The Advice of the Ship was taken very kindly, but the pyrates judging their own Ship too large to go close into the Bay, consulted their Friend upon Means for taking the said Ship, who readily treated with them for the Sale of one of less Burthen that lay then in the Harbour; but Malpa speaking to one Punt of the Factory to carry her out, he not only refused to be concerned in such a Piece of Villainy, but reproved Malpa for corresponding with the pyrates, and told him, if he should be guilty of so base an Action, he must never see the Face of any of his Countrymen more; which made the honest Broker change both his Countenance and his Purpose.
At this Place Captain Woolley, whom they had taken for their Pilot on the India Coast, being in a very sick and weak Condition, was, at his earnest Intreaty, discharged from his severe Confinement among them, and set ashore, and the next Day the pyrates sailed, and ranged along the Mallabar Coast, in quest of more Booty. In their Way they met a second time with the Pembroke, and plundered her of some Sugar, and other small Things, and let her go again. From the Coast they sail'd back for the Island of Mauritius, where they lay some Time, and lived after their usual extravagant Manner.
At Mauritius two of the Crew, viz. Israel Phipeny and Peter Freeland, left the pyrates and concealed themselves in the Island till the Ship sailed. These two Men were part of Drummond's Crew, who found an Opportunity of coming to England soon after on board the Raper Galley, and arrived at Portsmouth in March 1725. When this came to be known, Mr. John Green, Brother to Capt. Green, then under Sentence, went thither and got the Affidavits of the said Phipeny and Freeland, made before the Mayor of Portsmouth, containing several Matters herein mentioned, which Affidavits were immediately brought to London, and by the Secretary of State sent away Express to Scotland, which arrived there some Hours before Capt. Green was executed.
Chapter XXII.
Of Capt. WILLIAM KID
We are now going to give an Account of one whose Name is better known in England, than most of those whose Histories we have already related; the Person we mean is Captain Kid, whose public Trial and Execution here, rendered him the Subject of all Conversation, so that his Actions have been chanted about in Ballads; however, it is now a considerable Time since these Things passed, and though the People knew in general that Captain Kid was hanged, and that his Crime was Pyracy, yet there were scarce any, even at that Time, who were acquainted with his Life or Actions, or could account for his turning Pyrate.
In the Beginning of King William's War, Captain Kid commanded a Privateer in the West-Indies, and by several adventurous Actions acquired the Reputation of a brave Man, as well as an experienced Seaman. About this Time the pyrates were very troublesome in those Parts, wherefore Captain Kid was recommended by the Lord Bellamont, then Governor of Barbadoes, as well as by several other Persons, to the Government here, as a Person very fit to be entrusted with the Command of a Government Ship, and to be employed in cruising upon the pyrates, as knowing those Seas perfectly well, and being acquainted with all their lurking Places; but what Reasons governed the Politics of those Times, I cannot tell, but this Proposal met with no Encouragement here, though it is certain it would have been of great Consequence to the Subject, our Merchants suffering incredible Damages by those Robbers.
Upon this Neglect the Lord Bellamont and some others, who knew what great Captures had been made by the pyrates, and what a prodigious Wealth must be in their Possession, were tempted to fit out a Ship at their own private Charge, and to give the Command of it to Captain Kid; and, to give the Thing a greater Reputation, as well as to keep their Seamen under the better Command, they procured the King's Commission for the said Captain Kid, of which the following is an exact Copy.
William Rex,
William the Third, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To our trusty and well beloved Captain William Kid, Commander of the Ship the Adventure Gally, or to any other the Commander of the same for the Time being, GREETING; Whereas we are informed, that Captain Thomas Too, John Ireland, Captain Thomas Wake, and Captain William Maze, or Mace, and other Subjects, Natives or Inhabitants of New-York, and elsewhere, in our Plantations in America, have associated themselves, with divers others, wicked and ill disposed Persons, and do, against the Law of Nations, commit many and great Pyracies, Robberies and Depredations on the Seas upon the Parts of America, and in other Parts, to the great Hinderance and Discouragement of Trade and Navigation, and to the great Danger and Hurt of our loving Subjects, our Allies, and all others, navigating the Seas upon their lawful Occasions. Now KNOW YE, that we being desirous to prevent the aforesaid Mischiefs, and, as much as in us lies, to bring the said pyrates, Free Booters and Sea Rovers to Justice, have thought fit, and do hereby give and grant to the said William Kid (to whom our Commissioners for exercising the Office of Lord High Admiral of England, have granted a Commission as a private Man of War, bearing Date the 11th Day of December 1695, and unto the Commander of the said Ship for the Time being, and unto the Officers, Mariners, and others, which shall be under your Command, full Power and Authority to apprehend, sieze, and take into your Custody as well the said Captain Thomas Too, John Ireland, Captain Thomas Wake, and Captain William Maze, or Mace, as all such pyrates, Free Booters and Sea Rovers, being either our Subjects, or of other Nations associated with them, which you shall meet with upon the Seas, or Coasts of America, or upon any other Seas or Coasts, with all their Ships and Vessels; and all such Merchandizes, Money, Goods and Wares as shall be found on Board, or with them, in Case they shall willingly yield themselves; but if they will not yield without fighting, then you are by Force to compel them to yield. And we do also require you to bring, or cause to be brought, such pyrates, Free Booters, or Sea Rovers, as you shall seize, to a legal Tryal, to the End they may be proceeded against according to the Law in such Cases. And we do hereby command all our Officers, Ministers, and other our loving Subjects whatsover, to be aiding and assisting to you in the Premisses. And we do hereby enjoin you to keep an exact Journal of your Proceedings in the Execution of the Premisses, and set down the Names of such pyrates, and of their Officers and Company, and the Names of such Ships and Vessels as you shall by Vertue of these Presents take and seize, and the Quantities of Arms, Ammunition, Provision and Lading of such Ships, and the true Value of the same, as near as you judge. And we do hereby strictly charge and command you as you will answer the contrary at your Peril, that you do not, in any Manner, offend or molest our Friends or Allies, their Ships, or Subjects, by Colour or Pretence of these Presents, or the Authority thereby granted. In Witness whereof we have caused our Great Seal of England to be affix'd to these Presents. Given at our Court of Kensington, the 26th Day of January 1695,in the seventh Year of our Reign.
Captain Kid had also another Commission, which was called a Commission of Reprisals; for it being then War Time, this Commission was to justify him in the taking of French Merchant Ships, in Case he should meet with any; but as this Commission is nothing to our present Purpose, we shall not burthen the Readers with it.
With these two Commissions he sail'd out of Plymouth in May 1696, in the Adventure Gally of thirty Guns, and eighty Men; the Place he first design'd for was New-York; in his Voyage thither he took a French Banker, but this was no Act of Pyracy, he having a Commission for that Purpose, as we have just observ'd.
When he arrived at New York he put up Articles for engaging more Hands, it being necessary to his Ships Crew, since he proposed to deal with a desperate Enemy: The Terms he offered were, that every Man should have a Share of what was taken, reserving for himself and Owners forty
Shares. Upon which Encouragement he soon increas'd his Company to a hundred and fifty five Men.
With this Company he sail'd first for Maderas, where