The Unknown Survivor

Part Four

 

 

...After [Cyprian] Southack returned to Boston, however, there appeared a sinister character on Cape Cod, a man who had the dress and appearance of a pirate. This is not idle hearsay, but the fact is recorded by the local historians for Massachusetts Historical Society, and it is published in the year 1793 by that organization where you may read it today.

 

Year after year this unusual person would appear at Billingsgate, and for a few days would be seen out in the vicinity of the Whidah's wreck. Then he would disappear just as mysteriously, and be gone for 12 more months.

 

Who was this mysterious person and what eventually happened to him?...

 

One October day in the year 1782, a resident of Eastham, after a great storm, decided to hike down along the beach toward the lower Cape, and reached the scene where the Whidah had been wrecked around 7pm that night. Far in the distance he saw a bonfire, and hastened toward it. Upon drawing closer, he discovered the same mysterious character known to almost every resident of that section.

 

This sinister individual, with a cocked pistol at his side, was three feet down, in a hole in the sand, and had just struck the top of a chest. The Eastham resident, in his excitement, dislodged a bit of material from the top of the cliff where he was walking, and the pirate, with an oath, sprang for his pistol.

 

The Cape Cod resident ran for the underbrush and escaped, but not before a close call from one of the pirate's bullets. He returned several days later by daytime, but never found anything. The pirate was later found dead by the roadside with gold doubloons in his money belt.

 

- from the Boston Sunday Post, Edward Rowe Snow, September 28, 1947.

 

Some significant dates in the history of the Whydah Galley

The Trial of Eight Pirates:

October 18, 1717

Arrival of King George's pardon in New York and Boston:

The HMS Phoenix brought the Pardon to New York no later than November 4, 1717. News of her arrival had reached Boston no later than November 11, 1717.

-         Boston Newsletter, 11/11/1717

Execution of the six pirates:

November 15, 1717

They were:

Simon Van Vorst

John Brown

Thomas Baker

Hendrick Quintor

Peter Cornelius Hoof

John Shuan

Judicial murder: the unjustified execution of the death penalty

Levasseur in Pirate Fiction

Part Two

 

One of the most famous pirate stories with a character named Levasseur was Captain Blood, which is probably more famous as the movie starring Errol Flynn then as a book, at least for today's audiences.

Levasseur first enters the story as Captain Blood as sitting in what is described as a waterside tavern. He is “accosted by a splendid ruffian in a gold-laced coat of dark-blue satin with a crimson sash, a foot wide, about the waist.”

He is described as a “roaring, quarrelsome, hard-drinking, hard-gaming scoundrel.” Levasseur is so popular with the ladies that he even caught the eye of Mademoiselle d'Ogeron, the Governor's daughter, and had even asked her father for her hand in marriage. After being shown the door, Levasseur in his anger vows that “he would make mademoiselle his wife in the teeth of all the fathers in Christendom, and that M. d'Ogeron should bitterly rue the affront he had put upon him.”

 

Basil Rathbone as Levasseur in Captain Blood, the movie:

 

 

Captain Blood and Levasseur form an uneasy alliance, agreeing to sail together with Captain Blood as the primary commander (Admiral) of their fleet. In a week’s time, they had written up and signed a set of articles, which were subsequently agreed upon by the two crews.

“These articles contained, inter alia, the common provisions that, should the two vessels separate, a strict account must afterwards be rendered of all prizes severally taken, whilst the vessel taking a prize should retain three fifths of its value, surrendering two fifths to its associate. These shares were subsequently to be subdivided among the crew of each vessel, in accordance with the articles already obtaining between each captain and his own men.”

On the eve of their sailing, Levasseur narrowly escapes being shot by Mademoiselle d'Ogeron's father while attempting to meet up with her one last time.¹ Later that evening Captain Blood comes on board Levasseur's ship and they eat dinner and drink to their new alliance.

The next morning, about an hour before their planned sailing time, a message gets delivered to Levasseur. It is from Mademoiselle d'Ogeron:

“My well-beloved – I am in the Dutch brig Jongvrow, which is about to sail. Resolved to separate us forever, my cruel father is sending me to Europe in my brother's charge. I implore you, come to my rescue. Deliver me, my well- beloved hero! - Your desolated Madeleine, who loves you.”

