Before long several captures were made that increased their gains and also enlarged their crews, but Hornygold and some of the Englishmen on board his sloop refused to take and plunder English vessels, so his company divided and he went away in a prize sloop with twenty-six men leaving ninety men who elected Bellamy their new captain. Most of those on board were English and at that time it was not their habit to force men.
Bellamy and Lebous sailed together and off the Virgin Islands took several small vessels and off St. Croix, a French ship from Quebec laden with fish and flour. Afterwards making Saba they sighted two ships which they chased and came up with, spreading a large black flag “with a Deaths Head and Bones a-cross.” The larger of the two was the ship “Sultana,” commanded by Captain Richards. The other was commanded by Captain Tozor. The “Sultana” was taken over by Bellamy and cut down and made into a galley and Paul Williams, his quartermaster, was given command of the sloop.
THE
TRIALS
Of Eight Persons
Indited for Piracy &c.
Of whom Two were acquitted, and the rest found Guilty.
At a Justiciary Court of Admiralty Assembled and Held in Boston within His Majesty’s Province of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-England, on the 18th of October 1717. and by several Adjournments continued to the 30th. Pursuant to His Majesty’s Commission and Instructions, founded on the Act of Parliament. Made in the 11th. & 12th of KING William IIId. Intituled, An Act for the more effectual Suppression of Piracy.
With an APPENDIX,
Containing the Substance of their Confessions given before His Excellency the Governour, when they were first brought to Boston, and committed to Goal.
Boston:
Printed by B. Green, for John Edwards, and Sold at his Shop in King’s Street. 1718.
On Dec. 19, 1716, about nine leagues to the leeward of the island of Blanco, they fell in with the ship “St. Michael,” James Williams, master, a Bristol ship that had sailed from Cork in September, bound for Jamaica with provisions. The ship was taken to the island of Blanco where they helped themselves to such provisions as they wanted and forced four men. Among the men who were forced was Thomas Davis, the ship’s carpenter, born in Carmarthenshire, Wales, who was the only white man to escape drowning when Bellamy was afterwards wrecked on Cape Cod. Thomas South of Boston, England, also was forced.
When Davis was told he must join the pirate crew he cried out that he was undone and “one of the pirates hearing him lament his sad condition, said, ‘Damn him, He is a Presbyterian Dog, and should fight for King James.’” Captain Williams tried to say a good word for Davis and finally Bellamy promised that he might go free on the next vessel that was taken. On Jan. 9, 1717, with fourteen other forced men, he was put on board the “Sultana.” At that time there were on the three pirate vessels eighty men of the “old Company” and one hundred and thirty forced men. “When the Company was called together to consult, each Man to give his Vote, they would not allow the forced Men to have a vote.”[88]
From Blanco, they sailed to a maroon island called Testegos where they refitted and then sailed for the Windward Passage, but the wind blowing hard they parted company with Captain Lebous and went into St. Croix, “where a French pirate was blown up.”
About the end of February, 1717, the “Whidaw,” a fine London-built galley commanded by Capt. Lawrence Prince, was making her way under easy sail through the Windward Passage between Cuba and Porto Rico. She had lately cleared from Jamaica and was bound for London, with a rich cargo of elephants’ teeth, gold dust, sugar, indigo and Jesuit’s bark, having previously been on a slaving voyage to the Guinea coast. The galley was about three hundred tons burthen, mounted eighteen guns and carried a crew of fifty men. Early in the morning a ship and a sloop in company were sighted. They shortly altered their course and followed the “Whidaw” and after a three days’ chase took her with practically no resistance. In fact, Captain Prince was so lacking in spirit that only two chase guns were fired at the sloop and his flag was hauled down at the first demand to surrender.
The pirate ship was commanded by Captain Bellamy who ordered a prize crew on board the “Whidaw” and all three vessels then made a course for Long Island, one of the Bahamas, where they came to anchor. This prize not only enriched but strengthened them for Bellamy immediately took her over and mounted additional guns, so that she carried twenty-eight. Captain Prince was rewarded for making an easy surrender by being given the ship “Sultana.” He also was permitted to load her with much of the best and finest of the cargo of the “Whidaw,” not wanted by the pirates, and after his crew had been picked over and the boatswain and two other men forced and seven had volunteered, he was allowed to go. Bellamy felt so well-disposed that he gave the captain £20 in silver and gold, “to bear his charges.”[89]
When the “Whidaw” was taken over, Davis reminded Captain Bellamy of his promise and asked if he might go with Captain Prince. Bellamy said he might go if the company consented and called for a vote; but the pirates expressed themselves violently and voted no. He was a carpenter and needed on board. “Damn him,” said the company, “rather than let him go he should be shot or whipped to Death at the Mast.” All the new men were now sworn to be true and not cheat the company to the value of a piece of eight and it was agreed to treat forced men and volunteers alike. “When a prize was taken the Watch Bill was to be called over and Men put on board as they stood named in the Bill.”