Low ordered the schooner to lie in the fare between St. Michael’s and St. Mary’s, where, about the , Captain Carter in the Wright galley, had the ill fortune to come in her way; and because at first they showed inclinations to defend themselves, and what they had, the pirates cut and mangled them in a barbarous manner; particularly some Portuguese passengers, two of which being friars, they triced up at each arm of the fore-yard, but let them down again before they were quite dead, and this they repeated several times out of sport.
Another Portuguese, who was also Captain Carter’s passenger, putting on a sorrowful countenance at what he saw acted, one of this vile crew attacked him upon the deck, saying, he did not like his looks, and thereupon gave him one blow across his belly with his cutlash, that cut out his bowels, and he fell down dead without speaking a word. At the same time another of these rogues cutting at a prisoner, missed his mark, and Captain Low standing in his way, very opportunely received the stroke upon his under jaw, which laid the teeth bare; upon this the surgeon was called, who immediately stitched up the wound, but Low finding fault with the operation, the surgeon being tolerably drunk, as it was customary for everybody to be, struck Low such a blow with his fist, that broke out all the stitches, and then bid him sew up his chops himself and be damned, so that Low made a very pitiful figure for some time after.
When they had plundered Captain Carter’s ship, several of them were for burning her, as they had done the Frenchman, but it was otherwise resolved at last; for after they had cut her cables, rigging and sails to pieces, they left her to the mercy of the sea.
After these depredations, they steered for the island of Madeira, where missing other booty, they took up with a fishing boat, with two old men and a boy in her, one of which they detained on board, but sent the other ashore with a flag of truce, demanding a boat of water of the governor, on pain of taking away the old man’s life, whom they threatened to hang at the yardarm, upon their refusal; but the thing being complied with, the old man was honourably (as the pirates say) discharged, and all the three much handsomer clothed than when they took them. From this island they sailed to the Canaries, but meeting with no prey there, they continued their course for the Cape de Verde Islands, and at Bonavista, took a ship called the Liverpool merchant, Captain Goulding, from whom they stole a great quantity of provisions and dry goods, 300 gallons of brandy, two guns and carriages, a mast, yard and hawsers, besides six of his men, and then would not let them trade there, nor at St. Nicholas, but obliged Captain Goulding to go with his ship, to the Isle of May.
The pirate also took among these islands, a ship belonging to Liverpool, Scot Commander; two Portuguese sloops bound for Brazil; a small English sloop trading there, James Peas Master, bound to Santa Cruz, and three sloops from St. Thomas bound to Curaçao, the masters names were Lilly, Staples and Simpkins, all which they plundered, and then let go about their business, except one sloop which they fitted up for the following purpose.
Low had heard by one of the above mentioned ships, that two small gallies were expected every day at the Western Islands, viz. the Greyhound, Captain Glass, and the Joliff, Captain Aram; the former of which was designed to be fitted for the piratical trade to Brazil, if things had happened to their minds. They mann’d the sloop, and sent her in quest of one or both of these ships to the Western Islands aforesaid, whilst they carreen’d their ship Rose, at one of the Cape de Verdes: but now fortune that had hitherto been so propitious to them, left her minions, and baffled for the present all their hopes, for the sloop missing of their prey, was reduced to great necessities for want of provisions and water, so that they ventured to go ashore at St. Michael’s for a supply, and pass for a trader; but they play’d their parts so awkwardly, that they were suspected by the governor to be what they really were, and he was soon put out of doubt by a visit some Portuguese made them, who happened unluckily to be passengers in Captain Carter’s ship, when Low took her, and knew the gentlemen’s faces very well; upon which the whole crew was conducted into the castle, where they were provided for as long as they liv’d.
Low, in the meantime, did not fare quite so ill, but had his intended voyage to Brazil spoil’d, by the oversetting of his ship, when she was upon the careen, whereby she was lost, so that he was reduc’d to his old schooner, which he called the Fancy, aboard of which they all went, to the number of 100, as vile rogues as ever ended their lives at Tyburn. They proceeded now to the West Indies, but before they had gotten far on their voyage, they attack’d a rich Portuguese ship, call’d the Nostre Signiora de Victoria, bound home from Bahia, and after some resistance, took her. Low tortur’d several of the men, to make them declare where the money, (which he suppos’d they had on board) lay, and extorted by that means, a
