Buccaneers and pirates of our coastsStockton, Frank R.
History
Buccaneers and pirates of our coasts
Stockton, Frank R.
Buccaneers -- Juvenile literature; Pirates -- Juvenile literature
When Low sailed into the little port with his home-made black flag
floating above him, Lowther received him with the greatest courtesy and
hospitality, and shortly afterwards proposed to the newly fledged pirate
to go into partnership with him. This offer was accepted, and Low was
made second in command of the little fleet of two vessels, each of
which was well provided with arms, ammunition, and all things necessary
for robbery on the high seas.
The partnership between these two rascals did not continue very long.
They took several valuable prizes, and the more booty he obtained, the
higher became Low's opinion of himself, and the greater his desire for
independent action. Therefore it was that when they had captured a large
brigantine, Low determined that he would no longer serve under any man.
He made a bargain with Lowther by which they dissolved partnership, and
Low became the owner of the brigantine. In this vessel, with forty-four
men as a crew, he again started out in the black flag business on his
own account, and parting from his former chief officer, he sailed
northward.
As Low had landed in Boston, and had lived some time in that city, he
seems to have conceived a fancy for New England, which, however, was not
at all reciprocated by the inhabitants of that part of the country.
Among the first feats which Low performed in New England waters was the
capture of a sloop about to enter one of the ports of Rhode Island. When
he had taken everything out of this vessel which he wanted, Low cut away
the yards from the masts and stripped the vessel of all its sails and
rigging. As his object was to get away from these waters before his
presence was discovered by the people on shore, he not only made it
almost impossible to sail the vessel he had despoiled, but he wounded
the captain and others of the peaceful crew so that they should not be
able to give information to any passing craft. Then he sailed away as
rapidly as possible in the direction of the open sea. In spite, however,
of all the disadvantages under which they labored, the crew of the
merchant vessel managed to get into Block Island, and from there a small
boat was hurriedly rowed over to Rhode Island, carrying intelligence of
the bold piracy which had been committed so close to one of its ports.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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