A General History of the Pirates

circumference, with plenty of lignum vitae trees thereon, growing in spots, with shrubby bushes of other wood about them. There are, besides turtle, great numbers of guanoes, which is an amphibious creature like a lizard, but much larger, the body of it being as big as a man’s leg; they are very good to eat, and are much used by the pirates that come here: they are of diverse colours, but such as live upon dry ground, as here at Blanco, are commonly yellow. On the N. W. end of this island, there is a small cove or sandy bay, all round the rest of the island is deep water, and steep close to the Island. Here Lowther resorted to, the beginning of October last, unrigged his sloop, sent his guns, sails, rigging, etc. ashore, and put his vessel upon the careen. The Eagle sloop of Barbados, belonging to the South Sea Company, with 35 hands, commanded by Walter Moore, coming near this island, in her voyage to Comena, on the Spanish continent, saw the said sloop just careen’d, with her guns out, and sails unbent, which she supposed to be a pirate, because it was a place where traders did not commonly use, so took the advantage of attacking her, as she was then unprepared; the Eagle having fired a gun to oblige her to show her colours, the pirate hoisted the St. George’s flag at their topmast head, as it were to bid defiance to her; but when they found Moore and his crew resolved to board them in good earnest, the pirates cut their cable and hawled their stern onshore, which obliged the Eagle to come to an anchor athwart their hawse, where she engaged them till they called for quarter and struck; at which time Lowther and twelve of the crew made their escape out of the cabin window. The master of the Eagle got the pirate sloop off, secured her, and went ashore with 25 hands, in pursuit of Lowther and his gang; but after five day’s search, they could find but five of them, which they brought aboard, and then proceeded with the sloop and pirates to Comena aforesaid, where they soon arrived.

The Spanish governor being informed of this brave action, condemned the sloop to the captors, and sent a small sloop with 23 hands to scour the bushes and other places of the island of Blanco, for the pirates that remained there, and took four more, with seven small arms, leaving behind them Captain Lowther, three men, and a little boy, which they could not take; the above four the Spaniards try’d and condemned to slavery for life; three to the gallies, and the other to the Castle of Araria.

The Eagle sloop brought all their prisoners afterwards to St. Christopher’s, where the following were try’d by a court of vice admiralty, there held March the 11th, 1722, viz. John Churchill, Edward Mackdonald, Nicholas Lewis, Richard West, Sam. Levercott, Robert White, John Shaw, Andrew Hunter, Jonathan Delve, Matthew Freebarn, Henry Watson, Roger Grange, Ralph Candor, and Robert Willis; the three last were acquitted, the other thirteen were found Guilty, two of which were recommended to mercy by the court, and accordingly pardoned; and the rest executed at that island, on the 20th of the same month.

As for Captain Lowther, it is said that he afterwards shot himself upon that fatal island, where his piracies ended, being found, by some sloop’s men, dead, and a pistol burst by his side.

XIII

Of Captain Edward Low, and His Crew

Edward Low was born in Westminster, and had his education there, such as it was, for he could neither write or read. Nature seem’d to have designed him for a pirate from his childhood, for very early he began the trade of plundering, and was wont to raise contributions among all the boys of Westminster; and if any were bold enough to refuse it, a battle was the consequence; but Low was so hardy, as well as bold, there was no getting the better of him, so that he robbed the youths of their farthings, with impunity; when he grew bigger he took to gaming in a low way, for it was commonly among the footmen in the lobby of the House of Commons, where he used to play the whole game, (as they term it,) that is, cheat all he could, and those who pretended to dispute it with him, must fight him.

The virtues of some of his family were equal to his; one of his brothers was a youth of genius, when he was but seven years old, he used to be carried in a basket, upon a porter’s back, into a crowd, and snatch hats and wigs: according to the exact chronology of Newgate, he was the first who practised this ingenious trick. After this, he applied himself to picking of pockets; when he increased in strength, he attempted greater things, such as housebreaking, etc. But after he had run a short race, he had the misfortune of ending his days at Tyburn, in company with Stephen Bunce, and the celebrated Jack Hall the chimney-sweeper.

But to return to Ned, when he came to man’s estate, at his eldest brother’s desire, he went to sea with him, and so continued for three or four years, and then parted; and Ned work’d in a rigging-house in Boston in New England, for a while. About six years ago, he took a trip home to England, to see his mother, who is yet living. His stay was not long here; but taking leave of his friends and acquaintance, for the last time he should see them; for so he was pleased to say; he returned to Boston, and work’d a year or two longer at the rigging business. But being too apt to disagree with his masters, he left them, and shipp’d himself in a sloop