In the Latitude of 38, they took a Brigantine called the Rebecca of Boston, Captain Smith, bound thither from St. Christophers. At the taking of this Vessel, the Crews divided; for Low, whom Lowther joined at the Grand Caimanes, proving always a very unruly Member of the Commonwealth, always aspiring, and never satisfy'd with the Proceedings of the Commander; he thought it the safest Way to get rid of him, upon any Terms; and according to the Vote of the Company, they parted the Bear Skin between them: Low with 44 Hands went aboard the Brigantine, and Lowther with the same Number stay'd in the Sloop, and separated that very Night, being the 28th of May 1722.
Lowther proceeding on his Way to the Main-Coast, took three or four fishing Vessels off New-York, which was no great Booty to the Captors. The 3d of June, they met with a small New-England Ship, bound home from Barbadoes, which stood an Attack a small Time, but finding it to no Purpose, yielded herself a Prey to the Booters: The Pyrates took out of her fourteen Hogsheads of Rum, six Barrels of Sugar, a large Box of English Goods, several Casks of Loaf Sugar, a considerable Quantity of Pepper, six Negroes, besides a Sum of Money and Plate, and then let her go on her Voyage.
The next Adventure was not so fortunate for them, for coming pretty near the Coast of South-Carolina, they met with a Ship just come out, on her Voyage to England; Lowther gave her a Gun, and hoisted his piratical Colours; but this Ship, which was called the Amy, happening to have a brave gallant Man to command her, who was not any ways daunted with that terrible Ensign, the black Flag, he instead of striking immediately, as ’twas expected, let fly a Broadside at the Pyrate. Lowther (not at all pleased with the Compliment, tho’ he put up with it for the present) was for taking Leave; but the Amy getting the Pyrate between her and the Shore, stood after him to clap him aboard; to prevent which, Lowther run the Sloop a-ground, and landed all the Men with their Arms. Captain Gwatkins, the Captain of the Amy, was obliged to stand off, for fear of running his own Ship ashore; but at the same Time thought fit for the public Good, to destroy the Enemy; and thereupon went into the Boat, and rowed towards the Sloop, in order to set her on Fire; but before he reached the Vessel, a fatal Shot from Lowther's Company ashore, put an End to their Design and Captain Gwatkin's Life. After this unfortunate Blow, the Mate returned aboard with the Boat, and not being enclined to pursue them any farther, took Charge of the Ship.
Lowther got off the Sloop after the Departure of the Amy, and brought all his Men aboard again, but was in a poor shattered Condition, having suffered much in the Engagement, and had a great many Men kill'd and wounded: He made Shift to get into an Inlet somewhere in North-Carolina, where he staid a long while before he was able to put to Sea again.
He and his Crew laid up all the Winter, and shifted as well as they could among the Woods, divided themselves into small Parties, and hunted generally in the Day Times, killing of black Cattle, Hogs, &c. for their Subsistance, and in the Night retired to their Tents and Huts, which they made for Lodging; and sometimes when the Weather grew very cold, they would stay aboard of their Sloop.
In the Spring of the Year 1723, they made Shift to get to Sea, and steered their Course for Newfoundland, and upon the Banks took a Scooner, call'd the Swift, John Hood Master; they found a good Quantity of Provisions aboard her, which they very much wanted at that Time, and after taking three of their Hands, and plundering her of what they thought fit, they let her depart. They took several other Vessels upon the Banks, and in the Harbour, but none of any great Account; and then steering for a warmer Climate, in August arrived at the West-Indies. In their Passage thither, they met with a Brigantine, called the John and Elizabeth, Richard Stanny Master, bound for Boston, which they plundered, took two of her Men, and discharged her.
Lowther cruised a pretty while among the Islands without any extraordinary Success, and was reduced to a very small Allowance of Provisions, till they had the luck to fall in with a Martinico Man, which proved a seasonable Relief to them; and after that, a Guiney Man had the ill Fortune to become a Prey to the Rovers; she was called the Princess, Captain Wicksted Commander.
It was now thought necessary to look out for a Place to clean their Sloop in, and prepare for new Adventures: Accordingly the Island of Blanco was pitched upon for that Purpose, which lies in the Latitude of 11° 50 m. N. about 30 Leagues from the Main of the Spanish America, between the Islands of Margarita and Rocas, and not far from Tortuga. It is a low even Island, but healthy and dry, uninhabited, and about two Leagues in Circumference, with Plenty of Lignum Vitæ Trees thereon, growing in Spots, with shrubby Bushes of other Wood about them. There are, besides Turtle, great Numbers of Guanoes, which is an amphibious Creature like a Lizard, but much larger, the Body of it being as big as a Man's Leg; they are very good to eat, and are much used by the Pyrates that come here: They are of divers Colours, but such as live upon dry Ground, as here at Blanco, are commonly yellow. On the N. W. End of this Island, there is a small Cove or sandy Bay, all round the rest of the Island is deep Water, and steep close to the Island. Here Lowther resorted to, the Beginning of October last, unrigged his Sloop, sent his Guns, Sails, Rigging, &c. ashore, and put his Vessel upon the Careen. The Eagle Sloop of Barbadoes, belonging to the South-Sea Company, with 35 Hands, commanded by Walter Moore, coming near this Island, in her Voyage to Comena, on the Spanish Continent, saw the said Sloop just careen'd, with her Guns out, and Sails unbent, which she supposed to be a Pyrate, because it was a Place where Traders did not commonly use, so took the Advantage of attacking her, as she was then unprepared; the Eagle having fired a Gun to oblige her to show her Colours, the Pyrate hoisted the St. George's Flag at their Topmast-Head, as it were to bid Defiance to her; but when they found Moore and his Crew resolved to board them in good earnest, the Pyrates cut their Cable and hawled their Stern on Shore, which obliged the Eagle to come to an Anchor a-thwart their Hawse, where she engaged them till they called for Quarter and struck; at which Time Lowther and twelve of the Crew made their Escape out of the Cabin Window. The Master of the Eagle got the Pyrate Sloop off, secured her, and went ashore with 25 Hands, in Pursuit of Lowther and his Gang; but after five Day's search, they could find but five of them, which they brought aboard, and then proceeded with the Sloop and Pyrates to Comena aforesaid, where they soon arrived.
The Spanish Governor being informed of this brave Action, condemned the Sloop to the Captors, and sent a small Sloop with 23 Hands to scower the Bushes and other Places of the Island of Blanco, for the Pyrates that remained there, and took four more, with seven small Arms, leaving behind them Captain Lowther, three Men, and a little Boy, which they could not take; the above four the Spaniards try'd and condemned to Slavery for Life; three to the Gallies, and the other to the Castle of Arraria.
The Eagle Sloop brought all their Prisoners afterwards to St. Christopher's, where the following were try'd by a Court of Vice Admiralty, there held March the 11th, 1722, viz. John Churchill, Edward Mackdonald, Nicholas Lewis, Richard West, Sam. Levercott, Robert White, John Shaw, Andrew Hunter, Jonathan Delve, Matthew Freebarn, Henry Watson,
Roger Grange, Ralph Candor, and Robert Willis; the three last were acquitted, the other thirteen were found Guilty, two of which were recommended to Mercy by the Court, and accordingly pardoned; and the rest executed at that Island, on the 20th of the same Month.
As for Captain Lowther, it is said that he afterwards shot himself upon that fatal Island, where his Pyracies ended, being found, by some Sloop's Men, dead, and a Pistol burst by his Side.
Chapter XIV.
Of Captain Edward Low, And his Crew
Low's Original. The Virtues of his Family. His bold Beginnings. Declares War against