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 and the Town it self was overflowed, and above half destroy'd, there being the next Morning five Foot Water from one End to the other; the Cannon of Fort Charles were dismounted, and some washed into the Sea, and four hundred People lost their Lives; a more melancholly Sight was scarce ever seen when the Water ebb'd away, all the Streets being covered with Ruins of Houses, Wrecks of Vessels, and a great Number of dead Bodies, for forty Sail of Ships, in the Harbour, were cast away.

      The Brigantine return'd to the Island, where she had left the Scooner, who being ready to sail, it was put to the Vote of the Company, what Voyage to take next; and herein they follow'd the Advice of the Captain, who thought it not adviseable to go any farther to Leeward, because of the Men of War who were cruising in their several Stations, which they were not at all fond of meeting, and therefore it was agreed to go to the Azores, or Western Islands.

      The latter End of July, Low took a French Ship of 34 Guns, and carried her along with him to the Azores. He came into St. Michael's Road the 3d of August, and took seven Sail that were lying there, viz. the Nostre Dame, Mere de Dien, Captain Roach Commander; the Dove, Capt. Cox; the Rose Pink, formerly a Man of War, Capt. Thompson; another English Ship, Capt. Chandler; and three other Vessels. He threatened all with present Death who resisted, which struck such a Terror to them, that they yielded themselves up a Prey to the Villains, without firing a Gun.

      The Pyrates being in great Want of Water and fresh Provisions, Low sent to the Governor of St. Michael's for a Supply, and promised upon that Condition to release the Ships he had taken, but otherwise to burn them all; which Demand the Governor thought it not prudent to refuse, but sent the Provision he required, upon which he released six of the Ships, (after he had plundered them of what he thought fit,) and the other, viz. the Rose Pink, was made a Pyrate Ship, which Low himself took the Command of.

      The Pyrates took several of the Guns out of the French Ship, and mounted them aboard the Rose, which proved very fit for their Turn, and condemned the former to the Flames. They took all the Crew out of her, but the Cook, who, they said, being a greazy Fellow would fry well in the Fire; so the poor Man was bound to the Main-Mast, and burnt in the Ship, to the no small Diversion of Low and his Mirmidons.

      Low ordered the Scooner to lye in the Fare between St. Michael's and St. Mary's, where, about the 20th of August, Captain Carter in the Wright Galley, had the ill Fortune to come in her Way; and because at first they showed Inclinations to defend themselves, and what they had, the Pyrates cut and mangled them in a barbarous Manner; particularly some Portuguese Passengers, two of which being Friers, they triced up at each Arm of the Fore-Yard, but let them down again before they were quite dead, and this they repeated several Times out of Sport.

      Another Portuguese, who was also Captain Carter's Passenger, putting on a sorrowful Countenance at what he saw acted, one of this vile Crew attacked him upon the Deck, saying, he did not like his Looks, and thereupon gave him one Blow a-cross his Belly with his Cutlash, that cut out his Bowels, and he fell down dead without speaking a Word. At the same Time another of these Rogues cutting at a Prisoner, missed his Mark, and Captain Low standing in his Way, very opportunely received the Stroke upon his under Jaw, which laid the Teeth bare; upon this the Surgeon was called, who immediately stitched up the Wound, but Low finding fault with the Operation, the Surgeon being tollerably drunk, as it was customary for every Body to be, struck Low such a Blow with his Fist, that broke out all the Stitches, and then bid him sew up his Chops himself and be damned, so that Low made a very pitiful Figure for some Time after.

      When they had plundered Captain Carter's Ship, several of them were for burning her, as they had done the French Man, but it was otherwise resolved at last; for after they had cut her Cables, Rigging and Sails to Pieces, they left her to the Mercy of the Sea.

      After these Depredations, they steered for the Island of Madera, where missing other Booty, they took up with a Fishing-Boat, with two old Men and a Boy in her, one of which they detained on Board, but sent the other ashore with a Flag of Truce, demanding a Boat of Water of the Governor, on Pain of taking away the old Man's Life, whom they threatened to hang at the Yard-Arm, upon their refusal; but the Thing being complied with, the old Man was honourably (as the Pyrates say) discharged, and all the three much handsomer cloathed than when they took them. From this Island they sailed to the Canaries, but meeting with no Prey there, they continued their Course for the Cape de Verd Islands, and at Bonavista, took a Ship called the Liverpool Merchant, Captain Goulding, from whom they stole a great Quantity of Provisions and dry Goods, 300 Gallons of Brandy, two Guns and Carriages, a Mast, Yard and Hawsers, besides six of his Men, and then would not let them Trade there, nor at St. Nicholas, but obliged Captain Goulding to go with his Ship, to the Isle of May.

      The Pyrate also took among these Islands, a Ship belonging to Liverpool, Scot Commander; two Portuguese Sloops bound for Brasil; a small English Sloop trading there, James Pease Master, bound to Sancta Crux, and three Sloops from St. Thomas bound to Curaso, the Masters Names were Lilly, Staples and Simpkins, all which they plundered, and then let go about their Business, except one Sloop which they fitted up for the following Purpose.

      Low had heard by one of the above mentioned Ships, that two small Gallies were expected every Day at the Western Islands, viz. the Greyhound, Captain Glass, and the Joliff, Captain Aram; the former of which was designed to be fitted for the piratical Trade to Brasil, if Things had happened to their Minds. They mann'd the Sloop, and sent her in Quest of one or both of these Ships to the Western Islands aforesaid, whilst they carreen'd their Ship Rose, at one of the Cape de Verds: But now Fortune that had hitherto been so propitious to them, left her Minions, and baffled for the present all their Hopes, for the Sloop missing of their Prey, was reduced to great Necessities for want of Provisions and Water, so that they ventured to go ashore at St. Michael's for a Supply, and pass for a Trader; but they play'd their Parts so aukwardly, that they were suspected by the Governor to be what they really were, and he was soon put out of doubt by a Visit some Portuguese made them, who happened unluckily to be Passengers in Captain Carter's Ship, when Low took her, and knew the Gentlemen's Faces very well; upon which the whole Crew was conducted into the Castle, where they were provided for as long as they liv'd.

      Low, in the mean Time, did not fare quite so ill, but had his intended Voyage to Brasil spoil'd, by the oversetting of his Ship, when she was upon the Careen, whereby she was lost, so that he was reduc'd to his old Scooner, which he called the Fancy, aboard of which they all went, to the Number of 100, as vile Rogues as ever ended their Lives at Tyburn. They proceeded now to the West-Indies, but before they had gotten far on their Voyage, they attack'd a rich Portuguese Ship, call'd the Nostre Signiora de Victoria, bound home from Bahia, and after some Resistance, took her. Low tortur'd several of the Men, to make them declare where the Money, (which he suppos'd they had on Board) lay, and extorted by that Means, a Confession that the Captain had, during the Chace, hung out of the Cabin Window, a Bag with 11,000 Moidores, which, assoon as he was taken, he cut the Rope off, and let it drop into the Sea.

      Low, upon hearing what a Prize had escap'd him, rav'd like a Fury, swore a thousand Oaths, and ordered the Captain's Lips to be cut off, which he broil'd before his Face, and afterwards murthered him and all the Crew, being thirty two Persons.

      After this bloody Action, they continued their Course, till they came to the Northward of all the Islands, and there cruiz'd for about a Month, in which Time they made Prizes of the following Vessels, viz. a Snow from New-York to Curacoa, Robert Leonard Master; a Sloop from the Bay, bound to New-York, Craig Master; a Snow from London and Jamaica, bound to New-York; and the Stanhope СКАЧАТЬ