learn’d the intent of their voyage, and cleaning on the coast; which made him set down with more security to his diversion, and furnish him with such intimations, as made his first range down the coast in following, more prosperous; the Swallow and Weymouth being then at the Port of Prince’s a-cleaning.

Their stay at Prince’s was from to , where, by a fatality, common to the irregularities of seamen, (who cannot in such cases be kept under due restraints,) they buried 100 men in three weeks time, and reduced the remainder of the ships companies into so sickly a state, that it was with difficulty they brought them to sail; and this misfortune was probably the ruin of Roberts, for it prevented the men-of-war’s going back to Sierra Leone, as it was intended, there being a necessity of leaving His Majesty’s ship Weymouth (in much the worse condition of the two) under the guns of Cape Corso, to impress men, being unable at this time, either to hand the sails, or weigh her anchor; and Roberts being ignorant of the occasion or alteration of the first design, fell into the mouth of danger, when he thought himself the farthest from it; for the men-of-war not endeavouring to attain further to windward (when they came from Prince’s) then to secure Cape Corso Road under their lee, they luckily hovered in the track he had took.

The Swallow and Weymouth fell in with the continent at Cape Apollonia, , and there received the ungrateful news from one Captain Bird; a notice that awaken’d and put them on their guard; but they were far from expecting any temerity should ever bring him a second time on the coast, while they were there; therefore the Swallow having seen the Weymouth into Cape Corso Road , she ply’d to windward as far as Bassam, rather as an airing to recover a sickly ship’s company, and show herself to the trade, which was found everywhere undisturb’d, and were, for that reason, returning to her consort, when accidently meeting a Portuguese ship, she told her, that the day before she saw two ships chase into junk, an English vessel, which she believed must have fallen into their hands. On this story, the Swallow clung her wind, and endeavoured to gain that place, but receiving soon after () a contrary report from Captain Plummer, an intelligent man, in the Jason of Bristol, who had come further to windward, and neither saw or heard anything of this; she turned her head down the second time, anchored at Cape Apollonia the , at Cape Tres Puntas the , and in Corso Road .

They learned that their consort the Weymouth, was, by the assistance of some soldiers from the castle, gone to windward, to demand restitution of some goods or men belonging to the African Company, that were illegally detained by the Dutch at Des Minas; and while they were regretting so long a separation, an express came to General Phips, from Axim, the , and followed by another from Dixcove, (an English factory,) with information that three ships had chased and taken a galley nigh Axim Castle, and a trading boat belonging to the company: no doubt was made, concerning what they were, it being taken for granted they were pirates, and supposed to be the same that had the before infested the coast. The natural result therefore, from these two advices, was, to hasten for Whydah; for it was conclued the prizes they had taken, had informed them how nigh the Swallow was, and withal, how much better in health than she had been for some months past; so that unless they were very mad indeed, they would (after being discovered) make the best of their way for Whydah, and secure the booty there, without which, their time and industry had been entirely lost; most of the gold lying in that corner.

The Swallow weighed from Cape Corso, , but was retarded by waiting some hours on the Margaret, a company’s ship, at Accra, again on the Portugal, and a whole day at Apong, on a person they used to stile Miss Betty: a conduct that Mr. Phips blamed, when he heard the pirates were miss’d at Whydah, although he had given it as his opinion, they could not be passed by, and intimated, that to stay a few hours would prove no prejudice.

This, however, hinder’d the Swallow’s catching them at Whydah, for the pirates came into that road, with a fresh gale of wind, the same day the Swallow was at Apong, and sail’d the from thence, that she arrived the . She gained notice of them by a French shallop from Grand Papa, the 14th at night, and from Little Papa next morning by a Dutch ship; so that the man-of-war was on all sides, as she thought, sure of her purchase, particularly when she made the ships, and discovered three of them to get under sail immediately at sight of her, making signals to one another, as though they designed a defence; but they were found to be three French ships; and those at anchor, Portuguese and English, all honest traders, who had been ransack’d and ransom’d.

This disappointment chagreen’d the ship’s company, who were very intent upon their market; which was reported to be an arm-chest full of gold, and kept with three keys; though in all liklyhood, had they met with them in that open road, one or both would have made their escapes; or if they had thought sit to have fought, an emulation in their defence would probably have made it desperate.

While they were contemplating on the matter, a letter was received from Mr. Baldwin, (Governor here for

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