About this time the Quarter-master who took me, fell sick of a Fever; which, increasing, he sent to speak with me: And having desired all present, except my self to withdraw, he told me, “That at the time I was taken, he designed to have killed me, when he presented the Pistol to my breast; begging I would forgive him for his cruel Intention:” Which I readily doing, he further said, “That he had been a most wicked Wretch, having been guilty of all manner of abominable Crimes; and that now believing he should die, his Conscience sadly tormented him, fearing he should be punished, as he deserved, in Hell-fire, which so often in their vile discourse he had made light of.” Upon hearing that, “I exhorted him to sincere Repentance; telling him, the Christian Religion assured us of God’s Mercies, if we are truly penitent; and I instanced the goodness of God to my self, in that he was graciously pleased to preserve me, the night I was taken, from being murdered by him and others; which great Mercies I believed were shown me, because I put my Hope and Trust in Almighty God; and exhorted him to do the same.” But he replied, with a sad countenance. “O, Sir, my heart is hardened; however, I will endeavour to follow your good counsel.” As he was going on, expressing his sorrow for his former course of Life, some of the Pirates broke in upon us, to ask him, “How he did?” So he called his Boy, and, as a mark of his Good-will towards me, ordered him to take the Key of his Chest, and let me take out what Necessaries I would. Accordingly I took that opportunity of providing my self with Shirts, Stockings, and several other things. As I was taking them out, a Pirate coming from the Deck, and knowing nothing of the Quarter-master’s order, called out aloud; “see how that Dog is thieving there: He does it as cleverly as any Rogue of us all.” But being told, “It was with the Quarter-master’s leave,” he came and helped me to bundle the things up, and I sent them on board the Tender. These were the first Necessaries which I could call my own, since my Misfortune.
The Quarter-master that evening falling into a Delirium, died before morning in terrible Agonies; cursing his Maker in so shocking a manner, that it made a great Impression on several new entered Men: and they afterwards came privately to me, begging, “that I would advise them how to get off from so vile a Course of Life, which led them into Destruction both of Body and Soul. Some of them proposed to fly into the Woods, and remain there till their Ships were gone, if I would promise to protect them afterwards; but this being too nice a matter for me to meddle with at that Juncture, I declined it; Exhorting them in general, Not to be guilty of Murder, or any other Cruelty to those they should take. For if ever they should, by a general consent, resolve to embrace the King’s Pardon, it would be a great Advantage to them, to have the unfortunate People they had taken give them a good Character in that respect.”
Having mentioned the King’s Pardon, I shall here relate what I before omitted, with relation to his late Majesty’s Proclamation, for a Pardon to Pirates, that should surrender themselves at any of the British Plantations, by the first of July 1719. This Proclamation I had on board, with a Declaration of War against Spain. The Quarter-master finding them amongst my Papers, and not being able to read, he brought them to me, the next day after I was taken, and “bid me read them aloud to all then present;” which I did: But there being Rewards offered in the Proclamation, to those that should take or destroy Pirates; so much for a Captain; and in proportion for the other Officers and common Pirates; this put them into such a Rage, that I began to apprehend my self in some Danger. But Captain Cocklyn ordering silence to be made, bid me read the other Paper, which was The Declaration of War against Spain. When I had read it, some of them said, “They wished they had known it before they left the West Indies” From thence I took occasion to observe to them, “That if they thought fit to embrace his Majesty’s most gracious Pardon, there was not only time enough for them to return to the West Indies, (there being still three Months to come of the time limited in the Proclamation) but now that War was declared against Spain, they would have an opportunity of inriching themselves in a legal way, by going a privateering, which many of them had privately done.” This seemed to be relished by many: but several old Buccaneers, who had been guilty of Murder and other barbarous Crimes, being no ways inclined to it, they used the King’s Proclamation with great contempt, and tore it in pieces. I thought my self well off, that no Resentment or ill-usage was shown me on this occasion.
