Note 3 — Chapter XXI · (continued 2)

Since our arrival in England this vessel has never been heard of, and the owners have received an affidavit from us to the above effect. There can be no doubt that the stranger was a pirate, from his suspicious appearance and the firing that we observed; so that we consider it a most providential escape that we did not take our passage in her. This was the general opinion at the settlement; and that when his people had murdered the crew of the Thomas, with their captain, or had compelled them to ‘walk the plank,’ as they usually do, that they sunk her after taking everything out of her which they might want. ‘Walking the plank’ is literally walking into the sea. A plank is placed across the side of the ship, so that one end projects some distance over it, while the other remains inside. The person condemned by these ruffians to this mode of death, which is generally chosen to avoid one of a more dreadful nature, is placed on the inner end of the plank, and compelled to walk along it till he reaches the outer end, which immediately yields to his weight, and he falls into the sea, never to rise again. To make shorter work of it, he is sometimes loaded with a large shot, which quickly carries him down. These fellows have another method of disposing of any unfortunate vessel that may fall into their hands. After having got rid of the captain and crew as above, they fill her with slaves and send her across the Atlantic. Should the vessel be met with by any ship of war, she escapes examination, as her appearance when in the hands of her own commander was known, and therefore no suspicion is excited.