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
W_E arrived the_ 25_th of_ July _last, in Company of the_ Greenwich,
_at_ Juanna, (_an Island not far from_ Madagascar) _putting in there to
refresh our Men, we found fourteen Pyrates that came in their Canoes from
the_ Mayotta, _where the Pyrate Ship to which they belong'd_, viz. _the_
Indian Queen, _two hundred and fifty Tons, twenty eight Guns, and ninety
Men, commanded by Capt._ Oliver de la Bouche, _bound from the_ Guinea
_Coast to the_ East-Indies, _had been bulged and lost. They said they left
the Captain and_ 40 _of their Men building a new Vessel to proceed on their
wicked Design. Capt._ Kirby _and I concluding it might be of great Service
to the_ East-India _Company to destroy such a Nest of Rogues, were ready to
sail for that Purpose the_ 17_th of_ August, _about Eight o'Clock in the
Morning, when we discovered two Pyrate Ships standing into the Bay of_
Juanna, _one of thirty four, and the other of thirty Guns. I immediately
went on Board the_ Greenwich, _where they seem'd very diligent in
Preparations for an Engagement, and I left Capt._ Kirby _with mutual
Promises of standing by each other. I then unmoor'd, got under Sail, and
brought two Boats a-head to row me close to the_ Greenwich; _but he being
open to a Valley and a Breeze, made the best of his Way from me; which an_
Ostender _in our Company, of_ 22 _Guns, seeing, did the same, though the
Captain had promised heartily to engage with us, and I believe would have
been as good as his Word, if Capt._ Kirby _had kept his. About half an Hour
after Twelve, I called several times to the_ Greenwich _to bear down to our
Assistance, and fir'd Shot at him, but to no Purpose. For tho' we did not
doubt but he would join us, because when he got about a League from us, he
brought his Ship to, and look'd on, yet both he and the_ Ostender _basely
deserted us, and left us engaged with barbarous and inhuman Enemies, with
their black and bloody Flags hanging over us, without the least Appearance
of escaping being cut to Pieces. But God, in his good Providence,
determin'd otherwise; for notwithstanding their Superiority, we engaged 'em
both about three Hours, during which, the biggest received some Shot
betwixt Wind and Water, which made her keep off a little to stop her Leaks.
The other endeavoured all she could to board us, by rowing with her Oars,
being within half a Ship's Length of us above an Hour; but by good Fortune
we shot all her Oars to Pieces, which prevented them, and by consequence
saved our Lives_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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