THE ADVENTURES, TRIAL AND EXECUTION OF CAPTAIN GOW.
Reading edition
Captain Gow sailed from Amsterdam, in July, 1724, on board the George, galley, for Santa Cruz, where they took in bees'-wax. Scarcely had they sailed from that place, when Gow and several others, who had formed a conspiracy, seized the vessel. One of the conspirators cried, "There is a man overboard." The captain instantly ran to the side of the vessel, when he was seized by two men, who attempted to throw him over; he however so struggled, that he escaped from their hands. One Winter, with a knife, attempted to cut him in the throat, but missing his aim, the captain was yet saved. But Gow coming aft shot him through the body and throwing him over the rail he caught hold of the main sheet; but Gow taking up an axe, with two blows so disabled him that he fell into the sea and was drowned. The conspirators proceeded to murder all who were not in their horrid plot, which being done, James Williams came upon deck, and striking one of the guns with his cutlass, saluted Gow in the following words: "Captain Gow, you are welcome, welcome to your command." Williams was declared lieutenant, and the other officers being appointed, the captain addressed them, saying: "If, hereafter, I see any of you whispering together, or if any of you refuse to obey my orders, let every such man depend upon it, that he shall certainly go the same way as those that are just gone before."
Their first prize was the Sarah Snow, of Bristol. After they had rifled the vessel and received one man from it, they allowed her to prosecute her voyage. The Delight, of Poole, was the next vessel that fell into their hands; but they not long after captured two others, from one of which they received a quantity of fish, and from the other bread, beef, and pork. They also forced two men from the latter ship. A French ship, not long after, furnished them with wine, oil, figs, oranges, and lemons, to the value of 500l. In a short time after, they captured their last prize, and, as she made no resistance, they plundered and dismissed her.
They next sailed for the Orkney Isles to clean, but were apprehended by a gentleman of that country, brought up to London, and tried before a Court of Admiralty, in May, 1725. When the first indictment was read, Gow obstinately refused to plead, for which the Court ordered his thumbs to be tied together with whipcord. The punishment was several times repeated by the executioner and another officer, they drawing the cord every time till it broke. But he still being stubborn, refusing to submit to the court, the sentence was pronounced against him, which the law appoints in such cases; that is, "That he should be taken back to prison, and there pressed to death." The gaoler was then ordered to conduct him back, and see that the sentence was executed the next morning; meanwhile the trials of the prisoners, his companions, went forward.
But the next morning, when the press was prepared, pursuant to the order of the Court the day before, he was so terrified with the apprehension of dying in that manner, that he sent his humble petition to the Court, praying that he might be admitted to plead. This request being granted, he was brought again to the bar, and arraigned upon the first indictment, to which he pleaded Not guilty. Then the depositions that had been given against the other prisoners were repeated, upon which he was convicted, and received the sentence of death accordingly, which he suffered in company with Captain Weaver and William Ingham.
Gow killing the Captain.
The stories of these two men are so interwoven with others, that it will be impossible to distinguish many of their particular actions. They were, however, proved to have been concerned, if not the principal actors, in the following piracies: first, the seizing a Dutch ship in August, 1722, and taking from thence a hundred pieces of Holland, value 800
l
.; a thousand pieces of eight, value 250
l
. Secondly, the entering and pillaging the Dolphin of London, William Haddock, out of which they got three hundred pieces of eight, value 75
l
.; forty gallons of rum, and other things, on the twentieth of November in the same year. Thirdly, the stealing out of a ship called the Don Carlos, Lot Neekins, master, four hundred ounces of silver, value 100
l
. fifty gallons of rum, value 30
s
. a thousand pieces of eight, a hundred pistoles, and other valuable goods. And fourthly, the taking from a ship called the England, ten pipes of wine, value 250
l
. The two last charges both in the year 1721. Weaver returned home, and came to Mr. Thomas Smith, at Bristol, in a very ragged condition; and pretending that he had been robbed by pirates, Smith, who had been acquainted with him eight or nine years before, provided him with necessaries, and he walked about unmolested for some time. But Captain Joseph Smith, who knew him when a pirate, one day met him, and asked him to go and take a bottle with him; when they were in the tavern he told him that he had been a considerable sufferer by his boarding his vessel "therefore," said he, "as I understand that you are in good circumstances, I expect that you will make me some restitution; which if you do, I will never hurt a hair of your head, because you were very civil to me when I was in your hands." But as this recompense was never given. Weaver was apprehended and executed.
