THE PIRATES OF THE HIGH SEAS – Know Your Infamous Buccaneers, Their Exploits & Their Real Histories (9 Books in One Edition). Даниэль Дефо
understanding best, the meaning of those Orders, he confined the chief Mate, shotted the Guns, and put the Ship in a Condition for sailing. In the Afternoon Massey came on Board with the Governor's Son, having sent off all the Provisions of the Island, and eleven Pipes of Wine, leaving only two half Pipes behind in the Store-House, and dismounted all the Guns of the Fort.
In the Afternoon they weigh'd one Anchor, but fearing to be too late to get out of the River, they slipp'd the other, and so fell down; in doing of which, they run the Ship a-ground. Massey shew'd himself a Soldier upon this Accident, for as soon as the Misfortune happen'd, he left the Ship with about sixteen Hands, and rows directly to the Fort, remounts the Guns, and keeps Garrison there all the Night, while the Ship was ashore; and obliged some of the Factory to assist in getting her clear. In the mean while, Russel came off, but not being suffered to come on Board, he call'd to Lowther, and offered him and the Company, whatever Terms they would be pleased to accept of, upon Condition of surrendering up the Ship, which had no Effect upon any of them. In the Morning they got her afloat, and Massey and his Men came aboard, after having nailed up and dismounted all the Cannon of the Fort: They put the Governor's Son, and two or three others ashore, who were not willing to go without the Governor, and sail'd out of the River, having exchanged several Shot with the Martha, Otter, &c. that lay there, without doing Execution on either Side.
When the Ship came out to Sea, Lowther called up all the Company, and told them, it was the greatest Folly imaginable, to think of returning to England, for what they had already done, could not be justifyed upon any Pretence whatsoever, but would be look'd upon, in the Eye of the Law, a capital Offence, and that none of them were in a Condition to withstand the Attacks of such powerful Adversaries, as they would meet with at Home; for his Part he was determined not to run such a Hazard, and therefore if his Proposal was not agreed to, he desired to be set a Shore in some Place of Safety: That they had a good Ship under them, a parcel of brave Follows in her, that it was not their Business to starve, or be made Slaves; and therefore, if they were all of his Mind, they should seek their Fortunes upon the Seas, as other Adventurers had done before them. They one and all came into the Measures, knocked down the Cabins, made the Ship flush fore and aft, prepared black Colours, new named her, the Delivery, having about 50 Hands and 16 Guns, and the following short Articles were drawn up, signed and sworn to upon the Bible.
The Articles of Captain George Lowther, and his Company
1 The Captain is to have two full Shares; the Master is to have one Share and a half; the Doctor, Mate, Gunner, and Boatswain, one Share and a quarter.
2 He that shall be found Guilty of taking up any unlawful Weapon on Board the Privateer, or any Prize, by us taken, so as to strike or abuse one another, in any regard, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority of the Company shall think fit.
3 He that shall be found Guilty of Cowardize, in the Time of Engagement, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority shall think fit.
4 If any Gold, Jewels, Silver, &c. be found on Board of any Prize or Prizes, to the Value of a Piece of Eight, and the Finder do not deliver it to the Quarter-Master, in the Space of 24 Hours, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority shall think fit.
5 He that is found Guilty of Gaming, or Defrauding another to the Value of a Shilling, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority of the Company shall think fit.
6 He that shall have the Misfortune to lose a Limb, in Time of Engagement, shall have the Sum of one hundred and fifty Pounds Sterling, and remain with the Company as long as he shall think fit.
7 Good Quarters to be given when call'd for.
8 He that sees a Sail first, shall have the best Pistol, or Small-Arm, on Board her.
It was the 13th of June, that Lowther left the Settlement, and on the 20th, being then within twenty Leagues of Barbadoes, he came up with a Brigantine, belonging to Boston, called the Charles, James Douglass Master, which they plundered in a piratical Manner, and let the Vessel go; but least she should meet with any of the Station Ships, and so give Information of the Robbery, in Terrorem, to prevent a Pursuit, Lowther contrived a sort of a Certificate, which he directed the Master to show to their Consort, if they should meet with her; and upon Sight of it the Brigantine would pass unmolested: This Consort, he pretended, was a 40 Gun Ship, and cruising therabouts.
