Sir, may 2 at 1 After noon I Came to Anchor here, finding Serveral Vessells, Visseted them and on board one of them found a Yung man boling[3] to the Ship the Pirritt[4] Took 26 April in South Channell, Saileing from Nantaskett the Day before at 3 After noon. April 26 Pirritt Ship Took a Sloop in South Channell, Lading with West India Goods, Sloop or Master I no not as Yett.[5] at 7 After noon the Pirrett Ship with her Tender, being a Snow a bout Ninty Tuns they Took in Latitude 26°, 15 Days agoe,[6] maned with 15 of Pirritts men, wine Ship and Sloop all to Gather Standing to the Northward. at 12 Night the Pirritt Ship and wine Ship Run a Shore, the Snow and Sloop Gott Off Shore, being Sen the Next morning in the Offen.[7]
Sir, 29 April Came to Anchor sum Distance from the Pirritt Rack[8] Ship, a Very Great Sloop. After Sending his boat to the Pirrit Rack Thay Came to Saile and Chassed serveral of Our fishing Vessells, then stod in to Sea which I belive to be his Cunsatte.[9]
May 2 at 2 After noon I sent Mr. Little and Mr. Cuttler to the Rack. they Got their that Night and Capt[10] watch till I Came the Next morning. at my Coming their I found the Rack all to Pices, North and South, Distance from one a Nother 4 Miles. Sir, whear shee Strock first I se one Anchor at Low water, sea being so Great Ever sence I have ben here, Can not Come to se what maye be their for Riches, nor aney of her Guns. she is a ship a bout Three hundred tuns. she was very fine ship. all that I Can find saved Out of her, is her Cables and som of her sailes, Cut all to Pices by the Inhabitances here. their has ben at this Rack Two hundred men at Least Plundring of her.[11] sum saye they Gott Riches Out of the sand but I Can not find them as yett. Sir, what I shall Gett to Gather will be to the Value of Two hundred Pounds. If Your Excellency Pleass to send the sloop to Billingsgatt[12] for itt, is Carted Over Land to that Place. Sir, here has been 54 whit men and 4 Negros Come a shore Ded from the Rack. If their be aney News by the Pirritts at boston[13] whear the money is, I humbley Desier Your Excelleny menets[14] of what Place in the ship itt was in, for I am in Great hops. whare the Anchors are the money is I fancy, and weather Per mett I have Got a whale boat to fish for itt and Things for that service.[15]
Sir, here is One Caleb Hopkines, Senr., of freetown, which has Dun a Great Dell of Damage to Your Excellency Officers in Doeing their Duty. I Pray Your Excellency would send a Order for his Coming to boston in Order to Answare what I shall Aledge aganst him.
Sir, Yr Excellency Most
Obed. serv'tt
Cyprian Southack.
[1] Mass. Archives, vol. 51, pp. 287, 287a. Cyprian Southack was a notable sea-captain and pilot. For a number of years he commanded the naval vessel of Massachusetts, so that it was the natural course for the governor to send him in pursuit of pirates who suddenly appeared on the Massachusetts coast. In 1711 he had commanded a vessel in the unfortunate expedition against Quebec under Sir Hovenden Walker, and the admiral had stayed at his house during his long detention in Boston. He was also the most noted map-maker of his time in New England; in 1694 King William had admitted him to kiss his hands and had given him a gold chain of £50 for his map of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and the St. Lawrence region (Acts. P.C. Col., II. 264). The governor whom he addresses was Samuel Shute, governor 1716-1727. The ending of the War of the Spanish Succession (1713) had as usual caused a large revival of piracy, many privateers turning to that trade. The career of the Whidah and of Capt. Samuel Bellamy can be made out from the depositions which follow. On April 26, in a heavy gale, she had come ashore on the sands of Cape Cod, in what is now Wellfleet, and all on board but two men (see [doc. no. 114]) were drowned. More than a hundred of the pirates thus perished. Of those who escaped wreck, in the smaller vessels, several, who had constituted the prize crew of the Mary Anne ([doc. no. 109]), were captured, tried, and executed ([doc. no. 112]). The story is told in The Trials of Eight Persons Indited for Piracy, etc. (Boston, 1718), and by Mr. John H. Edmonds in the Boston Sunday Globe for Oct. 22, 1916.
[2] Southack had come across from Boston into the inner side of the Cape.
[3] Belonging. Spelling was not one of the captain's many accomplishments. For facsimiles of his handwriting, see Memorial History of Boston, II. liv, 98.
[4] Pirate. The South Channel lies in the southern portion of Nantucket Sound, south of the great shoal known as the Horse-shoe. The ship here alluded to was the pink Mary Anne; see [doc. no. 109].
[5] The Fisher; see [doc. no. 111].