Here three of our Men dyd, and we that were left, shard their Money among us; and having stayd here two Years, without seeing any Way of Escape that I dard to trust to, I at last, with two of our Men, who spoke Spanish perfectly well, made a desperate Attempt to travel over Land to L having buryd all our Money, (which was worth eight thousand Pieces of Eight a Man, tho most of it in Gold) in a Pit in the Earth which we dug twelve Foot deep, and where it would have lyen still, for no Man knew where to look for it; but we had an Opportunity to come at it again some Years after.
We travelld along the Sea-shore five Days together, the Weather exceeding hot, and did not doubt but we should so disguise ourselves as to be taken for Spaniards ; but our better Fortune provided otherwise for us, for the sixth Day of our March we found a Canoe lying on the Shore with no one in her: We found, however, several Things in her, which told us plainly that she belongd to some Englishmen who were on Shore; so we resolvd to sit down by her and wait: By and by we heard the Englishmen , who were seven in Number, and were coming back to their Boat, having been up the Country to an Ingenio , where they had gotten great Quantities of Provision, and were bringing it down to their Boat which they had left on the Shore, (with the Help of five Indians , of whom they had bought it) not thinking there was any People thereabouts: When they saw us, not knowing who we were, they were just going to fire at us; when I, perceiving it, held up a white Flag as high as I could reach it, which was, in
and proposd it to them, and they all approvd it with a general Consent; and I had the Honour of being the Contriver of the Voyage. From this Time we resolvd, some how or other, to get a better Ship under us, and it was not long before an Opportunity presented to our Mind.
Being now upon the Coast of the Island of Cuba , we stood away West, coasting the Island, and so went away for Florida , where we cruisd among the Islands, and in the Wake of the Gulph; but nothing presented a great while; at length we spyd a Sail, which provd an English homeward bound Ship from Jamaica : We immediately chacd her, and came up with her; she was a stout Ship, and the Captain defended her very well; and had she not been a comberd deep Ship, being full loaded, so that they could scarce come at their Guns, we should have had our Hands full of her. But when they found what we were, and that, being full of Men, we were resolvd to be on Board them, and that we had hoisted the black Flag, a Signal that we would give them no Quarter, they began to sink in their Spirits, and soon after cryd Quarter, offering to yield: Redhand would have given them no Quarter, but, according to his usual Practice, would have thrown the Men all into the Sea; but I prevaild with him to give them Quarter, and good Usage too; and so they yielded; and a very rich Prize it was, only that we knew not what to do with the Cargo.
When we came to consider more seriously the Circumstances we were in by taking this Ship, and what we should do with her, we found, that she was not only deep loaden, but was a very heavy Sailer, and that, in short, she was not such a Ship as we wanted; so, upon long Debate, we resolvd to take out of her all the Rum, the Indigo, and the Money we could come at, with about twenty Casks of Sugar, and twelve of her Guns, with all the Ammunition, small Arms, Bullets, &c. and let her go; which was accordingly done, to the great Joy of the Captain that commanded her: However, we took in her about six thousand Pounds Sterling in Pieces of Eight.
But the next Prize we met, suited us better on all Accounts, being a Ship from Kingsale in Ireland , loaden with Beef, and Butter, and Beer, for Barbadoes ; never was Ship more welcome to Men in our Circumstances; this was the very Thing we wanted: We saw the Ship early in the Morning, at about five Leagues Distance, and we was three Days in Chace of her; she stood from us, as if she would have run away for the Cape de Verd Islands, and two or three Times we thought she saild so well she would have got away from us, but we had always the good Luck to get Sight of her in the Morning: She was about 260 Tun, an English Frigat-built Ship, and had 12 Guns on Board, but could carry 20. The Commander was a Quaker, but yet had he been equal to us in Force, it appeard by his Countenance he would not have been afraid of his Flesh, or have baulkd using the Carnal Weapon of Offence, viz. the Cannon Ball.
We soon made ourselves Master of this Ship when once we came up with him, and he was every Thing that we wanted; so we began to shift our Guns into her, and shifted about 60 Tun of her Butter and Beef into our own Frigate; this made the Irish Vessel be a clear Ship, lighter in the Water, and have more Room on Board for Fight, if Occasion offerd.
When we had the old Quaking Skipper on Board, we askd him whether he would go along with us; he gave us no Answer at first; but when we askd him again, he returnd, that he did not know whether it might be safe for him to answer the Question: We told him, he should either go or stay, as he pleasd; Why then, says he, I had rather ye will give me Leave to decline it.