The history of the buccaneers of America; containing detailed accounts of those bold and daring freebooters; chiefly along the Spanish main, in the great South sea, succeeding the civil wars in England

Front matter

(hiss FlU l Book E*2-

THE HISTORY

BUCCANEERS OF AMERICA;

Preface

TO THE EDITION OF 1699.

It would be superfluous to say much by way of Preface to the following work, since a great part of it has some years ago been exposed to public view with a general applause ; and indeed the wondrous actions and daring adventures therein related, are such as could not but transport the most stupid minds into an admiration of them, though many times they were not attended with that justice and regularity that becomes civilized men, or men of any pretensions to morality; but because we have here gathered up all that ever has been written in any language upon the subject of buccaneering, and that in a successive order down to the present time, [1700,] it will be necessary to enumerate the particulars thereof for the better information and satisfaction of the reader.

First, then, we have all the expeditions and exploits of the buccaneers of Jamaica and Tortuga, both English and French, set forth at large ; and more especially what was transacted under the conduct of Sir Henry Morgan, by sacking of Puerto Velo, burning of Panama, &c, in the West Indies, written originally in the Dutch tongue ; whereunto there are added the no less bold attempts and performances of men of the same stamp under the command of Captains Sharp, Sawkins, Coxon, and others, on the coasts of the South Seas; the whole being intermixed with vast variety of adventures and discoveries, and written by Mr. Basil Ringrose, who kept a journal of the said voyage, as being personally, present at all the transactions, and is said by Mr. Dampier to be very exact.

But let nobody be surprised that he doth not find both these relations printed verbatim, as in the former edition has been done, since the matter is much improved ; for whereas the style before was loose and uncouth in divers parts thereof, the same is now rectified, and made more correct, throughout the whole body of it, which cannot but add a new life and relish thereunto. And if this may be presumed upon, how much mora

PREFACE.

may be expected from the succeeding journal of a voyage made into the South Sea by the American Freebooters, commencing the year 1684, (about which time the other terminated,) and ending at 16S9, which was written in French by the Sieur Raveneau de Lussan, an ensign amongst them, and now first put into an English dress, and so consequently new to us ; and, indeed the particulars are all as novel as they are stupendous and amazing, that men should run such extreme hazards and hardships for money, and make such ill use of it when they have got it ; and, for my own part, I must ingenuously confess, that since my first perusal I could never yet think of them without the greatest astonishment imaginable; especially seeing the whole contexture and narrative is so plain and simple, that to me it seems to carry an evidence of truth in every part of it.

I will not take upon me to apologize for many of the actions done, and here related, since even in the most regular troops and best disciplined armies, daily enormities are committed which the strictest vigilance cannot prevent. However, it is very remarkable, that in such a lawless body as these buccaneers seem to be, in .respect to all others, that yet there should he such an economy (if I may so say) kept, and regularity practised amongst themselves, so that every one seemed to have his property as much secured to himself, as if he had been a member of the most civilized community in the world ; though at the same time, when I consider of some of their laws, such as those against drunkenness and the like immoralities, I believe I have a great deal of reason to remain suspicious of their sincerity. •But, be these things as they will, a bolder race of men, both as to personal valor and conduct, certainly never yet appeared on the liquid element or dry land ; and I hope it will be taken neither for any affront nor a compliment to say, the English were always the leading and prevailing party amongst them.

What closes up the whole is an account of the adventures of Capt. Montauban on the coast of Africa, in the last years of the war between us and France, to whom, though the character of privateer doth more properly belong than that of buccaneer or freebooter, yet his actions, fight with the English guard ship, blowing up, strange escape, subsequent wanderings and hazards, are of so surprising a nature, rmd have so much likeness and affinity to the foregoing relations, that they could not without injustice to our design be omitted, and without which the whole would appear to be lame and imperfect.

