Richard Lazenby, Part One

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 3^rd 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.

“The Pirates bore down on the ketch, which perceiving their intent embarked all their people on a gallivat, and set fire to the ketch. The gallivat being too nimble for them the Pirates left off the chase. About an hour after, they sighted another gallivat to the northward which they chased and took, finding her to be laden with cotton in bales bound for Calicut. The Pirates questioned the men concerning the fleet they had seen, but they denying they had seen either ship or boat since they left Gogo they threw all the cargo overboard, and squeezed their joints in a vice to extort confession. The next day the Pirates put the poor creatures in a bost with nothing but a trysail and four gallons of water half of it salt and they out of sight of land.”¹

“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