Chapter X: Introduction (8)

They seiz'd in this River a Sloop, and by her gained Intelligence, that a Brigantine had also sailed in Company with her, from _Rhode-Island_, laden with Provisions for the Coast. A Welcome Cargo! They growing short in the Sea Store, and as _Sancho_ says, _No Adventures to be made without Belly-Timber_. One Evening as they were rumaging (their Mine of Treasure) the _Portuguese_ Prize, this expected Vessel was descry'd at Mast-Head, and _Roberts_, imagining no Body could do the Business so well as himself, takes 40 Men in the Sloop, and goes in pursuit of her; but a fatal Accident followed this rash, tho' inconsiderable Adventure, for _Roberts_ thinking of nothing less than bringing in the Brigantine that Afternoon, never troubled his Head about the Sloop's Provision, nor inquired what there was on Board to subsist such a Number of Men; but out he sails after his expected Prize, which he not only lost further Sight of, but after eight Days contending with contrary Winds and Currents, found themselves thirty Leagues to Leeward. The Current still opposing their Endeavours, and perceiving no Hopes of beating up to their Ship, they came to an Anchor, and inconsiderately sent away the Boat to give the rest of the Company Notice of their Condition, and to order the Ship to them; but too soon, even the next Day, their Wants made them sensible of their Infatuation, for their Water was all expended, and they had taken no thought how they should be supply'd, till either the Ship came, or the Boat returned, which was not likely to be under five or six Days. Here like _Tantalus_, they almost famished in Sight of the fresh Streams and Lakes; being drove to such Extremity at last, that they were forc'd to tare up the Floor of the Cabin, and patch up a sort of Tub or Tray with Rope Yarns, to paddle ashore, and fetch off immediate Supplies of Water to preserve Life.

After some Days, the long-wish'd-for Boat came back, but with the most unwellcome News in the World, for _Kennedy_, who was Lieutenant, and left in Absence of _Roberts_, to Command the Privateer and Prize, was gone off with both. This was Mortification with a Vengeance, and you may imagine, they did not depart without some hard Speeches from those that were left, and had suffered by their Treachery: And that there need be no further mention of this _Kennedy_, I shall leave Captain _Roberts_, for a Page or two, with the Remains of his Crew, to vent their Wrath in a few Oaths and Execrations, and follow the other, whom we may reckon from that Time, as steering his Course towards _Execution Dock_.

_Kennedy_ was now chosen Captain of the revolted Crew, but could not bring his Company to any determined Resolution; some of them were for pursuing the old Game, but the greater Part of them seem'd to have Inclinations to turn from those evil Courses, and get home privately, (for there was no Act of Pardon in Force,) therefore they agreed to break up, and every Man to shift for himself, as he should see Occasion. The first Thing they did, was to part with the great _Portugueze_ Prize, and having the Master of the Sloop (whose Name I think was _Cane_) aboard, who they said was a very honest Fellow, (for he had humoured them upon every Occasion,) told them of the Brigantine that _Roberts_ went after; and when the Pyrates first took him, he complemented them at an odd Rate, telling them they were welcome to his Sloop and Cargo, and wish'd that the Vessel had been larger, and the Loading richer for their Sakes: To this good natured Man they gave the _Portugueze_ Ship, (which was then above half loaded,) three or four Negroes, and all his own Men, who returned Thanks to his kind Benefactors, and departed.

Captain _Kennedy_ in the _Rover_, sailed to _Barbadoes_, near which Island, they took a very peaceable Ship belonging to _Virginia_; the Commander was a Quaker, whose Name was _Knot_; he had neither Pistol, Sword, nor Cutlash on Board; and Mr. _Knot_ appearing so very passive to all they said to him, some of them thought this a good Opportunity to go off; and accordingly eight of the Pyrates went aboard, and he carried them safe to _Virginia_; They made the Quaker a Present of 10 Chests of Sugar, 10 Rolls of _Brasil_ Tobacco, 30 Moidors, and some Gold-Dust, in all to the value of about 250 _l._ They also made Presents to the Sailors, some more, some less, and lived a jovial Life all the while they were upon their Voyage, Captain _Knot_ giving them their Way; nor indeed could he help himself, unless he had taken an Opportunity to surprize them, when they were either drunk or asleep; for awake they wore Arms aboard the Ship, and put him in a continual Terror; it not being his Principle (or the Sect's) to fight, unless with Art and Collusion; he managed these Weapons well till he arrived at the Capes, and afterwards four of the Pyrates went off in a Boat, which they had taken with them, for the more easily making their Escapes, and made up the Bay towards _Maryland_, but were forced back by a Storm into an obscure Place of the Country, where meeting with good Entertainment among the Planters, they continued several Days without being discovered to be Pyrates. In the mean Time Captain _Knot_ leaving four others on Board his Ship, (who intended to go to _North-Carolina_,) made what hast he could to discover to Mr. _Spotswood_ the Governor, what sort of Passengers he had been forced to bring with him, who by good Fortune got them seized; and Search being made after the others, who were revelling about the Country, they were also taken, and all try'd, convicted and hang'd, two _Portuguese_ Jews who were taken on the Coast of _Brasil_, and whom they brought with them to _Virginia_, being the principal Evidences. The latter had found Means to lodge Part of their Wealth with the Planters, who never brought it to Account: But Captain _Knot_ surrendered up every Thing that belonged to them, that were taken aboard, even what they presented to him, in lieu of such Things as they had plundered him of in their Passage, and obliged his Men to do the like.

