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
Weighing from Turniff, where they remained during a week, and sailing to
the bay, they found there a ship and four sloops. Teach hoisted his
flag, and began to fire at them, upon which the captain and his men left
their ship and fled to the shore. Teach burned two of these sloops, and
let the other three depart.
They afterwards sailed to different places, and having taken two small
vessels, anchored off the bar of Charleston for a few days. Here they
captured a ship bound for England, as she was coming out of the harbor.
They next seized a vessel coming out of Charleston, and two pinks coming
into the same harbor, together with a brigantine with fourteen negroes.
The audacity of these transactions, performed in sight of the town,
struck the inhabitants with terror, as they had been lately visited by
some other notorious pirates. Meanwhile, there were eight sail in the
harbor, none of which durst set to sea for fear of falling into the
hands of Teach. The trade of this place was totally interrupted, and the
inhabitants were abandoned to despair. Their calamity was greatly
augmented from this circumstance, that a long and desperate war with the
natives had just terminated, when they began to be infested by these
robbers.
Teach having detained all the persons taken in these ships as
prisoners, they were soon in great want of medicines, and he had the
audacity to demand a chest from the governor. This demand was made in a
manner not less daring than insolent. Teach sent Richards, the captain
of the Revenge, with Mr. Marks, one of the prisoners, and several
others, to present their request. Richards informed the governor, that
unless their demand was granted, and he and his companions returned in
safety, every prisoner on board the captured ships should instantly be
slain, and the vessels consumed to ashes.
During the time that Mr. Marks was negotiating with the governor,
Richards and his associates walked the streets at pleasure, while
indignation flamed from every eye against them, as the robbers of their
property, and the terror of their country. Though the affront thus
offered to the Government was great and most audacious, yet, to preserve
the lives of so many men, they granted their request, and sent on board
a chest valued at three or four hundred pounds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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