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Friday, October 6, 2017

HMS Scarborough almost captures Sam Bellamy


Thanks to Baylus Brooks, who found this document. I agree with him that this appears to be the event where Hume almost captured Samuel Bellamy.

Secrétariat d'État à la Marine - Correspondance à l'arrivée en provenance de la Martinique 1716-1717 : La Varenne (Antoine d'Arcy de), gouverneur général des îles du Vent  ◾ Mémoires, états et documents divers  ◦ Course, flibuste et piraterie

Extraits d'une information relative aux forbans détruits par le capitaine Hums, commandant la frégate anglaise Scarborough ([1717])

Cote de référence
FR ANOM COL C8A 22 F° 52


Summary:
Excerpts from information about the pirates destroyed by Captain Hume, commander of the English frigate Scarborough ([1717])



feuilles 99-100:

Excerpt from the information I received concerning the pirates destroyed by Mr. Hume, Commanding the Scarborough ship of the King my master.

On the 6th of January, old Stile, the said Captain Hume made his way from Antigua to go after the pirates. We have a news that he had met in a harbor of St. Croix Island a vessel which had ninety men on board, which, ascending from St. Thomas, had encountered a negro vessel which he had taken and brought with him into a harbor of St. Thomas, where he had met a small vessel commanded by a Mr. Mitleton of the dependency of St. Christopher or the other little isles, which he took and obliged the master of the said vessel to steer it into a St. Croix harbor intended to prepare this vessel for their use, and forced the said Mitleton to serve them because he is Carpenter and pilot promising to give him as reward ten Negros for him to make all possible diligence.



But so soon as the said vessel was refitted and careened, Mr. Hume arrived happily in this harbor, and seeing that they could not retreat their vessel and boat, they sank their boats between our ship as many as they and the rest went on board the boat belonging to Mitleton, who had the favor of night, and drawing little water from the said harbor, and that those who had gone on board his vessel had set fire to it, jump into the air, hence we conjecture that they have almost all paid, but we are not certain of the quantity. You may be sure that this news is true, as many people have assured me, and having spoken to Mr. Mitleton after this action, which was known on board our ship before the pirate jumped into the air. We are not at first on board their ship, from whence it came, or whither it was, there was no nation whatsoever.

Signed Hamilton

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