The Book of Pirates and Highwaymen

by Cate Ludlow

  This information Morgan thought ought not to be neglected; and his active freebooters spared no pains to draw up this treasure from the sea; and thus pay themselves for so many fatigues, from which they had hitherto gained nothing but glory. Morgan therefore left one ship behind, the crew of which succeeded in dragging up from the bottom of the sea about twenty quintals, as well in ingots as in moveables, both in silver and piasters. This interval was employed by that indefatigable commander in returning to Maracäibo with the remainder of his fleet. He there appropriated to his own use the frigate that had been captured from the Spaniards, and which mounted twenty-four guns, being the smallest vessel of their squadron. He repeated his injunction to the Spanish admiral of paying a ransom for the town, if he was desirous of rescuing it from total destruction: but the latter, overwhelmed with the weight of his misfortunes, insensible to any other losses than those he had already experienced, and having nothing to apprehend for himself from the destruction with which Maracäibo was threatened, would listen to no such proposition. But the terrified inhabitants were more tractable: without the admiral’s permission, they capitulated with Morgan, and gave him twenty thousand piasters, by way of ransom, and five hundred head of cattle for the sustenance of his crew.

  Still, however, the freebooters had another great difficulty to surmount. In order to re-enter the ocean from the lake, they had to pass close under that fort which had resisted their valour, and had cost them so many men; to have attempted a second attack would have been imprudent; as its success was, at the very best, very uncertain, and, even if they were successful, it would not increase their booty. On the other hand, if they risked a passage under the cannons of that formidable fort, their ships would either be dismantled or at least greatly damaged; and the majority, if not all, of themselves, being incapable of pursuing their route, would fall into the hands of their enemies. In this dilemma, Morgan tried what effect the boldness of his language and new threats would produce: he therefore sent a message to Don Alphonso, to inform him, that he would set all prisoners at liberty, provided a free passage was granted; but that, in the case of a refusal, he would hang them up upon the masts of the ships; and that, notwithstanding, he pledged his word to the Spaniards that he would pass in defiance of every obstacle.

  Some prisoners were charged with the conveyance of this severe message to the admiral, whom they conjured with tears to take pity on their wives and children: but the Spanish admiral was inexorable; he was too much chagrined in having lost his fleet in such a manner; he still flattered himself that he might be able to repair his disgrace, and alleviate his vexation, by precipitating those insolent pirates to the bottom of the sea, at the very moment they were passing. The persons deputed by Morgan, who were so exceedingly interested in the success of the mission, interceding for their friends, for their families, and for themselves, met therefore with a very different reception. The admiral reproached them with their cowardice, and told them,– ‘If you had prevented the entrance of these pirates, as I am determined to prevent their departure, you would never have been in your present situation.’

  They had no other answer to carry back; and Morgan received the admiral’s reply with his usual arrogance. ‘Well then,’ said he, ‘since the admiral persists in refusing me free passage, I will find a way by which to pass, without his consent,’ and took his measures accordingly.

  First, he ordered every one to take the plunder he had collected, in order that it might be immediately divided among the freebooters. It was estimated at two hundred and fifty thousand piasters, in gold, silver, and precious stones, without reckoning the slaves and an immense quantity of merchandise. Every individual then received his share, which he was from that moment charged to defend.

  While the division was carrying into effect, Morgan conceived a military manoeuvre. Early in the morning he caused some hundreds of freebooters to be conducted in small vessels and canoes, and to be landed in a place abounding with tall reeds. After lying concealed there for some hours, they returned one by one to their canoes, creeping closely along the ground, walking partly on their hands, and in short adopting every possible precaution to prevent discovery. Having thus reached their canoes, they lay down on board, either flat on their back or with their face downwards; and the canoes, which to all appearances were empty, were rowed back to the spot they had quitted. This manoeuvre was repeated several times during the course of the day, even in sight of the fort; so as to persuade the Spaniards that all the freebooters were disembarked, and that they would not fail to attack them during the following night.

  Deceived by these appearances, the Spaniards stationed all their large guns on that side, and likewise posted nearly the whole of their soldiers there, so as to leave the side next to the sea almost in a defenceless state. This was precisely what the freebooters had calculated upon; and they availed themselves of this circumstance with their accustomed address. On the approach of night, they all went on board the ships, raised their anchors during the night, and abandoning themselves to the current, they did not unfurl their sails until they were actually in front of the fort. The light of the moon disclosed to the Spaniards, though somewhat too late, their enemies’ stratagem. They hastily reconducted their cannons to the side near the sea, and commenced a very sharp fire, but which produced scarcely any effect. The course of the pirates was favoured by the wind: their ships sustained only trifling damages; and they successfully reached the ocean, after having taken leave of the fort by several discharges of artillery. The moment Morgan was out of danger, he landed all his prisoners on the adjacent shore, except the hostages he carried away from Gibraltar, as the ransom of that place had not been completely discharged.

  Mistaken Remorse

  Simon Brown, the dissenting clergyman, exhibited a striking instance of the operation of remorse upon wounded sensibility. Brown fancied he had been deprived by the Almighty of his immortal soul, in consequence of having accidentally taken away the life of the highwayman, although it was done in the act of resistance to his threatened violence, and in protection of his own person. Whilst kneeling upon the wretch whom he succeeded in throwing upon the ground, he suddenly discovered that his prostrate enemy was deprived of life. This unexpected circumstance produced so violent an impression upon his nervous system, that he was overpowered by the idea of even involuntary homicide; and, for this imaginary crime, fancied himself ever after to be condemned to one of the most dreadful punishments that could be inflicted upon a human being.

