The Pirates Own Book (30 page)

Captain Taylor detained some of the officers and men belonging to
Captain Mackra, and having repaired their vessel, sailed for India. The
day before they made land, they espied two ships to the eastward, and
supposing them to be English, Captain Taylor ordered one of the officers
of Mackra's ship to communicate to him the private signals between the
Company's ships, swearing that if he did not do so immediately, he would
cut him into pound pieces. But the poor man being unable to give the
information demanded, was under the necessity of enduring their threats.
Arrived at the vessels, they found that they were two Moorish ships,
laden with horses. The pirates brought the captains and merchants on
board, and tortured them in a barbarous manner, to constrain them to
tell where they had hid their treasure. They were, however,
disappointed; and the next morning they discovered land, and at the same
time a fleet on shore plying to windward. In this situation they were at
a considerable loss how to dispose of their prizes. To let them go would
lead to their discovery, and thus defeat the design of their voyage; and
it was a distressing matter to sink the men and the horses, though many
of them were for adopting that measure. They, however, brought them to
anchor, threw all the sails overboard, and cut one of the masts half
through.

While they lay at anchor, and were employed in taking in water, one of
the above-mentioned fleet moved towards them with English colors, and
was answered by the pirate with a red ensign; but they did not hail each
other. At night they left the Muscat ships, and sailed after the fleet.
About four next morning, the pirates were in the midst of the fleet, but
seeing their vast superiority, were greatly at a loss what method to
adopt. The Victory had become leaky, and their hands were so few in
number, that it only remained for them to deceive, if possible, the
English squadron. They were unsuccessful in gaining any thing out of
that fleet, and had only the wretched satisfaction of burning a single
galley. They however that day seized a galliot laden with cotton, and
made inquiry of the men concerning the fleet. They protested that they
had not seen a ship since they left Gogo, and earnestly implored their
mercy; but, instead of treating them with lenity, they put them to the
rack, in order to extort farther confession. The day following, a fresh
easterly wind blew hard, and rent the galliot's sails; upon this the
pirates put her company into a boat, with nothing but a try-sail, no
provisions, and only four gallons of water, and, though they were out of
sight of land, left them to shift for themselves.

It may be proper to inform our readers, that one Angria, an Indian
prince, of considerable territory and strength, had proved a troublesome
enemy to Europeans, and particularly to the English. Calaba was his
principal fort, situated not many leagues from Bombay, and he possessed
an island in sight of the port, from whence he molested the Company's
ships. His art in bribing the ministers of the Great Mogul, and the
shallowness of the water, that prevented large ships of war from
approaching, were the principal causes of his safety.

The Bombay fleet, consisting of four grabs, the London and the Candois,
and two other ships, with a galliot, having an additional thousand men
on board for this enterprise, sailed to attack a fort belonging to
Angria upon the Malabar coast. Though their strength was great, yet they
were totally unsuccessful in their enterprise. It was this fleet
returning home that our pirates discovered upon the present occasion.
Upon the sight of the pirates, the commodore of the fleet intimated to
Mr. Brown, the general, that as they had no orders to fight, and had
gone upon a different purpose, it would be improper for them to engage.
Informed of the loss of this favorable opportunity of destroying the
robbers, the governor of Bombay was highly enraged, and giving the
command of the fleet to Captain Mackra, ordered him to pursue and engage
them wherever they should be found.

The pirates having barbarously sent away the galliot with her men, they
arrived southward, and between Goa and Carwar they heard several guns,
so that they came to anchor, and sent their boat to reconnoitre, which
returned next morning with the intelligence of two grabs, lying at
anchor in the road. They accordingly weighed, ran towards the bay, and
in the morning were discovered by the grabs, who had just time to run
under India-Diva castle for protection. This was the more vexatious to
the pirates, as they were without water; some of them, therefore, were
for making a descent upon the island, but that measure not being
generally approved, they sailed towards the south, and took a small
ship, which had only a Dutchman and two Portuguese on board. They sent
one of these on shore to the captain, to inform him that, if he would
give them some water and fresh provisions, he might have his vessel
returned. He replied that, if they would give him possession over the
bar, he would comply with their request. But, suspecting the integrity
of his design, they sailed for Lacca Deva islands, uttering dreadful
imprecations against the captain.

