After this I slept soundly, having been much fatigued; but I was awaked early in the Morning by a great number of Captain Davis’s Crew, who came on board to take part of the Liquors and Necessaries, according to Agreement. It was very surprizing to see the Actions of these People. They and Cocklyn’s Crew (for Le Boose’s were not yet admitted) made such Waste and Destruction, that I am sure a numerous set of such Villains would in a short time, have ruined a great City. They hoisted upon Deck a great many half Hogsheads of Claret, and French Brandy; knock’d their Heads out, and dipp’d Canns and Bowls into them to drink out of: And in their Wantonness threw full Buckets of each sort upon one another. As soon as they had emptied what was on the Deck, they hoisted up more: And in the evening washed the Decks with what remained in the Casks. As to bottled Liquor of many sorts, they made such havock of it, that in a few days they had not one Bottle left: For they would not give themselves the trouble of drawing the Cork out, but nick’d the Bottles, as they called it, that is, struck their necks off with a Cutlace; by which means one in three was generally broke: Neither was there any Cask-liquor left in a short time, but a little French Brandy.
As to Eatables, such as Cheese, Butter, Sugar, and many other things, they were as soon gone. For the Pirates being all in a drunken Fit, which held as long as the Liquor lasted, no care was taken by any one to prevent this Destruction: Which they repented of when too late.
As for my things, which the Quarter-master had given me at Captain Glynn’s Request, and which were accordingly bundled up; a company of drunken Pirates coming into the Cabin, and stumbling over some Goods that lay on the Floor, they took them, with three of my Bundles, and threw them overboard; swearing, “They had like to have broken their Necks by those things lying in their way.”
I had then but one Bundle left, in which was a black Suit of Cloaths, and other things which this Gang had spared. They being gone out of the Cabin, a Pirate, who was tolerably sober, came in soon after, and seeing my Bundle, said, “He would see what was in it;” which in prudence I did not oppose. He then took out my black Cloth Cloaths, a good Hat and Wig, and some other Things. Whereupon I told him, “Captain Cocklyn’s Quarter-master had given them to me; and I hoped he would not deprive me of them; for they were of no service to him in so hot a Country, but would be of great use to me, as I should soon return to England.” I had hardly done speaking, when he lifted up his broad Sword, and gave me a Blow on the Shoulder with the flat side of it; whispering at the same time these Words in my Ear, “I give you this Caution, never to dispute the Will of a Pirate: For, supposing I had cleft your Scull asunder for your Impudence, what would you have got by it but Destruction? Indeed you may flatter your self, I should have been put to death for killing a Prisoner in cold Blood; but assure your self my Friends would have brought me off on such an Occasion.” I gave him thanks for his Admonition, and soon after he put on the Clothes, which in less than half an hour after, I saw him take off and throw overboard. For some of the Pirates seeing him dress’d in that manner, had thrown several Buckets of Claret upon him. This Person’s true name was Francis Kennedy. He was afterwards hang’d at Execution-Dock, but he told me at the time he put my Cloaths on, that his name was Sun; asking me, “If I did not know his Father, who was then Commander of a Ship that used the Barbadoes Trade; and that if ever the old Dog fell in his way, he would kill him.” To which I answered, “I knew no such Person.”
When night came on, I had nothing left of what had been bundled up, but a Hat and Wig. I must own, that whenever they plundered me, no Affront was offered to my Person; but several brought me Liquor, and Slices of Ham broiled, a Biscuit being my Plate; saying, “They pitied my Condition.” The Hat and Wig I had left, being hung on Pins in the Cabin, a person half drunk came in about eight a clock at night, and put them on; telling me, “He was a great Merchant on Shore, and that his name was Hogbin:” But supposing him to be a Pirate, I said little to him. By this time there was a great Quietness in the Ship, most of the Pirates being dead drunk. After a little Conversation, as Mr. Hogbin was going out of the Cabin with my Hat and Wig on, he met Cocklyn’s Quarter-master; who knowing him not to be one of the Crew, asked him, “How he came by the things he had on?” To which the Fellow not returning a direct answer, the Quarter-master beat him very severely for taking things he had no Right to. Then coming to me, he asked in a kind manner, “How I had fared in the hurly burly of that Day?” When I told him, “I had lost all the Necessaries he had given me the Day before,” he express’d much concern, and said, “He would take care the next day to recover what he could for me.” But he did not prove so good as his word.
The next day, which was the third since my being taken, Le Boose’s Crew were permitted to come on board the Prize, Where they finished what was left of Liquors and Necessaries; acting in the same destructive manner as their vile Brethren in Iniquity had done before.
Being quite weary of such Company, and understanding, the three Pirate Captains were on Shore at my Friend Captain Glynn’s House, I asked leave of the Quarter-master to go to them; which he readily granted. On this I got into a Cannoe, and as we rowed towards the Shore, we had like to have been overset, through the drunkenness of one of the Pirates that was with us. If Providence had not prevented this Accident, we should undoubtedly have all been lost; for the Tide ran very strong, and several voracious Sharks were then near us.
When I came to Captain Glynn’s, he and the Pirate Captains received me in a very civil manner; and upon my telling them, “How I had lost all my Necessaries that had been given me;” the Captains promised, That the next day they would do what they could, to recover some of them again for me. Then I begged a Shirt of my Friend Captain Glynn; for I had been three days without shifting, which is very uneasy in so hot a Country, where people sweat so much.
Being greatly refresh’d with that clean Shirt, and having stayed all night with him, where I had more rest than I before had for a good while; next day I went on board, in company with the Pirate-Captains. Captain Davis desired Cocklyn to order all his People on the Quarter-deck, and made a Speech to them in my behalf; which they relishing better than that he had formerly made, It was resolved to give me the Ship they designed to leave, in order to go into the Prize, with the Remains of my Cargoe that was undestroyed. And there being a large quantity of Goods likewise remaining in several Prizes, they concluded to give me them also: Which, with my own, were worth several thousand Pounds. One of the leading Pirates proposed to the rest, “That they should take me along with them down the Coast of Guinea; where I might exchange the Goods for Gold: And if in order to make a quick Sale, I sold them at prime cost, I should get Money enough by them: That, no doubt, as they went down the Coast, they should take some French and Portuguese Vessels, and then they might give me as many of their best Slaves, as would fill the Ship: That then he would advise me to go for the Island of St. Thomas in the West Indies, a Free port belonging to the Danes, and sell them there, with the Vessel: And after rewarding my People in a handsom manner, I might return with a large sum of Money to London, and bid the Merchants defiance.”