Journal of Voyages: Containing an Account of the Author's being Twice Captured by the English and Once by Gibbs the Pirate...Dunham, Jacob
History
Journal of Voyages: Containing an Account of the Author's being Twice Captured by the English and Once by Gibbs the Pirate...
Dunham, Jacob
Voyages and travels
On my arrival at Havanna I was met by Captain Dimond, master of the brig
Harriet, of Baltimore, who had been robbed by these pirates at the same
place, on the 12th of October. Captain Dimond informed me that the
pirates put a rope around his neck and hoisted him up to the fore-yard
of the brig three times, and then let the rope loose, which caused him
to fall on the deck, where he lay insensible for some time. I asked him
why he did not give up his money as I had done. He said that twenty-five
hundred dollars of the money belonged to himself, which was all he was
worth, and having a family to support, he thought he had almost as well
part with his life as his money. After he had recovered his senses they
made another attempt to put the rope round his neck the fourth time,
when one of the pirates told his comrade to let him alone, because he
had children. They hauled their vessels alongside of his brig and took
out all his cargo, also the greatest part of the brig's sails, rigging,
&c. together with twelve thousand dollars, which they found while
removing a quantity of fire-wood, and then let him depart.
I proceeded to the American Consul's office, having on an old straw hat,
which the pirates had put on my head in place of my own, an old ragged
jacket, one pump, one shoe, and an empty pocket. I entered a protest,
and asked him to render me some assistance, for which I would give him a
draft on New-York at sight. This he refused unless I would bottom the
vessel, but referred me to the house of Grey, Fenandes, & Co. who
attended to my wants in the most friendly manner. Three days after, the
ship Lucies, of Charleston, arrived in the harbor, having a prize-master
on board, who informed me that the United States Brig Enterprise,
Captain Kearney, had re-captured the Lucies from these pirates, and had
taken three of the piratical vessels, (the crews having escaped to the
shore,) and sailed for some port of the United States. I called again on
Mr. Grey, and told him that Captain Kearney would probably steer for
Charleston or New Orleans with his prizes, and I felt anxious to
communicate with him as soon as possible, to reclaim my property. He
said they had a very respectable correspondent in Charleston, named John
Stoney, to whom he would write to claim my property for me if he should
arrive in that port; that I could write to Captain Kearney and enclose
his letter to Mr. Stoney. Fearing he might sail for New Orleans, I
addressed a letter to a friend of mine living there, to claim the
property for me, should the Enterprise arrive at that port.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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