This he readily promised, and by his Management the Ships were saved from being burned, and they made a Bonfire only of the old Rising Sun, being the Ship they had quitted for mine: And now obtaining, through Captain Davis’s means, my intire Liberty, I went on Shore to my friend Captain Glynn’s House again.
Two days after this Captain Elliot sent his Boat for me, desiring I would forthwith come on board his Ship, because he wanted very much to speak with me. I had too many obligations to this Gentleman to refuse going, (tho’ I had a sort of an aversion.) Upon coming on board, he privately represented to me, “That I knew he had been obliged against his will by the Pirates, to receive into his Ship a great quantity of other People’s Goods; for which he might hereafter be called to an account; therefore he desired I would give him a Certificate, testifying the Truth of it.” Knowing this to be true, I readily complied; for he was a very honest Man, as appeared soon after. For the Pirates compelling him to go out of the River with them, as their Tender, he took the first opportunity of getting from them, which he did in a Tornado, or sudden Gust of Wind, that arose in the Night; and having the good fortune to succeed in his attempt, he made a good Voyage for his Owners, with Slaves to Barbadoes; where he fell sick and died.
While I was in his Ship, the three Pirate Captains called along the side. Not expecting to see me there, they seemed very glad of it, and invited me to go and sup with them on board Captain Davis. This I declined, being desirous of going on Shore to Captain Glynn’s. But Captain Davis insisting on it, I thought it prudent to comply; that I might not lose that Gentleman’s Good-will, who had been so kind to me.
After we had been some time on board his Ship, Supper was brought up about eight a clock in the Evening; and the Musick was ordered to play, amongst which was a Trumpeter, that had been forced to enter out of one of the Prizes. About the middle of Supper, we heard upon Deck an outcry of Fire, and instantly a Person came to us, and said, “The Main-hatch-way was all in a Flame;” so we all went upon Deck.
At that time, besides the Pirates Ship’s Crew, who were mostly drunk, there was on board at least fifty Prisoners; and several Boats along the side, into which many People jumped, and put off. I being then on the Quarter-deck, with the Captains, observed this to them; but they all in confusion said, “We know not what to do in the matter:” Upon that I told them, “If the sober People were allowed to go away with the Boats, no one would endeavour to save the Ship; and we that were left should be lost, (for the other Ships were above a Mile from us, and the Tide of Flood then run so strong, that their Boats could not row against it to save us:)” So I proposed to them, “to fire the Quarter-deck Guns at the Boats that had just put off, to oblige them to come on board again;” which being instantly done, it so frightned the People in them, that they forthwith came back; and all that were able, and not drunk, lent their helping hand to put out the Fire; which by this time was come to a great head in the Ship’s hold.
After this I went down into the Steerage, where I saw one Goulding, who was Gunner’s Mate, and a brisk active Fellow, put his head up the After-hatchway, calling for Blankets and Water; “which if not brought immediately, (he said) the Bulk-head of the Powder-room would be fired, and the Ship soon blown up.” Observing the Stupidity of the People about me, who stood looking on one another, I caught up several Blankets and Rugs which lay scattered about, and flung them to him, and so did others by my example. Then I run out of the Steerage upon Deck, where meeting with some People that were sober, I got them to go over the side, and draw up Buckets of Water; And others handing them to Goulding, who had by this time placed the Blankets and Rugs against the Bulk-head of the Powder-Room, he flung this Water on them, and thereby prevented the Flames from catching the Powder, and consequently from blowing up the Ship, which must otherwise have happened: For there was then on board at least thirty thousand pounds of Gunpowder, which had been taken out of several Prizes, it being a Commodity much in request amongst the Negroes.
There was still great Confusion amongst us, occasioned by the darkness of the Night, and the many drunken People, who were not sensible of the great Danger we were in: Moreover, the People in the Hold gave us as yet no Hopes of their getting the Mastery of the Fire. So I went again on the Quarter-deck, and considered with my self, if the fire could not be conquered, as I could not swim, I should have no chance of being saved: and even those that could, would, I knew, be exposed to be torn to pieces by voracious Sharks, which abound in that River: So I took one of the Quarter-deck Gratings, and lowered it by a Rope over the Ship’s-side, designing to get on that, if I should be forced to quit the Ship. For tho’ the Boats had been once obliged to come back, yet it being a dark Night, some People, unperceived, had slipped again away with them, and were quite gone away.
Whilst I stood musing with my self on the Quarter-deck, I heard a loud shout upon the Main-deck, with a Huzza, “For a brave blast to go to Hell with,” which was repeated several times. This not only much surprized me, but also many of the new entered Pirates; who were struck with a Pannick Fright, believing the Ship was just blowing up; so that several of them came running on the Quarter-deck, and accidentally threw me down, it being very dark. As soon as I got upon my Legs again, I heard these poor wretches say, in a lamentable Voice, one to another; “Oh! that we could be so foolish as to enter into this vile course of Life! The Ship will be immediately blown up, and we shall suffer for our Villanies in Hell Fire.” So that when the old hardened Rogues on the Main-deck, wish’d for a blast to go to Hell with, the other poor wretches were at the same time under the greatest Consternation at the thoughts of it.
The Apprehension of the Ship’s being just ready to blow up, was so universal, that above fifty People got on the Bolt-sprit, and Sprit-sail-yard, thinking they should have there a better chance for their Lives: But they much deceived themselves, for had so great a quantity of Powder as was at that time on board, been fired, it would have blown them up to Atoms.
There was one Taylor, Master of this Pirate Ship, as brisk and couragious a Man as ever I saw; (who afterwards commanded the Cassandra, an English East India Ship, and carried her to New Spain, where he and his Crew separated.) This Person, with fifteen more, spared no pains to extinguish the Fire in the Hold; and tho’ they were scalded in a sad manner by the Flames, yet they never shrunk till it was conquered; which was not till near ten a clock at night, when they came upon Deck, declaring the Danger was over: So the Surgeons were called to dress their burns. This was joyful News to us all on Deck, for we little expected to escape.