If any man shall lose a joint in time of an engagement, shall have 400 pieces of eight; if a limb, 800.
If at any time you meet with a prudent woman, that man that offers to meddle with her, without her consent, shall suffer present death.
Thus prepar’d, this bold crew set out, and before they left the banks they made prize of several small fishing vessels, out of which they got a few hands, some French and some English, and then sail’d for the West Indies; in one of these vessels they took out one John Rose Archer, who having been a pirate under the famous Blackbeard, was immediately preferr’d over other people’s heads, to be quartermaster to the company; which sudden promotion so disgusted some of the older standers, especially Fern, the carpenter, that it occasioned some mischief to follow, as we shall show by and by.
The pirates came off Barbados the beginning of October, and cruised there, and among other islands, above three months, without speaking with a vessel, so that they were almost starv’d for want of provisions, being reduc’d to a pound of meat a day between ten; at length they fell in with a Martinique man of 12 guns and 35 hands, far superior in force, and what they would not have ventur’d on at another time, but hunger will break down stone walls; they were resolved to show the Frenchmen their black flag; and if that would not do, they must seek out elsewhere; accordingly, they boldly ran up alongside of the sloop, with their piratical colours flying, and told them, if they did not strike immediately, they would give them no quarters; which so intimidated the Frenchmen, that they never fired a gun. This proved a reasonable supply; they took her provisions, and four of her men, and let her go. They took presently after, a sloop belonging to New York, and a Virginia man, Huffam Master.
Having now occasion to clean their vessel, Phillips propos’d Tobago, where the company he formerly belong’d to, under Anstis and Fenn, broke up; to induce them to it, he told them when he left the island, there was left behind six or eight of their company that were not willing to go to England, with three Negroes: whereupon they sail’d to the island, and after a careful search, found only one of the Negroes, whose name was Pedro, who inform’d Captain Phillips, that those that were left behind were taken by a man-of-war’s crew, and hang’d at Antigua, among whom was Fenn, their captain.
They took Pedro on board, and then fell to business, careening their vessel; and just as they had finished their work, a man-of-war’s boat came into the harbour, the ship being cruising to leeward of the island. It was easily guess’d upon what errand she was sent, and therefore they lost no time, but, as soon as the boat went away, warp’d out, and ply’d to windward for security, but left the four Frenchmen, they took out of the Martinique sloop, behind.
In a few days they took a snow with a few hands, and Fern, the carpenter, one William Phillips, Wood and Taylor, went aboard to take possession of her. Fern, not forgetting the affront of having Archer preferr’d before him, resolv’d to go off with the prize, and brought the rest into the same measures; however Phillips, the captain, keeping a good lookout, perceiv’d their design, and gave them chase, who coming up with the vessel, a skirmish ensu’d, wherein Wood was kill’d and Taylor wounded in his leg; upon which the other two surrender’d. There was no surgeon aboard, and therefore it was advis’d, upon a learned consultation, that Phillips’ leg should be cut off; but who should perform the operation was the dispute; at length the carpenter was appointed, as the most proper man: upon which, he fetch’d up the biggest saw, and taking the limb under his arm, fell to work, and separated it from the body of the patient, in as little time as he could have cut a deal board in two; after that he heated his axe red hot in the fire, and cauteriz’d the wound, but not with so much art as he perform’d the other part, for he so burnt his flesh distant from the place of amputation, that it had like to have mortify’d; however nature perform’d a cure at last without any other assistance.
From Tobago they stood away to the northward and took a Portuguese bound for Brazil, and two or three sloops from Jamaica, in one of which, Fern the carpenter, endeavouring to go off, was kill’d by Phillips the captain, pursuant to their articles; another had the same fate some days after for the like attempt. These severities made it dangerous for any to consult or project an escape; the terror of which made several sign their articles and set down quietly, waiting impatiently for redemption, which as yet they saw no great likelyhood of, and should they have been taken before such circumstances appear’d in their actions or characters, as afterwards happen’d, to denote their innocence, they might have lost their lives upon a trial at a court of admiralty; for pretty strong evidence is expected in their favour, to balance that of being taken aboard a vessel which is prov’d to be in actual piracy, and they assisting therein.
Thus was many an honest man’s case made most desperate by the consummate villainy of a few hardened wretches, who fear neither God or devil, as this Phillips us’d often blasphemously to express himself.
On the they took two ships from Virginia for London, John Phillips, the pirate captain’s namesake, was master of one, and Captain Robert Mortimer, the other, a brisk young fellow, that deserv’d a better