Introduction

It is very common at this day, and probably always was so, for even apparently thoughtful and considerate people to lament over the degenerate times in which they live, and to assert confidently that " the world is going on from bad to worse ;" but it is a great mistake to suppose this — nothing can be farther from the truth. The following treatise is sufficient to set every individual who shall peruse it, right on this question. If there be any who entertain doubts as to the propriety of making this class of works public, we say to them, " Read the following pages, and compare the state and transactions of the world at the times on which it treats with those of the present." If, when they have done this, they are not satisfied that the general character of mankind has been greatly ameliorated within the last three centuries, nothing, it is thought, would satisfy them of the fact.

Within the period just stated there has been a complete revolution of the seas. Sea-kings are no longer known or acknowledged. Their dark and dismal reign has passed away forever. But we need not go back to the times of the desperate and bloody Vikingr of the north ; it is only necessary to survey our own American coast within the space of two hundred years after its settlement by Europeans, to learn what terrors awaited all those who attempted voyages by sea.

INTRODUCTION.

In no very remote period, the European states were often glad to make the best terms they could with pirates, and merchants were subjected to heavy tribute when permitted to pursue their voyages. Pirates hovered upon every coast, and often sent challenges on shore to the kings of the countries. It is said to be no fable, that one of the dreaded sea rovers, while sweeping up and down the coast of England, sent to the king this bravado : — »

" Go tell the king of England, go tell him thus from me. Though he reigns king o'er all the land, I will reign king at sea."

Those rovers went sometimes in considerable fleets, and it was very common for one piratical fleet to attack another. Such fights often resulted in the entire destruction of the vanquished party. Sometimes one would chase another into the very ha'rbor of a populous place, to the great terror of its inhabitants, and there carry on their bloody work.

To judge of the actors of those times, their barbarous condition must be considered. They bore as fair a relation to the civilization of their times as the rougher part of the community of later days do to theirs. For a long period Scandinavia was the nursery of Sea-kings, in other words, pirates ; it was a period when the law of nations was the law of the strongest ; an age when every male child was born for war as surely as he arrived at an age to enable him to wield a battleaxe ; an age when it was thought the most inglorious thing that could happen to a man was not to die in war. War was the great and grand business of life.

Coming down to a later period, the sixteenth century, something of that fierceness had worn away ; civilization had spread its influence far into the north, and though pirates infested every sea where commerce was found, yet they had gradually lost their preeminence on the ocean. Those who retaliated for theii losses were not considered pirates, though those who suffered from retaliation had often no hand in the cause of such reprisal. This relict of the ancient Vikingr disgraces the annals of our own times ; the hand of friendship is to this hour extended to those who have made themselves rich by their robberies on the ocean ; they even fill places of honor and profit as a reward for their crimes — crimes they are, though sanctioned by law, as much so as though they had happened in another age, and even more.

The stories of the pirates that have infested the American seas, since the time of Capt. William Kidd, would make a large volume, and one of exceeding great interest. We have space to advert to but few of them. In the year 1689, two noted pirates, Thomas Hawkins and Thomas Ponnd, cruised upon the coast of New England, and committed many depredations with great boldness. The colony of Massachusetts Bay came to the determination to attempt their capture, and accordingly fitted out a sloop called the Mary, Samuel Pease commander, which sailed on the 4th of October of that year. Having received information that the piratical vessel was in or about Tarpaulin Cove, Capt. Pease made for that harbor. When off Wood's Hole he had certain intelligence of the object of his search, and making all the, sail he could, he soon found himself within hailing distance of the outlaw. When he was ordered to heave to, the pirate ran up a red flag, whereupon Pease fired a shot athwart his forefoot, and ordered him to strike his colors. As the Mary came down upon him, she sent another shot under his forefoot, and again ordered him to strike ; but Pound, stationed upon his quarterdeck, brandished his naked sword, bid them " Come on, you dogs, and I will strike you!" Meantime, his men standing ready with their guns pointed, discharged a volley upon the Mary, whose men returned it in earnest. The fight, thus commenced, for some time raged fiercely, no quarter being expected on either side. At length, laying the pirate on board, Capt. Pease compelled him to strike, though not till himself had received many wounds, and several of his men were wounded also ; but how many, our accounts do not state, nor what damage the pirates received before they surrendered. But the conquest was dearly bought by the victors, as the wounds of Capt. Pease proved mortal five days after the battle.

