From Methelage he went with a parcel of samsams to Augustin, with which he bought fifty slaves, whom he sold to the Arabians. In his return to Methelage, he met Capt. North, in a sloop, with 30 of Miller’s men on board. These men proposed taking Burgess, who had, as they said, betrayed, ruined, and banished them their country, by forcing them to turn pirates; but North would not consent: upon which they confined him, took Burgess and stripped him of all the money, and then releasing their captain, gave him £300 as his share, which he returned to Burgess on his arrival at Methelage.
Burgess lived here two or three years, till he was carried off by some Dutchmen. They belonged to an East-Indiaman, and were taken by two French ships, which being bound for Mocha, and short of provisions, came into Methelage to victual, where they set 80 of their prisoners ashore. When they parted from this port, they sailed for Johanna, where they left the Dutch officers, who built a ship, and came back for their men. Burgess being of great use to them, they took him on board, and steered for a port, where some Dutch, taken in another ship, were marooned; but they were wrecked at Youngoul, where Burgess continued 18 months. After this time was expired, he was desirous of leaving the place, and addressed himself to the king, who was uncle to the king of Methelage, he requested his black majesty to send him back to that port, which he readily complied with, where Burgess continued almost five years, afflicted with sickness, in which he lost one eye. While he was here, the Drake pink, of London, came in for slaves. He took Burgess, with design to carry him home; but Capt. Harvey, in the Henry, which belonged to the same owners, arriving, and being a stranger to the trade, at the request of Capt. Maggot, commander of the Drake, and on promise of a ship when in the West-Indies, he entered as third mate, and continued with him. Captain Harvey carrying it pretty high, and disagreeing with the king, lay here nine months before he could slave. Burgess was sent up to tell the king he had not fulfilled his agreement with Capt. Harvey. The king resented being reproached by a man whom he had entertained so many years, and reviled him. He was, however, carried to dinner with some of the principal blacks, and drank very plentifully with them of toke, in which it is supposed he was poisoned, for he fell ill and died soon after, leaving what he had to the care of the chief mate, for the use of his wife and children.
CAPTAIN NATHANIEL NORTH.
Captain North was born at Bermuda, and was the son of a sawyer, which business he himself was bred up to, but took at last to the seas, at the age of 17 or 18, shipping himself cook on board a sloop, built at Bermuda, for some gentlemen of Barbadoes, with design to fit her out for a privateer. She was bound to her owners, but the master took Santa Udas in the way, and loaded with salt. When they came to Barbadoes, all the crew was pressed, and North with his companions were put on board the Reserve.
The master applied himself to the governor, and got all his men cleared, North excepted, who, as he was a lad, was neglected, and left on board the man of war, which soon after sailed for Jamaica. Some time before the Reserve was relieved from this station, he laid hold of an opportunity to run away, and shipped himself on board a sugar drover, in which way of life he continued about two years, and being an able sailor, though no artist, he was offered to go master of one of these coasters, which he refused, and went on board a privateer.
The first cruise he made, they took a couple of good prizes, which made every man’s share very considerable; but North, as he got his money lightly, so he spent it, making the companions of his dangers the companions of his diversions, or rather joining himself with them, and following their example; which all (who are acquainted with the way of life of a successful Jamaica privateer) know is not an example of the greatest sobriety and economy. His money being all spent, he took the same method for a recruit, that is, he went a second time privateering, and met with such success, that he engaged very heartily in this course of life, and made several lucky cruises. Some time after, he grew tired, thought of trading, and shipped himself on board a brigantine, bound for the Spanish coast, commanded by one Capt. Reesby. This vessel went both on the trading and privateering account, so that the men shipped for half wages, and equal shares of what prizes they should make, in the same manner as to the shares, as on board a privateer. Their trading answered very poorly, and their privateering business still worse, for they returned without making any prize. They were forced to leave the Spanish coast on account of a Spanish guarda-la-costa, of 40 guns and 350 Frenchmen, commanded by a captain of the same nation. When they made the island of Jamaica, they fell in with Bluefields, off which place two French privateer sloops were cruising, one of which was formerly a privateer of Jamaica, called the Paradox. They immediately clapped Captain Reesby on board, taking him for a trader from the Spanish coast, and weakly manned. However, they were soon sensible of the mistake, for Reesby took one of them, and the other was obliged to a good pair of heels for his safety. Reesby lost 10 men killed outright in the engagement, and had 7 wounded. The latter, though he had made but a broken voyage, he put ashore at Bluefields, and ordered great care to be taken of them, at the owners’ expense. Here he took in fresh provision, and then beat up to Port Royal, where Reesby paid his men very honourably, gave them a handsome entertainment, and begged they would not leave him, as he had a very great value for them all; but for North particularly, who was a good swimmer, managed a canoe with great dexterity, and feared nothing.
