Breakes's next exploit was to steal his employer's ship and cargo and go out as a pirate, naming his vessel the _Adventure_. His first exploit was a daring one. Sailing into Vigo Harbour in full view of the forts, he seized a vessel, the _Acapulco_, lately come from Valparaiso, and took her off. On plundering her they found 200,000 small bars of gold, each about the size of a man's finger. The captain and crew of this Chilian vessel were all murdered. Breakes preferred the _Acapulco_ to his own ship, so he fitted her up and sailed in her to the Mediterranean. Breakes was one of the religious variety of pirate, for after six days of robbing and throat-slitting he would order his crew to clean themselves on the Sabbath and gather on the quarter-deck, where he would read prayers to them and would often preach a sermon "after the Lutheran style," thus fortifying the brave fellows for another week of toil and bloodshed. Gifted with unlimited boldness, Breakes called in at Gibraltar and requested the Governor to grant him a British privateer's commission, which the Governor did "for a consideration." Sailing in the neighbourhood of the Balearic Islands, he took a few ships, when one day, spying a nunnery by the sea-shore in Minorca, he proposed to his crew that they should fit themselves out with a wife apiece. This generous offer was eagerly accepted, and the crew, headed by Captain Breakes, marched up to the nunnery unopposed, and were welcomed at the door by the lady abbess. Having entered the peaceful cloister, each pirate chose a nun and marched back to the ship with their spoils. Soon after this Breakes decided to retire from piracy, and returned to Amsterdam to claim Mrs. Snyde. But he found that she had but lately been hanged for poisoning her little son, of which the pirate was father. This tragedy so preyed upon the mind of Captain Breakes that he turned "melancholy mad" and drowned himself in one of the many dykes with which that city abounds. BRECK, JOHN. One of the crew of the brigantine _Charles_ (Captain John Quelch). Tried for piracy at Boston in 1704. BREHA, CAPTAIN, _alias_ LANDRESSON. BRENNINGHAM, CAPTAIN. Of Jamaica and Tortuga. In 1663 commanded a frigate of six guns and seventy men. BRIERLY, JOHN, _alias_ TIMBERHEAD. Of Bath Town in North Carolina. One of the crew of the _Royal James_. Hanged at Charleston in November, 1718. BRIGHT, JOHN. Of St. Margaret's, Westminster. One of the crew of Captain Charles Harris. Hanged at Newport, Rhode Island, in July, 1723, at the age of 25. BRINKLEY, JAMES. Of Suffolk, England. One of Captain Charles Harris's crew. Hanged for piracy at Newport, Rhode Island, on July 19th, 1723. Age 28. BRODLEY, CAPTAIN JOSEPH, or BRADLEY, sometimes called "Lieutenant-Colonel." "An ancient and expert pirate."