round the Deck for his Cowardice. Rutland, and those who fought the Ship, they forced on board, and their Complement being now 180 Men, they exchanged their Galley for the Portuguese Ship, carried her in Shore, and ripping off her upper Deck, made her deep wasted, and much snugger, by cutting down some of her Gunnel. This Prize they named the Alexander.
They went down the Coast in this Ship, and made several Prizes, some of which they discharged, and put on board such of their forced Men as begg’d their Discharge; others, they sunk, and burnt others; but forced on board all Carpenters, Cawlkers, Armorers, Surgeons, and Musicians. In their Way to Cape Lopez, where they designed, and afterwards did clean, they found a large Bristol Ship at an Anchor, which had lost a great many Men by Sickness, and had then but few healthy on board, who got into the Boat, and endeavoured to get to Shore, but were prevented by the Pyrates: Here they changed some more of their forced Men, and did intend to change their Ship; but on a Survey, found the Bristol Man too old for their Purpose, and therefore left her at an Anchor, after they had taken what they thought of Use to them; this Ship belong’d to one Mr. Godly of Bristol.
They met with nothing else in their Way to Cape Lopez, where they clean’d their Ship, took in Wood and Water, and then stood away to Sea again.
At their leaving Cape Lopez, they spied an English Ship, which they came up with and engaged; the Merchant Man made an obstinate Defence, and finding the Design to board, made to close Quarters. Howard and seven or eight more entered, but the Pyrate’s Boatswain not having secured his lashing, they fell a-stern, and left these Men on board the Merchant-Ship, who seeing themselves in Danger, hawl’d up the Boat, which the Chace had a-stern, and, cutting the Rope, got on board the Alexander, which being considerably the larger Ship, and drawing a great deal more Water, stuck on an unknown Bank, which the Merchant Man went over, and by this lucky Accident escaped.
This obliged the Pyrates to start their Water, and throw over the Wood to get the Ship off, which put ’em under a Necessity of going back to Cape Lopez to take in those Necessaries. After having a second time wooded and water’d, they put again to Sea, fell in with and took two Portuguese Brigantines, which they burnt, and setting the Men on Shoar, they made for, and doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and shap’d their Course for Madagascar, where to the Northward of, and forty Mile from, the Bay of Augustine, and near a small Island, they run the Ship on a Reef, where she stuck fast. The Captain being then sick in his Bed, the Men went ashoar on the small adjacent Island, and carried off a great deal of Provision and Water to lighten the Ship, on board of which none but the Captain, the Quarter-Master, and about eleven more were left.
The Quarter-Master, who was Howard, with the others, took all the Treasure, and put it on board the Boats, made off for the Main of Madagascar; the Captain, hearing no Body stir upon Deck, made shift to crawl out of his Cabbin, and seeing ’em put off, fir’d the two fore chace Guns at ’em, which alarm’d (to no Purpose) the Men ashoar; as the Sea ebb’d, the Ship lay dry, and they could walk to her from the Island. She might have been saved had they had the Boats to carry out an Anchor; but for want of them they brought every Thing ashoar, at Tide of Flood, upon Rafts. As the Ship lay in a quiet Place, they had Opportunity to rip her up, and build a Vessel out of her Wreck. The major Part of the Crew being English and Dutch, who sided together, they forced about 36 Portuguese and French (thinking the Crew too numerous for their Provisions in their present Circumstances) to get upon a Raft, and take their Chance with the Sea-Breeze to get to the Island of Madagascar, about 3 Leagues from them. They finish’d a Vessel of 60 Tuns, but the Day they design’d to have launch’d her, a Pyrate Brigantine hove in Sight, who took ’em on board.
Howard and his Consorts stood along the West-Side of the Island, with Design to round the North End, and to go to St. Mary’s, but finding the Current too strong to stem, they lay there about a Fortnight; in the Interim they spied three Sail of tall Ships, which were Men of War under Commadore Littleton, (viz. the Anglesea, Hastings and Lizard,) who had carried a Pardon to the Island of St. Mary, accepted of by many of the Pyrates. Thinking these might be also Pyrates, they made a Smoak, which brought the Boats ashoar; but finding they were Men of War’s Boats, the Pyrates thought fit to abscond, wherefore finding nothing, nor any Body, the said Men of War’s Boats return’d, and the Ships kept their Cruise.
They had here plenty of Fish and wild Hogs, which they found in the Wood. One Day, when Howard was Hunting, his Comrades took the Opportunity, went off, rounded the North End, and left Mr. Howard to provide for himself.
About four or five and twenty Leagues from the Cape, they went into a fine Harbour on the East Side, not frequented nay, hardly known to the European Ships. They were here received handsomely, treated and provided with fresh Meat, and what Necessaries they wanted, by the King of this District, whose Name was Mushmango, who had formerly been driven from Augustine by War, and travelling thro’ the Heart of the Country, had here fixed his Settlement. When the Boats were victualled, and while Johnson, who took on him the Command after they had deserted Howard, was ashoar with three more, the rest went off with the Boats and Booty, and stood away to the Southward, along the Coast, designing for St. Mary’s, going every Night into some Harbour, or coming to an Anchor under some Point when the Winds proved contrary.