It happen'd that at this Time the Pyrate Ships were most of them out in search of Prey; so that according to the best Intelligence Captain Kid could get, there was not one of them at that Time about the Island, wherefore having spent some Time in watering his Ship, and taking in more Provisions, he thought of trying his Fortune on the Coast of Malabar, where he arrived in the Month of June following, four Months from his reaching Madagascar. Hereabouts he made an unsuccessful Cruize, touching sometimes at the Island of Mahala, sometimes at that of Joanna, betwixt Malabar and Madagascar: His Provisions were every Day wasting, and his Ship began to want Repair; wherefore, when he was at Joanna, he found Means of borrowing a Sum of Money from some French Men who had lost their Ship, but saved their Effects, and with this he purchas'd Materials for putting his Ship in good Repair.
It does not appear all this while that he had the least Design of turning Pyrate; for near Mahala and Joanna both, he met with several Indian Ships richly laden, to which he did not offer the least Violence, tho’ he was strong enough to have done what he pleas'd with them; and the first Outrage or Depredation I find he committed upon Mankind, was after his repairing his Ship, and leaving Joanna; he touch'd at a Place call'd Mabbee, upon the Red Sea, where he took some Guinnea Corn from the Natives, by Force.
After this he sail'd to Bab's Key, a Place upon a little Island at the Entrance of the Red Sea; here it was that he first began to open himself to his Ship's Company, and let them understand that he intended to change his Measures; for, happening to talk of the Moca Fleet which was to sail that Way, he said, We have been unsuccessful hitherto, but Courage, my Boys, we'll make our Fortunes out of this Fleet: And finding that none of them appear'd averse to it, he order'd a Boat out, well mann'd, to go upon the Coast to make Discoveries, commanding them to take a Prisoner and bring to him, or get Intelligence any Way they could. The Boat return'd in a few Days, bringing him Word, that they saw fourteen or fifteen Ships ready to sail, some with English, some with Dutch, and some with Moorish Colours.
We cannot account for this sudden Change in his Conduct, otherwise than by supposing that he first meant well, while he had Hopes of making his Fortune by taking of pyrates; but now, weary of ill Success, and fearing least his Owners, out of Humour at their great Expences, should dismiss him, and he should want Employment, and be mark'd out for an unlucky Man; rather, I say, than run the Hazard of Poverty, he resolved to do his Business one Way, since he could not do it another.
He therefore order'd a Man continually to watch at the Mast Head, least this Fleet should go by them; and about four Days after, towards Evening, it appear'd in Sight, being convoy'd by one English and one Dutch Man of War. Kid soon fell in with them, and getting into the midst of them, fir'd at a Moorish Ship which was next him; but the Men of War taking the Alarm, bore down upon Kid, and firing upon him, obliged him to sheer off, he not being strong enough to contend with them. Now he had begun Hostilities, he resolv'd to go on, and therefore he went and cruis'd along the Coast of Malabar; the first Prize he met was a small Vessel belonging to Aden, the Vessel was Moorish, and the Owners were Moorish Merchants, but the Master was an English Man, his Name was Parker. Kid forc'd him and a Portugueze that was call'd Don Antonio, which were all the Europeans on Board, to take on with them; the first he design'd as a Pilot, and the last as an Interpreter. He also used the Men very cruelly, causing them to be hoisted up by the Arms, and drubb'd with a naked Cutlash, to force them to discover whether they had Money on Board, and where it lay; but as they had neither Gold nor Silver on Board, he got nothing by his Cruelty; however, he took from them a Bale of Pepper, and a Bale of Coffee, and so let them go.
A little Time after he touch'd at Carawar, a Place upon the same Coast, where, before he arrived, the News of what he had done to the Moorish Ship had reach'd them; for some of the English Merchants there had received an Account of it from the Owners, who corresponded with them; wherefore, as soon as Kid came in, he was suspected to be the Person who committed this Pyracy; and one Mr. Harvey and Mr. Mason, two of the English Factory, came on Board and ask'd for Parker, and Antonio the Portuguese; but Kid deny'd that he knew any such Persons, having secur'd them both in a private Place in the Hold, where they were kept for seven or eight Days, that is, till Kid sail'd from thence.
However, the Coast was alarm'd, and a Portuguese Man of War was sent out to cruize: Kid met with her, and fought her about six Hours, gallantly enough; but finding her too strong to be taken, he quitted her; for he was able to run away from her when he would: Then he went to a Place call'd Porco, where he water'd the Ship, and bought a Number of Hogs of the Natives to victual his Company.
Soon after this, he came up with a Moorish Ship, the Master whereof was a Dutch Man, call'd Schipper Mitchel, and chased her under French Colours, which they observing, hoisted French Colours too: When he came up with her, he hail'd her in French, and they having a French Man on Board, answer'd him in the same Language; upon which he order'd them to send their Boat on Board; they were oblig'd to do so, and having examin'd who they were, and from whence they came; he ask'd the French Man, who was a Passenger, if he had a French Pass for himself? The French Man gave him to understand that he had. Then he told the French Man he must pass for Captain, and by G— d, says he, you are the Captain: The French Man durst not refuse doing as he would have him: The Meaning of this was, that he would seize the Ship as fair Prize, and as if she had belong'd to French Subjects, according to a Commission he had for that Purpose; tho’, one would think, after what he had already done, that he need not have Recourse to a Quibble to give his Actions a Colour.
In short, he took the Cargoe and sold it some Time after; yet still he seem'd to have some Fears upon him least these Proceedings should have a bad End; for, coming up with a Dutch Ship some Time, when his Men thought of nothing but attacking her, Kid oppos'd it; upon which a Mutiny arose, and the Majority being for taking the said Ship, and arming themselves to Man the Boat to go and seize her, he told them, such as did, never should come on Board him again; which put an End to the Design, so that he kept Company with the said Ship some Time, without offering her any Violence: However, this Dispute was the Occasion of an Accident, upon which an Indictment was afterwards grounded against Kid; for Moor, the Gunner, being one Day upon Deck, and talking with Kid about the said Dutch Ship, some Words arose betwixt them, and Moor told Kid, that he had ruin'd them all; upon which, Kid, calling him Dog, took up a Bucket and struck him with it, which breaking his Skull, he died the next Day.
But Kid's penitential Fit did not last long, for coasting along Malabar, he met with a great Number of Boats, all which he plunder'd. Upon the same Coast he also light upon a Portuguese Ship, which he kept Possession of a Week, and then having taken out of her some Chests of India Goods, thirty Jars of Butter, with some Wax, Iron, and a hundred Bags of Rice, he let her go.
Much about the same Time he went to one of the Malabar Islands for Wood and Water, and his Cooper being ashore, was murder'd by the Natives; upon which Kid himself landed, and burnt and pillaged several of their Houses, the People running away; but having taken one, he caused him to be tied to a Tree, and commanded one of his Men to shoot him; then putting to Sea again he took the greatest Prize, which fell into his Hands, while he followed this Trade; this was a Moorish Ship of 400 Tons richly laden, named the Queda Merchant, the Master whereof was an English Man, he was call'd Wright, for the Indians often make