The King of Pirates

We cruis’d some Time upon the Coast, about the Bay of All Saints, and put in once or twice for fresh Water, especially at the Island of St. John’s, where we got good Store of Fish, and some Hogs, which, for fresh Provisions, was a great Relief to us: But we gat no Purchase here; for whether it was that their European Ships were just come in, or just gone out, we know not, or whether they suspected what we were, and so kept close within their Ports, but in thirteen Days that we ply’d off and on about Fernambuque, and about fourteen Days more that we spent in coasting along the Brasil Shore to the South, we met not one Ship, neither saw a Sail, except of their Fishing-Boats or small Coasters, who kept close under Shore.

We cross’d the Line here about the latter End of September, and found the Air exceeding hot and unwholsome, the Sun being in the Zenith, and the Weather very wet and rainy; so we resolv’d to stand away South, without looking for any more Purchase on that Side.

Accordingly we kept on to the South, having tolerable good Weather, and keeping the Shore all the Way in View till we came the Length of St. Julien, in the Latitude of 48 Degrees, 22 Minutes South; here we put in again, being the Beginning of November, and took in fresh Water, and spent about ten Days, refreshing ourselves, and fitting our Tackle; all which Time we liv’d upon Penguins and Seals, of which we kill’d an innumerable Number; and when we prepar’d to go, we salted up as many Penguins as we found would serve our whole Crew, to eat them twice a Week as long as they would keep.

Here we consulted together about going thro’ the Straits of Magellan; but I put them quite out of Conceit of making that troublesom and fatieguing Adventure, the Straits being so hazardous, and so many Winds requir’d to pass them; and having assur’d them, that in our Return with Bat Sharp, we went away to the Latitude of 55 Degrees 30 Minutes, and then steering due East, came open with the North Seas in five Days Run, they all agreed to go that Way.

On the 20th of November we weigh’d from Port Julien, and having a fair Wind at N. E. by E. led it away merrily, till we came into the Latitude of 54, when the Wind veering more Northerly, and then to the N. W. blowing hard, we were driven into 55 Degrees and half, but lying as near as we could to the Wind, we made some Westward Way withal: The 3d of December the Wind came up South, and S. E. by S. being now just as it were at the Beginning of the Summer Solstice in that Country.

With this Wind, which blew a fresh Gale, we stood away N. N. W. and soon found ourselves in open Sea, to the West of America; upon which we haul’d away N. by E. and N. N. E. and then N. E. when on the 20th of December we made the Land, being the Coast of Chili, in the Latitude of 41 Degrees, about the Height of Baldivia; and we stood out from hence till we made the Isle of St. Juan Fernando, where we came to an Anchor, and went on Shore to get fresh Water; also some of our Men went a hunting for Goats, of which we kill’d enough to feed us all with fresh Meat for all the while we stay’d here, which was 22 Days. [Jan. 11.]

During this Stay we sent the Sloop out to Cruise, but she came back without seeing any Vessel; after which we order’d her out again more to the North, but she was scarce gone a League, when she made a Signal that she saw a Sail, and that we should come out to help them; accordingly the Frigat put to Sea after them, but making no Signal for us to follow, we lay still, and work’d hard at cleaning our Ship, shifting some of the Rigging, and the like.

We heard no more of them in three Days, which made us repent sorely that we had not gone all three together; but the third Day they came back, tho’ without any Prize, as we thought, but gave us an Account that they had chac’d a great Ship and a Bark all Night, and the next Day; that they took the Bark the Evening before, but found little in her of Value; that the great Ship ran on Shore among some Rocks, where they durst not go in after her, but that manning out their Boats, they got on Shore so soon, that the Men belonging to her durst not land; that then they threaten’d to burn the Ship as she lay, and burn them all in her, if they did not come on Shore and surrender: They offer’d to surrender, giving them their Liberty, which our Men would not promise at first; but after some Parly, and arguing on both Sides, our Men agreed thus far, that they should remain Prisoners for so long as we were in those Seas, but that as soon as we came to the Height of Panama, or if we resolv’d to return sooner, then they should be set at Liberty; and to these hard Conditions they yielded.

Our Men found in the Ship 6 Brass Guns, 200 Sacks of Meal, some Fruit, and the Value of 160000 Pieces of Eight in Gold of Chili, as good as any in the World: It was a glittering Sight, and enough to dazzle the Eyes of those that look’d on it, to see such a Quantity of Gold laid all of a Heap together, and we began to embrace one another in Congratulation of our good Fortune.

We brought the Prisoners all to the Island Fernando, where we used them very well, built little Houses for them, gave them Bread, and Meat, and every Thing they wanted; and gave them Powder and Ball to kill Goats with, which they were fully satisfy’d with, and kill’d a great many for us too.

We continu’d to Cruise [Feb. 2] hereabout, but without finding any other Prize for near three Weeks more; so we resolv’d to go up as high as Puna, the Place where I had been so lucky before; and we assur’d our Prisoners, that in about two Months we would return, and relieve them; but they chose rather to be on Board us, so we took them all in again, and kept on with an easy Sail, at a proper Distance from Land, that we might not be known, and the Alarm given; for as to the Ship which we had taken, and which was stranded among the Rocks, as we had taken all the Men out of her, the People on the Shore, when they should find her, could think no other than that she was driven on Shore by a Storm, and that all the People were drown’d, or all escap’d and gone; and there was no Doubt but that the Ship would beat to Pieces in a very few Days.

