A general history of the pyrates : $b from their first rise and settlement in the island of Providence, to the present timeJohnson, Charles, active 1724-1731
History
A general history of the pyrates : $b from their first rise and settlement in the island of Providence, to the present time
Johnson, Charles, active 1724-1731
Pirates -- Early works to 1800
_President._ Mr. _Castel_, acquaint the Court of what you know in Relation
to this Robbery of the King _Solomon_; after what Manner the Pyrate-Boat
was dispatch'd for this Attempt.
_Tho. Castel._ I was a Prisoner, Sir, with the Pyrates when their Boat was
ordered upon that Service, and found, upon a Resolution of going, Word was
passed through the Company, Who would go? And I saw all that did, did it
voluntarily; no Compulsion, but rather pressing who should be foremost.
The Prisoners yielded to what had been sworn about the Attack and Robbery,
but denied the latter Evidence, saying, _Roberts_ hector'd, and upbraided
them of Cowardice on this very Occasion; and told some, they were very
ready to step on Board of a Prize when within Command of the Ship, but now
there seem'd to be a Tryal of their Valour, backward and fearful.
_President._ So that _Roberts_ forc'd ye upon this Attack.
_Prisoners. Roberts_ commanded us into the Boat, and the Quarter-Master to
rob the Ship; neither of whose Commands we dared to have refused.
_President._ And granting it so, those are still your own Acts, since done
by Orders from Officers of your own Election. Why would Men, honestly
disposed, give their Votes for such a Captain and such a Quarter-Master as
were every Day commanding them on distastful Services?
Here succeeded a Silence among the Prisoners, but at length _Fernon_ very
honestly own'd, that he did not give his Vote to _Magnes_, but to _David
Sympson_ (the old Quarter-Master,) _for in Truth_, says he, _I took_ Magnes
_for too honest a Man, and unfit for the Business._
The Evidence was plain and home, and the Court, without any Hesitation,
brought them in _Guilty._
W_ILLIAM Church, Phil. Haak, James White, Nich. Brattle, Hugh Riddle,
William Thomas, Tho. Roberts, Jo. Richards, Jo. Cane, R. Wood, R. Scot, Wm.
Davison, Sam. Morwell, Edward Evans, Wm. Guineys_, and 18 _French_ Men.
The four first of these Prisoners, it was evident to the Court, served as
Musick on Board the Pyrate, were forced lately from the several Merchant
Ships they belonged to; and that they had, during this Confinement, an
uneasy Life of it, having sometimes their Fiddles, and often their Heads
broke, only for excusing themselves, or saying they were tired, when any
Fellow took it in his Head to demand a Tune.
The other _English_ had been a very few Days on Board the Pyrate, only from
_Whydah_ to Cape _Lopez_, and no Capture or Robbery done by them in that
Time. And the _French_ Men were brought with a Design to reconduct their
own Ship (or the _Little Ranger_ in Exchange) to _Whydah_ Road again, and
were used like Prisoners; neither quarter'd nor suffered to carry Arms. So
that the Court immediately acquiesced in, _Acquitting them._
T_HO. Sutton, David Sympson, Christopher Moody, Phil. Bill, R. Hardy,
Hen. Dennis, David Rice, Wm. Williams, R. Harris, Geo. Smith, Ed. Watts,
Jo. Mitchell_ and _James Barrow._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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