At length he came to Boston, in New England, and seem’d to have a desire of settling in those parts, and some of his companions went onshore there also, but he changed his resolution, and proposed to the few of his companions who were left, to sail for Ireland, which they consented to: he found out that New England was not a proper place for him, because a great deal of his wealth lay in diamonds; and should he have produced them there, he would have certainly been seiz’d on suspicion of piracy.
In their voyage to Ireland, they avoided St. George’s Channel, and sailing north about, they put into one of the northern ports of that kingdom; there they disposed of their sloop, and coming onshore they separated themselves, some going to Cork, and some to Dublin, 18 of whom obtain’d their pardons afterwards of K. William. When Avery had remain’d some time in this kingdom, he was afraid to offer his diamonds to sale, lest an enquiry into his manner of coming by them should occasion a discovery; therefore considering with himself what was best to be done, he fancied there were some persons at Bristol, whom he might venture to trust; upon which, he resolved to pass over into England; he did so, and going into Devonshire, he sent to one of these friends to meet him at a town called Biddiford; when he had communicated himself to his friends, and consulted with him about the means of his effects, they agreed, that the safest method would be, to put them in the hands of some merchants, who being men of wealth and credit in the world, no enquiry would be made how they came by them; this friend telling him he was very intimate with some who were very fit for the purpose, and if he would but allow them a good commission would do the business very faithfully. Avery liked the proposal, for he found no other way of managing his affairs, since he could not appear in them himself; therefore his friend going back to Bristol, and opening the matter to the merchants, they made Avery a visit at Biddiford, where, after some protestations of honour and integrity, he delivered them his effects, consisting of diamonds and some vessels of gold; they gave him a little money for his present subsistence, and so they parted.
He changed his name and lived at Biddiford, without making any figure, and therefore there was no great notice taken of him; yet let one or two of his relations know where he was, who came to see him. In some time his little money was spent, yet he heard nothing from his merchants; he writ to them often, and after much importunity they sent him a small supply, but scarce sufficient to pay his debts: in fine, the supplies they sent him from time to time, were so small, that they were not sufficient to give him bread, nor could he get that little, without a great deal of trouble and importunity, wherefore being weary of his life, he went privately to Bristol, to speak to the merchants himself, where instead of money he met a most shocking repulse, for when he desired them to come to an account with him, they silenced him by threatening to discover him, so that our merchants were as good pirates at land as he was at sea.
Whether he was frightened by these menaces, or had seen somebody else he thought knew him, is not known; but he went immediately over to Ireland, and from thence solicited his merchants very hard for a supply, but to no purpose, for he was even reduced to beggary: in this extremity he was resolved to return and cast himself upon them, let the consequence be what it would. He put himself on board a trading vessel, and work’d his passage over to Plymouth, from whence he traveled on foot to Biddiford, where he had been but a few days before he fell sick and died; not being worth as much as would buy him a coffin.
Thus have I given all that could be collected of any certainty concerning this man; rejecting the idle stories which were made of his fantastic greatness, by which it appears, that his actions were more inconsiderable than those of other pirates, since him, though he made more noise in the world.
Now we shall turn back and give our readers some account of what became of the two sloops.
We took notice of the rage and confusion, which must have seized them, upon their missing of Avery; however, they continued their course, some of them still flattering themselves that he had only outsailed them in the night, and that they should find him at the place of rendezvous: but when they came there, and could hear no tidings of him, there was an end of hope. It was time to consider what they should do with themselves, their stock of sea provision was almost spent, and though there was rice and fish, and fowl to be had ashore, yet these would not keep for sea, without being properly cured with salt, which they had no conveniency of doing; therefore, since they could not go a-cruising anymore, it was time to think of establishing themselves at land; to which purpose they took all things out of the sloops, made tents of the sails, and encamped themselves, having a large quantity of ammunition, and abundance of small arms.
Here they met with several of their countrymen, the crew of a privateer sloop which was commanded by Captain Thomas Tew; and since it will be but a short digression, we will give an account how they came here.
Captain George Dew and Captain Thomas Tew, having received commissions from the then governor of Bermuda,
