The King of Pirates. Defoe Daniel
own Frigate; this made the Irish Vessel be a clear Ship, lighter in the Water, and have more Room on Board for Fight, if Occasion offer’d.
When we had the old Quaking Skipper on Board, we ask’d him whether he would go along with us; he gave us no Answer at first; but when we ask’d him again, he return’d, that he did not know whether it might be safe for him to answer the Question: We told him, he should either go or stay, as he pleas’d; Why then, says he, I had rather ye will give me Leave to decline it.
We gave him Leave, and accordingly set him on Shore afterwards at Nevis, with ten of his Men; the rest went along with us as Volunteers, except the Carpenter and his Mate, and the Surgeon, those we took by Force: We were now supply’d as well as Heart could wish, had a large Ship in our Possession, with Provisions enough for a little Fleet rather than for a single Ship. So with this Purchase we went away for the Leeward Islands, and fain we would have met with some of the New York or New England Ships, which generally come loaden with Peas, Flower, Pork, &c. But it was a long while before any Thing of that Kind presented. We had promis’d the Irish Captain to set him on Shore, with his Company, at Nevis, but we were not willing till we had done our Business in those Seas, because of giving the Alarm among the Islands; so we went away for St. Domingo, and making that Island our Rendezvous, we cruis’d to the Eastward, in Hopes of some Purchase; it was not long before we spy’d a Sail, which prov’d to be a Burmoodas Sloop, but bound from Virginia or Maryland, with Flower, Tobacco, and some Malt; the last a Thing which in particular we knew not what to do with: However, the Flower and Tobacco was very welcome, and the Sloop no less welcome than the rest; for she was a very large Vessel, and carry’d near 60 Tun, and when not so deep loaden, prov’d an excellent Sailer. Soon after this we met with another Sloop, but she was bound from Barbadoes to New England, with Rum, Sugar, and Molosses: Nothing disturb’d us in taking this Vessel, but that being willing enough to let her go; (for as to the Sugar and Molosses, we had neither Use for them, or Room for them) but to have let her go, had been to give the Alarm to all the Coast of North America, and then what we wanted would never come in our Way. Our Captain, justly call’d Redhand, or Bloodyhand, was presently for dispatching them, that they might tell no Tales; and, indeed, the Necessity of the Method had very near prevail’d; nor did I much interpose here, I know not why, but some of the other Men put him in as good a Way; and that was, to bring the Sloop to an Anchor under the Lee of St. Domingo, and take away all her Sails, that she should not stir till we gave her Leave.
We met with no less than five Prizes more here in about 20 Days Cruise, but none of them for our Turn; one of them, indeed, was a Vessel bound to St. Christopher’s with Madera Wine: We borrow’d about 20 Pipes of the Wine, and let her go. Another was a New England built Ship, of about 150 Tun, bound also Home with Sugar and Molosses, which was good for nothing to us; however, we gat near 1000 l. on Board her in Pieces of Eight, and taking away her Sails, as before, brought her to an Anchor under the Lee of the Sloop: At last we met with what we wanted, and this was another Ship of about 100 Tun, from New England, bound to Barbadoes; she had on Board 150 Barrels of Flower, about 350 Barrels of Pease, and 10 Tun of Pork barrell’d up and pickel’d, besides some live Hogs, and some Horses, and six Tun of Beer.
We were now sufficiently provided for; in all those Prizes we got also about 56 Men, who, by Choice and Volunteer, agree’d to go along with us, including the Carpenters and Surgeons, who we oblig’d always to go; so that we were now above 200 Men, two Ships, and the Burmoodas Sloop; and giving the other Sloop, and the New England homeward bound Ship their Sails again, we let them go; and as to the Malt which we took in the Burmoodas Sloop, we gave it the last New England Master, who was going to Barbadoes.
We gat in all those Ships, besides the Provisions above-mention’d, about 200 Musquets and Pistols, good Store of Cutlasses, about 20 Tun of Iron Shot and Musquet Ball, and 33 Barrels of good Powder, which was all very suitable Things to our Occasions.
