A Sunday afternoon vignette

            They were lined up against the railing, left out in the sun to bake. Gradually they took a chance and began to sit down. They watched as the pirates rifled through their belongings a piece or bag at  a time.

            Drawn by the lure of adventure “travel back in time, see real pirates!” most were not truly equipped to deal with the rigors of life on board a wooden sailing ship and were not mentally prepared to deal with the attitudes and expectations of men from the 18^th century.

            Already two men from their group had gotten into horrible fights with the pirates for refusing to comply with orders. Accustomed to a period of time where class distinctions were not so rigidly drawn and not prepared for the authority of a captain over his ship, they had been pistol-whipped for not instantly obeying orders to sit down and shut up. There was still grumbling amongst the pirate crew that they should be hanged for their offense.

            She watched the proceedings silently, praying to herself that she be allowed to get through the ordeal unscathed. She had come on this trip more knowledgeable about pirate behavior than the others, but they had refused to listen to her.  The men’s egos told them that all that mattered in the world was what they wanted and that they didn’t have to do what the pirates were commanding them to, and she could see that they were probably going to come to a bad end over it.

            Suddenly one of the pirates grabbed a young woman out of the line. Not truly comprehending the situation and thinking she was “playing along,” she flaunted her “wench costume” in the man’s face, making come-on comments to him.

            But this was not the 21^st-Century and definitely not a 21^st Century man who understood that she was playing a role and who would only “play-along” at violating her. She was carried screaming out of sight. Unfortunately, she wasn’t carried far enough away to muffle her screams.

            Cringing now, she made herself smaller against the railing by dropping her head to her knees. But she had been noticed. The next bag they opened was hers.

            Piece by piece they rifled through her papers and belongings. Suddenly, he man cried out urgently, gesturing for someone else to come over. A brown-haired man with an air of authority hurried over. The man handed him a piece of paper. She could just see that it might be her passport. And now she could make out that he had her wallet in his other hand, holding her carry bag under his elbow.

            Taking the passport from the man, the authoritative brown-haired man read it, and scanned the line of prisoners until he came to her.

         

“Vous!” he demanded, “Vous etes Cartier?”

            Her knowledge of French being minimal at best, she replied in English, “No, not me, my mother.”

            “Vous ne parlez pas francais?”

            “No,” she replied, shaking her head. Then he looked in her wallet. He fished out a white card, and his face blanched.  

            He stuffed the card back into her wallet and crumpled her things into a bundle. Franctcally he gestured at the man who had been inspecting her bag.

            « Apportez-muima cabine, » he ordered.

            While swiftly gathering her things into a bundle, he gestured at the man who had been inspecting her bag. « Apportez-lui ma cabine, » he ordered. And several men descended upon her. She had no choice but to gather herself  up as they grabbed her by the arms and marched her across the deck.

            She was taken through a dark  passageway and around several corners. Another door was opened, and she was practically tossed into a room with only a couple of windows for light. With no idea of what had been said nor where she was, she had no choice but to await her fate.

           

           

Ships in the Thames Estuary near Sheerness

This is not a pirate picture, but it is a piece painted in 1708 and thus can be considered to be an accurate representation of sailors from the same period of time that the pirates of the Whydah Galley were active.

Isaac Sailmaker  1633-1721

A Tale of Cocklyn and Levasseur

This story begins where my previous post, A Story of Taylor, Cocklyn, and Levasseur, ends. 

            The French Ship just now mentioned, fell into their hands about a fortnight after I was taken by them, in this manner. It was not bound to Sieraleon, but having not had an Observation for several days, because the Sun was near their Zenith, they made land unexpectedly; and not knowing certainly whereabouts they were, but seeing several Ships in the River at an Anchor, they came boldly towards them.

            I was then on board Captain Cocklyn’s old Ship; for they had not quite fitted mine for their use, not having at the time any Guns mounted; so I saw the great fear and confusion that was amongst them. My Mate, who had entered with them, said, “He believed, by the Ship’s coming in so boldly, it was the Launceston Man of War of forty Guns, whom we had left in Holland. For he had heard me say, she was to follow us to the Coast of Guinea.”

            Happy would it have been for us and many more, if it had been so. For had that, or even a smaller Ship of twenty Guns, with the King’s Commission, come in at that time, or any other, whilst I was in their hands, I am persuaded they would have easily destroyed them. For the new-entered-men had little Courage; and the far greater part both of old and new Pirates, were so much in drink, that there could have been no Order or Conduct amongst them in an Engagement. So that it would have been very easy to have subdued them, and prevented that terrible Destruction, which happened to above one hundred Sail of Ships, that fell afterwards into their Hands, in their going down the Coast of Guinea: Together with those Damages that happened a good while after in the East Indies, by some of this Gang; and the great Ravage made by Roberts  (who rose out of Davis’s Ashes) the second time, on the Coast of Guinea, till he was happily destroyed by Sir Chaloner Ogle in the Swallow Man of War. But the reason why no timely care was taken to prevent so great a Destruction, is not proper for me to mention in this place. 

            As I had no business to be on board the Pirate Ship in time of Action, I asked Captain Cocklyn’s leave to go on board their Tender, which he readily granted. Just as I was going, several of my People who had entered with him, said, “They would go along with me, for they had never seen a Gun fired in anger." Cocklyn, hearing that, told them, "That now they should learn to smell Gunpowder, and caned them heartily. 

