I immediately went to the great Cabin-door, taking the Lieutenant that call’d me, along with me, and caus’d the Cabin-door to be open’d: But such a Sight of Glory and Misery was never seen by Buccaneer before; the Queen (for such she was to have been) was all in Gold and Silver, but frighted; and crying, and at the Sight of me she appear’d trembling, and just as if she was going to die. She sate on the Side of a kind of a Bed like a Couch with no Canopy over it, or any Covering, only made to lie down upon; she was,
in a Manner, cover’d with Diamonds, and I, like a true Pirate, soon let her see that I had more Mind to the Jewels than to the Lady.
However, before I touch’d her, I order’d the Lieutenant to place a Guard at the Cabin-door; and fastening the Door, shut us both in, which he did: The Lady was young, and, I suppose, in their Country Esteem, very handsome, but she was not very much so in my Thoughts: At first, her Fright, and the Danger she thought she was in of being kill’d, taught her to do every Thing that she thought might interpose between her and Danger; and that was to take off her Jewels as fast as she could, and give them to me; and I, without any great Compliment, took them as fast as she gave them me, and put them into my Pocket, taking no great Notice of them, or of her, which frighted her worse than all the rest, and she said something which I could not understand; however, two of the other Ladies came, all crying, and kneel’d down to me with their Hands lifted up: What they meant I knew not at first, but by their Gestures and Pointings I found at last it was to beg the young Queen’s Life, and that I would not kill her.
I have heard that it has been reported in England that I ravish’d this Lady, and then used her most barbarously; but they wrong me, for I never offer’d any Thing of that Kind to her, I assure you; nay, I was so far from being inclin’d to it, that I did not like her; and there was one of her Ladies who I found much more agreeable to me, and who I was afterwards something free with, but not even with her either by Force, or by Way of Ravishing.
We did, indeed, ravish them of all their Wealth, for that was what we wanted, not the Women; nor was there any other Ravishing among those in the great Cabin, that I can assure you: As for the Ship where the Women of inferior Rank were, and who were in Number almost two hundred, I cannot answer for what might happen in the first Heat; but even there, after the first Heat of our Men was over, what was done, was done quietly, for I have heard some of the Men say, that there was not a Woman among them but what was lain with four or five Times over, that is to say, by so many several Men; for as the Women made no Opposition, so the Men even took those that were next them, without Ceremony, when and where Opportunity offer’d.
When the three Ladies kneel’d down to me, and as soon as I understood what it was for, I let them know I would not hurt the Queen, nor let any one else hurt her, but that she must give me all her Jewels and Money: Upon this they acquainted her that I would save her Life; and no sooner had they assur’d her of that, but she got up, smiling, and went to a fine Indian Cabinet, and open’d a private Drawer, from whence she took another little Thing full of little square Drawers and Holes; this she brings to me in her Hand, and offer’d to kneel down to give it me. This innocent Usage began to rouse some Good-Nature in me, (tho’ I never had much) and I would not let her kneel; but sitting down myself on the Side of her Couch or Bed, made a Motion to her to sit down too: But here she was frighted again, it seems, at what I had no Thought of; for sitting on her Bed, she thought I would pull her down to lie with her, and so did all her Women too; for they began to hold their Hands before
their Faces, which, as I understood afterwards, was that they might not see me turn up their Queen: But as I did not offer any Thing of that Kind, only made her sit down by me, they began all to be easier after some Time, and she gave me the little Box or Casket, I know not what to call it, but it was full of invaluable Jewels. I have them still in my Keeping, and wish they were safe in England; for I doubt not but some of them are fit to be plac’d on the King’s Crown.
Being Master of this Treasure, I was very willing to be good-humour’d to the Persons; so I went out of the Cabin, and caus’d the Women to be left alone, causing the Guard to be kept still, that they might receive no more Injury than I would do them myself.
After I had been out of the Cabin some Time, a Slave of the Womens came to me, and made Sign to me that the Queen would speak with me again. I made Signs back, that I would come and dine with her Majesty: And accordingly I order’d that her Servants should prepare her Dinner, and carry it in, and then call me. They provided her Repast after the usual Manner, and when she saw it brought in, she appear’d pleas’d, and more, when she saw me come in after it; for she was exceedingly pleas’d that I had caus’d a Guard to keep the rest of my Men from her; and she had, it seems, been told how rude they had been to some of the Women that belong’d to her.
When I came in, she rose up, and paid me such Respect as I did not well know how to receive, and not in the least how to return. If she had understood English, I could have said plainly, and