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
IT was proved against this Prisoner, by Captain _Trahern_ and _George
Fenn_, that he was one of those Voluntiers who was at the Attack and
Robbery of the Company's Ship, called the _King Solomon_: That he bully'd
well among them who dar'd not make any Reply, but was very easy with his
Friends, who knew him; for _Moody_, on this Occasion, took a large Glass
from him, and threatned to blow his Brains out, (a favourite Phrase with
these Pyrates) if he muttered at it.
From others acquitted, it likewise appeared, that he was at first a
Voluntier among them, from an Island call'd _Dominico_, in the
_West-Indies_, and had to recommend himself, told them, he was a Deserter
from the _Rose_ Man of War, and before that, had been on the High-Way; he
was always drunk, they said, and so bad at the Time they met with the
_Swallow_, that he knew nothing of the Action, but came up vapouring with
his Cutlash, after the _Fortune_ had struck her Colours, to know who would
go on Board the Prize; and it was some Time before they could perswade him
into the Truth of their Condition.
He could say little in Defence of himself, acknowledg'd this latter Part of
Drunkenness; a Vice, he says, that had too great a Share in insnaring him
into this Course of Life, and had been a greater Motive with him than Gold.
_Guilty._
_William Davis._
W_Illiam Allen_ deposed, he knew this Prisoner at _Sierraleon_,
belonging to the _Ann_ Galley; that he had a Quarrel with, and beat the
Mate of that Ship, for which (as he said) being afraid to return to his
Duty, he consorted to the idle Customs and Ways of living among the
Negroes, from whom he received a Wife, and ungratefully sold her, one
Evening, for some Punch to quench his Thirst. After this, having put
himself under the Protection of Mr. _Plunket_, Governor there for the Royal
_African_ Company: The Relations and Friends of the Woman, apply'd to him
for Redress, who immediately surrendered the Prisoner, and told them, he
did not care if they took his Head off; but the Negroes wisely judging it
would not fetch so good a Price, they sold him in his Turn again to
Seignior _Jossee_, a Christian Black, and Native of that Place; who
expected and agreed for two Years Service from him, on Consideration of
what he had disbursed, for the Redemption of the Woman: But long before the
Expiration of this Time, _Roberts_ came into _Sierraleon_ River, where the
Prisoner, (as Seignior _Jossee_ assured the Deponent,) entered a Voluntier
with them.
The Deponent further corroborates this Part of the Evidence; in that he
being obliged to call at Cape _Mount_, in his Passage down hither, met
there with two Deserters from _Roberts_'s Ship, who assured him of the
same; and that the Pyrates did design to turn _Davis_ away the next
Opportunity, as an idle good-for-nothing Fellow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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