When the sloop arrived in the bay, Ned Low was appointed patron of the boat, which was employ’d in cutting of logwood, and bringing it aboard to lade the ship; for that is the commodity they make the voyage for: in the boat were twelve men besides Low, who all go arm’d, because of the Spaniards, from whom this logwood is but little better than stole. It happened that the boat one day came aboard just before dinner was ready, and Low desired that they might stay and dine; but the captain, being in a hurry for his lading, ordered them a bottle of rum, and to take t’other trip, because no time should be lost: this provoked the boat’s crew, but particularly Low, who takes up a loaded musket and fires at the captain, but missing him, shot another poor fellow thro’ the head, then put off the boat, and with his twelve companions goes to sea: the next day they took a small vessel, and go in her, make a black flag, and declare war against all the world.
They then proceeded to the Island of the Grand Cayman, intending to have fitted up their small vessel, and prepare themselves as well as their circumstances would permit, for their honourable employment; but falling in company with George Lowther, another pirate there, who paying his compliments to Low, as great folks do to one another when they meet, and offering himself as an ally; Low accepted of the terms, and so the treaty was presently sign’d without plenipos or any other formalities.
We have already given an account of their joint piracies, under Lowther as chief commander, till the , when they took a brigantine of Boston, bound thither from St. Christopher’s, at which time they parted, and Edward Low went into the brigantine, with forty-four others, who chose him their captain: they took with them two guns, four swivels, six quarter-casks of powder, provisions and some stores, and so left Lowther to prosecute his adventures, with the men he had left.
Their first adventure in the brigantine, was on Sunday the , when they took a vessel belonging to Amboy, John Hance Master, whom he rifled of his provisions, and let go; the same day he met with a sloop, James Calquhoon Master, off of Rhode Island, bound into that port, whom he first plundered, and then cut away his bowsprit, and all his rigging, also his sails from the yards, and wounded the master, to prevent his getting in to give intelligence, and then stood away to the southeastward, with all the sail he could make, there being then but little wind.
Low judged right in making sail from the coast, for a longer stay had proved fatal to him, for notwithstanding the disabled condition he had rendered the sloop in, she made shift to get into Block Island, at that night, and immediately dispatched a whaleboat to Rhode Island, which got thither by the next morning, with an account of the pirate, his force, and what had happened to him: as soon as the governor had received this information, he ordered a drum to beat up for volunteers, and two of the best sloops then in the harbour, to be fitted out: he gave commissions to one Captain John Headland, and Captain John Brown, Jr. for ten days; the former had eight guns and two swivels, and the latter six guns, well fitted with small arms, and in both sloops 140 stout fellows; all this was performed with so much expedition, that before sunset, they were under sail, turning out of the harbour, at the same time the pirate was seen from Block Island, which gave great hopes that the sloops would be masters of her the next day, which however did not happen, for the sloops returned into harbour some days afterwards, without so much as seeing their enemy.
After this escape, Captain Low, went into port, upon the coast, for he had not fresh water enough to run to the islands, where he stayed a few days, getting provisions and what necessaries the crew wanted, and then sailed for purchase, (as they call it) steering their course towards Marblehead.
About the , the brigantine sailed into the harbour of Port Rosemary, and there found thirteen ships and vessels, but none of force, at anchor, they spread their black flag, and ran in among them; Low telling them from the brigantine, they should have no quarters if they resisted; in the meantime they mann’d and arm’d their boat, and took possession of every one of them, plundered them of what they thought fit, and converted one to their own use, viz. a schooner of 80 tons, aboard of which they put 10 carriage guns, and 50 men, and Low himself went captain, and nam’d her the Fancy, making one Charles Harris, (who was at first forced into their service out of the Greyhound of Boston, by Lowther, of which ship Harris was second mate) captain of the brigantine: out of these vessels they took several hands, and increased the company to 80 men, who all signed the articles, some willingly, and a few perhaps by force, and so sailed away from Marblehead.
Some time after this, they met with two sloops bound for Boston, with provisions for the garrison, and the schooner coming up first, attacked them, but there happening to be an officer and some soldiers on board, who gave them a warm reception, Low chose to stay till he should be joined by the brigantine; in the meanwhile the sloops made the best of their way, and the pirates gave them chase two days, and at last lost sight of them in a fog.
They now steered for the Leeward Islands, but in their voyage met with such a hurricane of wind, that the like had not