We kept, I say, at a Distance from the Shore, to prevent giving the Alarm; but it was a needless Caution, for the Country was all alarm’d on another Account, viz. about an 130 bold Buccaneers had made their Way over Land, not at the Isthmus of Darien, as usual, but from Granada, on the Lake of Nicaragua to the North of Panama, by which, tho’ the Way was longer, and the Country not so practicable as at the ordinary Passage, yet they were unmolested, for they surpriz’d the Country; and whereas the Spaniards, looking for them at the old Passage, had drawn Entrenchments, planted Guns, and posted Men at the Passages of the Mountains, to intercept them and cut them off, here they met with no Spaniards, nor any other Obstruction in their Way, but coming to the South Sea had Time, undiscover’d, to build themselves Canoes and Periaguas, and did a great deal of Mischief upon the Shore, having been follow’d, among the rest, by 80 Men more, commanded by one Guilotte, a Frenchman, an old Buccaneer; so that they were now 210 Men; and they were not long at Sea before they took two Spanish Barks going from Guatimala to Panama, loaden with Meal, Coco, and other Provisions; so that now they were a Fleet of two Barks, with several Canoes, and Periaguas, but no Guns, nor any more Ammunition than every one carry’d at first at their Backs.

However, this Troop of Desperadoes had alarm’d all the Coast, and Expresses both by Sea and Land were dispatch’d, to warn the Towns on the Coast to be upon their Guard, all the way from Panama to Lima; but as they were represented to be only such Freebooters as I have said, Ships of Strength did not desist their Voyages, as they found Occasion, as we shall observe presently: We were now gotten into the Latitude of 10, 11, and 12 Degrees and a Half; but, in our overmuch Caution, had kept out so far to Sea, that we miss’d every Thing which would otherwise have fallen into our Hands; but we were better inform’d quickly, as you shall hear.

Early in the Morning, one of our Men being on the Missen-top, cry’d, A Sail, a Sail; it prov’d to be a small Vessel standing just after us; and as we understood afterwards, did so, believing that we were some of the King’s Ships looking after the Buccaneers. As we understood she was a-Stern of us, we shorten’d Sail, and hung out the Spanish Colours, separating ourselves, to make him suppose we were cruising for the Buccaneers, and did not look for him; however, when we saw him come forward, but stretching in a little towards the Shore, we took Care to be so much to Starboard that he could not escape us that Way; and when he was a little nearer, the Sloop plainly chac’d him, and in a little Time came up with him, and took him: We had little Goods in the Vessel, their chief Loading being Meal and Corn for Panama, but the Master happen’d to have 6000 Pieces of Eight in his Cabin, which was good Booty.

But that which was better than all this to us was, that the Master gave us an Account of two Ships which were behind, and were under Sail for Lima or Panama; the one having the Revenues of the Kingdom of Chili, and the other having a great Quantity of Silver, going from Puna to Lima, to be forwarded from thence to Panama, and that they kept together, being Ships of Force, to protect one another; how they did it we soon saw the Effects of.

Upon this Intelligence we were very joyful, and assur’d the Master, that if we found it so, we would give him his Vessel again, and all his Goods, except his Money, as for That, we told him, such People as we never return’d it any Body: However, the Man’s Intelligence prov’d good, for the very next Day, as we were standing South-West, our Spanish Colours being out, as above, we spy’d one of the Ships, and soon after the other; we found they had discover’d us also, and that being doubtful what to make of us, they tack’d and stood Eastward to get nearer the Land; we did the like, and as we found there was no letting them go that Way but that we should be sure to lose them, we soon let them know that we were resolv’d to speak with them.

The biggest Ship, which was three Leagues a-Stern of the other, crowded in for the Shore with all the Sail, she could make, and it was easy for us to see that she would escape us; for as she was a great deal farther in with the Land than the other when we first gave Chace, so in about three Hours we saw the Land plain a-Head of us, and that the great Ship would get into Port before we could reach her.

Upon this we stretch’d a-Head with all the Sail we could make, and the Sloop, which crowded also very hard, and out-went us, engag’d the small Ship at least an Hour before we could come up: But she could make little of it, for the Spanish Ship having 12 Guns and 6 Patereroes, would have been too many for the Sloop if we had not come up: However, at length, our biggest Ship came up also, and, running up under her Quarter, gave her our whole Broadside; at which she struck immediately, and the Spaniards cry’d, Quarter, and Miserecordia; Upon this, our Sloop’s Men enter’d her presently, and secur’d her.

In the Beginning oft his Action, it seems, our Redhand Captain was so provok’d at losing the greater Prize, which, as he thought, had all the Money on Board, that he swore he would not spare one of the Dogs, (so he call’d the Spaniards in the other Ship) but he was prevented; and it was very happy for the Spaniards, that the first Shot the Ship made towards us, just as we were running up to pour in our Broadside, I say, the first Shot took Captain Redhand full on the Breast, and shot his Head and one Shoulder off, so that he never spoke more, nor did I find that any one Man in the Ship shew’d the least Concern for him; so certain it is, that Cruelty never recommends any Man among Englishmen; no, tho’ they have no Share in the suffering under it; but one said, D – n him, let him go, he was a butcherly Dog; another said, D – n him, he was a merciless Son of a B – ch; another said, he was a barbarous Dog, and the like.

But to return to the Prize, being now as certain of the smaller Prize as that we had miss’d the great one, we began to examine what we had got; and it is not easy to give an exact Account of the prodigious Variety of Things we found: In the first Place, were 116 Chests of Pieces of Eight in Specie, 72 Bars of Silver, 15 Bags of wrought Plate, which a Fryer that was on Board would have perswaded us, for the Sake of the Blessed Virgin, to have return’d, being, as he said, consecrated Plate to the Honour of the holy Church, the Virgin Mary