Amongst the several Pirates, that came to consult me, “How they should get off,” There was one Ambrose Curtis, who was in a bad state of Health, and generally walked the Deck in a Silk Night-gown. This person finding me shy in answering his Questions, he told me, “Tho’ I had forgot him, yet he had not me; for he was eleven years ago at Sea with my Father, who had used him severely for being an unlucky Boy: That I might remember, my Father died in Virginia, and I commanded the Ship afterwards, and brought her home to England; having been very kind to him, except in one thing, which was, That he having confessed to me, he was a Servant, and run away from his Master, I refused to pay him his Wages, till he brought a person who gave me Security that I should not pay them twice; and then he had his Wages to a farthing:” Adding, “he had told this to several leading Pirates, who had persuaded him to revenge himself on me; but as I had been kind to him, and in his Conscience he believed I was in the right, to demand Security when I paid him his Wages, so he bore no ill-will to me on that account; and when my necessaries came to be sold at the Mast, he would buy some of them for me;” in which he proved as good as his word.
But as to his Questions about getting off, I replied as I had done to others; “Assuring him, if ever it came to be in my power to serve him, I would not spare for Money nor Pains to do it:” But this poor fellow died, before the Pirates left Sieraleon.
I hope the Reader will pardon me for mentioning several things, which are not so coherent as I could wish; as also several little Incidents. The reason why I mention them is, because I think they display the true humours and ways of these Miscreants.
Amongst my Adventure of Goods, I had in a Box three second-hand embroidered Coats. One day the three Pirate Captains, coming on board the Prize together, enquired for them, saying, “They understood by my Book such Clothes were in my Ship.” I told them, “They were in a Box under the bed place in the State-room. So they ordered them to be taken out, and immediately put them on.” But the longest Coat falling to Cocklyn’s share, who was a very short Man, it almost reached as low as his Ancles. This very much displeased him, and he would fain have changed with Le Boose, or Davis: But they refused, telling him, “As they were going on Shore amongst the Negroe-Ladies, who did not know the white Mens fashions, it was no matter. Moreover, as his Coat was Scarlet embroidered with Silver, they believed he would have the preference of them, (whose Coats were not so showy) in the opinion of their Mistresses.” This making him easy, they all went on Shore together.
It is a Rule amongst the Pirates, not to allow Women to be on board their Ships, when in the Harbour. And if they should take a Prize at Sea, that has any Women on board, no one dares, on pain of death, to force them against their Inclinations. This being a good political Rule to prevent disturbances amongst them, it is strictly observed. So now being in a Harbour, they went on Shore to the Negroe-women, who were very fond of their Company, for the sake of the great Presents they gave them. Nay, some white Men that lived there, did not scruple to lend their black Wives to the Pirates, purely on account of the great Rewards they gave.
The Pirate Captains having taken these Cloaths without leave from the Quarter-master, it gave great Offence to all the Crew; who alledg’d, “If they suffered such things, the Captains would for the future assume a Power, to take whatever they liked for themselves.” So, upon their returning on board next Morning, the Coats were taken from them, and put into the common Chest, to be sold at the Mast. And it having been reported, “That I had a hand in advising the Captains to put on these Coats,” it gained me the ill-will in particular of one Williams, who was Quarter-master of Le Boose’s Ship. He seeing me in the Tender’s Boat, going on board a French Ship lately taken, where he then was, he swore, “That if I came there, he would cut me to pieces, for the advice I had given the Captains.” But Captain Elliot, who was then in the Boat, whispered me, saying, “Don’t be afraid of him, for it is his usual way of talking. But be sure call him Captain, as soon as you get on board.” It seems this Villain had been Commander of a Pirate Sloop; who, with a Brigantine, two years before, took Captain Laurence Prince in the Whidaw Galley near Jamaica; and being now Quarter-master, which he did not like, he loved to have the Title of Captain given him. So when I came into the French Ship, I adressed my self to him, saying, “Captain Williams, pray hear me upon the Point you are so offended at.” Upon that he gave me a slight Blow on the Shoulder, with the flat of his Cutlace, swearing at the same time, “he had not the heart to hurt me;” When I had told him how the affair had really happen’d, which he had been so angry about, he gave me a Keg of Wine, and was my Friend ever after.