For the next quarter of a century and more, the records of our admiralty courts are full of trials of pirates, with the most revolting accounts of their cruelties, and their executions. The following will probably be read with much interest, as it brings to our notice the immediate ancestor of our present chief magistrate of the United States, who, being taken by a pirate, effected his own deliverance in the most heroic and extraordinary manner.

Every body has probably read of a noted pirate of the name of Phillips, who, for some time previous to 1724, roved where he listed, making spoil where he could, and shedding innocent blood as it were for sport. At the same time there was living at Ipswich, in the colony of Massachusetts Bay, a certain John Fillmore, aged twenty-one years, he having been born in the year 1702. His father, also named John, had followed the seas, but had died in the West Indies several years before his son's majority, from the effects of cruel treatment while a' prisoner there with the French. John Fillmore, the son, ship* ped on a fishing voyage for the Grand Banks, in the sloop Dolphin of Cape Ann, Mark Haskell skipper, in the spring of 1723. Having pursued their business of fishing till the autumn of the same year, Haskell and his company were fallen in with by Phillips, and all made prisoners. Plunder was not the object of their capture, but men to join the pirates in their nefarious enterprises. It was soon apparent that they intended

INTRODUCTION.

to take only such of the fishermen as were stoat and ablebodied. Accordingly, Fillmore was made choice of, and his captain was ordered to send him on board. There was no alternative, and Fillmore was compelled to join the pirates, though to their sad cost, as in the sequel will appear.

" When I first went on board the pirate," says Fillmore, ' their crew consisted of ten men, including the captain, and the whole of them, I think, as stout, hardy-looking fellows as ever I saw together." The great reluctance which Fillmore discovered on entering the service of his new master caused Phillips to promise him his liberty if he would serve him faithfully two months. He was probably as sincere, when he made this promise, as Fillmore was in his intention of serving him faithfully. The two months soon ran away, and little or no booty fell into the pirate's hands, which caused him to treat his men roughly ; and when at the end of that time Fillmore reminded him of his promise, he said upon his honor he would let him go after three months more. As before, there was no escape, and he submitted to his fate as well as he could. But the next three months were as unprofitable as the preceding two, only the pirate made an accession to his crew of several able men, whom, from time to time he had, as in the case of Fillmore, forced from other vessels into his service. At or near the expiration of seven months, they took a merchant ship, Capt. Harridon, of Boston, returning from a voyage to the West Indies. Harridon was a young man, only about twenty-two years of age.

Meantime, when Fillmore ventured again to claim his liberty, the pirate captain sneered a most fiendish grin, and among unutterable oaths roared out, " Set you at liberty ! Damn ye — yoiCll be set at liberty when Fm damned, and not before! "

Phillips's rage was heightened against Fillmore, because the latter had all along refused to sign the ship's piratical articles. The others of the forced crew who had not signed them were

Capt. Harridon, James Cheesman, a ship carpenter, and a Spanish Indian, who was taken with Harridon. Seeing now that he had no chance of escape left, or not until his captain was " damned," as he himself expressed it, he was not long in making up his mind to have him put into that state whenever it could be attempted with a slight prospect of success.

So tyrannical had Phillips become, that even his own regular pirates hated him, and the more so, as they knew he had not a shadow of honor, and they had daily evidences of his bad faith even with them. About this time he put one of his men on board a prize, and ordered him to keep company. This man attempted to escape with the prize, but being overtaken by Phillips, he surrendered on assurances of good quarter. But as soon as he reached the deck of the pirate ship, Phillips run him through with his sword.