Disappointed in finding water at these islands, they sailed to Malinda
island, and sent their boats on shore, to discover if there was any
water, or if there were any inhabitants.. They returned with the
information, that there was abundance of water, that the houses were
only inhabited by women and children, the men having fled at the
appearance of the ships. They accordingly hastened to supply themselves
with water, used the defenceless women in a brutal manner, destroyed
many of their fruit-trees, and set some of their houses on fire.

While off the island, they lost several of their anchors by the
rockiness of the ground; and one day, blowing more violently than usual,
they were forced to take to sea, leaving several people and most of the
water-casks; but when the gale was over, they returned to take in their
men and water. Their provisions being nearly exhausted, they resolved to
visit the Dutch at Cochin. After sailing three days, they arrived off
Tellechery, and took a small vessel belonging to Governor Adams, and
brought the master on board, very much intoxicated, who informed them of
the expedition of Captain Mackra. This intelligence raised their utmost
indignation. "A villain!" said they, "to whom we have given a ship and
presents, to come against us! he ought to be hanged; and since we cannot
show our resentment to him, let us hang the dogs his people, who wish
him well, and would do the same, if they were clear." "If it be in my
power," said the quarter-master, "both masters and officers of ships
shall be carried with us for the future, only to plague them. Now,
England, we mark him for this."

They proceeded to Calicut, and attempting to cut out a ship, were
prevented by some guns placed upon the shore. One of Captain Mackra's
officers was under deck at this time, and was commanded both by the
captain and the quarter-master to tend the braces on the booms, in hopes
that a shot would take him before they got clear. He was about to have
excused himself, but they threatened to shoot him; and when he
expostulated, and claimed their promise to put him on shore, he received
an unmerciful beating from the quarter-master; Captain Taylor, to whom
that duty belonged, being lame in his hands.

The day following they met a Dutch galliot, laden with limestone, bound
for Calicut, on board of which they put one Captain Fawkes; and some of
the crew interceding for Mackra's officer, Taylor and his party replied,
"If we let this dog go, who has overheard our designs and resolutions,
he will overset all our well-advised resolutions, and particularly this
supply we are seeking for at the hands of the Dutch."

When they arrived at Cochin, they sent a letter on shore by a
fishing-boat, entered the road, and anchored, each ship saluting the
fort with eleven guns, and receiving the same number in return. This was
the token of their welcome reception, and at night a large boat was
sent, deeply laden with liquors and all kinds of provisions, and in it a
servant of John Trumpet, one of their friends, to inform them that it
would be necessary for them to run farther south, where they would be
supplied both with provisions and naval stores.

They had scarcely anchored at the appointed place, when several canoes,
with white and black inhabitants, came on board, and continued without
interruption to perform all the good offices in their power during their
stay in that place. In particular, John Trumpet brought a large boat of
arrack, and sixty bales of sugar, as a present from the governor and his
daughter; the former receiving in return a table-clock, and the other a
gold watch, the spoil of Captain Mackra's vessel. When their provisions
were all on board, Trumpet was rewarded with about six or seven thousand
pounds, was saluted with three cheers, and eleven guns; and several
handsfull of silver were thrown into the boat, for the men to gather at
pleasure.

There being little wind that night, they remained at anchor, and in the
morning were surprised with the return of Trumpet, bringing another boat
equally well stored with provisions, with chests of piece-goods and
ready-made clothes, and along with him the fiscal of the place. At noon
they espied a sail towards the south, and immediately gave chase, but
she outsailed them, and sheltered under the fort of Cochin. Informed
that they would not be molested in taking her from under the castle,
they sailed towards her, but upon the fort firing two guns, they ran
off for fear of more serious altercation, and returning, anchored in
their former station. They were too welcome visitants to be permitted to
depart, so long as John Trumpet could contrive to detain them. With this
view he informed them, that in a few days a rich vessel, commanded by
the Governor of Bombay's brother, was to pass that way.

