II
Of Captain Martel, and His Crew
I come now to the pirates that have rose since the Peace of Utrecht; in wartime there is no room for any, because all those of a roving advent’rous disposition find employment in privateers, so there is no opportunity for pirates; like our mobs in London, when they come to any height, our superiors order out the trainbands, and when once they are raised, the others are suppressed of course; I take the reason of it to be, that the mob go into the tame army, and immediately from notorious breakers of the peace, become, by being put into order, solemn preservers of it. And should our legislators put some of the pirates into authority, it would not only lessen their number, but, I imagine, set them upon the rest, and they would be the likeliest people to find them out, according to the proverb, set a thief to catch a thief.
To bring this about, there needs no other encouragement, but to give all the effects taken aboard a pirate vessel to the captors; for in case of plunder and gain, they like it as well from friends, as enemies, but are not fond, as things are carry’d, of ruining poor fellows, say the Creoleans, with no advantage to themselves.
The multitude of men and vessels, employ’d this way, in time of war, in the West Indies, is another reason, for the number of pirates in a time of peace: this cannot be supposed to be a reflection on any of our American governments, much less on the King himself, by whose authority such commissions are granted, because of the reasonableness, and absolute necessity, there is for the doing of it; yet the observation is just, for so many idle people employing themselves in privateers, for the sake of plunder and riches, which they always spend as fast as they get, that when the war is over, and they can have no farther business in the way of life they have been used to, they too readily engage in acts of piracy, which being but the same practice without a commission, they make very little distinction betwixt the lawfulness of one, and the unlawfulness of the other.
I have not enquired so far back, as to know the original of this rover, but I believe he and his gang, were some privateer’s men belonging to the island of Jamaica, in the preceding war; his story is but short, for his reign was so; an end having been put to his adventures in good time, when he was growing strong and formidable. We find him commander of a pirate sloop of eight guns, and 80 men, in the month of , cruising off Jamaica, Cuba, etc. about which time he took the Berkley galley, Captain Saunders, and plundered him of 1,000 £ in money, and afterwards met with a sloop call’d the King Solomon, from whom he took some money, and provisions, besides goods, to a good value.
They proceeded after this to the Port of Cavena, at the island of Cuba, and in their way took two sloops, which they plundered, and let go; and off the port fell in with a fine galley, with 20 guns, call’d the John and Martha, Captain Wilson, which they attacked under the piratical black flag, and made themselves masters of her. They put some of the men ashore, and others they detain’d, as they had done several times, to increase their company; but Captain Martel, charged Captain Wilson, to advise his owners, that their ship would answer his purpose exactly, by taking one deck down, and as for the cargo, which consisted chiefly of logwood and sugar, he would take care it should be carry’d to a good market.
Having fitted up the aforesaid ship, as they design’d, they mounted her with 22 guns, 100 men, and left 25 hands in the sloop, and so proceeded to cruise off the Leeward Islands, where they met with but too much success. After the taking of a sloop and a brigantine, they gave chase to a stout ship, which they came up with, and, at sight of the pirate’s flag, she struck to the robbers, being a ship of 20 guns, call’d the Dolphin, bound for Newfoundland. Captain Martel made the men prisoners, and carry’d the ship with him.
The middle of December the pirates took another galley in her voyage home from Jamaica, call’d the Kent, Captain Lawton, and shifted her provisions aboard their own ship, and let her go, which obliged her to sail back to Jamaica for a supply for her voyage. After this they met with a small ship and a sloop, belonging to Barbados, out of both they took provisions, and then parted with them, having first taken out some of their hands, who were willing to be forced to go along with them. The Greyhound galley of London, Captain Evans, from Guinea to Jamaica, was the next that had the misfortune to fall in their way, which they did not detain long, for as soon as they could get out all her gold dust, elephants’ teeth, and 40 slaves, they sent her onwards upon her voyage … …
They concluded now, that ’twas high time to get into harbour and refit, as well