After this the Delivery proceeded to Hispaniola; near the West End of the Island she met with a French Sloop loaden with Wine and Brandy; aboard of this Vessel went Captain Massey, as a Merchant, and ask'd the Price of one Thing, and then another, bidding Money for the greatest Part of the Cargo; but after he had trifled a while, he whisper'd a Secret in the French Man's Ear, viz. That they must have it all without Money. Monsieur presently understood his Meaning, and unwillingly agreed to the Bargain. They took out of her thirty Casks of Brandy, five Hogsheads of Wine, several Pieces of Chintzes, and other valuable Goods, and about 70 l. English, in Money; of which Lowther generously return'd five Pounds back to the French Master for his Civilities.
But as all Constitutions grow old, and thereby shake and totter, so did our Commonwealth in about a Month of its Age, feel Commotions and intestine Disturbances, by the Divisions of its Members, which had near hand terminated in its Destruction; these civil Discords were owing to the following Occasion. Captain Massey had been a Soldier almost from his Infancy, but was but very indifferently acquainted with Maritime Affairs, and having an enterprizing Soul, nothing would satisfy him, but he must be doing Business in his own Way, therefore he required Lowther to let him have thirty Hands to land with, and he would attack the French Settlements, and bring aboard the Devil and all of Plunder.
Lowther did all that he could do, and said all that he could say, to disswade Massey from so rash and dangerous an Attempt; pointing out to him the Hazard the Company would run, and the Consequences to them all, if he should not succeed, and the little Likelihood there was to expect Success from the Undertaking: But ’twas all one for that, Massey would go and attack the French Settlements, for any thing Lowther could say against it; so that he was obliged to propose the Matter to the Company, among whom Massey found a few Fellows as resolute as himself; however, a great Majority being against it, the Affair was over-ruled in Opposition to Captain Massey, notwithstanding which, Massey grew fractious, quarrelled with Lowther, and the Men divided into Parties, some fiding with the Land Pyrate, and some with the Sea Rover, and were all ready to fall together by the Ears, when the Man at the Mast-head cry'd out, A Sail! A Sail! then they gave over the Dispute, set all their Sails, and steered after the Chace. In a few Hours they came up with her, she being a small Ship from Jamaica, bound to England; they took what they thought fit out of her, and a Hand or two, and then Lowther was for sinking the Ship, with several Passengers that were in her, for what Reason I know not, but Massey so that he interposed, prevented their cruel Fate, and the Ship safely arrived afterwards in England.
The next Day they took a small Sloop, an interloping Trader, which they detain'd with her Cargo. All this while Massey was uneasy, and declar'd his Resolution to leave them, and Lowther finding him a very troublesome Man to deal with, consented that he should take the Sloop, last made Prize of, with what Hands had a Mind to go with him, and shift for himself. Whereupon Massey, with about ten more Malecontents, goes aboard the Sloop, and comes away in her directly for Jamaica.
Notwithstanding what had passed, Captain Massey puts a bold Face upon the Matter, and goes to Sir Nicholas Laws, the Governor, informs him of his leaving Lowther the Pyrate, owns, That he assisted in going off with the Ship, at the River Gambia; but said, ’twas to save so many of his Majesty's Subjects from perishing, and that his Design was to return to England; but Lowther conspiring with the greater Part of the Company, went a pirating with the Ship; and that he had taken this Opportunity to leave him, and surrender himself and Vessel to his Excellency.
Massey was very well received by the Governor, and had his Liberty given him, with a Promise of his Favour, and so forth; and, at