On the first of last month I writ to
your Lordships by the Kent gally Capt. Thomas Lawton, who in his intended
voyage to the Windward passage was taken by the pirates, and robbed of what
they thought fitt and turned loose. He came to Port Royall, and now sails with
two other ships the George Capt. Patterson and the Brocham Joseph Jewell under
convoy of H.M.S. Adventure, who returned from her last voyage the 18th Dec. the
Capt. very much out of order, but as he tells me his whole company in a very
good state of health, but complains much of the refractoriness of his
officers...On the 4th Dec. H.M.S. Swift Capt. Durell arrived at Port Royal, I
desired the Captain to have taken a cruize with the Adventure being a proper
vessell for the service drawing but little water, but he tells me he dair not
stirr without orders from home, besides that he has but six guns (tho' capable
to carry 18) and his complyment of men but 40, which I must acknowledge too few
to adventure on these pirates by himself; they generally going two and two, with
seventy or eighty desperate rogues, and 10 or 12 guns in each sloop.
They take
more than half the ships and vessells that are bound either to this Island or
the French settlements on Hispaniola, and Spaniards that comes in their cruize,
as well as those that go from hence taking something out of all they meet, and
very often burn their vessells, other they disable just leaving them sufficient
to bring them down [to Jamaica], out of some they meet with rogues that willingly
desert, as lately a Guinea ship Capt. Evans out of whom they took 40 choice men
slaves and all their gold and what else they thought fitt, and then dismist
her, from which ship the master reports 4 of his men deserted to the pirates.
Out of a ship from New England they took what they thought for their purpose,
and then forced the Carpenter away with them. On the last of December a poor turtler came before me and said they
had robbed him of his netts and what little he had on board, and then turned
into him three of their gang (and a little boy) that they did not approve of,
first whipping them inhumanely and burning matches betwen their fingers ears
and toes, they would not lett the little boy who I take to be about 12 or 13
years of age, because he desired to leave them go without a daudorus as they
called it, [ie.] a good whipping, they give me an accompt of one they hanged
for an example for offering to leave them and another they beat and abused so
much that they beleived he could not live, and then without any remorse thro'
him overboard and drowned him.
There is of these pirates of all nations,
those to windward are generally Spaniards and some few French, but most
mulattos, quarteroons and negroes. They lye from the leeward part of the Island
of St. John de Porto Reco down along the south side of Hispaniola, then on the
other side of Hispaniola, from Cape Nicola down the north west, and west of
Hispaniola and upon the south side to the Isle of Ash, then on the coast of
Cuba from the southeastermost end down to the south key and Trinidado lyes
others, and from the Isle of Pines clear round to the Bay of Hondo, and so on
to the Havana and bay of Matances, and from thence to the Island of Providence, how many is uncertain, and make
that Isle their chief rendezvous taking all nations they meet with.
One of
those small rogues lately took a Spanish ship of 22 guns and 22 pattareroes, a
very fine ship from Cadiz, as I am informed. In short these seas are full of
these Rovers which will in particular be a very great detriment to this Island,
hinder both vessells coming to us from H.M. Northern Plantations, and put a
stop to the little trade our merchants have to the Spanish coast. They give out
they want but a good ship or two fit for their purpose and then they design
farther off in particular to the coast of Brazil. I am inclined to beleive some
of them may go for they generally take all the good instruments they meet
with...to [Joseph Eels] we gave an assurance that he should be secured of his
life by a noli prosequi provided he made a full discovery of what he knew of the
late piracys committed in the Bay of Hondo.
We are likewise
necessitated to keep under confinement the said Joseph Eels for want of
sufficient security designing to make use of him as evidence for the King in
this behalf which he has promised upon being secured himself to become.
I
farther advise you that the said sloop Mary which was commanded by the said Leigh
Ashworth was condemned as the goods of pirates in the Court of Admiralty here,
she being concerned in the piracys committed on the French ship in the Bay of
Hondo at which time the said Eels was quartermaster on board her under the
command of the said Leigh Ashworth etc.
"General Heywood, Commander in Chief of
Jamaica, to the Council of Trade and Plantations" Jamaica. December 3,
1716. Calendar of State Papers, Col. Series (America &
W.Indies) 29:#411.
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