Daniel Defoe - The King of Pirates

It was many Years after this before I could bring my Purposes to pass; and I serv’d, first, in some of the Adventures of Captain Sharp , Captain Sawkins , and others, in their bold Adventures in the South Seas, where I got a very good Booty; was at the taking of Puna , where we were oblig’d to leave infinite Wealth behind us, for want of being able to bring it away; and after several Adventures in those Seas, was among that Party who fought their Way Sword in Hand thro’ all the Detachments of the Spaniards , in the Journey over Land, cross the Isthmus of Darien , to the North Seas; and when other of our Men gat away, some one Way, some another, I, with twelve more of our Men, by Help of a Periagua , gat into the Bay of Campeachy , where we fell very honestly to cutting of Logwood, not for Want, but to employ ourselves till we could make off.

Here three of our Men dy’d, and we that were left, shar’d their Money among us; and having stay’d here two Years, without seeing any Way of Escape that I dar’d to trust to, I at last, with two of our Men, who spoke Spanish perfectly well, made a desperate Attempt to travel over Land to L – having bury’d all our Money, (which was worth eight thousand Pieces of Eight a Man, tho’ most of it in Gold) in a Pit in the Earth which we dug twelve Foot deep, and where it would have lyen still, for no Man knew where to look for it; but we had an Opportunity to come at it again some Years after.

We travell’d along the Sea-shore five Days together, the Weather exceeding hot, and did not doubt but we should so disguise ourselves as to be taken for Spaniards ; but our better Fortune provided otherwise for us, for the sixth Day of our March we found a Canoe lying on the Shore with no one in her: We found, however, several Things in her, which told us plainly that she belong’d to some Englishmen who were on Shore; so we resolv’d to sit down by her and wait: By and by we heard the Englishmen , who were seven in Number, and were coming back to their Boat, having been up the Country to an Ingenio , where they had gotten great Quantities of Provision, and were bringing it down to their Boat which they had left on the Shore, (with the Help of five Indians , of whom they had bought it) not thinking there was any People thereabouts: When they saw us, not knowing who we were, they were just going to fire at us; when I, perceiving it, held up a white Flag as high as I could reach it, which was, in short, only a Piece of an old Linnen Wastcoat which I had on, and pull’d it off for the Occasion; upon this, however, they forbore firing at us, and when they came nearer to us, they could easily see that we were their own Countrymen: They enquir’d of us what we came there for; we told them, we had travell’d from Campeachy , where being tir’d with the Hardships of our Fortune, and not getting any Vessel to carry us where we durst go, we were even desperate, and cared not what became of us; so that had not they came to us thus happily, we should have put our selves into the Hands of the Spaniards rather than have perish’d where we were.

They took us into their Boat, and afterwards carry’d us on Board their Ship; when we came there, we found they were a worse Sort of Wanderers than ourselves, for tho’ we had been a Kind of Pyrates, known and declar’d Enemies to the Spaniards , yet it was to them only, and to no other; for we never offer’d to rob any of our other European Nations, either Dutch or French , much less English ; but now we were listed in the Service of the Devil indeed, and, like him, were at War with all Mankind.

However, we not only were oblig’d to sort with them, while with them, but in a little Time the Novelty of the Crime wore off, and we grew harden’d to it, like the rest: And in this Service I spent four Years more of my Time.

Our Captain in this Pirate Ship was nam’d Nichols , but we call’d him Captain Redhand ; it seems it was a Scots Sailor gave him that Name, when he was not the Head of the Crew, because he was so bloody a Wretch, that he scarce ever was at the taking any Prize, but he had a Hand in some Butchery or other.

They were hard put to it for fresh Provisions, or they would not have sent thus up into the Country a single Canoe; and when I came on Board they were so straiten’d, that, by my Advice, they resolv’d to go to the Isle of Cuba to kill wild Beef, of which the South Side of the Island is so full: Accordingly we sail’d thither directly.

The Vessel carry’d sixteen Guns, but was fitted to carry twenty two, and there was on Board one hundred and sixty stout Fellows, as bold and as case-harden’d for the Work as ever I met with upon any Occasion whatever: We victual’d in this Place for eight Months, by our Calculation; but our Cook, who had the Management of the Salting and Pickling the Beef, order’d his Matters so, that had he been let alone he would have starv’d us all, and poison’d us too; for as we are oblig’d to hunt the black Cattle in the Island sometimes a great while before we can shoot them, it should be observ’d, that the Flesh of those that are heated before they are kill’d, is not fit to be pickled or salted up for Keeping.

But this Man happening to pickle up the Beef, without Regard to this particular Distinction, most of the Beef, so pickled, stunk before we left the Place, so that we were oblig’d to throw it all away: The Men then said it was impossible to salt any Beef in those hot Countries, so as to preserve it, and would have had us given it over, and ha’ gone to the Coast of New England , or New York , for Provisions; but I soon convinc’d them of the Mistake, and by only using the Caution, viz. not to salt up any Beef of those Cattle that had been hunted, we cur’d one hundred and forty Barrels of very good Beef, and such as lasted us a very great while.

I began to be of some Repute among them upon this Occasion, and Redhand took me into the Cabin with him to consult upon all Emergencies, and gave me the Name of Captain, though I had then no Command: By this Means I gave him an Account of all my Adventures in the South Seas, and what a prodigious Booty we got there with Captain Goignet , the Frenchman , and with Captain Sharp , and others; encouraging him to make an Attempt that Way, and proposing to him to go away to the Brasils , and so round by the Straits of Magellan , or Cape Horn .

However, in this he was more prudent than I, and told me, that not only the Strength but the Force of his Ship was too small, not but that he had Men enough, as he said very well, but he wanted more Guns, and a better Ship; for indeed the Ship we were in was but a weak crazy Boat for so long a Voyage: So he said he approv’d my Project very well, but that he thought we should try to take some more substantial Vessel for the Business: And says he, if we could but take a good stout Ship, fit to carry thirty Guns, and a Sloop, or Brigantine, he would go with all his Heart.

This I could not but approve of; so we form’d the Scheme of the Design, and he call’d all his Men together, and propos’d it to them, and they all approv’d it with a general Consent; and I had the Honour of being the Contriver of the Voyage. From this Time we resolv’d, some how or other, to get a better Ship under us, and it was not long before an Opportunity presented to our Mind.

Being now upon the Coast of the Island of Cuba , we stood away West, coasting the Island, and so went away for Florida , where we cruis’d among the Islands, and in the Wake of the Gulph; but nothing presented a great while; at length we spy’d a Sail, which prov’d an English homeward bound Ship from Jamaica : We immediately chac’d her, and came up with her; she was a stout Ship, and the Captain defended her very well; and had she not been a comber’d deep Ship, being full loaded, so that they could scarce come at their Guns, we should have had our Hands full of her. But when they found what we were, and that, being full of Men, we were resolv’d to be on Board them, and that we had hoisted the black Flag, a Signal that we would give them no Quarter, they began to sink in their Spirits, and soon after cry’d Quarter, offering to yield: Redhand would have given them no Quarter, but, according to his usual Practice, would have thrown the Men all into the Sea; but I prevail’d with him to give them Quarter, and good Usage too; and so they yielded; and a very rich Prize it was, only that we knew not what to do with the Cargo.