The Shot continued near two Hours, but not with near that Briskness it began; and the old Woman rising, bid me see the Smoke of Cormaco. Captain Thomas, said she, send away the white Man.
I staid by my Protectress, whom I durst not quit, tho' I did not like her Company. About half an Hour after the Shot began, and continued for near that Space pretty brisk, and then ceas'd. Soon after, we saw a Negro dispatch'd by Captain Thomas, who told us the Whites had burnt Cormaco, but were gone away, and that Captain Thomas was coming. He appeared not long after with Cuffey, and about Forty other Negroes. I learn'd from him, that the English, by Fault of their Scouts, had seized the Places where he design'd his Ambushes, kill'd Part of the Men he had sent, and pursued the rest to the Village, where they defended themselves, till the Whites had broke thro' the back Part of some Houses, and set Fire to the whole Village; that he then retired with his Men up the Mountains, the Whites following him; but he having the Start, while they were busied in burning and plundering, he wheel'd round, and came upon their Backs, and from the Woods and Bushes poured in his Shot; his Men being all well cover'd, the Whites did them no Harm, and thought proper to retire with the Loss of Six Men, and many wounded, for there were Thirty and a Captain. We have lost, said he, Twenty Two Men, and our Village is burnt. Soon after, we were join'd by about Forty more Negroes, and we all went to the Village I was order'd to, which they called Barbascouta.
The next Morning, a Council was call'd, which breaking up, four Negroes, who had not behaved well in this last Action, were brought bound, and laid in the largest Street upon their Backs; all the Women and Children piss'd upon them; after which, Captain Thomas told 'em, That the Example they had given, had it been follow'd, must have ended in the Destruction of 'em all; and tho' their Crime was pardon'd, and their Lives given 'em, yet they must not hereafter think of being Freemen, since they did not deserve that Liberty which they were not zealous in defending; neither cou'd they, after the Disgrace they had suffer'd, and which they deservedly had brought on themselves, hope ever to be admitted into the Company of brave Men, were they exempted from the Slavery to which their Pusillanimity had condemn'd 'em. After this they were sold to the best Bidder. I remember, he who was sold at the greatest Price, brought no more than Two Dozen of Fowls and a Kid, to be paid the next publick Festival. The Scout who had not given timely Advice of the Enemy's Approach, was next brought out and beheaded; and Three, who run away at the first Attack, were hang'd. Out-Centinels were placed, and all the Men lay that Night on their Arms, for Qwanaboa, their Prophetess, foretold another Attack, which she apprehended wou'd prove their Ruine, if not prevented by uncommon Vigilance and Bravery.
Four Days pass'd, and none of the Enemy appearing, they began to recover their Spirits, and grew less cautious; their most advanced Scouts were recalled, and they imagin'd the English had no Knowledge of this Village. The Fifth at Night, when they were in perfect Tranquillity, the English, who had, by a distant and difficult way, climb'd the Mountains, and got above the Village, about Twelve at Night, came down upon 'em, and were in the Streets before the Negroes had any Inkling of their being so near. They enter'd the Village with Thirty or Forty Men, and about half that Number intercepted all the Ways. Here began a cruel Slaughter, for none they could light on were spared, but Women and Children, who were all taken. Capt. Thomas fought, and died like a Hero; my grateful Cuffey, join'd by about a Dozen more, made all possible Resistance; but finding their utmost Efforts useless, taking me with them, with Menaces, if I did not go freely, they clamber'd over some Rocks, and skulking thro' the thick of the Woods, reach'd a Morass on the top of the Mountain, where we lay hid Three Days. The Fourth, press'd by Hunger, Six of 'em ventured out to get Plantanes, but they never returned; for which Reason, the Fifth Day we went in Search of Food. At Night we got into a Plantane Walk, from whence, after having fill'd our Bellies, and loaded our Backs, with the ripe Fruit, we retired to the Woods.
Next Day, Cuffey went out by himself, and, at his Return, told us, he had observ'd a large Canoe with Sails and Paddles, at the Sea Side, which belonged he believ'd to some Fishing Negroes. He propos'd the siezing, loading it with Plantanes, and going to the Spanish Coast, which he was sure he could make shift to find, having been there with the Buccaniers. This was unanimously agreed to by the rest. I desired to be left behind, but their Fear wou'd not let 'em consent to my Stay. At Night we went again to the Plantane Walk, where I hop'd to make my Escape; but one of 'em always held me by the Arm, suspecting I would give 'em the slip. Being loaded, we follow'd Cuffey to the Canoe, where we found a Negro asleep, whom they bound, and having taken what Plantanes they thought fit, and found two large Runlets of Water in the Canoe, with Fishing-nets and other Tackle, they set Sail about Eleven o' Clock with a fine Hand Breeze, which carried us before Day to the last End of the Island.
The next Day about Even, we saw Hispaniola, and landed at Four o'Clock the Day following in a Creek, where we filled our Runlets with fresh Water, and going up into the Country, we catched a Number of Land Crabbs, which we dress'd and eat.
We lay two Days in this Creek, and in the Night of the second, coasted along the Island unperceived; but as we cross'd the Streights between Cape Maese and Cape Nicholas, which divides the Islands of Hispaniola and Cuba, we were seen and chased by a Sloop, which very soon came up with us, and proved a Free-booter, whose Crew was of all Nations and Colours. They offer'd the Seven Negroes their Liberty, and each Half a Share of an able Seaman, which they readily accepted. To me they would have given a whole Share, but I refusing to join 'em, they resolved to set me on Shore with the first Conveniency, tho' some were for throwing me over-board.
We were Eight Days without seeing a Sail, but the Ninth, about Break of day the Man at the Top-mast Head, descried one on our Leeward Bow. The Pyrates immediately prepared for an Engagement; we clapp'd our Helm a-weather, eas'd out our Main-sheet, and gave Chase. She proved a tall Ship, and did not seem to make Sail to avoid us; which was the Reason we brought to, and a Consultation was held, whether it was safe or not to venture upon her? It was resolved in the Affirmative. In Consequence of this, we bore away for her, and when we were in less than Gun Shot, we perceived she was very deep, Spanish built, and mounted Thirty Guns by the Number of Ports, tho' we were surprized they were all close, and not a Man appeared on her Decks.
The Resolution was taken, to board on the Quarter, which they did; but seeing no body appear, they feared some Stratagem. However, some of the Crew ran into the Steerage and Great Cabbin; but seeing nobody, they went between Decks, and, upon Examination, found her a Ship abandon'd, and that she had Six Foot Water in the Hold. They took out of the Great Cabbin Two Chests of Pieces of Eight, with some Hammocks and Cloaths from between Decks, and so left her.
The next Day, we spied another Sail, which gave us Chase: We lay bye, till we saw she was an Overmatch for us; for by the Canvass she spread, we concluded her no less than a Man of War of Fifty Guns. We clapp'd upon a Wind, and made all the Sail, and lay as close as we possibly could, but it blowing a fresh Gale, we found she gain'd upon us. This obliged our Men to throw over the Treasure which they had found the Day before, and had been the Cause of no small Joy. Finding she still gained upon us, we threw over our Eight Guns, which together with the Wind's slackening, was the Means of our Escape; for now we visibly wrong'd the Ship, and in less than Six Hours, lost her.