Since their surrender to the Spaniards, I am informed several of them have left the place, and dispersed themselves elsewhere; eight of them were shipp’d about November last, in one of the South Sea Company’s assiento sloops, and passed for shipwreck’d men, came to Jamaica, and there sailed in other vessels; and I know one of them that came to England this spring from that island. ’Tis said that Captain Taylor has taken a commission in the Spanish service, and commanded the man-of-war that lately attack’d the English logwood cutters, in the Bay of Honduras.
VI
Of Captain Charles Vane, and His Crew
Charles Vane was one of those who stole away the silver which the Spaniards had fished up from the wrecks of the galleons, in the Gulf of Florida, and was at Providence (as has been before hinted) when Governor Rogers arrived there with two men-of-war.
All the pirates who were found at this colony of rogues, submitted, and received certificates of their pardon, except Captain Vane and his crew; who, as soon as they saw the men-of-war enter, slipp’d their cable, set fire to a prize they had in the harbour, and sailed out with their piratical colours flying, firing at one of the men-of-war as they went off.
Two days after they went out, they met with a sloop belonging to Barbados, which they made prize of, and kept the vessel for their own use, putting aboard five and twenty hands, with one Yeats to command them. a day or two afterwards they fell in with a small interloping trader, with a quantity of Spanish pieces of eight aboard, bound into Providence, called the John and Elizabeth, which they also took along with them. With these two sloops Vane went to a small island and cleaned; where they shared their booty, and spent some time in a riotous manner of living, as is the custom of pirates.
The latter end of , they sail’d, and being in want of provisions, they beat up for the Windward Islands, and met with a Spanish sloop bound from Puerto Rico to the Havana, which they burnt, and stowed the Spaniards in a boat, and left them to get to the island, by the light of their vessel. But steering between St. Christopher’s and Anguilla, they fell in with a brigantine and a sloop, with the cargo they wanted; from whom they got provisions for sea-store.
Some time after this, standing to the northward, in the track the old England ships take, in their voyage to the American colonies, they took several ships and vessels, which they plundered of what they thought fit, and let them pass.
The latter end of , Vane, with his consort Yeats, came off South Carolina, and took a ship belonging to Ipswich, one Coggershall Commander, laden with logwood, which was thought convenient enough for their own business, and therefore ordered their prisoners to work, and throw all the lading overboard; but when they had more than half cleared the ship, the whim changed, and then they would not have her; so Coggershall had his ship again, and he was suffered to pursue his voyage home. In this cruise the rover took several other ships and vessels, particularly a sloop from Barbados, Dill Master; a small ship from Antigua, Cock Master; a sloop belonging to Curaçao, Richards Master; and a large brigantine, Captain Thompson, from Guinea, with ninety odd Negroes aboard. The pirates plundered them all and let them go, putting the Negroes out of the brigantine aboard of Yeats’ vessel, by which means they came back again to the right owners.
For Captain Vane, having always treated his consort with very little respect, assuming a superiority over Yeats and his small crew, and regarding the vessel but as a tender to his own; gave them a disgust, who thought themselves as good pirates, and as great rogues as the best of them; so they caball’d together, and resolved to take the first opportunity to leave the company; and accept of His Majesty’s pardon, or set up for themselves, either of which they thought more honourable than to be servants to the former; and the putting aboard so many Negroes, where they found so few hands to take care of them, still aggravated the matter, though they thought fit to conceal or stifle their resentments at that time.
A day or two afterwards, the pirates lying off at anchor, Yeats in the evening slipp’d his cable, and put his vessel under sail, standing into the shore; which, when Vane saw, he was highly provoked, and got his sloop under sail to chase his consort, who, he plainly perceived, had a mind to have no further affairs with him: Vane’s brigantine sailing best, he gained ground of Yeats, and would certainly have come up with him, had he had a little longer run for it; but just as he got over the bar, when Vane came within gunshot of him, he fired a broadside at his old friend, (which did him no damage,) and so took his leave.
Yeats came into North Edisto River, about ten leagues southward of Charleston, and sent an express to the Governor, to know if he and his comrades might have the benefit of His Majesty’s pardon, and they would surrender themselves to his mercy, with the sloops and Negroes; which being granted, they all came up and received certificates; and Captain Thompson, from whom the Negroes were taken, had them restored to him, for the use of his owners.
Vane cruised some time off the bar, in hopes to catch Yeats at his coming out again, but therein he was disappointed; however, he unfortunately for them, took two ships from Charleston, bound home to England. It happen’d that just at this time two sloops well mann’d and arm’d, were equipp’d to go after a pirate, which the Governor of South Carolina was
