Spriggs sailed at first with Lowe, and came away with
him from Lowther. Afterwards Lowe took a ship of twelve
guns on the Coast of Guinea, called the Delight, which
Spriggs went off on board with twenty men, and leaving Lowe
in the night, came to the West Indies. In their passage they
made a Black Ensign, which they called the Jolly Roger, with a
skeleton in the middle holding a dart in one hand, striking a bleeding
heart; and in the other an hour-glass; and being hoisted, they fired
all their guns to salute Spriggs, whom they chose Captain, and
then went to look out for prey.
In their voyage they took a Portugueze barque, wherein they
had rich plunder. Near St. Lucia, they took a Sloop belonging to
Barbadoes, which they first plundered, and then burnt, forcing some
of the men into their Service, and beating, in a barbarous manner,
those that refused to join with them, and afterwards sent them away in
the Boat, half dead with their wounds, the rest got to Barbadoes, with much ado, though some of them died soon after of their cuts and
slashes. After this they took a Martinico Man, which they used
in like manner, save that they did not burn the ship. Then running down
to the Leeward, they took one Captain Hawkins coming from
Jamaica, laden with Logwood; out of which, they took her stores,
arms, and ammunition, and what they did not want they threw over-board;
they cut the cables to pieces, knocked down the cabins, broke the
windows, and did what mischief they could, taking Burridge and
Stephens, the two Mates, and some other Hands, by force; and then
after keeping her a week, they let her go. On the 27th they took a
Rhode Island Sloop, compelling the Captain, and all his men, to go
on board the Pirate: One of them not being willing to stay with them,
they told him he should have a discharge presently, which was to
receive ten lashes from every man on board.
The next day Burridge signed their Articles; which pleased
them so much, that they fired all the Guns, and made him Master,
spending that day in rejoicings and drinking healths.
The First of April they spied a sail, and gave her chase all
night, believing she had been a Spaniard; but when they came up
to her, and gave her a broadside, she cried out for Quarters, which
made them cease firing, and ordered the Captain to come aboard, which
proved to be Captain Hawkins, whom they had dismissed three days
before, not worth a groat. Two Days after, they anchored at Ratran, not far from Honduras, and put ashore Captain Hawkins,
and several others, giving them powder and ball, and a musquet, and
then left them to shift as well as they could. Here they staid three
weeks, when two men came in a canoe, that had been left in another
Maroon Island near Benecca, and carried them thither. A
fortnight after they espied a Sloop at sea, which had lately escaped
from the Spaniards at the Bay of Honduras, which, upon a
signal stood in and took them all off.
At an Island to the westward, the Pirates cleaned their ship, and
then sailed towards St. Christophers to meet Captain Moor.
Spriggs next stood towards Bermudas, where he took a
Schooner belonging to Boston, from which he took all the Men,
and sunk the Vessel.
Instead of going to Newfoundland, they came back to the
Islands, and on the 8th of June, to windward of St.
Christophers, they took a Sloop, Nicholas Trot, Master,
belonging to St. Eustatia, whose men they hoisted as high as the
main fore-tops, and so let them fall down again; then whipping them
about the deck, they gave Trot his Sloop, and let him go,
keeping only two of his men, besides the plunder. Two or three days
after, they took a ship coming from Rhode Island to St.
Christophers, laden with provisions and some horses, and burnt
ship, men, and horses: Since when Spriggs has not been heard of:
though it is supposed he went to Madagascar, to spend, in
rioting and wantonness, his ill gotten plunder; till by a letter from
Jamaica, of the 2nd of March last, we understood, That he
had been again at the Bay of Honduras, and taken sixteen Sail.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: CAPTAIN EDWARD LOWE]
[Illustration]