Some Days after the taking of the _Virginia_ Man last mentioned, in cruising in the Latitude of _Jamaica, Kennedy_ took a Sloop bound thither from _Boston_, loaded with Bread and Flower; aboard of this Sloop went all the Hands who were for breaking the Gang, and left those behind that had a Mind to pursue further Adventures. Among the former were _Kennedy_, their Captain, of whose Honour they had such a dispicable Notion, that they were about to throw him over-board, when they found him in the Sloop, as fearing he might betray them all, at their return to _England_; he having in his Childhood been bred a Pick-pocket, and before he became a Pyrate, a House-breaker; both Professions that these Gentlemen have a very mean Opinion of. However, Captain _Kennedy_, by taking solemn Oaths of Fidelity to his Companions, was suffered to proceed with them.

In this Company there was but one that pretended to any skill in Navigation, (for _Kennedy_ could neither write nor read, he being preferred to the Command merely for his Courage, which indeed he had often signaliz'd, particularly in taking the _Portuguese_ Ship,) and he proved to be a Pretender only; for shaping their Course to _Ireland_, where they agreed to land, they ran away to the North-West Coast of _Scotland_, and there were tost about by hard Storms of Wind for several Days, without knowing where they were, and in great Danger of perishing: At length they pushed the Vessel into a little Creek, and went all ashore, leaving the Sloop at an Anchor for the next Comers.

The whole Company refresh'd themselves at a little Village about five Miles from the Place where they left the Sloop, and passed there for Ship-wreck'd Sailors, and no doubt might have travelled on without Suspicion; but the mad and riotous Manner of their Living on the Road, occasion'd their Journey to be cut short, as we shall observe presently.

_Kennedy_ and another left them here, and travelling to one of the Sea-Ports, ship'd themselves for _Ireland_, and arrived there in Safety. Six or seven wisely withdrew from the rest, travelled at their leasure, and got to their much desired Port of _London_, without being disturbed or suspected; but the main Gang alarm'd the Country where-ever they came, drinking and roaring at such a Rate, that the People shut themselves up in their Houses, in some Places, not daring to venture out among so many mad Fellows: In other Villages, they treated the whole Town, squandering their Money away, as if, like _Æsop_, they wanted to lighten their Burthens: This expensive manner of Living procured two of their drunken Straglers to be knocked on the Head, they being found murdered in the Road, and their Money taken from them: All the rest, to the Number of seventeen as they drew nigh to _Edinburgh_, were arrested and thrown into Goal, upon Suspicion, of they knew not what; However, the Magistrates were not long at a Loss for proper Accusations, for two of the Gang offering themselves for Evidences were accepted of; and the others were brought to a speedy Tryal, whereof nine were convicted and executed.

_Kennedy_ having spent all his Money, came over from _Ireland_, and kept a common B--y-House on _Deptford_ Road, and now and then, 'twas thought, made an Excursion abroad in the Way of his former Profession, till one of his Houshold W--s gave Information against him for a Robbery, for which he was committed to _Bridewell_; but because she would not do the Business by halves, she found out a Mate of a Ship that _Kennedy_ had committed Pyracy upon, as he foolishly confess'd to her. This Mate, whose Name was _Grant_, paid _Kennedy_ a Visit in _Bridewell_, and knowing him to be the Man, procured a Warrant, and had him committed to the _Marshalsea_ Prison.

The Game that _Kennedy_ had now to play was to turn Evidence himself; accordingly he gave a List of eight or ten of his Comrades; but not being acquainted with their Habitations, one only was taken, who, tho' condemn'd, appeared to be a Man of a fair Character, was forc'd into their Service, and took the first Opportunity to get from them, and therefore receiv'd a Pardon; but _Walter Kennedy_ being a notorious Offender, was executed the 19th of _July_, 1721, at _Execution Dock_.

The rest of the Pyrates who were left in the Ship _Rover_, staid not long behind, for they went ashore to one of the _West-India_ Islands; what became of them afterwards, I can't tell, but the Ship was found at Sea by a Sloop belonging to St. _Christophers_, and carried into that Island with only nine Negroes aboard.

Thus we see what a disastrous Fate ever attends the Wicked, and how rarely they escape the Punishment due to their Crimes, who, abandon'd to such a profligate Life, rob, spoil, and prey upon Mankind, contrary to the Light and Law of Nature, as well as the Law of God. It might have been hoped, that the Examples of these Deaths, would have been as Marks to the Remainder of this Gang, how to shun the Rocks their Companions had split on; that they would have surrendered to Mercy, or divided themselves, for ever from such Pursuits, as in the End they might be sure would subject them to the same Law and Punishment, which they must be conscious they now equally deserved; _impending Law_, which never let them sleep well, unless when drunk. But all the Use that was made of it here, was to commend the Justice of the Court, that condemn'd _Kennedy, for he was a sad Dog_ (they said) _and deserved the Fate he met with_.

But to go back to _Roberts_, whom we left on the Coast of _Caiana_, in a grievous Passion at what _Kennedy_ and the Crew had done; and who was now projecting new Adventures with his small Company in the Sloop; but finding hitherto they had been but as a Rope of Sand, they formed a Set of Articles, to be signed and sworn to, for the better Conservation of their Society, and doing Justice to one another; excluding all _Irish_ Men from the Benefit of it, to whom they had an implacable Aversion upon the Account of _Kennedy_. How indeed _Roberts_ could think that an Oath would be obligatory, where Defiance had been given to the Laws of God and Man, I can't tell, but he thought their greatest Security lay in this, _That it was every one's Interest to observe them if they were minded to keep up so abominable a Combination_.

The following, is the Substance of the Articles, as taken from the Pyrates own Informations.