A General History of the Pirates

gave the first fire, and pouring in a broadside upon Davis, killed nine of his men, Davis returned it, and a very hot engagement followed, which lasted from one a clock at noon, till nine next morning, when the Dutchman struck, and yielded herself their prize.

Davis fitted up the Dutch ship for his own use, and called her the Rover, aboard of which he mounted thirty-two guns, and twenty-seven swivels, and proceeded with her and the King James, to Anomabu; he entered the bay betwixt the hours of twelve and one at noon, and found there three ships lying at anchor, who were trading for Negroes, gold and teeth: the names of these ships were the Hink pink, Captain Hall Commander, the Princess, Captain Plumb, of which Roberts, who will make a considerable figure in the sequel of this history, was second mate, and the Morrice sloop, Captain Fin; he takes these ships without any resistance, and having plundered them, he makes a present of one of them, viz. the Morrice sloop, to the Dutchmen, on board of which alone were found a hundred and forty Negroes, besides dry goods, and a considerable quantity of gold dust.

It happened there were several canoes alongside of this last, when Davis came in, who saved themselves and got ashore; these gave notice at the fort, that these ships were pirates, upon which the fort fired upon them, but without any execution, for their mettle was not of weight enough to reach them; Davis therefore, by way of defiance, hoisted his black flag and returned their compliment.

The same day he sail’d with his three ships, making his way down the coast towards Prince’s, a Portuguese colony: but, before we proceed any farther in Davis’ story, we shall give our reader an account of the Portuguese settlements on this coast, with other curious remarks, as they were communicated to me by an ingenious gentleman, lately arrived from those parts.

A Description of the Islands of São Tomé, del Príncipe, and Annobón

As the Portuguese were the great improvers of navigation, and the first Europeans who traded too and settled on the coasts of Africa, even round to India, and made those discoveries, which now turn so much to the advantage of other nations, it may not be amiss, previously to a description of those islands, to hint on that wonderful property of the lodestone, that a little before had been found out, and enabled them to pursue such new and daring navigations.

The attractive power of the lodestone, was universally known with the ancients, as may be believed by its being a native fossil of the Grecians, (magnes a Magnesia) but its directive, or polar virtue, has only been known to us within this 350 years, and said to be found out by John Goia of Malphi, in the kingdom of Naples, prima dedit nautis usum magnetis Amalphi; though others think, and assure us, it was transported by Paulus Venetus from China to Italy, like the other famous arts of modern use with us, printing and the use of guns.

The other properties of improvements of the magnet, viz. variation, or its defluxion from an exact N. or S. line, variation of that variation, and its inclination, were the inventions of Sebastian Cabot, Mr. Gellibrand, and Mr. Norman; the inclination of the needle, or that property whereby it keeps an elevation above the horizon, in all places but under the equator, (where it’s parallel) is as surprising a phenomenon as any, and was the discovery of our countrymen; and could it be found regular, I imagine would very much help towards the discovery of longitude, at least would point out better methods than hitherto known, when ships drew nigh land, which would answer as useful an end.

Before the verticity and use of the compass, the Portuguese navigations had extended no farther than Cape Non, (it was their ne plus ultra,) and therefore so called; distress of weather, indeed, had drove some coasters to Porto Santo, and Madeira, before any certain method of steering was invented; but after the needle was seen thus inspired, navigation every year improved under the great encouragements of Henry, Alphonsus, and John II. Kings of Portugal, in part of the 14th and in the 15th century.

King Alphonsus was not so much at leasure as his predecessor, to pursue these discoveries, but having seen the advantages accrued to Portugal by them, and that the Pope had confirmed the perpetual donation of all they should discover between Cape Bojador and India, inclusively, he resolved not to neglect the proper assistance, and farmed the profits that did or might ensue to one Bernard Gomez, a citizen of Lisbon, who was every voyage obliged to discover 100 leagues, still farther on: and about the year 1470 made these islands, the only places (of all the considerable and large colonies they had in Africa,) that do now remain to that crown.

São Tomé is the principal of the three, whose governor is styled captain general of the islands, and from whom the other at Prince’s receives his commission, though nominated by the court of Portugal: it is a bishopric with a great many secular clergy who appear to have neither learning nor devotion, as may be judged by several of them being Negroes: one of the chief of them, invited us to hear Mass, as a diversion to pass time away, where he, and his inferior brethren acted such affected gestures and strains of voice, as showed to their dishonour, they had no other aim than pleasing us; and what I think was still worse, it was not without a view of interest; for as these clergy are the chief traders, they stoop to pitiful and scandalous methods for ingratiating themselves: they and the government, on this trading account, maintain as great harmony, being ever jealous of each other, and practising