Edward England went Mate of a Sloop that sailed out of
Jamaica, and was taken by Winter, a Pirate, from whom he had
the Command of a Sloop just before their Settlement at Providence. The man was brave and good natured, and far from being cruel, as most
of them are; and would not have committed such barbarous actions as he
did, had not his comrades compelled him to it.
He sailed to the Coast of Africa, after the Island of
Providence was inhabited by the English. In his Passage he
took several Ships, particularly the Cadogan Snow belonging to
Bristol, one Skinner Master, who was murdered by those very
men who had formerly served under him, upon a quarrel that happened
between Skinner and them, about their wages: He shipped them on
board a Man-of-War, from whence they deserted, and went on board a ship
in the West-Indies, where they were taken by a pirate, and
brought to Providence, and then they sailed with Captain
England a-Pirating.
As soon as Skinner came on board, he saw his old Boatswain,
who said, Ah! Captain Skinner is it you, I am much in your Debt, and
now I shall pay you in your own Coin. These words put the Captain
in a panic Fear: And indeed he had Reason enough to be afraid, for they
immediately seized him, bound him to the Windlass, pelted him with
Glass Bottles, afterwards whipt him about the Deck, and then said,
because he had been a good Master, he should have an easy Death, and so
shot him through the Head; the vessel and her Cargoe being given to
Howel Davis.
After this England went into an Harbour to clean his
Ship, and also fitted up the Peterborough, which he called the
Victory. Then putting out to sea, they sailed for the
East-Indies, and took Madagascar, by the Way. From thence,
after taking in water and provisions, they went for Malabar, in
the Empire of the Mogul. Here they took several Indian
Vessels, and one European, a Dutch Ship, which they
exchanged for one of their own, and then came back to Madagascar, where they sent several Hands on shore to kill venison, and then
resolved to seek out for the remains of Avery's Crew; but
returning without success, they being settled on the other side, they
stay'd no longer than till they had cleaned their ships, and then
sailed to Juanna.
In the Year 1720, the Bombay Fleet, consisting of four
Grabs, the London Chandois, and some other ships, carried
1000 Men to bombard and batter Gapra, a fort belonging to
Angria, on the Malabar Coast; which they not being able to
do, fell in with the Pirates, in their return to Bombay: But
Captain Upton the Commodore, having no orders, would not engage
them; which so provoked the Governor, for missing so favourable an
opportunity of cutting the Pirates all off, that he gave the command to
Captain Mackra, with orders to fight them wherever he met with
them.
But the Pirates proceeded to the southward, and took a small ship
out of Orincro Road, with a Dutch and two Portugueze
Men on board, one of which they sent to the Captain, to inform him,
that if he would supply them with provisions and water he should have
his ship again. But the Master would not agree to it; thereupon they
sent other persons ashore, and swore he should be the last man they
would give quarter to, and so put directly for Laccadeva Island,
and arrived there in three days. But being informed by a Menchew, there was no anchor-ground there, they went to the next Island, called
Melincha, whence they were driven by a storm, leaving behind them a
hundred people, and all their water-casks: But in a week's time, they
regained the island, took their people on board, and filled the
water-casks. Provisions being scarce, they resolved to visit the
Dutch at Cochin, and after three days sail, arrived off of
Tellechery, where they took a small Vessel belonging to Governor
Adams; who giving an account of Captain Mackra's fitting out
against them, put them into a grievous passion.
Afterward they arrived at Mauritius, where they refitted the
Victory, and then sailed the 5th of April for Madagascar,
but called first at the Island Mascarine, at which they found a
Portugueze ship of seventy guns at anchor, disabled by a violent
storm, so that they easily became a Prize to the Pirates. She had on
board the Conde Ereceira Vice-Roy of Goa, also they found
on board her, in diamonds only, to the value of four millions of
Dollars. They made the Vice-Roy a prisoner; but in consideration of his
losses, accepted of a ransom of 2000 dollars and then set him and his
followers ashore. Learning that an Ostender was on the leeward
of that Island, they sailed and took her, and sent her to Madagascar
with news of their success, where they followed themselves soon after,
with two hundred Mozambique Negroes in the Portugueze
Ship.
When Taylor came with the Portugueze Prize to
Madagascar, they found that the Ostender had made his men
drunk, and seized his ship, which they carried to the Mozambique
; from thence the Governor ordered her to Goa. But the Pirates
staid and clean'd the Cassandra, and divided very great plunder.
Some, who thought they had got enough, staid at Madagascar, and
the rest, having no occasion for two ships, burnt the Victory,
she being leaky, and went on board the Cassandra, under the
Command of Captain Taylor, designing to go for Cochin to
dispose of his diamonds, amongst his old Friends the Dutch, and
also to avoid the dangers of the Men-of-War that were in pursuit of
them. But as he was preparing to sail, and heard of four Men-of-War
coming after him; therefore he altered his mind, and sailed for the
Main of Africa, and put in at Delagoa: But the Pirates
were surprized in the evening with some shot from the shore. They took
it for a desert shore, but it proved otherwise; for a few months
before, the Dutch East India Company had settled one hundred men
upon it, who, not being supplied with necessaries, were reduced to
about sixteen; whom Taylor, upon their humble petition took
aboard, and they all became Pirates with him.
Here they stayed about four months, careened their ships, and left
Delagoa the latter end of December: But not agreeing among
themselves, they parted those who were weary of that sort of life, went
on board the Portugueze Prize, and sailed for Madagascar;
the others went on board the Cassandra, and sailed for the
Spanish West Indies. The Mermaid Man-of-War, which was a
convoy to some Merchant-men, about 30 leagues distance, would have gone
to attack them, had not the Merchants, whom he had the care of,
declar'd their protection was of more service than destroying the
Pirates; and so he was oblig'd to be content with only dispatching the
news of it to Jamaica. This brought down the Lanceston,
though it was a day or two too late, for they had just before
surrendered, with all their riches, to the Governor of Porto-Bello, where they now live upon their Spoils, saying, others would have done
as much, had they had the same opportunity; swearing, That whatever
Robberies they had committed they are not the only Rogues in the World;
for that the South-Sea[A] did more Mischief in one Year, than they were
able to do in their whole Lives.
[Illustration]
FOOTNOTE:
[A] The South-Sea Bubble.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN JOHN GOW]
[Illustration]