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 told them, they were all dead Men if they did not retire that Moment to the Cabin. The Surprize was sudden, and they thought it necessary to obey; one of the pyrates placed himself Centry at the Door, with his Arms in his Hands, and the rest immediately laid the Hatches, and then made a Signal to their Fellows on Shore, as agreed on; upon which, about forty or fifty came on Board, and took quiet Possession of the Ship, and afterwards the Brigantine, without Bloodshed, or striking a Stroke.

      Bowen was made, or rather made himself, of Course, Captain; he detained the old Crew, or the greatest Part thereof, burnt the Brigantine as being of no Use to them, cleaned and fitted the Ship, took Water, Provisions, and what Necessaries were wanting, and made ready for new Adventures.

      I shall leave them a while, to relate an unfortunate Story of a worthy honest Gentleman, who suffered through the Rashness and Folly of a headstrong People, for piratically taking and murdering the Captain and Crew of this very Ship Bowen and his Gang now seized.

      An English-India Man, commanded by Captain Thomas Green, called the Worcester, in her Voyage home to England, was drove by southerly Winds into Scotland, in the Month of July 1704, and anchored in Leith Road; the Captain, and several of the Ship's Company, going ashore for Refreshments, the People of the Town, who had Acquaintance and Friends in Captain Drummond's Ship, understanding the Worcester came from the East-Indies, were very importunate in their Enquiries after this Ship, and being told that they had heard of no such Ship in India, the Enquirers pretended to be very much surprized; so that, in short, it grew into a Suspicion that the Worcester had not dealt fairly by the Scotch Ship, which they had not heard of themselves since her Departure. In short, the Magistrates were inform'd that some of the Crew had dropt Words that plainly indicated the supposed Robbery and Murders of their Countrymen. Upon this several Men were privately examined; sometimes they were threaten'd to be hanged, and then again large Promises were made to encourage 'em to discover the pretended Fact; till at length an Indian Boy was prevailed on to confess the whole Matter upon Oath, as they might think. Then the Captain, chief Mate and Crew, were seized and sent to Prison, the Ship was unloaded, and almost ripp'd to Pieces, to search for Goods, Writings, &c. to confirm the Indian's Deposition, but nothing could be found; therefore they were obliged to try them, and try them they did, upon this Evidence, and some small Circumstances sworn to by Charles May, the Surgeon, which carried great Improbabilities along with it. The Depositions were as follow; the Indian, whose Name was Antonio Ferdinando swore, ‘That on the Coast of Mallabar he came aboard the Sloop that attended the Worcester, and thereafter saw an Engagement between the said Sloop, the Worcester and another Ship, sailed by White Men, speaking English, and bearing English Colours. That they did engage the said Ship for three Days, and on the third Day the said Ship was boarded by those in the Sloop, who took up the Crew of the said Ship from under Deck, killed them with Hatchets, and threw them overboard.

      Charles May only deposed, ‘That being ashore at Callequillon he heard Guns firing at Sea, and asking some Body he met at the Landing Place, what meant this shooting? He was answered, the Worcester was gone out, and was fighting at Sea with another Ship. That the next Morning he saw the Worcester riding at her Birth, where she had rid the Day before, and another Ship riding at her Stern. That the Worcester's Long-Boat coming ashore, and he asking the Men what brought them ashore? They answered, they were sent for Water, they having spilt and staved all their Water; and that they had been busking all Night. That this Evidence going aboard five or six Days after, saw the Ship lumber'd with Goods, and that he was inform'd that the Ship that was riding at the Worcester's Stern, was sold to Cogo Comodo, Merchant at Quilon. That Antonio Ferdinando was wounded, and some others; and when he ask'd the Patients how they came by their Wounds, they were forbid to answer by Mr. Madder, the chief Mate. That all this fell out between the Months of January and February 1703.

