“You are aware,” continued the commander, “that you are accused of a very heinous crime—that of piracy.”
The captain bowed again in the same manner.
“You know that is an offence which is universally reprobated by all nations, and it is one which in its moral character is the blackest of crimes. It is my duty, therefore, to keep you on board this ship until I can put you in the hands of the authorities, whose business it is to deal with these matters. I shall sail for Trinidad in a few days, and you will remain in custody until my arrival in that island, where you will be delivered up to the civil tribunals.”
The captain calmly bowed again.
“In the meantime,” continued the commander, addressing the father and accuser, “you will be good enough to repeat, in the presence of the prisoner, the accusation which you made in his absence.”
James Willmington, after a pause, then began, his voice trembling with excitement, and ill-concealed hatred.
“As I said before my lord, I, and two other persons, were passengers on board the ship ‘Letitia,’ which was bound for Bristol. We were two days’ sail from Trinidad, when we were boarded by pirates, of whom this man, as we afterwards found, was the chief. After a brave resistance made by our crew, the ship was captured, and I and the others were taken on board the vessel of the pirates. The other captives were treated with much lenity, but I was kept in close confinement, and eventually, by the orders of this man, was even tied to an empty cask, and set adrift on the ocean, to meet there a lingering death, far more horrible than any sudden violence could have inflicted. To prolong my miseries, a few dried biscuits were tied to my cask. A whole day and night I was in this condition floating on the wild waves, and was worn out, and well nigh exhausted with suffering, when Providence came to my rescue. A sloop came sailing by, and with difficulty I made my cries to be heard. I was taken on board, and life, which was fast departing, was brought back by the kindness of the master and crew.
“I had overheard the pirates speak about St. Thomas’ as the place whither they intended to sail for the disposal of the ship’s cargo. I at once resolved to anticipate them if possible, to have the author of my cruel sufferings arrested, and to bring him to condign punishment. For this purpose I prevailed upon the master of the sloop, by offering him a large sum of money, to put in here, where fortunately we arrived before the pirates, and I had, by this happy accident, the opportunity of watching their arrival. This is the man who is the chief of the pirates, and who ordered me to be thrown overboard under circumstances of such refined cruelty.”
After Willmington had spoken, the commander asked the prisoner if the accusation was true.