The History of the Lives and Bloody Exploits of the Most Noted Pirates; Their Trials and Executions / Including a Correct Account of the Late Piracies Committed in the West-Indies, and the Expedition of Commodore Porter; also, Those Committed on the Brig Mexican, Who Were Tried and Executed at Boston, in 1835

by Ezra Baldwin Strong

The captain invited them into the cabin to dinner, but Booth chose to dine with the petty officer though one Johnson, Isaac, and another, went down. Booth was to give the watch-word, which was hurrah. Standing near the awning, and being a nimble fellow, at one spring threw himself upon it, drew the arms to him, fired his pistol forward among the men, one of whom he wounded, (who jumping overboard was lost) and gave the signal.

Three, I said, were in the cabin, and seven upon deck, who with handspikes and the arms seized, secured the ship’s crew. The captain and his two mates, who were at dinner in the cabin, hearing the pistol, fell upon Johnson, and stabbed him in several places with their forks, but they being silver did him no great damage. Fourgette snatched his piece, which he snapped at Isaac’s breast several times, but it would not go off. At last, finding his resistance vain, he submitted, and the pirates set him, and those of his men, who would not join them, on shore, allowing him to take his books, papers, and whatever else he claimed as belonging to him self; and besides treating him very humanely, gave him several casks of liquor, with arms and powder to purchase provisions in the country.

I hope this digression, as it was in a manner needful, will be excused. I shall now proceed.

After they had taken in the Dolphin’s company, which were on the island, and increased their crew, by that means, to the number of 80 hands, they sailed to St. Mary’s, where Capt. Mosson’s ship lay at anchor, between the island and the main. This gentleman and his whole ship’s company had been cut off, at the instigation of Ort Van Tyle, a Dutchman of New-York.

Out of her they took water casks and other necessaries; which having done, they designed for the river Methelage. On the west side of Madagascar, in the lat. of 16 degrees or thereabouts, to salt up provisions and to proceed to the East-Indies, cruise off the islands of St. John, and lie in wait for the Moor ships from Mocha.

In their way to Methelage they fell in (as I have said) with the pirate, on board of which was Capt. White. They joined company, came to an anchor together in the above named river, where they had cleaned, salted, and taken in their provisions, and were ready to go to sea, when a large ship appeared in sight, and stood into the same river.

The pirates knew not whether she was a merchantman or man of war. She had been the latter, belonging to the French king, and could mount 50 guns; but being taken by the English, she was bought by some London merchants, and fitted out from that port to slave at Madagascar, and go to Jamaica. The captain was a young, inexperienced man, who was put in with a nurse.

The pirates sent their boats to speak with them, but the ship firing at them, they concluded it a man of war, and rowed ashore; the grab standing in, and not keeping her wind so well as the French built ship, run among a parcel of mangroves, and a stump piercing her bottom, she sunk: the other run aground, let go her anchor, and came to no damage, for the tide of flood fetched her off.

The captain of the Speaker, for that was the name of the ship which frightened the pirates, was not a little vain of having forced these two vessels ashore, though he did not know whether they were pirates or merchantmen, and could not help expressing himself in these words: “How will my name ring on the exchange, when it is known I have run two pirates aground;” which gave handle to a satirical return from one of his men after he was taken, who said, “Lord! how our captain’s name will ring on the exchange; when it is heard, he frightened two pirate ships ashore, and was taken by their two boats afterwards.”

When the Speaker came within shot, she fired several times at the two vessels; and when she came to an anchor, several more into the country, which alarmed the negroes, who, acquainting their king, he would allow him no trade, till the pirates living ashore, and who had a design on his ship, interceded for them, telling the king, they were their countrymen, and what had happened was through a mistake, it being a custom among them to fire their guns by way of respect, and it was owing to the gunner of the ship’s negligence that they fired shot.