BOOK III. (continued 2)

Captain Davis being one day on Shore with the Governor, he told him, “They designed to sail from the Island in three days, and that he would come, and take his leave of him the day before.” Accordingly he went on a Sunday morning, taking with him his first Surgeon, the Trumpeter, and some others, besides the Boat’s Crew. At their coming into the Governor’s House, they saw no body to receive them; so they went on, till they came into a long Gallery fronting the Street. Here the Governor’s Major Domo presently came to them, saying, “His Master was at his Country-House, but he had sent a Messenger to him, when they saw Captain Davis coming on Shore; and no doubt he would soon be in Town.” But the Surgeon observing, that many People had got together in the Street, with Arms in their hands, he said to his Captain, “I am sure we shall see no Governor to day,” and advised him immediately to go away. So Davis and the Surgeon went out of the House; whereupon the Major-Domo called to the People in the Street, to fire at them. The Surgeon and two more were kill’d on the Spot, and the Trumpeter was wounded in the Arm, who seeing two Capuchin Friers (from whom I had this Account at the Island Princess) fled to them. One of them took him in his Arms to save him, but a Portuguese came, and shot him dead without any regard to the Frier’s Protection. Captain Davis, tho’ he had four Shots in divers parts of his Body, yet continued running towards the Boat: But being closely pursued, a fifth Shot made him fall, and the Portuguese being amazed at his great Strength and Courage, cut his Throat, that they might be sure of him.

The Boat’s Crew hearing the firing, put off in good time at some distance from the Shore; and seeing the Portuguese advancing to fire at them, they rowed on board their Ship; where relating what had happened, as they supposed, to their Captain, and to the rest left on Shore, it set the Pirates all in a flame; and they directly chose Roberts for their Commander, vowing a severe revenge on the Portuguese.

The Water was so shallow, that they could not get their Ship near the Town; so they prepared a Raft, on which they mounted several pieces of Cannon, with which they fired at the place: But the Inhabitants having quitted it, and all the Houses being of Timber, they did little damage to the Town. Neither durst they land to burn the Place, for fear of the great Number of People, whom they perceived in the Bushes with small Arms: So, they returned to their Ship, and the next day sailed out of the Harbour.

Thus fell Captain Davis, who (allowing for the Course of Life he had been unhappily engaged in) was a most generous humane Person. And thus Roberts arose, who proved the reverse of him, and did afterwards a great deal of mischief in the West Indies, and on the Coast of Guinea; till he and his Crew were happily suppress’d by Sir Chaloner Ogle, in the Swallow Man of War, and in the Engagement, Roberts, and several of his People were killed. But as there is An Account of the Pirates published, in which the principal Actions of Roberts are related, I shall say nothing more of him here; but go on to relate what is not mentioned in the aforesaid Book.

As soon as it was commonly known, that the Pirates were sailed from Sierraleon, Captain Bennet and Thompson, with several others that had been obliged to keep in the Woods, as I have formerly related, came to Captain Glynn’s House. There we all consulted about preparing the Bristol Snow, which the Pirates had spared at my Intreaty, so as to make it fit for us to return to England in. There was with us one Captain David Creichton, in the Elizabeth of London, laden with dying Wood; whom the Pirates had taken not long before me. Him they plundered, and would have destroyed, but by the Interest of Mr. James Griffin, who had been chief Mate with the Captain’s Brother, the Ship was spared. In this Ship Captain Creichton took as many People as he possibly could, in order to spare our Provisions, and sailed a few days after the Pirates left the River Sierraleon, for London: We that were left behind, sent notice by him to our Owners of the great Misfortunes that had befallen us.

Then applying our selves to fit the Bristol-Snow, whom a worthy Person, one Captain John Morris, commanded, we found we should be in very great want of Provisions, considering how many poor People desired to go home with us. Upon that Captain Glynn sent a small Sloop belonging to him, to fetch Provisions from the River Sherberow, where the destroying Pirates had not been. From thence she returned in a few days, with a good quantity; and one Captain Nisbet having found under his Ship’s Ballast in the Hold, several Casks of Beef; which had not come to the knowledge of the Pirates (otherwise it would no doubt have been destroyed, as most part of his Cargoe was) he was so kind as to spare me as much of this Beef as he possibly could; and I drew a Bill on my Owner for the value of it.

Moreover, we found in the French Ship that had been taken, and afterwards run on Shore by the Pirates, a large quantity of good Biscuit, so that now we were sufficiently provided in all respects.

Lastly, knowing that large quantities of Goods had been given by the Pirates, to all the white Men residing on Shore upon their own accounts, we all went in a Body to demand them. Messieurs Mead and Pearce, who were in Partnership, very readily and honourably delivered up all they were possessed of: But others did not follow their Example; for they only shewed us what Goods they thought proper, of which I allowed them one third part for salvage.

So I shipp’d what I had recovered from them, with the other Goods the Pirates had given me formerly out of Captain Morris’s Vessel; and then we embarked in her, being above sixty Passengers, besides six Masters of Ships, whose Vessels had been destroyed, or fitted for the use of the Pirates. We left the River Sierraleon the 10th day of May, and, after a tedious Passage, occasioned by the Ship’s bad sailing, we came safe to Bristol, the first of August 1719.

On my landing at the Key, Mr. Casamajor, Merchant of that City, came to me, and delivered me a Letter from my Owner, the late Humphrey Morrice Esq; who had received mine by Captain Creichton, with the account of my Misfortune, a few days before we arrived at Bristol. Mr. Morrice, in his Letter, was pleased to comfort me under so severe a Trial, as I had undergone, assuring me, “He would immediately give me the Command of another Ship; (which accordingly he most generously did soon after) and that he had ordered Mr. Casamajor, his Correspondent, to supply me with Money, to distribute amongst my poor Sailors, who had returned with me to Bristol; in order to enable them to go to their several Habitations,” which was in several Parts of England.

Laus DEO.