So watchful and jealous were Phillips and his companions, that it was with much difficulty and extreme hazard that Fillmore and his few friends, Cheesman, Harridon and the Indian, could form a plan for the effecting of their design. At length, however, after about nine months' captivity, a plan was laid and successfully carried into execution. But not long before its maturity, the authors were suspected by Phillips, and one of their company was in the most barbarous manner put to death by him by running him through the body with his sword, as he had his brother pirate before mentioned. This man, thus cold-bloodedly murdered (whose name is not mentioned) belonged to New England, and what aggravates his case is the fact, that he knew nothing of the conspiracy. Fillmore and the others intended to enlist him in it. but had not yet found a suitable opportunity. He also suspected Fillmore, and attempted his life by snapping his pistol against his breast, which missed fire. It however went off on the second attempt, which was immediately made ; but Fillmore at the moment of the discharge struck the pistol so much aside that its contents missed him. For some unexplained or unexplainable cause the miirderer made no further attempt upon his life, but a damned him, and bid him go about his biisiness."

It was not long after this that the pirates had a carousal, some of them got beastly drunk, and all got exhausted, and this was an opportunity not to be lost. The day before, Cheesmao, the carpenter, had been ordered to make some repairs on deck, and he took care to leave his broadaxe and other tools there. In the dead of night, when the carousal had ceased, all things were arranged. Fillmore was to split out the brains of Capt. Phillips, Cheesman was to seize the master and throw him headlong into the sea, the Indian was to stand ready to act according to circumstances, while Harridon was so overcome with fear that nothing was allotted to him to perform in the tragedy. And although the Indian stood to the post assigned him, yet, as Fillmore in his narrative expresses it, he was so terrified that " he became near as white as any of us." And, as to himself, he says, that as he stood ready to seize the broadaxe, "his knees fairly smote together."

The pirate crew seems now to have consisted of ten men, and none«can wonder that trepidation should seize upon the three that were to attack them. The three chief pirates were on deck at about twelve o'clock in the day — that day which was to seal the destiny of one or the other party. The fatal moment having arrived, Cheesman seized his man, and at the same breath Fillmore brought down the broadaxe upon the head of the boatswain, splitting it in twain ; and before Phillips could draw his sword, the axe fell upon his head also.

The quartermaster was in the cabin, who, hearing the bustle, rushed out upon Cheesman and was prevented dealing a deadly blow upon him by the Indian, who was stationed at the companionway. He seized him by the arms, and in a moment more, Fillmore, with another blow of his broadaxe, nearly severed his head from his body. The rest of the crew surrendered at discretion, and with the captured vessel the victors arrived in Boston on the 3d of May, 1724.

Such was the end of the piratical enterprise of the famous and much dreaded Capt. John Phillips. Three of the pirates were tried, condemned and executed, and hung in chains on Bird Island, in Boston harbor. The other three, with the ship, were sent to England, with whom went Cheesman and the Indian also. The three pirates were soon after hung at Execution Dock, and Cheesman and the Indian were suitably rewarded.

It will be interesting, probably, to the reader to learn, that the John Fillmore, who was so conspicuous in the desperate enterprise here related, was the great-grandfather of Millard Fillmore, President of the United States.

THE

BUCCANEERS OF AMERICA.

Chapter I

The Introduction. — The Author * sets forth for the Western Islands, in the Service of the West India Company of France. — They meet with an English Frigate, and arrive at the Island of Tortuga.

As the Buccaneers in the West Indies have been so formidable, and numerous that they have interrupted the trade of Europe into those parts, and our English merchants, in particular, have suffered more by their depredations than by the united force of France and Spain, in the late war, we do not doubt but the world will be curious to know the origin and progress of these desperadoes, who were the terror of the trading part of the world.

But before we enter upon their particular history, it will not be amiss, by way of introduction, to show, by some examples drawn from history, the great mischief and danger which threaten kingdoms and commonwealths from the increase of these sort of robbers ; when, either by the troubles of particular times, or the neglect of governments, they are not crushed before they gather strength. •

It has been the case heretofore, that when a single pirate has been suffered to range the seas, as not being worth the notice of a government, he has by degrees grown so powerful, as to put them to. the expense of a great deal of blood and treasure, before he was suppressed. We shall not examine how it came to pass that our Buccaneers in the West Indies have continually increased till of late. This is an inquiry which belongs to the legislature.