Levasseur looks up from the note to see a ship sailing out of the harbor. It is already about a mile or so away from shore.

Instantly he gives the order to sail, only to be restrained by his lieutenant, Cahusac. Cahusac argues that they can't go after the brig, as the crew is not inclined to want to go along with the plan and that they also have to think of their newly formed alliance with Captain Blood. Cahusac warns Levasseur that Captain Blood will try to sink them if he hears that they are going after a Dutch ship, as he has “his own views of privateering.”

Levasseur makes ready to sail anyway, and Captain Blood goes along with the change in plan, not suspecting any treachery at this point.

That night, Levasseur uses the cover of darkness to sail in the opposite direction they had agreed upon in order to pursue the Dutch vessel containing Mademoiselle d'Ogeron.

The next day Levasseur overtakes the Jongvrow, boarding her after a short fight. There he declares that while he originally “sought only that which belongs to me,” he has now decided to make the Dutch ship a prize since it fired upon him in an attempt to put up a fight and not be taken.

Then the Dutch commander has the bad taste to try to keep Levasseur from going up to Mademoiselle d'Ogeron, and Levasseur kills him with a swing of a poleaxe he is carrying.

But, horrified by the death of the Dutch commander, she is now terrified of Levasseur and shrinks from his touch, even as he cries out: “Mine, mine at last, and in spite of all!”

When she ask him why he killed him, he laughs and tells her: “He stood between us. Let his death be a symbol, a warning. Let all who would stand between us mark it and beware.”

At his she yields herself to him, and he then slings her over his shoulder and carries her off to his own ship to the cheers of the sailors.

Later, he has her brother brought to their cabin, where the brother tries to tell Mademoiselle d'Ogeron what a lowlife Levasseur is, but he only gets busted across the mouth by Levasseur. Levasseur then shoves her brother out the door and orders him to be held in the lower decks until he calls for him again.

But this time Mademoiselle d'Ogeron sees Levasseur for who he truly is, and is finally truly horrified by what her actions have brought about. Then he basically forces himself upon her, reminding her that she brought this upon herself, and that her brother was right when he told her that she was now in his power.

At that point, Cahusac comes by the cabin to report a hole in the side of the ship from the shots fired by the Dutch vessel, and they decide to make for a nearby island for careening and repairs. Rafael Sabatini calls this island Virgen Magra, but it doesn't seem to be a real island.

Then Captain Blood catches up to them. He has caught his own prize, a Spanish vessel of twenty-six guns. Everyone is happy about the booty from the Spanish ship, but Captain Blood is unhappy about the capture of a Dutch ship, especially one carrying only hides and tobacco, which won't bring in very much money.

Ultimately they agree that they are in need of ships, and make a plan to meet at another island after Captain Blood sells some of his cargo and acquires some more crew members.

After Captain Blood sails away, Levasseur moves his ships into a lagoon and sets up temporary shelters for while they repair his ship.

The next morning, Levasseur sets up a sort of court where he informs Mademoiselle d'Ogeron's brother of what will be the terms of his ransom with his father the Governor. He tells him he plans to send him back to his home to get the money, reminding him that “your sister's honor is in pawn to me. Should you forget to return with the dowry, you will not consider it unreasonable that I forget to marry her.”

 

 

When he answers no, Levasseur threatens him with torture with a knotted length of whipcord. “You know this? It is a rosary of pain that has wrought the conversion of many a stubborn heretic. It is capable of screwing the eyes out of a man's head by way of helping him to see reason. As you please,” and he tosses the whipcord to one of the bystanders.

Suddenly, into the scene walks Captain Blood. He tells Levasseur how the hurricane of last night drove them back to the island instead of continuing on to Tortuga.

They argue, Captain Blood upset that Levasseur didn't inform him he had taken prisoners from the Dutch ship, Levasseur informing him that they are French and it is a personal matter and of no concern to him.

 

Captain Blood reminds him that he has heard every word of his proposal concerning the ransom and that “we sail under articles that admit no ambiguities. You have fixed their ransom at twenty thousand pieces of eight. That sum belongs to your crews and mine in the proportions by the articles established.”

But then Captain Blood tries to divide the spoils, and that is when the fight really begins. Levasseur refuses to let Captain Blood take Mademoiselle d'Ogeron aboard his ship.

