The pirates own book : $b authentic narratives of the most celebrated sea robbersEllms, Charles
History
The pirates own book : $b authentic narratives of the most celebrated sea robbers
Ellms, Charles
Pirates
bazaar, brought me such accounts as induced me to visit it. In one house
were the following articles: four Bibles, one in English, one in Dutch,
and two in the Portuguese languages; many articles of wearing apparel,
such as jackets and trowsers, with the buttons altered to suit the
natives; pieces of shirts tagged to other parts of dress; several broken
instruments, such as quadrants, spy glasses (two,) binnacles, with
pieces of ship's sails, bolts and hoops; a considerable variety of
gunner's and carpenter's tools, stores, &c. In another shop were two
pelisses of faded lilac color; these were of modern cut and fashionably
made. On enquiring how they became possessed of these articles, I was
told they were some wrecks of European vessels on which no people were
found, whilst others made no scruple of averring that they were formerly
the property of people who had died in the country. All the goods in the
bazaar belonged to the rajah, and were sold on his account; large
quantities were said to be in his house up the river; but on all hands
it was admitted Raga and his followers had by far the largest part of
what was taken. A Mandoor, or head of one of the campongs, showed me
some women's stockings, several of which were marked with the letters
S.W.; also two chemises, one with the letters S.W.; two flannel
petticoats, a miniature portrait frame (the picture was in the rajah's
house,) with many articles of dress of both sexes. In consequence of the
strict orders given on the subject I could see no more; indeed there
were both difficulty and danger attending these inquiries. I
particularly wanted to obtain the miniature picture, and offered the
Mandoor fifty rupees if he could procure it; he laughed at me, and
pointing significantly to his kris, drew one hand across my throat, and
then across his own, giving me to understand such would be the result to
us both on such an application to the rajah. It is the universal custom
of the pirates, on this coast, to sell the people for slaves immediately
on their arrival, the rajah taking for himself a few of the most useful,
and receiving a percentage upon the purchase money of the remainder,
with a moiety of the vessel and every article on board. European vessels
are taken up the river, where they are immediately broken up. The
situation of European prisoners is indeed dreadful in a climate like
this, where even the labor of natives is intolerable; they are compelled
to bear all the drudgery, and allowed a bare sufficiency of rice and
salt to eat."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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