We were fully satisfy’d, as we said to one another, now, and concluded that we would stand away to the Windward, as well as we could, towards the Coast of Africa, that we might come in the Wind’s Way for the Coast of Brasil; but our Frigat (I mean that we were first shipp’d in) was yet out upon the Cruise, and not come in; so we came to an Anchor to wait for her, when, behold, the next Morning she came in with full Sail, and a Prize in Tow: She had, it seems, been farther West than her Orders, but had met with a Spanish Prize, whither bound, or from whence, I remember we did not enquire, but we found in her, besides Merchandize, which we had no Occasion for, 65000 Pieces of Eight in Silver, some Gold, and two Boxes of Pearl of a good Value; five Dutch, or rather Flemish, Seamen that were on Board her, were willing to go with us; and as to the rest of the Cargo, we let her go, only finding four of her Guns were Brass, we took them into our Ship, with seven great Jars of Powder, and some Cannon-Shot, and let her go, using the Spaniards very civilly.
This was a Piece of meer good Fortune to us, and was so encouraging as nothing could be more, for it set us up, as we may say; for now we thought we could never fail of good Fortune, and we resolv’d, one and all, directly to the South Seas.
It was about the Middle of August 1690 that we set forward, and steering E. by S. and E. S. E. for about fifteen Days, with the Winds at N. N. W. variable, we came quickly into the Trade Winds, with a good Offing, to go clear of all the Islands; and so we steer’d directly for Cape St. Augustin in the Brasils, which we made the 22nd of September.
We cruis’d some Time upon the Coast, about the Bay of All Saints, and put in once or twice for fresh Water, especially at the Island of St. John’s, where we got good Store of Fish, and some Hogs, which, for fresh Provisions, was a great Relief to us: But we gat no Purchase here; for whether it was that their European Ships were just come in, or just gone out, we know not, or whether they suspected what we were, and so kept close within their Ports, but in thirteen Days that we ply’d off and on about Fernambuque, and about fourteen Days more that we spent in coasting along the Brasil Shore to the South, we met not one Ship, neither saw a Sail, except of their Fishing-Boats or small Coasters, who kept close under Shore.
We cross’d the Line here about the latter End of September, and found the Air exceeding hot and unwholsome, the Sun being in the Zenith, and the Weather very wet and rainy; so we resolv’d to stand away South, without looking for any more Purchase on that Side.
Accordingly we kept on to the South, having tolerable good Weather, and keeping the Shore all the Way in View till we came the Length of St. Julien, in the Latitude of 48 Degrees, 22 Minutes South; here we put in again, being the Beginning of November, and took in fresh Water, and spent about ten Days, refreshing ourselves, and fitting our Tackle; all which Time we liv’d upon Penguins and Seals, of which we kill’d an innumerable Number; and when we prepar’d to go, we salted up as many Penguins as we found would serve our whole Crew, to eat them twice a Week as long as they would keep.
Here we consulted together about going thro’ the Straits of Magellan; but I put them quite out of Conceit of making that troublesom and fatieguing Adventure, the Straits being so hazardous, and so many Winds requir’d to pass them; and having assur’d them, that in our Return with Bat Sharp, we went away to the Latitude of 55 Degrees 30 Minutes, and then steering due East, came open with the North Seas in five Days Run, they all agreed to go that Way.
On the 20th of November we weigh’d from Port Julien, and having a fair Wind at N. E. by E. led it away merrily, till we came into the Latitude of 54, when the Wind veering more Northerly, and then to the N. W. blowing hard, we were driven into 55 Degrees and half, but lying as near as we could to the Wind, we made some Westward Way withal: The 3d of December the Wind came up South, and S. E. by S. being now just as it were at the Beginning of the Summer Solstice in that Country.
With this Wind, which blew a fresh Gale, we stood away N. N. W. and soon found ourselves in open Sea, to the West of America; upon which we haul’d away N. by E. and N. N. E. and then N. E. when on the 20th of December we made the Land, being the Coast of Chili, in the Latitude of 41 Degrees, about the Height of Baldivia; and