I shall therefore speak of the pirates infesting the West In-

* Joseph Esquemeling, in company with Le Grand, Lolonois, Roche Brasilino, Bat, the Portuguese, &c.

dies, where they are more numerous than in any other part of the world, oh several reasons.

First. Because there are so many uninhabited little islands and keys, with harbors convenient and secure for cleaning their vessels, and abounding with what they often want, provision : I mean water, sea-fowl, turtle, shell and other fish ; where, if they carry in but strong liquor, they indulge a time, and become ready for new expeditions, before any intelligence can reach to hurt them.

It may here, perhaps, be no unnecessary digression to explain what they call keys in the West Indies. These are small sandy islands, appearing a little above the surface of the water, with only a few bushes or weeds upon them, but abound (those most at any distance from the main) with turtle, amphibious animals, that always choose the quietest and most unfrequented place for laying their eggs, which are to a vast number in the seasons, and would seldom be seen, but for this, (except by pirates.) Then vessels from Jamaica and the other governments make voyages, called turtling, for supplying the people ; a common and approved food with them. I am apt to think these keys, especially those nigh islands, to have been' once contiguous with them, and separated by earthquakes (frequently there) or inundations; because some of them that have been within continual view, as those nigh Jamaica, are observed within our time to be entirely wasted away and lost, and others daily wasting. They are not only of the use above taken notice of to pirates, but, it is commonly believed, were always, in buccaneering, piratical times, the hiding-places for their riches, and oftentimes a shelter for themselves, till their friends on the main had found means to obtain indemnity for their crimes ; for you must understand, when acts of grace were more frequent, and the laws less severe, these men continually found favors and encouragers at Jamaica, and perhaps they are not all dead yet. I have been told many of them, still living. have been of the same trade, and left, it off only because they can live as well honestly, and gain now at the hazard of others' necks.

Second. Another reason why these seas are chose by pirates is the great commerce thither by French, Spaniards, Dutch, and especially English ships. Thry are sure, in the latitude of these trading islands, to meet with prizes, booties of provision, clothing, and naval stores, and sometimes money ; there being great sums remitted this way to England ; (the returns of the Assiento, and private slave-trade to the Spanish West Indies;) and, in short, by some one or other, all the riches of Potosi.

A third reason is the inconvenience and difficulty of being pursued by the men-of-war ; the many small inlets, lagoons, and harbors, on these solitary islands and keys, are a natural security.

It is generally here that the pirates begin their enterprises, setting out at first with a very small force ; and, by infesting these seas, and those of the continent of North America, in a year's time, if they have good luck on their sides, they accumulate such strength as enables them to make foreign expeditions. The first is usually to Guinea, taking the Azores and Cape de Verd Islands in their way, and then to Brazil and the East Indies, where, if they meet with prosperous voyages, they set down at Madagascar, or the neighboring islands, and enjoy their ill-gotten wealth, among their elder brethren, with impunity. But that I may not give too much encouragement to the profession, I must inform my maritime readers that the far greater part of these rovers' are cut short in the pursuit, by a sudden precipitation into the other world.

The rise of these rovers, since the peace of Utrecht, or, at least, the great increase of them, may justly be imputed to the Spanish settlements in the West Indies, the governors of which, being often some hungry courtiers, sent thither to repair or make a fortune, generally countenance all proceedings that bring in profit. They grant commissions to great numbers of vessels of war, on pretence of preventing an interloping trade, with orders to seize all ships or vessels whatsoever, within five leagues of their coasts, which our 'English ships cannot well avoid coming, in their voyage to Jamaica. But if the Spanish captains chance to exceed this commission, and rob and plunder at discretion, the sufferers are allowed to complain, and exhibit a process in their court, and, after great expense of suit, delay of time, and other inconveniences, obtain a decree in their favor ; but then, when the ship and cargo come to be claimed, with costs of suit, they find, to their sorrow, that it has been previously condemned, and the plunder divided among the crew. The commander that made the capture, who alone is responsible, is found to be a poor, rascally fellow, not worth a groat, and, no doubt, is placed in that station for the like purposes.

