“Pish, said another, it may be his conjuring Books were shut up. Ay, but, said another, now we have hove all his Conjuration Books over Board, I doubt he will be hard put to it to find them again.

“Come, come, says the Gunner, Gentlemen, the poor Man is like to go through Hardship enough, and very probably may perish; yet it is not impossible but he may meet with some Ship, or other timely Succour, to prevent his perishing, and I heartily wish he may; but however, you ought not to add Affliction to the Afflicted; You have sentenc’d him to a very dangerous Chance, which I think is sufficient to stop your Mouths from making a Droll and Game of him. I would have you consider, added he, if any of you were at Tyburn, or any other Place to be executed, as many better and stouter Men than some of you, have been, and the Spectators, or Jack Catch should make a Droll and May-game of you, you would think them a very hard-hearted, as well as an inconsiderate Sort of People: And pray, Gentlemen, consider the Sentence which you are now going to execute on this poor Man, will be as bad, or rather worse, than one of our Cases would be there; because, unless Providence stand his Friend in an extraordinary Manner, his Death must as certainly ensue or be the Consequence of this your Sentence, as it would there be to any of us by the Sentence of a Judge, and so much the more miserable, by how much it is more lingering.

“Damn it, said Russel, we have had enough, and too much of this already.

“Ay, said the Gunner, and take Care, Russel, you have not this to answer for one Day, when perhaps you will then, but too late, wish you had never done it. But you have got the Company’s Assent in this, I cannot tell how, and therefore I shall say no more, only that I, as I believe most of the Company, came here to get Money, but not to kill, except in Fight, and not in cold Blood, or for private Revenge. And I tell you, John Russel, if ever such Cases as these be any more practis’d, my Endeavour shall be to leave this Company as soon as I possibly can.

“To which Russel said nothing in Answer; but bid the Men that came on Board in the Boat, to leave the Sloop’s Boat on Board the Scooner, and take the Scooner’s Boat with them on Board the Sloop; and, as soon as they saw the Lights upon Deck on Board the Scooner, to come away from the Sloop with the Scooner’s Boat, and bring the Master of the Sloop’s biggest Boy with them; and to take their Hands out of the Sloop’s Boat, and put the Master’s Boy on Board of the Sloop’s Boat with his Master, and let them go on Board themselves with their Boat, and to be sure to bring the Sloop’s Mainsail with them, and also the Mate of the Sloop. All which they said they would do; so away they went; and then Russel told me, He would give me something with me to remember him; which was an old Musket, and a Cartridge of Powder, but for what Reason he made me that Present, I cannot tell; and then order’d the Candles to be lighted in the Lanthorns and carry’d upon Deck, and order’d two Hands to step into the Sloop’s Boat to carry me away, and to execute his former Orders; and then shaking Hands with me, he wish’d me a good Voyage. I told him I hoped I should. The Gunner, Master, and several of the Crew, shook Hands with me also, and heartily wish’d me Success, and hoped I should meet with a speedy and safe Deliverance. I thank’d them for their good Wishes; and told them I was now forc’d into a Necessity of going through it, whether I would or not; but thank’d God I was very easy at present, not doubting in God’s Mercy to me, tho’ I was not deserving of it: And that if I was permitted to perish, I knew the worst; and doubted not but he would graciously pardon my Sins, and receive me to his Everlasting Rest; and, in this Respect, what they had intended for my Misfortune, would be the Beginning of my Happiness; and that in the mean Time, I had nothing to do but to resign myself to his blessed Will and Protection, and bear my Lot with Patience. And so bidding them farewell, I went over the Side into the Boat, which was directly put off; and about half Way between the Scooner and Sloop, we met the Scooner’s Boat, and, according to their Orders from Russel, they put my Boy on Board of me, and so put away again to get on Board their own Vessel.

“After their Boat put away from us, I thought I heard the Voice of my Mate, but was not certain, because he spoke so low, his Conscience checking him, I suppose, for his leaving me so basely. I call’d to him, and said Arthur, what are you going to leave me? He answer’d, Ay. What, said I, do you do it voluntary, or are you forc’d? He answer’d faintly, I am forc’d, I think. I said, It was very well. He call’d to me again, and said, He would desire me to write to his Brother, and give him an Account where he was, if ever I should have an Opportunity. I told him, I did not know where his Brother liv’d. He called and said, He liv’d in Carlingford. I told him, I did not know where that was. He said, It was in Ireland. Why, said I, you told me in Barbadoes that you was a Scotchman, and that all your Friends liv’d in Scotland. But he made me no further Answer; but away they row’d towards their Vessel, and I towards the Sloop, and it being a very dark, as well as a close Night, it was as much as ever I could do to see her; this being the last Time that I spoke to, or saw any of them, nor do I ever more desire to see them, except at some Place of Execution.”

FOOTNOTES

[109] The Four Voyages of Capt. George Roberts ... written by Himself, London, 1726.

CHAPTER XII
The Brutal Career and Miserable End of Ned Low

The day after parting with Captain Roberts the pirate fleet put to sea bound for the coast of Brazil hoping for some rich Portuguese prizes. They made land on the northern part of the coast, meanwhile sighting only one sail, a ship they could not come up with, and fell in with much dangerous shoal water. The trade-winds were very strong just at that time and the pirate vessels narrowly escaped foundering. Good fortune not seeming to lie in that direction, Captain Low bore away for the West Indies and soon reached the Triangles, three islands lying off the mainland about forty leagues eastward of Surinam, where they went in to careen the vessels in order to remove the foul growth that had accumulated during the passage up from the equator. They began with the pink and ill fortune continued, for Low ordered too many men into the shrouds and yards so that the vessel heeled over too far and the water came rapidly into the ports, which had been left open, so that she soon overset. Low was in the cabin at the time and barely escaped by climbing out at one of the stern ports. Where the pink turned turtle there was about six fathoms of water, just enough for the masts to strike into the mud and keep the hull above water, so that the men could hold on until picked up by the boats. Nevertheless two men were drowned.