In January last, Low took a ship, called the Squirrel, Captain Stephenson; but what became of him afterwards, I can’t tell; we have had no news concerning him come to England, since this I have now mentioned; but I have heard that he talk’d of going to Brazil; and if so, it is likely we may too soon hear of some exploit or other; though the best information we could receive, would be, that he and all his crew were at the bottom of the sea.
XIV
Of Capt. John Evans, and His Crew
John Evans was a Welsh man, had been formerly master of a sloop belonging to Nevis, but losing his employ there, he sailed for some time out of Jamaica as mate, till happening in company of three or four of his comrades, and wages not being so good as formerly, and berths scarce, because of the great number of seamen; they agreed to go abroad in search of adventures. They sailed, or rather rowed out of Port Royal in Jamaica, the latter end of , in a canoa; and coming on the north side of the island, went ashore in the night, broke open a house or two, and robb’d them of some money, and everything else they could find that was portable, and brought the booty on board the canoa.
This was very well for the first time, but this kind of robbery did not please so well, they wanted to get out to sea, but having no vessel but their canoa, they were prevented in their laudable design; however, they kept a good look out, and traversed the island, in expectation that providence would send some unfortunate vessel as a sacrifice, and in a few days their wishes were accomplished; for at Dunn’s Hole, they found a small sloop at an anchor, belonging to Bermuda: they made bold and went aboard, and Evans informed the folks that belonged to her, that he was captain of the vessel, which was a piece of news they knew not before. After they had put their affairs in a proper disposition aboard, they went ashore to a little village for refreshments, and lived jovially the remaining part of the day, at a tavern, spending three pistols, and then departed. The people of the house admired at the merry guests they had got, were mightily pleased, and wished for their company at another time, which happened too soon for their profit; for, in the middle of the night, they came ashore all hands, rifled the house, and carried what they could aboard their sloop.
The next day they weighed in the sloop, aboard of which they mounted four guns, called her the Scowerer, and sailed to Hispaniola; on the north part of which island they took a Spanish sloop, which proved an extraordinary rich prize, as it fell among so few persons as this company consisted of, for they shared upwards of 150 £ a man.
In pursuance of the game, and beating up for the Windward Islands, the Scowerer met with a ship from New England, bound to Jamaica, 120 tons, called the Dove, Captain Diamond Master, off Puerto Rico: they plundered her, and strengthened their own company, by taking out the mate, and two or three other men; they discharged the prize, and run into one of the islands for fresh water and necessaries, and stayed there some time.
The next prize they made, was the Lucretia and Catherine, Captain Mills, of 200 ton burden; they came up with her near the island Disseada, . Upon seizing of this ship, the pirates began to take upon themselves the distribution of justice, examining the men concerning their master’s usage of them, according to the custom of other pirates; but the captain overhearing the matter, put an end to the judicial proceedings, and fell to rummaging the ship, saying to them, What have we to do to turn reformers, ’tis money we want? And speaking to the prisoners, he asked them, Does your captain give you victuals enough? And they answering in the affirmative: why then, said he, he ought to give you work enough.
After the taking of this prize, they went to the little island of Avis, with a design to clean, and carried the Lucretia along with them, in order to heave down the Scowerer by her; but meeting there with a sloop, the pirate gave chase till the evening, when she was within gunshot of her; but fearing to lose company with the Lucretia, who was a heavy sailor, they left off, and saw her no more. This chase brought them to leeward of their port, so that they were obliged to look out for another place of retreat, and the island of Ruby not being far distant, they steered for that, and anchored there accordingly; but the next day a Dutch sloop coming as it were, into their mouths, they could not forbear dealing, and so making her their prize, they plundered her of what came, when shared, to fifty pounds a man.
They found this sloop more for their purpose than the Lucretia, to clean their own sloop by, as being much lower in the waist, and therefore capable of heaving her bottom farther out of the water, so she was discharged, and the Dutchman kept in her room; but not thinking it convenient to lay up here, for fear a discovery should be made, they turned their thoughts another way, and steered to the coast of Jamaica, where they took a sugar drover, and then run to the Grand Cayman, about 30 leagues to leeward of Jamaica, with intention to clean there; but an unhappy accident put an end to their piracies, which hitherto had proved very successful to them.
The boatswain of
