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 also 200 Hands, of which 40 were Portuguese, 37 Negroes, 17 of them expert Sailors, 30 English, and the rest French. Tew met with nothing in his Way till he came to the Northward of the Cape of Good Hope, when he fell in with a Dutch East-India Galley of 18 Guns, which he took after a small Resistance, and with the Loss of one Man only; on the Coast of Angola he took an English Man with 240 Slaves, Men, Women, and Boys. The Negroes, who had before been taken on this Coast, found among these a great many of their Acquaintance, and several of their Relations, to whom they reported their happy and unexpected change of Fortune, the great Captain (for so they now called Misson) humanly having knocked off their Chains, and of Slaves made them free Men, and Sharers in his Fortunes. That the same good Fortune had attended them in their falling into his Hands, for he abhorr'd even the Name of Slavery. Tew following the Orders, and acquainted with the Policy of Misson, order'd their Fetters and Handcuffs to be taken off, upon his Negroe Sailors, assuring him they would not revolt, and were sensible of their Happiness in falling into his Hands. Content with these Prizes, he made the best of his Way home to Libertatia, where he arrived without any sinister Accident; but I forgot to tell my Reader, that he set his Dutch Prisoners (nine excepted, who took on with him) ashore, about 30 Miles to the Northward of the Cape, in Soldinia Bay, where had been buried, by Captain Misson, the English Commander; he found a great Quantity of English Crowns on Board his Dutch Prize, which were carried into the common Treasury, Money being of no Use where every Thing was in common, and no Hedge bounded any particular Man's Property. The Slaves he had released in this last Cruize were employ'd in the perfecting the Dock, and treated on the Foot of free People. They were not ignorant of the Change of their Condition, and were therefore extreamly diligent and faithful. A White Man, or one of the old standing Negroes, wrought with every four, and made them understand the French Words (by often Repetition, and the Help of their Country Mens interpreting) used in their Works. Misson ordered a couple of Sloops to be built in a Creek, of 80 Tun each, which he mounted with 8 Guns a piece, out of the Dutch Prize. These were perfected in a little Time, and proved not only shapely Vessels, but excellent Sailors. The Officers of these Sloops were chosen by ballotting, and as their first Design was only to discover and lay down a Chart of the Coast, Sands, Shoals, and Depths of Water round the Island of Madagascar;

      The School Master being sent for that Reason with the Command of one, Tew desired, and had the other. They were mann'd, each Sloop with 50 Whites and 50 black Men. Which Voyage round the Island was of vast Advantage in giving the new released Angola Negroes a Notion of the working a Vessel; and they were very industrious both in endeavouring to learn the French Language, and to be useful. These Sloops, the one of which was called the Childhood, and the other the Liberty, were near four Months on this Expedition; in the mean while a few of the Natives had come often to the Settlement, and they began to speak a little broken French, mix'd with the other European Languages, which they heard among Misson's People, and six of the native Families fixed among them, which was of vast Use to the Planters of this new Colony; for they made a very advantageous Report to their Country Men of the Regularity and Harmony they observed in them. The Sloops being return'd, and an exact Chart taken of the Coast, Carraccioli had a mind for a Cruize; he proposed the visiting all the neighbouring Islands, accordingly he went out to Mascarenas, and the other Islands near it, taking one half of his Crew of Negroes, and return'd with a Dutch Prize, which he took off the abovementioned Island, where they were about fixing a Colony. This Prize, as it had on Board all Sorts of European Goods, and Necessaries for settling, was more valuable than if it had been vastly richer. The Negroes growing useful Hands, Misson resolved on a Cruize to the Northward, encouraged by Tew's Success; and, with all the Blacks, which he divided between the two Ships, one of which Captain Tew commanded, set out with 500 Men: Off the Coast of Arabia Fœlix, they fell in with a Ship belonging to the Great Mogul, bound for Zidon, with Pilgrims to Mecca, who, with Moor Mariners, made up the Number of 1600 Souls. This Ship carried 110 Guns, but made a very poor Defence, being encumber'd with the Goods and Number of Passengers they carried. The two Adventurers did not think it their Business to cannonade, they therefore boarded as soon as they came up with her, and the Moors no sooner saw them enter'd, but they discharged one Volley of small Arms at Randon, we may suppose, because no Execution was done, and fled the Decks. Being Masters of this Ship, which did not cost them a single Man, they consulted what they should do with her, and the Prisoners, and it was resolved to set them ashore between Ain and Aden; but as they wanted Women, to keep all the unmarried, and to navigate the Ship to Libertatia; as the Guns might be of Use to them; and, by letting her go, or sinking, they might lose, perhaps, a considerable Booty, which the Moors, might have hid in her Cielings or Ballast.

