Having taken all the treasure on board their own ships, and plundered their prize of everything else they either wanted or liked, they let her go; she not being able to continue her voyage, returned back: as soon as the news came to the mogul, and he knew that they were English who had robbed them, he threatened loud, and talked of sending a mighty army with fire and sword, to extirpate the English from all their settlements on the Indian coast. The East India Company in England, were very much alarmed at it; however, by degrees, they found means to pacify him, by promising to do their endeavours to take the robbers, and deliver them into his hands; however, the great noise this thing made in Europe, as well as India, was the occasion of all these romantic stories which were formed of Avery’s greatness.
In the meantime our successful plunderers agreed to make the best of their way back to Madagascar, intending to make that place their magazine or repository for all their treasure, and to build a small fortification there, and leave a few hands always ashore to look after it, and defend it from any attempts of the natives; but Avery put an end to this project, and made it altogether unnecessary.
As they were steering their course, as has been said, he sends a boat on board of each of the sloops, desiring the chief of them to come on board of him, in order to hold a council; they did so, and he told them he had something to propose to them for the common good, which was to provide against accidents; he bade them consider the treasure they were possess’d of, would be sufficient for them all if they could secure it in some place onshore; therefore all they had to fear, was some misfortune in the voyage; he bade them consider the consequences of being separated by bad weather, in which case, the sloops, if either of them should fall in with any ships of force, must be either taken or sunk, and the treasure on board her lost to the rest, besides the common accidents of the sea; as for his part he was so strong, he was able to make his party good with any ship they were like to meet in those seas; that if he met with any ship of such strength, that he could not take her, he was safe from being taken, being so well mann’d; besides his ship was a quick sailor, and could carry sail, when the sloops could not, wherefore, he proposed to them, to put the treasure on board his ship, to seal up each chest with 3 seals, whereof each was to keep one, and to appoint a rendezvous, in case of separation.
Upon considering this proposal, it appeared so reasonable to them, that they readily came into it, for they argued to themselves, that an accident might happen to one of the sloops and the other escape, wherefore it was for the common good. The thing was done as agreed to, the treasure put on board of Avery, and the chests seal’d; they kept company that day and the next, the weather being fair, in which time Avery tampered with his men, telling them they now had sufficient, to make them all easy, and what should hinder them from going to some country, where they were not known, and living onshore all the rest of their days in plenty; they understood what he meant: and in short, they all agreed to bilk their new allies, the sloops’ men, nor do I find that any of them felt any qualms of honour rising in his stomach, to hinder them from consenting to this piece of treachery. In fine, they took advantage of the darkness that night, steer’d another course, and, by morning, lost sight of them.
I leave the reader to judge, what swearing and confusion there was among the sloops’ men, in the morning, when they saw that Avery had given them the slip; for they knew by the fairness of the weather, and the course they had agreed to steer, that it must have been done on purpose: but we leave them at present to follow Mr. Avery.
Avery, and his men, having consulted what to do with themselves, came to a resolution, to make the best of their way towards America; and none of them being known in those parts, they intended to divide the treasure, to change their names, to go ashore, some in one place, some in other, to purchase some settlements, and live at ease. The first land they made, was the island of Providence, then newly settled; here they stayed some time, and having considered that when they should go to New England, the greatness of their ship, would cause much enquiry about them; and possibly some people from England, who had heard the story of a ship’s being run away with from the Groyne, might suspect them to be the people; they therefore took a resolution of disposing of their ship at Providence: upon which, Avery pretending that the ship being fitted out upon the privateering account, and having had no success, he had received orders from the owners, to dispose of her to the best advantage, he soon met with a purchaser, and immediately bought a sloop.
In this sloop, he and his companions embarq’d, they touch’d at several parts of America, where no person suspected them; and some of them went onshore, and dispersed themselves about the country, having received such dividends as Avery would give them; for he concealed the
