Daniel Defoe - The King of Pirates

However, this Troop of Desperadoes had alarm’d all the Coast, and Expresses both by Sea and Land were dispatch’d, to warn the Towns on the Coast to be upon their Guard, all the way from Panama to Lima ; but as they were represented to be only such Freebooters as I have said, Ships of Strength did not desist their Voyages, as they found Occasion, as we shall observe presently: We were now gotten into the Latitude of 10, 11, and 12 Degrees and a Half; but, in our overmuch Caution, had kept out so far to Sea, that we miss’d every Thing which would otherwise have fallen into our Hands; but we were better inform’d quickly, as you shall hear.

Early in the Morning, one of our Men being on the Missen-top, cry’d, A Sail, a Sail; it prov’d to be a small Vessel standing just after us; and as we understood afterwards, did so, believing that we were some of the King’s Ships looking after the Buccaneers. As we understood she was a-Stern of us, we shorten’d Sail, and hung out the Spanish Colours, separating ourselves, to make him suppose we were cruising for the Buccaneers, and did not look for him; however, when we saw him come forward, but stretching in a little towards the Shore, we took Care to be so much to Starboard that he could not escape us that Way; and when he was a little nearer, the Sloop plainly chac’d him, and in a little Time came up with him, and took him: We had little Goods in the Vessel, their chief Loading being Meal and Corn for Panama , but the Master happen’d to have 6000 Pieces of Eight in his Cabin, which was good Booty.

But that which was better than all this to us was, that the Master gave us an Account of two Ships which were behind, and were under Sail for Lima or Panama ; the one having the Revenues of the Kingdom of Chili , and the other having a great Quantity of Silver, going from Puna to Lima , to be forwarded from thence to Panama , and that they kept together, being Ships of Force, to protect one another; how they did it we soon saw the Effects of.

Upon this Intelligence we were very joyful, and assur’d the Master, that if we found it so, we would give him his Vessel again, and all his Goods, except his Money, as for That, we told him, such People as we never return’d it any Body: However, the Man’s Intelligence prov’d good, for the very next Day, as we were standing South-West, our Spanish Colours being out, as above, we spy’d one of the Ships, and soon after the other; we found they had discover’d us also, and that being doubtful what to make of us, they tack’d and stood Eastward to get nearer the Land; we did the like, and as we found there was no letting them go that Way but that we should be sure to lose them, we soon let them know that we were resolv’d to speak with them.

The biggest Ship, which was three Leagues a-Stern of the other, crowded in for the Shore with all the Sail, she could make, and it was easy for us to see that she would escape us; for as she was a great deal farther in with the Land than the other when we first gave Chace, so in about three Hours we saw the Land plain a-Head of us, and that the great Ship would get into Port before we could reach her.

Upon this we stretch’d a-Head with all the Sail we could make, and the Sloop, which crowded also very hard, and out-went us, engag’d the small Ship at least an Hour before we could come up: But she could make little of it, for the Spanish Ship having 12 Guns and 6 Patereroes, would have been too many for the Sloop if we had not come up: However, at length, our biggest Ship came up also, and, running up under her Quarter, gave her our whole Broadside; at which she struck immediately, and the Spaniards cry’d, Quarter , and Miserecordia ; Upon this, our Sloop’s Men enter’d her presently, and secur’d her.

In the Beginning oft his Action, it seems, our Redhand Captain was so provok’d at losing the greater Prize, which, as he thought, had all the Money on Board, that he swore he would not spare one of the Dogs, (so he call’d the Spaniards in the other Ship) but he was prevented; and it was very happy for the Spaniards , that the first Shot the Ship made towards us, just as we were running up to pour in our Broadside, I say, the first Shot took Captain Redhand full on the Breast, and shot his Head and one Shoulder off, so that he never spoke more, nor did I find that any one Man in the Ship shew’d the least Concern for him; so certain it is, that Cruelty never recommends any Man among Englishmen ; no, tho’ they have no Share in the suffering under it; but one said, D – n him, let him go, he was a butcherly Dog; another said, D – n him, he was a merciless Son of a B – ch; another said, he was a barbarous Dog, and the like.

But to return to the Prize, being now as certain of the smaller Prize as that we had miss’d the great one, we began to examine what we had got; and it is not easy to give an exact Account of the prodigious Variety of Things we found: In the first Place, were 116 Chests of Pieces of Eight in Specie, 72 Bars of Silver, 15 Bags of wrought Plate, which a Fryer that was on Board would have perswaded us, for the Sake of the Blessed Virgin, to have return’d, being, as he said, consecrated Plate to the Honour of the holy Church, the Virgin Mary

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