      This Resolution was put in Execution, and they brought off 100 Girls, from 12 to 18 Years old, who designed to make the Pilgrimage with their Parents. The Lamentations this Separation caused among the Prisoners, had such Effect on Misson, that he was for letting them go, but every one of his Men were against him. They now made the best of their Way for Madagascar, putting 200 Hands on board the Prize, which proved a very heavy Sailer, and retarded them very much. Off the Cape Guarde Fin they were overtaken with a cruel Storm, which was very near wrecking them on the Island called Irmanos; but the Wind coming about due North, they had the good Luck to escape this Danger. Though the Fury of the Wind abated, yet it blew so hard for 12 Days together, that they could only carry their Courses reef'd. They spy'd a Sail in their Passage, but the Weather would not permit their endeavouring to speak with her. In a Word, they return'd to Libertatia with their Prize, without any other Accident, but the Captors could make no Estimate of her Value, she having on Board a vast Quantity of Diamonds, besides rich Silks, raw Silks, Spices, Carpets, and wrought and bar Gold. The Prize was taken to pieces, as she was of no Use; her Cordage and knee Timber preserv'd, with all the Bolts, Eyes, Chains, and other Iron Work, and her Guns planted on two Points of the Harbour, where they raised Batteries, so that they were now so strongly fortified they apprehended no Danger from any Number of Shipping which could be brought into those Seas to attack them. They had, by this Time, clear'd, sown, and enclosed a good Parcel of Ground, and taken in a Quantity of Pasturage, where they had above 300 Head of black Cattle, bought of the Natives. The Dock was now finish'd, and the Victoire growing old and unfit for a long Voyage, and the last Storm having shook and loosened her very much, she was pull'd to pieces and rebuilt, keeping the same Name. She was rigg'd, victuall'd, and fit to go to Sea, and was to sail to the Coast of Guinea for more Negroes, when one of the Sloops came in, which had been sent out rather to exercise the Negroes, than with any View of making a Prize, and brought Word five tall Ships chac'd her into the Bay, and stood for their Harbour; that she judg'd them to be Portuguese by their Built, and 50 Gun Ships, full of Men. This prov'd the real Truth. The Alarm was given, the Forts and Batteries mann'd, and every Man stood to his Arms. Misson took upon him the Command of 100 Negroes, who were well disciplin'd, (for every Morning they had been used to perform their Exercise, which was taught them by a French Serjeant, one of their Company, who belong'd to the Victoire) to be ready where his Assistance should be requir'd. Tew commanded all the English. They had hardly order'd their Affairs when these Ships hove in Sight, and stood directly for the Harbour with Portuguese Colours. They were warmly received by the two Forts, which did not stop them, though it brought one of them on the Careen; they enter'd the Harbour, and thought they had done their Business, but were saluted to warmly from the Forts and Batteries, Sloops and Ships, that two of them sunk downright, and a great many Men were drowned, though some got on Board the other Ships. The Portuguese, who did not imagine they had been so well fortified, and thought in passing the two Forts they should, without Difficulty, land their Men, and easily root out this Nest of pyrates, found now their Mistake, for they durst not venture to hoist out a Boat. They had wisely, however, contriv'd to enter just before the Turn of the Tide. Finding the Attempt vain, and that they lost a great many Men, they clapp'd upon a Wind, and with the Help of the Tide of Ebb, made more Haste out than they did to get in, leaving two of their Ships sunk in the Harbour; but they did not get off so cheaply, for no sooner were they clear of the Forts, but Misson manning, with the utmost Expedition, both the Ships and the Sloops, he gave them Chase, СКАЧАТЬ