Captain Blood draws his sword, telling Levasseur, “The articles provide that any man of whatever rank concealing any part of a prize, be it of the value of no more than a peso, shall be hanged at the yardarm. It's what I intended for you in the end. But since ye prefer it this way, ye muckrake, faith, I'll be humouring [sic] you.”

But although Levasseur has the superior physical strength, Captain Blood prevails with sheer skill. Levasseur is left to die on the white sand of the beach.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sabatini, Rafael, Captain Blood, Houghton Miflin Company, 1922.

 

 

1An interesting side-note: Levasseur’s ship in this story is named La Foudre, Lightning.

 

Levasseur in Pirate Fiction

When I first became interested in pirates, I pretty much confined myself to reading factual historical accounts. I tried to watch movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but the lack of realism was too much for me. Personally, I don't understand why Hollywood cannot present a factual account of pirates. I mean, if you read the factual accounts, most of the action is better than what they put in the movies. In my opinion, a well done pirate documentary would be way better than a fiction movie any day.

 

But lately I have picked up a couple of pirate fiction novels, and I've found a couple of portrayals of Olivier Levasseur that were quite interesting, and I decided to share a couple of them with you.

 

In Michael Crichton's book Pirate Latitudes, we first become aware of Levasseur when a character named Mrs. Denby wakes up Captain Hunter to tell him there is a message from the Governor's mansion and that “The Frenchman with the scar is downstairs looking for you.”¹

Then he goes downstairs to the common room, where he finds Levasseur “sitting in a corner, hunched over a tankard of grog”²

Here is how the scene goes:

Hunter crossed to the door.

 

“Hunter!” Levasseur croaked, in a thick drunken voice.

Hunter turned, showing apparent surprise. “Why, Levassuer. I didn't see you.”

“Hunter, you son of an English mongrel bitch.”

“Levassuer,” he replied, stepping out of the light, “you son of a French farmer and his favorite sheep, what brings you here?”

Levasseur stood behind the table. He had picked a dark spot; Hunter could not see him well. But the two men were separated by a distance of perhaps thirty feet – too far for a pistol shot.

“Hunter, I want my money.”

“I owe you no money,” Hunter said. And, in truth, he did not. Among the privateers of Port Royal, debts were paid fully and promptly. There was no more damaging reputation a man could have than on who failed to pay his debts, or to divide spoils equally. On a privateering raid, any man who tried to conceal a part of the general booty was always put to death. Hunter himself had shot more than one thieving seaman through the heart and kicked the corpse overboard without a second thought.

“You cheated me at cards,” Levassuer said.

 

“You were too drunk to know the difference.”

“You cheated me. You took fifty pounds. I want it back.”

 

Hunter looked around the room. There were no witnesses, which was unfortunate. He did not want to kill Levasseur without witnesses. He had too many enemies. “How did I cheat you at cards?” he asked. As he spoke, he moved slightly closer to Levasseur.

“How? Who cares a damn for how? God;s blood, you cheated me.” Levasseur raised the tankard to his lips.

Hunter chose that moment to lunge. He pushed his palm flat against the upturned tankard, ramming it back against Levasseur's face, which thudded against the back wall. Levasseur gurgled and collapsed, blood dripping from his mouth. Hunter grabbed the tankard and crashed it down on Levasseur's skull. The Frenchman lay unconscious.³

 

 

And so ends Levasseur's part in Michael Crichton's novel. Poor Levasseur ultimately also dies in Raafel Sabbatini's Captain Blood, and I will review that one for you later.

This book was somewhat of an enigma to me. It seemed like maybe it was not complete. I can’t help but think that if he had lived, Michael would not have published this book in its present form.

Most of his novels are considerably longer, and several times it seemed like scenes were incomplete, as though he meant to come back to it at some future date with the intention of expanding and “fleshing it out.”

I got the book out of a $1 bin at Office Max and was glad that was all I paid for it. I would have been a lot more disappointed in it if I had paid full price for it.

It’s not a bad read, it’s fun, I just think that it's not worth paying full price for.

 

1Crichton, Michael, Pirate Latitudes, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2009, p 31.

2Crichton, Michael, Pirate Latitudes, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2009, p 32.

3Crichton, Michael, Pirate Latitudes, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2009, pps 32-33.