Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents
History
Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents
Pirates; Privateering; United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Sources
wee went in along the key side about 4 leagues and saw a
very convenient cove. wee came to an Anchor the 3d of November,
thinking to stay hear till the weather was a little warmer. the first
night we lost one Anchor, the Cable being Very bad. we warped and
towed into another Cove, lieing a little more to the Southwards, the
wind blowing N.N.W. wee gott the ends of all our cable and Hassers and
made fast ashore to the trees; yett all would Hardly doe, for when it
blew hard, our cable would give way and our shipp in dainger of
driveing ashore, which if had we should lived like Heathens amounge
the Savage Indians, and never have come to rights, but we spliced and
Strengthend our cables what we could and with much difficulty made
them hold out. the 21 day of november 81 wee putt out of thiss place
to sea. wee lay here about 22 dayes, feadeing most on lempotts[86] and
Mussles, which wee gatherd of the rocks and makes very good foode. our
wine and brandie was a greate Help to us thiss cold weather. clothing
wee had good Store. some times we gott a Penguine, which are plenty in
these streights, which are as greate as a goose, but cant fly, haveing
on their winges onely stubbs of feathers. hear we saw a fier and made
to itt, wheir we saw an Antient Indian, and a younge fellow and a
woman Indian, which had about their bodies a Seale Skinn to keepe them
warme. thay saw us and rann away, but we over tooke the younge fellow,
which tooke to throwing of Stones. the olde man tooke the water and
was so cunning in diveing that our Peopple could not gett him, so they
shott him in the water. the woman gott away from us the next day. one
of our cannoes went downe to this place againe, and carried the Indian
that was taken alonge with him, which Indian carried our peopple to
thre or 4 wigwams, wheir was fier, but could see no peopple. the
fellow cald in their Speech but none appeard, he makeings signes that
thay weare greate tall men with longe beards.[87] when our peopple saw
none came, thay returned to the cannoe, carying this Indian fellow
which was very unwilling to goe but Strugled to gett away, twas as
much as 3 or 4 of our men could do to binde him, and force him downe
to the cannoe, His strength was so greate. wee doe Imagin that here
may be some Spaniards which formerly have been cast away; for to the
Southwards about 4 legs when wee came out with our Shipp we saw to
very greate fiers but wear la'ft [_sic_] to see what thay weir, but
went to sea, stearing away S.W. and B.S. and S.W. the winds weir very
hard att N.W. we went under a pair of courses, haveing no observation
in 3 days after wee came out of these Lempot keys, wee stearing as far
to the westwards for fear of the Island called the 12 Appostle and 4
Evangelist[88] takeing of us upp, which lieth att the entring of the
Streight mouth. the currant setting to the westward out of the
Streights, satt us by Judgement 25 leagues off shore and when we
observed we weir in the lattd. of 55 deg.
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