The only member of the Cassandra's
crew who was detained was a man named Richard Lazenby, who was the carpenter's
mate. He was forced to go with the pirates to act as a pilot on the Indian
coasts. His captivity started in July of 1720.1
Lazenby later wrote of his experience
with the pirates. One of the first things he noted was that the commander of
the Fancy was a man named Jasper Seagar, and that it was the given name
of Edward England. He also says that the main reason England sympathized with
Macrae was that they were countrymen. It is said that Edward England sailed to
the Coast of Africa after being exempted by name from the Act of Grace and was
thus forced to leave the Island of Providence after the arrival of Woodes
Rogers.
He goes on to talk about the “cruel
tortures inflicted on all captured natives; how on the Malabar coast they had
friends, especially among the Dutch at Cochis, who bought their plunder,
supplied them with provisions, and gave them information of armed ships to be
avoided, and rich prizes to be intercepted. Those who wished to retire from the
trade were given passages to Europe with their ill-gotten gains, in French
ships.”2
After witnessing the capture of the Portugese Viceroy, Lazenby said he was put
ashore at Bourbon. Eventually he was able to make his way to England.
I have only seen a full text of what
Lazneby wrote in Pirates of the Eastern Seas, by Charles Grey:
“The narrative of Lazenby, who was
detained by the pirates to act as a pilot on the Indian coasts is a firsthand
document of great importance covering, as it does, the whole of the pirate
cruise down to the time of the taking of their most important Prize.”1
The few details that Lazenby omits are supplied by a man named Clement Downing,
who apparently was also a captive.
The Narrative of Richard Lazenby, of
London, Second mate of the Cassandra, Captain James Macrae, Commander,
taken by the Pirates Seagar in the Fancy and Taylor in the Victory
at Johanna in the Comoro Islands in July 1720.
“On the morning of the 3rd
September 1720 the Pirates unmoored[sic] and hove short for sailing. Captain
Macrae came aboard and interceded for me to be set free, but to no purpose.
Soon after they got under sail designing to proceed to India where they arrived
sometime in October. The day before they made the land they saw two ships to
the eastward which they took to be English. Whereupon the Captain called me to
him and told me he would cut me in pieces if I did not immediately tell him the
private signals agreed upon between us and our consorts from England. I made
him answer that I knew of none where upon he abused me, calling me scurrilous
names shook his broadsword at me, and said he would plague me like the dog I
was, unless I told him.
“They came up with the ships which
proved to be two small Moors ships from Muscat with horses which they took by
firing a gun or two. They brought aboard their captain and merchant and put
them to torture to confess their money. They continued all night rifling and
tormenting the people and in the morning made the land, and at the same time
saw a fleet in shore plying to the north. Instantly they held a council what to
do with the beforementioned ships. Some were for sinking them, horses and all
and others for only throwing their sails overboard, and all for fear of being
discovered on the Coast. After their debates were over, they brought the ships
to an anchor in 35 fathoms, throwed all their sails overboard and cut half way
through the masts.
“When at anchor one of the
beforementioned fleet bore down upon them and hoisted English colours to which
the Pirates replied with Red. The rest of the day they employed in taking all
the water from the Moors ships, and at night weighed with the sea wind, and
left the two Moors ships, they standing to the northward after the fleet with
which they came up about four the next morning just as they got under sail with
the land wind. They madeno stop but ran right through them firing their small
arms and both broadsides as fast as they could load and fire until daylight
having all the time taken them for Angrias Fellt (Malabar native Pirates). When
they discovered their mistake, they were in great consternation not knowing
what to do, whether to run from them or pursue, they being so much inferior in
strength, having no more than 300 men in both ships, and 40 of them negroes.
“The Victory had four pumps
going and must have sunk but for the pumps they got from the Cassandra.
In the end, observing the indifferency of the fleet they took courage to chase,
rather rather than run which they accordingly id when the sea breeze
came in, but keeping to leeward about a gunshot, some ahead, and some astern of
the Company ships, which took them for fireships. About sunset the great ships
commenced to gain upon them and kept this same course all night. The smaller
ships of the Company;s fleets cut away all their (towing) boats and thus
gaining on the Pirates were out of sight saving only some gallivats and a small
ketch.
“Downing's account of the Company's
fleet was one specially fitted out for an expedition to Anjengo where some
trouble had occurred, and then to go in quest of the Pirates who were reported
to be on the coast.' (The encounter reflects very little to the credit of the
Company's captains, who seem to have been thoroughly scared of Pirates at any
time.)
“The London with the Victory
grab, the Britannia, the Revenge, the Defiance and the Prahm,
a might big floating battery which the Revenge had in tow, having been
and settled the Company's affairs at Anjengo were returning up the coast about
seven leagues to the North of Tellicherry, and [lying to windward, early in the
morning fell in with the Cassandra and the Victory Pirates. The
night before the fleet had become very scattered and early in the morning when
they saw these two ships, they took the large one for the London. The Victory
grab coming under the stern of the Victory Pirate she hailed and asked
what ship that was; the Pirates answered the Victory which the others
took to be the word London, and huzzaed. Then the Pirate hailed the Victory
grab and asked who she was and being answered the Victory, knew they had
gotten into the midst of the Bombay Fleet.
“The
Pirates afterwards reported that at this time they could have been taken with
all the ease imaginable by all these ships surrounding them. In the meantime up
comes the London and asks what was the matter, on which the Victory
Pirate discharged a broadside at the other Victory which never even
returned her fire, and at the same time the other Pirate called out that she
was the Cassandra. There was such confusion aboard the London
that all the ship was in an uproar and Captain Upton frighted very much. By
this time it was sun rising with little winds and all heaped together under the
shore where they were all obliged to lie until the land breeze came off and
separated them. In the meantime the Pirates got all ready to engage. But
Captain Upton being resolved not to fight without Mr. Brown's (the civil
officer in charge) orders, held his fire.
“He also required security for all
such damage as the ship might sustain. The ships company, and Mr. Lyon, the
chief mate, were all very eager to fight and half mad to see such ridiculous proceedings.
The Captain ordered a man to the mast head to strike the flag, but not
liking the order the man swore he would send down staff and all. Accordingly he
went up and drove the fid out which let the flag staff run down amain. This
made the Pirates laugh in heir sleeves, though, not liking the looks of the
Bombay men-of-war, they would not engage and so sheered off.”1
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