The Book of Pirates and Highwaymen (2 page)

The lieutenant made him answer, ‘You may see by our colours that we are no pirates.’ Black-beard bid him send his boat on board, that he might see who he was; but Mr Maynard replied thus; ‘I cannot spare my boat, but I will come aboard of you as soon as I can, with my sloop.’ Upon this, Black-beard took a glass of liquor, and drank to him in these words: ‘D––––––n seize my soul, if I give you quarter, or take any from you.’ In answer to which Mr Maynard told him, that he expected no quarter from him, nor should he give any.

By this time Black-beard’s sloop fleeted, as Mr Maynard’s sloops were rowing by towards him, which not being above a foot high in the waist, and consequently the men exposed, as they came near together, (there being hitherto little or no execution done on either side,) the pirate fired a broadside charged with all manner of small shot.– A fatal stroke to them! The sloop the lieutenant was in, having twenty killed or wounded, and the other sloop nine: this could not be helped, for there being no wind, they were obliged to keep to their oars, otherwise the pirate would have got away, which, it seems, the lieutenant was resolute to prevent.

After this unlucky blow, Black-beard’s sloop fell broadside to the shore: Mr Maynard’s other sloop, which was called the Ranger, fell a-stern, being for the present disabled, so the lieutenant finding his own sloop had way, and would soon be on board of Thatch, he ordered all his men down, for fear of another broadside, which must have been their destruction, and the loss of their expedition. Mr Maynard was the only person that kept the deck, excepting the man at the helm, whom he directed to lie down snug, and the men in the hold were ordered to get their pistols and their swords ready for close fighting, and to come up at his command; in order to which, two ladders were placed in the hatchway for the more expedition. When the lieutenant’s sloop boarded the other, captain Thatch’s men threw in several new-fashioned sort of grenades, viz. case-bottles filled with powder, and small shot, slugs, and pieces of lead or iron, with a small quick match in the mouth of it, which being lighted outside, presently runs into the bottle to the powder, and as it is instantly thrown on board, generally does great execution, beside putting all the crew into a confusion; but by good Providence they had not that effect here; the men being in the hold, and Black-beard seeing few or no hands on board, told his men, that they were all knocked on the head except three or four, and therefore, says he, ‘let’s jump on board and cut them to pieces.’

Whereupon, under the smoke of one of the bottles just mentioned, Black-beard enters with fourteen men over the bows of Maynard’s sloop, and were not seen by him ‘till the air cleared; however, he just then gave a signal to his men, who all rose in an instant, and attacked the pirates with as much bravery as ever was done upon such an occasion: Black-beard and the lieutenant fired the first pistols at each other, by which the pirate received a wound; and then engaged with swords, ‘till the lieutenant’s unluckily broke, and stepping back to cock a pistol, Black-beard, with his cutlass, was striking at that instant that one of Maynard’s men gave him a terrible wound in the neck and throat, by which the lieutenant came off with a small cut over the fingers.

They were now closely and warmly engaged, the lieutenant and twelve men against Black-beard and fourteen, ‘till blood ran out of the scuppers in streams; Black-beard received a shot in his body from the pistol that lieutenant Maynard cocked, yet still stood his ground and fought with great fury, ‘till he received sixteen wounds, and five of them by shot. At length, as he was cocking another pistol, having fired several before, he fell down dead; by which time eight more out of the fourteen dropt; and all the rest, much wounded, jumped over-board, and called out for quarter; which was granted, though it was only prolonging their lives for a few days. The sloop Ranger came up and attacked the men that remained in Black-beard’s sloop with equal bravery, ‘till they likewise cried for quarter.

The broadside that did so much mischief before they boarded, in all probability saved the rest from destruction; for before, Thatch had little or no hopes of escaping, and therefore had posted a resolute fellow, with a lighted match in the powder room, with commands to blow up when he should give him orders, which was as soon as the lieutenant and his men should have entered, that so he might have destroyed his conquerors: when the man found out how it went with Black-beard, he could hardly be persuaded from that rash act, by two prisoners that were taken in the hold of the sloop.

The Robber By Necessity

In the year 1662, when Paris was afflicted with a long and severe famine, Monsieur de Sallo, returning from a summer’s evening walk, accompanied with only a page, was accosted by a man who presented his pistol, and in a manner far from hardened resolution, asked him for his money. M. de Sallo, observing that he came to the wrong person, and that he could obtain but little from him, added: ‘I have but three pistoles, which are not worth a scuffle; so, much good may it do you with them; but, like a friend, let me tell you, you are going on in a very bad way.’ The robber took them, and, without asking him for more, walked away, with an air of dejection and terror.

The fellow was no sooner gone, than M. de Sallo ordered his page to follow the robber, to observe where he went, and to bring him an account of all he should discover. The boy obeyed, pursued him through several obscure streets, and, at length, saw him change one of the pistoles and buy a large brown loaf. With this salutary purchase he went a few doors further, and, entering an alley, ascended several pairs of stairs. The boy crept up after him to the topmost story, where he saw him go into a room, which was no otherwise illuminated than by the friendly light of the moon; and peeping through a crevice, he perceived the wretched man cast the loaf upon the floor, and bursting into tears, cry out: ‘There, eat your fill, this is the dearest loaf I ever bought: I have robbed a gentleman of three pistoles; let us husband them well, and let me have no more teazings; for, soon or late, these doings must bring me to ruin.’ His wife having calmed the agony of his mind, took up the loaf, and cutting it, gave four pieces to four poor starving children.