      As to Antonio's Deposition, it appear'd to be all Invention, and nothing true in it; and Charles May's a Heap of sly Insinuations, drawn from a known Fact, which was this; the Worcester departing from Callequillon to Carnipole, was drove by Stress of Weather from near the Road of Quillon to Anjango, where coming near the Aureng Zeb, India Man, she saluted her with five Guns, which were the Guns the Surgeon heard; and the Aureng Zeb came in along with the Worcester, and anchor'd at her Stern, which was the Ship taken Notice of by him. By busking all Night is meant only beating to Windward, which she did in order to fetch Quillon, the Wind being contrary. The Worcester spar'd her Water to the Aureng Zeb, which occasioned their sending for more, and the wounded Men, which were proved to be no more than three in the Voyage; one was from a Fall in the Hold, another by fighting with Knives, between two Dutch Men, and the other by cutting of Wood.

      ’Tis observable likewise, that May's Evidence, which is brought to support Antonio's, contradicted it in several Parts; for Antonio swore the Fact to be done between Callicut and Tallecherry, (where, by the Way, the Ship never was, as was own'd by the Surgeon, and prov'd by the Captain's and other Journals) and May heard the Guns at Callequillon, which could not be less then 140 Miles asunder. Antonio makes the supposed Engagement hold three Days; according to May, the Worcester was busking only one Night; all the rest of his Evidence is, As he was inform'd, As he was told, &c. And what's remarkable of this May, is, he was eighteen Months after this in the said Ship, and own'd on the Trial, that he never heard in all that Time one Word spoken of a Fight with any other Ship, or a Prize taken, or any Thing relating to such an Action, which must be very strange, if the Matter had been true.

      In short, Captain Green and the rest of the Crew were convicted, and received Sentence for the supposed Crimes, as follows, Green, Madder, Sympson, Keigle and Haines to be hanged on Wednesday, April 4th. Taylor, Glenn, Kitchen and Robertson, on Wednesday, April 11th, and Brown, Bruckley, Wilcocks, Ballantyne and Linsey, on Wednesday, April 18th.

      I cannot but here take Notice (though with much Concern) that upon the Condemnation of these unhappy Men, there seemed a universal Joy in and about the City; it was the only Discourse for some Days, and every Man thought himself nearly concerned in it; and some could not forbear in Words openly to express their brutal Joy: Now, said they, we'll Darien ’em: By this they shall see we'll do our selves Justice, &c.

      After Sentence, the Prisoners desired not to be disturb'd in their dying Moments, that they might improve ’em to the best Advantage; but now they were not only insulted with the most opprobrious Language, by such as could get to ’em, but continually worried by the religious Kirk Teachers. The most dismal Threatnings were denounc'd against ’em, and nothing but God's Wrath and eternal Torments in all its Horrors, were to be their Portion, if they died obdurate (as they call'd it) that is, without owning themselves guilty; and all this delivered with that Passion peculiar to that bitter Sett of Men. Nay, so restless were they, that even now, after Condemnation, they singled out some they found more terrified by their Cant, and assur'd ’em of Life if they would ingenuously acknowledge the Crimes they were condemned for; and, at last, worked so far upon Haines and Linsey, that they brought them to own almost what they pleased. The former of these, upon their Pardons being granted, gave a frightful Account of the whole Pyracy and Murther upon Drummond's Ship, and took Care, as near as he could, to keep close with Ferdinando's Evidence, only here and there he was out in very material Points, as Men always are that don't relate Matters of Fact. There was a great many bloody Circumstances added to colour the whole, as their Manner of Swearing when they commenced pyrates (much like the ridiculous Ceremonies at making of Witches) which, he said, was thus; Every one of ’em was let Blood, which they mixed together, and after every Man had drank part, they all swore to Secrecy, &c. with abundance of such Stuff. Linsey, a Man of better Sense, contented himself with saying as little as possible, which was excusable, he being on shoar in the pretended Engagement, so that most of what СКАЧАТЬ