One Thing, remarkable enough, had like to have slipp’d me; which is, the King of Maratan sent Williams to the General without any Attendance, which made him ask, if the White Man was a Slave? The King answered, he had not used him like one. I may very well, said the General, be of a contrary Opinion, since you have sent no Body to wait upon him: Upon which Reprimand, the King sent Williams a Present of a Slave.
He was received by Dempaino with a great many Caresses, was handsomely cloathed according to the Country Manner, had Slaves allotted to wait on him, and every Thing that was necessary and convenient; so that King Dempaino was at the Trouble of sending 6000 Men, one would think, for no other End than to shew the great Value and Esteem he had for the Europeans. He continued with this Prince till the Arrival of a Ship, which was some Years after his leaving Maratan; when the Bedford Galley, a Pyrate, commanded by Achen Jones, a Welshman, came on the Coast, on board of which Ship Williams was permitted to enter; they went to Augustine, where, laying the Ship on Shore, by Carelessness they broke her Back, and lost her. The Crew lived here till the Arrival of the Pelican, another Pyrate, mentioned in North’s Life; some of them went on board this Ship, and steer’d for the East-Indies. Williams shifted out of this on board the Mocha Frigate, a Pyrate, commanded by Captain Culliford, and made a Voyage; then, returning to St. Mary’s, they shared the Booty they had got in the Red Seas. I shall not here mention the Particulars of this last Expedition, designing to write Captain Culliford’s Life, which it more properly belongs to.
Some of the Crew, being West Indians, having an Opportunity, returned home; but Williams remain’d here till the Arrival and taking of Capt. Forgette, which has been already mentioned: He was one of those who took the Speaker, (the Manner has been told before, in another Life) went a Voyage in her, and returned to Maratan, as is said in North’s Life. Here the King seeing him, ask’d what Present he intended to make him for former Kindness? Williams answered, he had been over paid by the Prince whom he took him from and by his Services, which Answer so irritated his Maratanian Majesty, that he ordered him to quit his Country; and he could hardly after that see him with Patience.
From hence he went on board the Prosperous, Captain Howard, Commander, who went to St. Mary’s, and thence to the Main, as is said in that Pyrate’s Life, and was one of the Men left behind when they had a Design to carry off Ort Van Tyle. This Dutchman kept him to hard Labour, as planting Potatoes, &c. in revenge for the Destruction and Havock made in his Plantations by the Crew of the Prosperous; he was here in the Condition of a Slave six Months, at the Expiration of which Time, he had an Opportunity (and embraced it) to run away, leaving his Consort, Tho. Collins, behind him, who had his Arm broke when he was taken by the Dutchman.
Having made his Escape from a rigid, revengeful Master, he got to a Black Prince, named Rebaiharang, with whom he lived half a Year; he from hence went and kept Company with one John Pro, another Dutchman, who had a small Settlement on Shore, till the Arrival of the Men of War, commanded by Commodore Richards, who took both Pro and his Guest Williams, put them in Irons (on board the Severn) till they came to Johanna, where the Captain of the Severn undertook for 2000 Dollars to go against the Mohilians, in which Expedition several of the Man of War’s Crew were killed, and the two Pyrates made their Escape in a small Canoe to Mohila, where they shelter’d themselves a while in the Woods, out of which they got Provisions, and made over for Johanna; here they recruited themselves and went away for Mayotta, an Island 18 Leagues in Length. The King of this Island built them a Boat, and giving them Provisions and what Necessaries they required, they made for and arrived at Madagascar; where, at Methelage, in the Lat. of 16, 40, or thereabouts, they join’d, as has been said, Captain White.
Here they lay about 3 Months, then setting Fire to their Boat, they went into White’s, and rounding the North End came to Ambonavoula; here Williams staid till Captain White brought the Ship Hopewell, on board of which he entered before the Mast, made a Voyage to the Red Seas, towards the End of which he was chosen Quarter-Master. At their Return they touch’d at Mascarenas for Provisions, where almost half the Company went ashore and took up their Habitations.
From Mascarenas they steer’d for Hopewell (by some call’d Hopefull) Point, on Madagascar, where dividing their Plunder, they settled themselves.
Twelve Months after, the Charles Brigantine, Captain Halsey, came in, as is mentioned in his Life. Williams went on board him and made a Voyage; at their Return they came to Maratan, lived ashore, and assisted the King in his War against his Brother, which being ended in the Destruction of the latter, and a Pyrate lying at Ambonavoula, sending his Long-Boat to Manangcaro, within ten Leagues of Maratan, Williams and the rest went on board, and in three Months after he had been at Ambonavoula he was chosen Captain of the Scotch Ship, mentioned in Halsey’s Life.
This Ship he work’d upon with great Earnestness, and made the Scots Prisoners labour hard at the fitting her up for a Voyage; and she was near ready for the Seas when a Hurricane forced her ashore, and she was wreck’d.
Some Time after this he set up and finished a Sloop, in which he and ten of his Men, design’d for Mascarenas, but missing the Island they went round Madagascar, to a Place called Methelage, where he laid his Vessel ashore and staid a Year; but the King being tired with his morose Temper, and he disagreeing with every Body, he was order’d to be gone, and accordingly fitting up his Vessel he put to Sea, intending to go round the North End of the Island; but the Wind being at E. S. E. and the Current setting to N. W. he put back to a Port, called the Boyne, within 10 Leagues of Methelage, in the same King’s Dominions whom he had left. The Governor of this Place was descended from the Arabs, and it was here that the Arabians traded.