The page having thus performed his commission, returned home, and gave his master an account of all he had seen and heard. Sallo, who was much moved, commanded the boy call him at five the next morning. He rose accordingly, and took the boy with him to show the way: he inquired of his neighbours the character of the man who lived in such a garret, with a wife and four children; by whom he was informed that he was a very industrious man, and tender husband, and a quiet neighbour; that his occupation was that of a shoemaker, and that he was a neat workman, but was overburdened with a family, and struggled hard to live in such dear times. Satisfied with this account, M. de Sallo ascended to the shoemaker’s lodgings, and knocking at the door, it was opened by the unhappy man himself; who, knowing him at first sight to be the gentleman whom he had robbed, prostrated himself at his feet. M. de Sallo desired him to make no noise, assuring him that he had not the least intention to hurt him. ‘You have a good character,’ said he, ‘among your neighbours: but you must expect your life will be cut short, if you are so wicked as to continue the freedoms you took with me. Hold out your hand; here are thirty pistoles to buy leather; husband it well, and set your children a laudable example. To put you out of further temptations to commit such ruinous and fatal actions, I will encourage your industry. I hear you are a neat workman; you will therefore, at this time, take measure of me and my lad for two pairs of shoes each, and he call upon you for them.’

The whole family seemed absorbed in joy: amazement and gratitude, in some measure, deprived them of speech. M. de Sallo departed, greatly moved, and with a mind replete with satisfaction at having saved a man, and perhaps a family, from the commission of guilt, from an ignominious death, and perhaps from everlasting punishment.

The Piracies And Murders Of Philip Roche

This inhuman monster had been concerned, with others, in insuring ships to a great value, and destroying them; by which means, and other rogeries he had got a little money; and being mate of a ship, was diligent enough in trading for himself between Ireland and France, so that he was in a way of getting himself a comfortable livelihood: but as he resolved to be rich, and finding fair dealings brought in wealth but slowly, he contrived to put other means in execution, and murdered several innocent persons in the prosecution of his abominable schemes.

Roche getting acquainted with one Neal, a fisherman at Cork, whom he found ready for any villaneous attempt, he imparted his design to him; who being pleased with the project, brings one Pierce Cullen and his brother into the confederacy, together with one Wise, who at first was very unwilling to come into their measures, and, indeed, had the least hand in the perpetration of what follows.

They pitched upon a vessel in the harbour, belonging to Peter Tartoue, a Frenchman, to execute their cruel intentions upon, because it was a small one, and had not a great number of hands on board, and it was easy afterwards to exchange it for one more fit for piracy; and therefore they applied themselves to the master of her, for passage to Nantz, whereto the ship was bound; and accordingly, at the beginning of November, 1721, they went aboard; and when at sea, Philip Roche, being an experienced sailor, the master of the vessel readily trusted him with the care of her, at times, while he and the mate went to rest.

The 15th of November, at night, was the time designed for the tragedy; but Francis Wise relented, and appeared desirous to divert them from their bloody purposes. Roche (sometimes called Captain) told him, that as Cullen and he had sustained great losses at sea, unless every Irishman present would assist in repairing their losses, by murdering all the French rogues, and running away with the ship, he should suffer the same fate with the Frenchman; but if all would assist, all should have a share in the booty. Upon this they all resolved alike, and Captain Roche ordered up three Frenchmen and a boy to band the top sails, the master and mate being then asleep in their cabins. The two first that came down, they beat out their brains, and threw them over-board: the other two seeing what was done, ran up to the top-mast head, but Cullen followed them, and taking the boy by the arm, tossed him into the sea; then driving down the man, those below knocked him on the head, and threw him overboard.

Those who were asleep, being awakened by the dismal shrieks and groans of dying men, ran upon deck in confusion, to enquire into the cause of such unusual noises; but the same cruelty was immediately inflicted upon them, before they could be sensible of the danger that threatened.

They were now (as Roche himself afterwards confessed) all over as wet with the blood that had now been spilt, as if they had been dipped in water, or stood in a shower of rain; nor did they regard it any more. Roche said, Captain Tartoue used many words for mercy, and asked them, if he had not used them with civility and kindness? If they were not of the same Christian religion, and owned the same blessed Jesus, and the like? But they not regarding what he said, took cords, and bound the poor master and his mate, back to back, and while that was doing, both of them begged with the utmost earnestness, and used the most solemn entreaties, that they at least allow them a few minutes to say their prayers, and beg mercy of God for the various sins and offences of their lives; but it did not move them, (although all the rest were dead, and no danger could be apprehended from those two alone) for the bound persons were hurried up and thrown into the sea.

The massacre being finished, they washed themselves a little from the blood, and searched the chests and lockers, and all places about the ship, and then sat down in the Captain’s cabin, and refreshed themselves with some rum they found there, and (as Roche confessed) were never merrier in their lives. They invested Roche with the command of the ship, and calling him Captain, talked over their liquor, what rare actions they would perform about Cape Breton, Sable Isle, and the Banks of Newfoundland, whither they designed to go as soon as they had recruited their company, and got a better ship, which they proposed speedily to do.