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      Chapter XXIX.

       Of Captain William Fly, And his Crew

       Table of Contents

      As to the Birth of this Pyrate, we can discover nothing by the Enquiries we have hitherto made; and, indeed, had we succeeded in our Search, could it have been of any great Consequence? For, its certain, by the Behaviour of the Man, he must have been of very obscure Parents; and, by his Education, (as he was no Artist) very unfit, in all Respects, except that of Cruelty, for the villainous Business he was in. We have been inform'd, that he had been a Pyrate in a private Capacity, and having escaped Justice, had an Opportunity of repenting his former Crimes, and, as a foremast Man, or petty Officer, of getting his Bread in a warrantable Way: But no; ignorant as he was of Letters, he was ambitious of Power, and capable of the most barbarous Actions to acquire it.

      Captain Green of Bristol, in April 1726, shipp'd this Fly as Boatswain, at Jamaica, being bound, in the Elizabeth Snow of Bristol, for the Coast of

      Guinea. Fly, who had insinuated himself with some of the Men, whom he found ripe for any Villainy, resolved to seize the said Snow, and murder the Captain and Mate, and, taking the Command on himself, turn Pyrate. He proposed this his Design to his Brothers in Iniquity, who approving it, he, having the Watch at one o’ Clock in the Morning, on the 27th Day of May, went up to one Morrice Cundon, then at the Helm, accompanied by Alexander Mitchel, Henry Hill, Samuel Cole, Thomas Winthrop, and other Conspirators, and swore damn him, if he spoke one Word, or stirr'd either Hand or Foot, he would blow his Brains out; and, tucking up his Shirt above his Elbow, with a Cutlass in his Hand, he, with Mitchel, went into the Captain's Cabbin, and told him, he must turn out. The Captain asking what was the Matter, was answered, by Mitchel, they had no Time to answer impertinent Questions; that if he would turn out, and go upon Deck quietly, it would save ’em the Trouble of scraping the Cabbin; if he would not, a few Buckets of Water and a Scraper would take his Blood out of the Decks. That they had chosen Captain Fly for Commander, and damn his Blood, they would allow of no other, and would not waste their Provisions to feed useless Men.

      The Captain reply'd, that since they had so resolved he should make no Resistance; but begged they would not murder him, since his living could be no Obstacle to their Designs; that he had never been harsh to either of them, and therefore they could not kill him out of revenge; and if it was only for their Security, he desired, if they would not take his Word to do nothing to obstruct the Measures they had resolved on, they would secure him in Irons till he might be put somewhere on Shore. Ay, G— d d — mn ye, says Fly, to live and hang us, if we are ever taken: No, no, walk up and be damn'd, that Bite won't take, it has hanged many an honest Fellow already. Mitchel and Fly then laying hold of him, pulled him out of his Bed. The poor Captain intreating to spare his Life, for his Soul's sake, told ’em he would bind himself down by the most solemn Oaths, never to appear against them; that he was unfit to appear before the Judgment-Seat of a just and pure God; that he was loaded with Sins, and to take him off before he had washed those Stains which sullied his Soul by the Tears of Repentance, would be a Cruelty beyond Comparison greater than that of depriving him of Life, were he prepared for Death, since it would be, without any Offence committed against them, dooming him to eternal Misery; however, if they would not be perswaded that his Life was consistent with their Safety, he begg'd they would allow him some Time to prepare himself for the great Change. That he begg'd no other Mercy than what the Justice and Compassion of the Laws would allow them, should they hereafter be taken. D— n your Blood, said Mitchel, no Preaching. Be damn'd an you will, what's that to us? Let him look out who has the Watch. Upon Deck, you Dog, for me shall lose no more Time about you.

      They hawl'd him into the Steerage, and forc'd him upon Deck, where one of the Hell-Hounds asked if he had rather take a Leap like a brave Fellow, or be to toss'd over like a sneaking Rascal. The Captain, addressing himself to Fly, said, Boatswain, for God's sake don't throw me overboard, if you do, I am for ever lost; Hell's the Portion of my Crimes. — Damn him answer'd Fly, since he's so devilish godly, we'll give him Time to say his Prayers, and I'll be Parson. Say after me. Lord, have Mercy on me. Short Prayers are best, so no more Words, and over with him, my Lads.

      The Captain still cry'd for Mercy, and begg'd an Hour's respite only, but all in vain; he was seized by the Villains, and thrown over Board; catch'd however, and hung by the Main-Sheet, which Winthorp seeing, fetch'd the Cooper's broad Ax, and chopping off the unhappy Master's Hand, he was swallowed up by the Sea.

      The Captain being thus dispatched, Thomas Jenkins, the Mate, was secured and brought upon Deck, to share the same cruel Fate. His Intreaties were as useless as the Captain's; the Sentence they had passed upon him was not to be reversed; they were deaf to his Prayers and Remonstrances, Strangers to Humanity and Compassion. He was of the Captain's Mess, they said, and they should e'en drink together; it was Pity to part good Company.

      Thus they jested with his Agonies; he, however, made some Struggle, which irritating his Murderers, one of them snatched up the Ax, with which Winthorp had lopped off the Captain's Hand, and gave him a great Cut on the Shoulder, by missing his Head, where the Blow was aimed, and he was thrown into the Sea. He swam notwithstanding, and called out to the Doctor to throw him a Rope, who, poor Man, could not hear him, being secured, and laid in Irons in his own Cabin; and had he heard, and been able to have thrown the Rope required, could it be expected that these harden'd Wretches would have relented, and shown him Mercy? But the sinking Man will catch at a Straw, and Hope, they say, is the last that deserts us. While we have Life we are apt to flatter our selves, some lucky Accident may favour us.

      It was next debated what should be done with the Doctor. Some were for sending him to look after the Captain and Mate, but the Majority, as he was a useful Man, thought it better to keep him. All obstacles being removed, Mitchel saluted Fly Captain, and, with the rest of the Crew who had been in the Conspyracy, with some Ceremony, gave him Possession of the great Cabin.

      Here a Bowl of Punch being made, Morice Cundon was called down, and one John Fitzherbert set to the Helm in his Place. At the same Time the Carpenter and Thomas Streaton were brought before the Captain, who told them they were three Rascals, and richly deserved to be sent after the Captain and Mate, but that they were willing to to show them Mercy, and not put them to Death in cold Blood, and he would therefore only put them in Irons, for the Security of the Ship's Crew; they were accordingly ordered out, and iron'd. Fly then told his Comrades it was convenient to resolve on some Course, when Word was brought them, that a Ship was very near them. The Council broke up, and made a clear Ship, when, in a very little while after, they found it was the Pompey, which had left Jamaica in Company with the Snow; the Pompey standing СКАЧАТЬ