[65] The original letter is now preserved in the Boston Public Library.
[66] Captain Kidd married in May, 1691, Sarah Oort, the widow of John Oort, merchant of New York.
[67] See Paine, The Book of Buried Treasure, page 104, for a photographic reproduction.
CHAPTER VI
Thomas Tew, who Retired and Lived at Newport
Privateering was a thriving business during the last half of the seventeenth century, and commissions were issued in large numbers by all the colonial governors in America.
In 1691, Thomas Tew, a young seaman hailing from Rhode Island in New England, came into Bermuda with gold in his pockets and after a time purchased a share in the sloop “Amity,” owned by merchants and officials living on the island, among whom were Thomas Hall, Richard Gilbert, John Dickenson, Col. Anthony White and William Outerbridge. The latter was a member of the Governor’s Council. Tew claimed to belong to a good Rhode Island family that had been living there since 1640,[68] and having interested his part-owners in the “Amity,” a privateering commission was obtained from the governor and beating up a willing crew of volunteers, the sloop, with Tew in command, was shortly on her eastward passage.
It was afterwards claimed by one Weaver, counselor for the King in the prosecution of Governor Fletcher of New York, that during Tew’s stay at Bermuda “it was a thing notoriously known to everyone that he had before then been a pirate”;[69] and a sailor who had known him well testified that he “had been rambling.” When Tew sailed from Bermuda there went in company with him another privateer sloop commanded by Capt. George Drew, fitted out by the governor, and the commissions issued to these captains instructed them to take the French factory at Goree, on the river Gambia, on the west coast of Africa.
On the voyage out a violent storm came up; Captain Drew’s sloop sprung her mast and the two vessels lost sight of each other. A morning or two after the gale had spent itself Captain Tew ordered all hands on deck and told them that they probably realized the proposed attack on the French factory would be of little value to the public and of no particular reward to them for their bravery. As for booty, there was not the least prospect of any. Speaking for himself, he had only agreed to take a commission for the sake of being employed and therefore he was of the opinion they should turn their thoughts to bettering their condition and if so inclined he would shape a course that would lead to ease and plenty for the rest of their days. The ship’s company undoubtedly were prepared for Captain Tew’s proposal for we are told that they unanimously cried out, “A gold chain or a wooden leg—we’ll stand by you.”[70]
A quartermaster was then chosen to look out for the interests of the ship’s company and instead of continuing the voyage to Gambia, a course was made for the Cape of Good Hope and in time the Red Sea was reached. Just as they were entering the Strait of Babelmandeb, a large and richly laden Arabian vessel hove in sight carrying about three hundred soldiers and much gold. Tew told his men that this was their opportunity to strike for fortune and although it was apparent that the ship was full of men and mounted a great number of guns, the Arabs would be lacking in skill and courage; which proved true for she was taken without loss. Each man’s share in the gold and jewels amounted to over three thousand pounds sterling and the store of powder was so great that much was thrown overboard.
From the Strait they steered for Madagascar where the quartermaster and twenty-three others elected to leave the ship and settle there proposing to enjoy a life of ease in a delightful climate producing all the necessaries for existence. The rest of the company remained with Captain Tew who planned to return to America. The sloop sailed but before getting out of sight of land sighted a ship and Tew, thinking to return home somewhat richer, stood towards her and when within gunshot hoisted black colors and fired a gun to windward. The stranger hove to and fired a gun to leeward and hoisting out a boat Captain Tew soon learned that he had intercepted Captain Mission, a famous pirate in those parts who had come out from France with a privateering commission and some time before had established a settlement on Madagascar and named it Libertatia.