PIRATE'S SONG.
To the mast nail our flag it is dark as the grave, Or the death which it bears while it sweeps o'er the wave; Let our deck clear for action, our guns be prepared; Be the boarding-axe sharpened, the scimetar bared: Set the canisters ready, and then bring to me, For the last of my duties, the powder-room key. It shall never be lowered, the black flag we bear; If the sea be denied us, we sweep through the air. Unshared have we left our last victory's prey; It is mine to divide it, and yours to obey: There are shawls that might suit a sultana's white neck, And pearls that are fair as the arms they will deck; There are flasks which, unseal them, the air will disclose Diametta's fair summers, the home of the rose. I claim not a portion: I ask but as mine-- 'Tis to drink to our victory--one cup of red wine. Some fight, 'tis for riches--some fight, 'tis for fame: The first I despise, and the last is a name. I fight, 'tis for vengeance! I love to see flow, At the stroke of my sabre, the life of my foe. I strike for the memory of long-vanished years; I only shed blood where another shed tears, I come, as the lightning comes red from above, O'er the race that I loathe, to the battle I love.
FINIS.
INDEX
Algerine pirates
Allen, Lieutenant
Arabian coast
Arabian pirates
Avery, Capt. Henry
Bahamas
Bainbridge, Commodore
Baltic Sea pirates
Banister, Captain
Barbary corsairs
Barrataria, La., pirates
Benavides, Vincent
Black Beard
Bonnet, Major
Bonney, Anne, female pirate
Boston, Mass
Booth, Capt. George
Bowen, Captain
Bracket, Joshua
Charleston, S. C
Chesapeake, frigate
Chilian pirates
Chinese pirates
Ching, Mistress, female pirate
Condent, Captain
Corsairs of the African coast
Crusades
Danish and Norman pirates
Davis, Capt Howel
Decatur, Commodore
De Soto, Bernardo
Dew, Capt. George
Dungeon Rock, Lynn, Mass
Dutch girl kept by pirates
East India Company
East India piracies
England, Capt. Edward
England attacks the Algerines
England overrun by pirates
Female pirates
France ravaged by pirates
French attack Algiers
"Friendship" (ship), piracy of
Germany ravaged by pirates
Gibbs, Capt. Charles
Gibraltar, pirates at
Gibson, Captain
Gilbert, Pedro
Glasspoole, Richard, captured by pirates
Gow, Captain
Guinea coast, pirates on
Halsey, Capt John
Havana, resort for pirates
"Herculia" (brig), piracy of
Hornigold, Capt. Benjamin
Jackson, Captain
Jackson, General
Joassamee pirates
Jonnia, Captain
Kearney, Lieutenant
Kidd, Capt. Robert
Ladrone pirates
Lafitte, Jean
Lewis, Captain
Lincoln, Captain
Low, Capt. Edward
Lynn, Mass., pirates
Mackra, Captain, captured
Madagascar pirates
Malay pirates
Maynard, Lieutenant
Mediterranean, a resort for pirates
"Mexican" (brig), piracy of
Mogul's ships
"Morning Star" (ship), piracy of
Newfoundland, piracy at
New Orleans, battle of
New York, pirates at
Norman pirates
North Carolina coast
Oakley, William
"Panda" (schooner)
Patterson, Commodore, expedition under
Pirate vessel, description of
Pirates, cruelty of
Dress of
Executions of
Song of
Trials of
Pirate's Glen, Saugus
Privateering on English coast
Porter, Commodore
"Potomac" (frigate), attacks Malay pirates
Quallah Battoo, Sumatra, pirates of
Rackam, Capt. John
Rahmah-ben-Jabir
Ras-el-Khyma
Read, Mary, female pirate
Read, Capt. William
Ricker, Captain
Roberts, Capt. Bartholomew
Rogers, Capt. Woods
Ruiz, Francisco
Rumps, Arabia
Salem, pirates in
Skinner, Captain, murdered
Soto, Benito de
Spanish pirates
Sumatra pirates
"Swallow" (man-of-war), captures pirates
Swedish pirates
Teach, Edward
Texan privateers
Tew, Capt. Thomas
United States attacks Algiers
Vane, Capt. Charles
Veal, Thomas
"Vineyard" (brig), captured
Warren, David
West Indies, piracy in
White, Capt. Thomas