The frequent losses sustained by our merchants abroad, by these pirates, was provocation enough to attempt something by way of reprisal ; and a fair opportunity offering itself in the year 1716, the traders to the West Indies took care not to slip it over, but made the best use of it their circumstances would permit.

I

It was about two years before, that the Spanish galleons, or Plate fleet, had been cast away in the Gulf of Florida ; and several vessels from the Havana were at work, with diving engines, to fish up the silver that was on board the galleons.

The Spaniards had recovered some millions of dollars, or pieces of eight, and had carried it all to the Havana ; but they had at present about three hundred and fifty thousand pieces of eight, then, upon the spot, and were daily taking up more. In the mean time, two ships and three sloops, fitted out from Jamaica, Barbadoes, &c., under Captain Henry Jennings, sailed to the gulf, and found the Spaniards there upon the wreck ; the money before spoken of was left on shore, deposited in a storehouse, under the government of two commissaries, and a guard of about sixty soldiers.

The rovers came directly upon the place, bringing their little fleet to an anchor, and, in a word, landing three hundred men, they attacked the guard, who immediately ran away ; and thus they seized the treasure, which they carried off, making the best of their way to Jamaica.

In their way, they unhappily met with a Spanish ship, bound from Porto Bello to the Havana, with a great many rich goods, viz., bales of cochineal, casks of indigo, and sixty thousand pieces of eight more, which, their hands being in, they took, and having rifled the vessel, let her go.

They went away to Jamaica with their booty, and were followed in view of the port by the Spaniards, who, having seen them thither, went back to the governor of the Havana, with the account of it, who immediately sent a vessel to the governor of Jamaica, to complain of this robbery, and to reclaim the goods.

As it was in full peace, and contrary to all justice and right, that this fact was committed, they were soon made sensible that the government at Jamaica would not suffer them to go 'unpunished, much less protect them. Therefore they saw a necessity of shifting for themselves ; so, to make bad worse, they went to sea again, though not without disposing of their cargo to good advantage, and furnishing themselves with ammunition, provisions, &c. ; and being thus made desperate, they turned pirates, robbing not the Spaniards only, but their own countrymen, and any nation they could lay their hands on.

It happened about this time that the Spaniards, with three or four small men-of-war, fell upon our logwood-cutters in the Bay of Campeachy and Honduras; and after they had made them prizes, they gave the men belonging to them three sloops, to carry them home : but these men, being made desperate by their misfortunes, and meeting with the pirates, they took on with them, and so increased their number.

Not to detain the reader any longer with these particulars, I shall proceed to give an account of our voyage from Havre de Grace, in France, from whence we set sail in a ship called St. John, May 2, 1666. Our vessel was equipped with twenty-eight guns, twenty mariners, and two hundred and twenty passengers, including those whom the Company sent as free passengers. Soon after we came to an anchor under the Cape of Barfleur, there to join seven other ships of the same West India Company, which were to come from Diep, under convoy of a man-of-war, mounted with thirty-seven guns, and two hundred and fifty men. Of these ships, two were bound for Senegal, five for the Caribbee Islands, and ours for Tortuga. Here gathered to us about twenty sail of other ships, bound for Newfoundland, with some Dutch vessels going for Nantz, Rochelle, and St. Martin's, so that in all we made thirty sail. Here we put ourselves in a posture of defence, having notice that four English frigates, of sixty guns each, waited for us near Aldernay. Our admiral, the Chevalier Sourdis, having given necessary orders, we sailed thence with a favorable gale, and some mists arising, totally impeded the English frigates from discovering our fleet. We steered our course as near as we could to the coast of France, for fear of the enemy. As we sailed along, we met a vessel of Ostend, who complained to our admiral that a French privateer had robbed hi in that very morning ; whereupon, we endeavored to pursue the said pirate ; but our labor was in vain, not being able to overtake him.