Upon this desire of the captain’s, North and the greater part tarried ashore till Capt. Reesby was refitted, and went a second voyage with him to the coast, at seventeen dollars a month, and no share. They carried 300 negroes, besides bale goods, and disposed of all the slaves and goods to great advantage. Upon their return to Jamaica, after some stay on the island, Capt. Reesby not going out again, North went once more a privateering, and made considerable booty. While North was ashore after a cruise, he was pressed on board the Mary man of war, made a cruise in her to the Spanish coast, and returned to Jamaica; but hearing the Mary was soon to go to England, he, and three more, resolved to swim ashore from the keys, where the men of war lay, but he was taken as he was going off the head, and whipped. He, however, found means to make his escape, before the ship left the island, and went on board the Neptune sloop, a privateer, commanded by Capt. Lycence, then lieutenant of the Reserve, who, while the ship was in the carpenter’s hands, got a commission of the governor to take a cruise. Capt. Moses, who commanded the Reserve, went on board their sloop, under the command of his lieutenant, for diversion only. They cruised off Hispaniola, where they met with a French letter-of-marque, of 18 guns, and 118 men, who had the day before engaged the Swan man of war, and shook her off. The Neptune attacked her, and Capt. Moses was one of the first wounded, and carried down. Lycence ordered to board, but the quarter-master, who steered, mistook the helm, the sloop fell off, and the French pouring in a volley of small shot, Capt. Lycence was killed, which being told to Moses, as the surgeon dressed him, he ordered North to the helm, bid them not to be discouraged, and he would be upon deck immediately. Accordingly, he came up as soon as dressed, laid the ship on board, where they made a very obstinate resistance; but the French captain being killed, who received eleven shot before he dropped, they, at length, became masters.
The privateer lost 10 men, and 20 were wounded. The French had 50 killed and wounded, among whom was the captain, who had received two shot, as he was going down to the surgeon to get his blood stanched, and came upon deck just as he was boarded, where, encouraging his men, he was distinguished and aimed at. When they had brought the prize into Jamaica, as she was an English bottom, built at Bristol, and called the Crown, the former owners sued to have half the ship and cargo, and recovered one third.
Capt. Moses’ ship not being fitted, he would take a second cruise in a privateer, and North went with him. Some time after their return, Capt. Moses being cruising in the Reserve, North, who was ashore, was pressed on board the Assistance man of war; and on the Reserve’s coming in, being recommended by Capt. Moses to his own captain, he was handsomely treated, and made one of the barge’s crew. He was very easy till the Assistance was ordered to England, and then, as he was apprehensive of going into a cold climate, he took his leave and said nothing. He then went on board a privateer again, and made several prizes, two of which were English bottoms, and sued for by former owners. North thinking it hard to venture his life, and have part of his prize money taken away, and the press being hot in Jamaica, he resolved to sail no more with the English; but went to Curacoa into the Dutch service, and sailed with a Spanish trader to the coast of New Spain several voyages. In the last he made, they were chased ashore by a couple of French sloops, one of which was commanded by a Dutchman, named Lawrence, who, with his comrade, took possession of their vessel and rifled her. The crew of the prize called to them, and asked if they would give them good quarters? which they promised; took them all on board, and used them very handsomely.
The French gave the prisoners a small sloop they took a while after, and they returned to Curacoa.