When Massey came to Town, he writes a long Letter to the Deputy Governor and Directors of the African Company, wherein he imprudently relates the whole Transactions of his Voyage, the going off with the Ship, and the Acts of Pyracy he had committed with Lowther; but excuses it as Rashness and Inadvertency in himself, occasioned by his being ill used, contrary to the Promises that had been made him, and the Expectations he had entertained; but own'd, that he deserved to dye for what he had done; yet, if they had Generosity enough to forgive him, as he was still capable to do them Service, as a Soldier, so he should be very ready to do it; but if they resolved to prosecute him, he begg'd only this Favour, that he might not be hang'd like a Dog, but to die like a Soldier, as he had been bred from his Childhood, that is, that he might be shot.
This was the Substance of the Letter, which, however, did not produce so favourable an Answer as he hoped for, Word being brought back to him, That he should be fairly hang'd. Whereupon, Massey resolved not to be out of the Way, when he found what important Occasion there was likely to be for him, but takes a Lodging in Aldersgate-Street, the next Day went to the Lord Chief Justice's Chambers, and enquired, if my Lord had granted a Warrant against Captain John Massey, for Pyracy: But being told by the Clerks, that they knew of no such Thing; he informed them, he was the Man, that my Lord would soon be apply'd to for that Purpose, and the Officer might come to him at such a Place, where he lodg'd: They took the Directions in Writing, and, in a few Days, a Warrant being issued, the Tipstaff went directly, by his own Information, and apprehended him, without any other Trouble, than walking to his Lodging.
There was then no Person in Town to charge him with any Fact, upon which he could be committed; nor could the Letter be proved to be of his Hand-Writing, so that they had been obliged to let him go again, if he had not helped his Accusers out at Pinch: The Magistrate was reduced to the putting of this Question to him, Did you write this Letter? He answered, He did: And not only that, but confessed all the Contents of it; upon which, he was committed to Newgate, but was afterwards admitted to a hundred Pounds Bail, or thereabouts.
On the 5th of July 1723, he was brought to his Tryal, at a Court of Admiralty held at the Old-Baily, when Captain Russel, Governor Whitney's Son, and others, appeared as Evidences, by whom the Indictment was plainly proved against him; which, if it had not been done, the Captain was of such an heroic Spirit, that he would have deny'd nothing; for instead of making a Defence, he only entertained the Court with a long Narrative of his Expedition, from the first setting out, to his Return to England, mentioning two Acts of Pyracy committed by him, which he was not charged with, often challenging the Evidences to contradict him, if in any Thing he related the least Syllable of an Untruth; and instead of denying the Crimes set forth in the Indictment, he charged himself with various Circumstances, which fixed the Facts more home upon him. Upon the whole, the Captain was found Guilty, received Sentence of Death, and was executed three Weeks after, at Execution-Dock.
We return now to Lowther, whom we left cruising off Hispaniola, from whence he plyed to Windward, and, near Porto Rico, chased two Sail, and spoke with them; they proving to be a small Bristol Ship, commanded by Captain Smith, and a SpanishPyrate, who had made Prize of the said Ship. Lowther examined into the Spaniard's Authority for taking an English Vessel, and threat'ned to put every Man of them to death, for so doing; so that the Spaniards fancied themselves to be in a very pittiful Condition, till Matters cleared up, and they found their Masters as great Rogues as themselves, from whom some Mercy might be expected, in regard to the near Relation they stood with them, as to their Profession; in short, Lowther first rifled, and then burnt both the Ships, sending the Spaniards away in their Launch, and turning all the English Sailors into Pyrates.
After a few Days Cruise, Lowther took a small Sloop belonging to St. Christophers, which they mann'd and carried along with them to a small Island, where they cleaned, and stay'd some Time to take their Diversions, which consisted in unheard of Debaucheries, with drinking, swearing and rioting, in which there seemed to be a kind of Emulation among them, resembling rather Devils than Men, striving who should out do one another in new invented Oaths and Execrations.
They all got aboard about Christmas, observing neither Times nor Seasons, for perpetrating their villainous Actions, and sailed towards the Bay of Honduras; but stopping at the Grand Caimanes for Water, they met with a small Vessel with 13 Hands, in the same honourable Employment with themselves; the Captain of this Gang was one Edward Lowe, whom we shall particularly discourse of in a Chapter by it self: Lowther received them as Friends, and treated them with all imaginable Respect, inviting them, as they were few in Number, and in no Condition to pursue the Account, (as they called it) to join their Strength together, which on the Consideration aforesaid, was accepted of, Lowther still continuing Commander, and Lowe was made Lieutenant: The Vessel the new Pyrates came out of, they sunk, and the Confederates proceed on the Voyage as Lowther before intended.
The 10th of January, the Pyrates came into the Bay, and fell upon a Ship of 200 Tun, called the Greyhound, Benjamin Edwards Commander, belonging to Boston. Lowther hoisted his piratical Colours, and fired a Gun for the Greyhound to bring to, which she refusing, the Happy Delivery (the Name of the Pyrate) edg'd down, and gave her a Broadside, which was returned by Captain Edwards very bravely, and the Engagement held for an Hour; but Captain Edwards, finding the Pyrate too strong for him, and fearing the Consequence of too obstinate a Resistance against those lawless Fellows, ordered his Ensign to be struck. The Pyrates Boat came aboard, and not only rifled the Ship, but whipp'd, beat, and cut the Men in a cruel Manner, turned them aboard their own Ship, and then set Fire to theirs.
In cruising about the Bay, they met and took several other Vessels without any Resistance, viz. two Brigantines of Boston in New-England, one of which they burnt, and sunk the other; a Sloop belonging to Connecticut, Captain Airs, which they also burnt; a Sloop of Jamaica, Captain Hamilton, they took for their own Use; a Sloop of Virginia they unladed, and was so generous as to give her back to the Master that own'd her. They took a Sloop of 100 Ton, belonging to Rhode Island, which they were pleased to keep, and mount with eight Carriage, and ten Swivel Guns.
With this little Fleet, viz. Admiral Lowther, in the Happy Delivery; Captain Low, in the Rhode Island Sloop; Captain Harris, (who was second Mate in the Greyhound when taken,) in Hamilton's Sloop, and the little Sloop formerly mentioned, serving as a Tender; I say, with this Fleet the Pyrates left the Bay, and came to Port Mayo in the Gulph of Matique, and there made Preparations to careen; they carried ashore all their Sails, and made Tents by the Water-Side, wherein they laid their Plunder, Stores, &c. and fell to work; and at the Time that the Ships were upon the Heel, and the good Folks employ'd in heaving down, scrubbing, tallowing, and so forth; of a sudden came down a considerable Body of the Natives, and attack'd the Pyrates unprepared. As they were in no Condition to defend themselves, they sled to their Sloops, leaving them Masters of the Field and the Spoil thereof, which was of great Value, and set Fire to the Happy Delivery, their capital Ship.
Lowther made the best Provision he could in the largest Sloop, which he called the Ranger, having ten Guns and eight Swivels, and she sailing best, the Company went all aboard of her, and left the other at Sea. Provisions was now very short, which, with the late Loss, put them in a confounded ill Humour, insomuch that they were every now and then going together by the Ears, laying the Blame of their ill Conduct sometimes upon one, then upon another.
The Beginning of May 1722, they got to the West-Indies, and near the Island of Diseada, took a Brigantine, one Payne Master, that afforded them what they stood in need of, which put them in better Temper, and Business seemed to go on well again. After they had pretty well plundered the Brigantine,