“As a matter of fact, Captain William Kidd was a respectable and honest sea captain, a native of Greenock, and was so highly respected for his integrity that he was given a commission to suppress piracy by King William the Third of England. The commission was addressed to ‘our trusty and well-beloved Captain William Kidd of the ship Adventure, galley’ and was dated 1695. The royal warrant went on to authorize Kidd to destroy and hunt down ‘divers wicked and ill-disposed persons who were committing many and great pyraces to the great danger and hurt of our loving subjects.’ “Kidd, being impecunious, was backed by several rich and influential persons in Massachusetts and New York, among them Lord Belmont, the governor of Barbados, who saw in the capture of pirates and the taking of their ill-gotten loot a chance for large profits. “The Adventure set forth on her mission in May, 1696, with a crew of one hundred and fifty-five men and cruised here, there and everywhere searching for piratical prey. Unfortunately pirates seemed very scarce, Kidd’s crew became mutinous and clamored for excitement, and the next thing that was known, word came to the authorities that the Adventure had attacked and taken a Moorish ship called the Queda Merchant. Furthermore, reports had it that Kidd had taken possession of the prize, had transferred his men, guns and other possessions to the Queda and, having sunk the Adventure, had gone a-pirating in the Moorish ship. At once he was branded as a pirate and a price put upon his head. All unwittingly Kidd sailed into Santo Domingo in his prize and there learned that he was looked upon as a pirate and was wanted by the authorities. “Without hesitation, Kidd purchased a sloop, left the Queda in port and sailed as fast as possible to Boston to explain matters. He was, of course, rather doubtful of his reception and before throwing himself on the mercies of the authorities he secreted the few valuables he had on Gardiner’s Island, sent word to his sponsors, and after a consultation in which they agreed to stand by him and clear him of the charge of piracy, he gave himself up.