In the beginning of King _William's_ War, Captain _Kid_ commanded a Privateer in the _West-Indies_, and by several adventurous actions acquired the reputation of a brave man, as well as an experienced seaman. About this time the Pirates were very troublesome in those parts, wherefore Captain _Kid_ was recommended by the Lord _Bellamont_, then Governor of _Barbadoes_, as well as by several other persons, to the Government here, as a person very fit to be entrusted with the command of a Government Ship, and to be employed in cruising upon the Pirates, as knowing those Seas perfectly well, and being acquainted with their lurking places; but what reasons governed the politics of those times, I cannot tell, but this proposal met with no encouragement here, though it is certain it would have been of great consequence to the subject, our merchants suffering incredible damages by those robbers. Upon this neglect the Lord _Bellamont_, and some others who knew what great captures had been made by the Pirates, and what a prodigious wealth must be in their possession, were tempted to fit out a ship at their own private charge, and to give the command of it to Captain _Kid_; and to give the thing a greater reputation, as well as to keep their seamen under the better command, they procured the King's Commission for the said Captain _Kid_. Captain _Kid_ had also another Commission, which was called a Commission of Reprisals; for it being then War time, this Commission was to justify him in the taking of _French_ Merchant Ships, in case he should meet with any. He sail'd out of _Plymouth_ in _May_ 1696, in the _Adventure_ Galley of thirty guns, and eighty men; the place he first design'd for was _New York_; in his Voyage thither he took a French _Banker_, but this was no Act of Piracy, he having a Commission for that purpose, as we have just observed. When he arrived at _New York_ he put up Articles for engaging more Hands, it being necessary to his Ship's crew, since he proposed to deal with a desperate enemy: The terms he offered were, that every man should have a share of what was taken, reserving for himself and Owners forty shares. Upon this encouragement he soon increas'd his company to a hundred and fifty five men. With this company he first sail'd for _Maderas_, where he took in wine and some other necessaries; from thence he proceeded to _Bonavist_, one of the _Cape de Verd Islands_, to furnish the ship with salt, and from thence went immediately to _St. Jago_, another of the _Cape de Verd Islands_, in order to stock himself with provisions. When all this was done, he bent his course to _Madagascar_, the known rendezvous of Pirates; in this way he fell in with Captain _Warren_, Commodore of three Men-of-War; he acquainted them with his design, kept them company two or three days, and then leaving them, made the best way for _Madagascar_, where he arrived in _February_ 1696, just nine months from his departure from _Plymouth_. [Illustration]