            So I went on board Captain Elliot, where I soon saw the French Ship taken. For coming so unexpectedly into the Pirates hands, they made no Resistance; And because the Captain did not strike on their first firing, they put a Rope about his Neck, and hoisted him up and down several times to the Main-yard-arm, till he was almost dead. Captain La Boose coming at that instant, luckily saved his Life: And highly resenting this their cruel usage to his Countryman, he protested, “he would remain no longer in Partnership with such barbarous Villains.” So, to pacify him, they left the Frenchmen with the Ship in his care; and after the Cargoe was destroyed, they cut the Ship‘s Masts by the board, and run her on Shore, for she was very old, and not fit for their purpose. 

Snelgrave, William, A New Account of Some Parts of Guinea, III. A relation of the author's being taken by pirates, Eighteenth Century Collection Online Print Edition. London: printed for James, John, and Paul Knapton, 1734,  pp.259-262.

Some information about the Whydah Galley

"A detection of the shipwrights new tricks in combination with Captain Ely against lead-sheathing practised upon the Trumbal-Gally in Mr. Wells' Dock, Aug. 31 MDCXCIX. Also an account of the lead-sheathing upon the Weedaw together with a new Publication of the charge thereof, at 12d a foot, Sept. 27, 1699 (Mr. Hale?) London". National Maritime Museum Document #N3654. [Dethlefsen "London Report" 1983]

            The Weedaw Friggot having made her voyage in her Lead-sheathing, to Guinea, and the West-Indies, was brought into Mr. Fowler's Dock at Lime-house, the 19th Instant to be fitted out for the same Voyage again, where anyone may find her sheathing and seams under it, very good and sound...and no cause for stripping, save only...where the shipwright had mixt Elm Plank with the Oaks, which being dated and rotten, was shifted, about a tenth part, which was with little charges new sheath'd with lead: But where upon searching the Plank was sound; and found the seams sound also, and no need of stripping the whole sheathing...The Foe had visited her sheathing two nights before she came into the Dock, but finding themselves discovered by the Watch...after they had torn off about two Foot, they got off to the shoar...

 

[With the possible (phonetic) exception of Captain William Kidd's Quedagh Merchant [e.g. Nye 5.0], this is the earliest known mention of a vessel with some variation of "Whydah" as her name. The question of whether or not The Whydah Galley possessed lead sheathing has not yet been resolved, although wear-patterns of nails from the wreck site indicate the possible presence of some type of outer-hull sheathing]

A folklore tale of Sam Bellamy continued

          Bellamy and his men were taken aboard the Mary Anne. “What will it be?” Captain Ben asked the marooned treasure hunters. “Sail with us, share and share alike or – stay on the island and rot.”

          “Cut their throats,” Louie Lebous suggested pleasantly.

          “Faith! Happy we’d be to join your band,” Bellamy said. “Ye have men, guns and proper vessels. ‘Tis a prosperous trade.”

          “Good! It’s agreed! Share and share alike!” said Captain Ben, “There is room for you here aboard the Mary Anne.”

          Later in the day the two pirate ships spread their sails and scudded over the silver-tipped waves toward the Spanish islands where rich booty might be won by brave lads. Bellamy and Williams stood by the rail, idly watching a school of porpoises. The sun was high and most of the freebooters were napping in shaded portions of the deck.

          “Glad I would be to sail this ship myself. With you in command of the Postillion, we could win a fine fortune. Staunch, large ships these are – fast sailers for a trade needing swift vessels to chase the fat, rich merchantmen. We must win friends among the crew. Perhaps we may someday become their leader.”

          “Not the Postillion! Lebous is a hard man,” Williams commented.

          “Aye! He knows not the way of proper seafarers. Methinks he’d cut a blind man’s throat to steal the pennies o’ his begging.”

          Seaboots sounded on the deck behind the pair.

          “This sun has been known to addle the brains of ambitious men, Mr. Bellamy,” said Hornigold, “It would be better to mingle with the other members of the brotherhood.”

          Unexpectedly the Mary Anne and the Postillion captured a large Indiaman bound for Holland with a rich cargo of logwood. It was an English ship with an English crew. For two days the pirates sailed alongside their prize while Hornigold and Lebous angrily argued over the disposition of her. Later it became known to the pirate crews that Captain Ben would not allow an English ship to be plundered. The officers of the Indiaman were freed and returned to their ship. Sardonically they saluted the pirates with a ten-gun salute and sailed away toward Jamaica. There were any disgruntled sailors aboard the Mary Anne and the Postillion who cursed heartily to see a fortune slip from their grasp because of Hornigold’s foolish principles.

          Black Sam Bellamy fostered the discontent. He said aloud that if the brotherhood ever elected him as their commander, “dammed if he would at any time let mollycoddling sentiment stand in the way of securing riches for his crew.” A bright gold English sovereign bought the pleasures of liquor and women just as quickly as a Spanish ducat.

          From that day on, the crew of the Mary Anne began to speak openly of an election. Lebous backed Bellamy. Finally, late in May, Sam challenged Captain Ben’s leadership. On the Isle of Pines, the crew held their election for captain. Sam won by a ninety to twenty-six margin.

          In a small snow (a square-rigged, briglike ship), Hornigold sailed away with the few crewmen who were willing to follow him.*

          Luck smiled on Bellamy. Ship after ship surrendered to the flaming guns of the two pirate vessels. Captured sailors were given the choice of joining the brotherhood or walking the plank.* Most of them joined.

          Near the Isle of Saba the Mary Anne and her consort captured the Sultana, a fast new ship laden with fine liquors, salted beef and milled wheat. Bellamy double-crossed his partner by placing the Mary Anne in charge of his friend Paul Williams and taking over the command of the prize. Louis Lebous, finding his ship outgunned by the combined armament of the Mary Anne and the Sultana, sullenly withdrew and sailed away.

                                                -- To be continued--

 

*Laura’s note: These men included one named Edward Teach, later to be known as Blackbeard.

*Laura’s note: This is a folklore tale, after all.