That government is certainly in a wretched state, which is under the
necessity of trading with pirates, in order to enrich itself; nor will
such a government hesitate by what means an injury can be repaired, or a
fortune gained. Neither can language describe the low and base
principles of a government which could employ such a miscreant as John
Trumpet in its service. He was a tool in the hands of the government of
Cochin; and, as the dog said in the fable, "What is done by the master's
orders, is the master's action;" or, as the same sentiment is, perhaps,
better expressed in the legal axiom; "Qui facit per alium facit per se."

While under the direction of Trumpet, some proposed to proceed directly
to Madagascar, but others were disposed to wait until they should be
provided with a store ship. The majority being of the latter opinion,
they steered to the south, and seeing a ship on shore were desirous to
get near her, but the wind preventing, they separated, the one sailing
northward and the other southward, in hopes of securing her when she
should come out, whatever direction she might take. They were now,
however, almost entrapped in the snare laid for them. In the morning, to
their astonishment and consternation, instead of being called to give
chase, five large ships were near, which made a signal for the pirates
to bear down. The pirates were in the greatest dread lest it should be
Captain Mackra, of whose activity and courage they had formerly
sufficient proof. The pirate ships, however, joined and fled with all
speed from the fleet. In three hours' chase none of the fleet gained
upon them, except one grab. The remainder of the day was calm, and, to
their great consolation, the next day this dreaded fleet was entirely
out of sight.

Their alarm being over, they resolved to spend the Christmas in feasting
and mirth, in order to drown care, and to banish thought. Nor did one
day suffice, but they continued their revelling for several days, and
made so free with their fresh provisions, that in their next cruise they
were put upon short allowance; and it was entirely owing to the sugar
and other provisions that were in the leaky ship that they were
preserved from absolute starvation.

In this condition they reached the island of Mauritius, refitted the
Victory, and left that place with the following inscription written upon
one of the walls: "Left this place on the 5th of April, to go to
Madagascar for Limos." This they did lest any visit should be paid to
the place during their absence. They, however, did not sail directly for
Madagascar, but the island of Mascarius, where they fortunately fell in
with a Portuguese of seventy guns, lying at anchor. The greater part of
her guns had been thrown overboard, her masts lost, and the whole vessel
disabled by a storm; she therefore, became an easy prey to the pirates.
Conde de Ericeira, Viceroy of Goa, who went upon the fruitless
expedition against Angria the Indian, and several passengers, were on
board. Besides other valuable articles and specie, they found in her
diamonds to the amount of four millions of dollars. Supposing that the
ship was an Englishman, the Viceroy came on board next morning, was made
prisoner, and obliged to pay two thousand dollars as a ransom for
himself and the other prisoners. After this he was sent ashore, with an
express engagement to leave a ship to convey him and his companions to
another port.

Meanwhile, the pirates received intelligence that a vessel was to the
leeward of the island, which they pursued and captured. But instead of
performing their promise to the Viceroy, which they could easily have
done, they sent the Ostender along with some of their men to Madagascar,
to inform their friends of their success, with instructions to prepare
masts for the prize; and they soon followed, carrying two thousand
negroes in the Portuguese vessel.

Madagascar is an island larger than Great Britain, situated upon the
eastern coast of Africa, abounding with all sorts of provisions, such as
oxen, goats, sheep, poultry, fish, citrons, oranges, tamarinds, dates,
cocoa-nuts, bananas, wax, honey, rice, cotton, indigo, and all other
fruits common in that quarter of the globe; ebony of which lances are
made, gums of several kinds, and many other valuable productions. Here,
in St. Augustine's bay, the ships sometimes stop to take in water, when
they make the inner passage to India, and do not intend to stop at
Johanna.