THE PIRATES OF THE HIGH SEAS – Know Your Infamous Buccaneers, Their Exploits & Their Real Histories (9 Books in One Edition). Даниэль Дефо

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СКАЧАТЬ was call'd Don Antonio, which were all the Europeans on Board, to take on with them; the first he design'd as a Pilot, and the last as an Interpreter. He also used the Men very cruelly, causing them to be hoisted up by the Arms, and drubb'd with a naked Cutlash, to force them to discover whether they had Money on Board, and where it lay; but as they had neither Gold nor Silver on Board, he got nothing by his Cruelty; however, he took from them a Bale of Pepper, and a Bale of Coffee, and so let them go.

      A little Time after he touch'd at Carawar, a Place upon the same Coast, where, before he arrived, the News of what he had done to the Moorish Ship had reach'd them; for some of the English Merchants there had received an Account of it from the Owners, who corresponded with them; wherefore, as soon as Kid came in, he was suspected to be the Person who committed this Pyracy; and one Mr. Harvey and Mr. Mason, two of the English Factory, came on Board and ask'd for Parker, and Antonio the Portuguese; but Kid deny'd that he knew any such Persons, having secur'd them both in a private Place in the Hold, where they were kept for seven or eight Days, that is, till Kid sail'd from thence.

      However, the Coast was alarm'd, and a Portuguese Man of War was sent out to cruize: Kid met with her, and fought her about six Hours, gallantly enough; but finding her too strong to be taken, he quitted her; for he was able to run away from her when he would: Then he went to a Place call'd Porco, where he water'd the Ship, and bought a Number of Hogs of the Natives to victual his Company.

      Soon after this, he came up with a Moorish Ship, the Master whereof was a Dutch Man, call'd Schipper Mitchel, and chased her under French Colours, which they observing, hoisted French Colours too: When he came up with her, he hail'd her in French, and they having a French Man on Board, answer'd him in the same Language; upon which he order'd them to send their Boat on Board; they were oblig'd to do so, and having examin'd who they were, and from whence they came; he ask'd the French Man, who was a Passenger, if he had a French Pass for himself? The French Man gave him to understand that he had. Then he told the French Man he must pass for Captain, and by G— d, says he, you are the Captain: The French Man durst not refuse doing as he would have him: The Meaning of this was, that he would seize the Ship as fair Prize, and as if she had belong'd to French Subjects, according to a Commission he had for that Purpose; tho’, one would think, after what he had already done, that he need not have Recourse to a Quibble to give his Actions a Colour.

      In short, he took the Cargoe and sold it some Time after; yet still he seem'd to have some Fears upon him least these Proceedings should have a bad End; for, coming up with a Dutch Ship some Time, when his Men thought of nothing but attacking her, Kid oppos'd it; upon which a Mutiny arose, and the Majority being for taking the said Ship, and arming themselves to Man the Boat to go and seize her, he told them, such as did, never should come on Board him again; which put an End to the Design, so that he kept Company with the said Ship some Time, without offering her any Violence: However, this Dispute was the Occasion of an Accident, upon which an Indictment was afterwards grounded against Kid; for Moor, the Gunner, being one Day upon Deck, and talking with Kid about the said Dutch Ship, some Words arose betwixt them, and Moor told Kid, that he had ruin'd them all; upon which, Kid, calling him Dog, took up a Bucket and struck him with it, which breaking his Skull, he died the next Day.

      But Kid's penitential Fit did not last long, for coasting along Malabar, he met with a great Number of Boats, all which he plunder'd. Upon the same Coast he also light upon a Portuguese Ship, which he kept Possession of a Week, and then having taken out of her some Chests of India Goods, thirty Jars of Butter, with some Wax, Iron, and a hundred Bags of Rice, he let her go.

      Much about the same Time he went to one of the Malabar Islands for Wood and Water, and his Cooper being ashore, was murder'd by the Natives; upon which Kid himself landed, and burnt and pillaged several of their Houses, the People running away; but having taken one, he caused him to be tied to a Tree, and commanded one of his Men to shoot him; then putting to Sea again he took the greatest Prize, which fell into his Hands, while he followed this Trade; this was a Moorish Ship of 400 Tons richly laden, named the Queda Merchant, the Master whereof was an English Man, he was call'd Wright, for the Indians often make Use of English or Dutch Men to command their Ships, their own Mariners not being so good Artists in Navigation. — Kid chased her under French Colours, and having come up with her, he ordered her to hoist out her Boat, and to send on Board of him, which being done, he told Wright he was his Prisoner; and informing himself concerning the said Ship, he understood there were no Europeans on Board, except two Dutch, and one Frenchman, all the Rest being Indians or Armenians, and that the Armenians were Part Owners of the Cargoe. Kid gave the Armenians to understand, that if they would offer any Thing that was worth his taking for their Ransome, he would hearken to it: Upon which, they proposed to pay him twenty thousand Rupees, not quite three thousand Pounds Sterling; but Kid judged this would be making a bad Bargain, wherefore he rejected it, and setting the Crew on Shore, at different Places on the Coast, he soon sold as much of the Cargoe as came to near ten thousand Pounds. With Part of it he also trafficked, receiving in Exchange Provisions, or such other Goods as he wanted; by Degrees he disposed of the whole Cargoe, and when the Division was made, it came to about two hundred Pounds a Man, and having reserved forty Shares to himself, his Dividend amounted to about eight thousand Pounds Sterling.

      The Indians along the Coast came on Board and traffick'd with all Freedom, and he punctually performed his Bargains, till about the Time he was ready to sail; and then thinking he should have no further Occasion for them, he made no Scruple of taking their Goods, and setting them on Shore without any Payment in Money or Goods, which they little expected; for as they had been used to deal with pyrates, they always found them Men of Honour in the Way of Trade: A People, Enemies to Deceit, and that scorn'd to rob but in their own Way.

      Kid put some of his Men on Board the Queda Merchant, and with this Ship and his own sail'd for Madagascar; as soon as he was arrived and had cast Anchor, there came on Board of him a Canoe, in which were several Englishmen, who had formerly been well acquainted with Kid; as soon as they saw him they saluted him, and told him, they were informed he was come to take them, and hang them, which would be a little unkind in such an old Acquaintance; Kid soon dissipated their Doubts, by swearing he had no such Design, and that he was now in every Respect their Brother, and just as bad as they; and calling for a Cup of Bomboo, drank their Captain's Health.

      These Men belong'd to a Pyrate Ship, call'd the Resolution, formerly the Mocco Merchant, whereof one Captain Culliford was Commander, and which lay at an Anchor not far from them; Kid went on Board with them, promising them his Friendship and Assistance, and Culliford in his Turn came on Board of Kid; and Kid to testify his Sincerity in Iniquity, finding Culliford in want of some Necessaries, made him a Present of an Anchor and some Guns, to fit him out for the Sea again.

      The Adventure Galley was now so old and leaky, that they were forced to keep two Pumps continually going, wherefore Kid shifted all the Guns and Tackle out of her into the Queda Merchant, intending her for his Man of War; and as he had divided the Money before, he now made a Division of the Remainder of the Cargo: Soon after which, the greatest Part of the Company left him, some going on Board Captain Culliford, and others absconding in the Country, so that he had not above forty Men left.

      He put to Sea and happened to touch at Amboyna, one of the Dutch Spice Islands, where he was told, that the News of his Actions had reach'd England, and that he was there declared a Pyrate.

      The Truth on't is, his Pyracies so alarmed our Merchants, that some Motions were made in Parliament, to enquire into the Commission that was given him, and the Persons who fitted him out: These Proceedings seem'd to СКАЧАТЬ