  The singular imagination of Brown was that for this involuntary crime, his soul had deserted his body, the latter being allowed to exist in that wretched state as an awful warning. Under the influence of this malady, Brown sent to Queen Caroline, the consort of George the Second, a book written with great acuteness, accompanied by a letter, the conclusion of which alludes to himself as a monument of divine wrath in the loss of his soul.

  Ruse-De-Guerre

  The fatal duel between the Duke of Hamilton and Lord Mohun, is well known. Macartney, the second to Lord Mohun, was suspected of having stabbed the duke treacherously; a reward was offered for apprehending him. About that time, a gentleman was set upon by highwaymen, and with a happy presence of mind, told them he was Macartney. On this, they brought him to a justice of the peace, in hopes of a reward, when he gave charge against them for robbery, and they were sent to jail.

  Socivizca, The Morlachian Robber

  A man named Socivizca was endeavouring to recover his wife and child, who had been seized by the Turks. His attempts by fair means were fruitless, and he resolved to resume his former occupation [of public robber and murderer of the Turks], and to avenge himself on the bashaw’s subjects. For this purpose he put himself at the head of twenty-five companions, all of them intrepid, and in the vigour of youth. With this chosen band he took the road for Serraglio, the first Turkish town beyond the Venetian frontiers: for he had the prudence not to commit any act of violence within the Venetian state, that he might n
ot make that government responsible for his depredations.

  In a few days he met with a Turkish caravan, consisting of one hundred horses, laden with rich merchandise, escorted by seventy men. The Turks seeing him accompanied by so strong a band, though they were so much superior, dreaded him to such a degree, that they fled with the utmost precipitation, and only one merchant lost his life in defence of his valuable effects. This audacious robbery alarmed the whole Ottoman empire. Parties were sent out against him from all quarters; he was sought for in the mountains, and in the valleys; every field, and almost every bush, was beat, as if they had been in chace of a wild boar: but this was all mockery to disguise their cowardice; for while all these parties were making such strict researches, he and his companions appeared at noon-day in their villages, and supplied themselves with provisions in the markets of their towns.

  He generally lodged his booty at a convent of Caloyers, an order of friars of the Greek church, who make a vow of rigid abstinence, but whose religion does not prevent them harbouring the Aiduzee (highwaymen) of the country, and sharing their plunder: the guardian of one of these convents, situated at Dragovich, seven miles beyond the springs of Cettina, was his particular friend; and here he often retired, separating himself from his companions for many months, so that the Turks often thought he was dead; while he was waiting only for an opportunity to fall upon them, and to exterminate as many of their race as possible. At length his robberies and massacres became insupportable to the Ottomans, and occasioned great inconveniences to the Venetian state; for they were the constant source of quarrels between the inhabitants of the frontiers of the two powers, so that it became the interest of the latter to seize him; therefore, upon every new complaint of the Turks, the government of Dalmatia increased the reward offered to take him, dead or alive.

  Socivizca was not insensible of the great danger he was in of being seized by open force, or betrayed by some false friend, for the sake of the price set on his head; yet such is the force of habit, that nothing could deter him from continuing his depredations against the Turks. In the course of the year 1760, a certain Turk, whose name Acia Smaich, a very formidable man in the opinion of his countrymen, and in his own idea a great hero, boasted in all companies, that Socivizca durst not encounter him in single combat. It happened, however, that this man, and one of his brothers, escorted, with eight others, a rich caravan, which passed through a village near Glamoz, in the Ottoman territories, where Socivizca, and six of his comrades, lay concealed, waiting for an opportunity to exercise their valour, and to gain some considerable booty. By their spies they easily got intelligence who was at the head of the escort; and Socivizca, who was not of a temper to put up with the insolence of Smaich, went out to meet the caravan, and as soon as he approached it, publicly called upon the Turk to defend himself. Smaich advancing, instantly fired his carbine at Socivizca; and aimed so well, that the ball grazed the upper part of his head: fortunately for him, he had turned himself, to see that the enemy did not surround him while he was engaged with his adversary, and in this position the ball passed obliquely, and only gave him a slight wound; but it rendered him desperate, and with amazing rapidity he fired his carbine, and with a second shot, killed Smaich on the spot. His companions instantly fled; but five of them were overtaken in the pursuit, and put to death by Socivizca’s companions.

  After they had plundered the caravan, and divided the spoils, they disguised themselves, and took different roads, the better to avoid the researches of the Turks, who generally go in search of troops of robbers, and pay little attention to single persons on the road. For some time after this event, Socivizca lived so quiet and retired, that it was generally believed he was dead; but when it was least expected, he suddenly appeared again, at the head of a formidable banditti, consisting of twenty-five stout young men, with whom he marched to attack a very considerable caravan, that was going from Ragusa into Turkey, with a prodigious quantity of visclini, a silver coin of base alloy, worth about fourpence of our money. At the first onset, they killed seventeen of the Turks, and took three prisoners; which so terrified the rest of the guards, that they fled with the utmost precipitation, and left him in quiet possession of the treasure.

  Socivizca was no sooner arrived at a neighbouring wood, than he ordered two of his prisoners to be impaled alive, and assigned to the third, the dreadful office of turning the stake, which was passed through their bodies, before a slow fire. His companions advised him to put the third to death; but, instead of this, when the two victims were half roasted, he ordered their heads to be cut off, which he delivered to the surviving prisoner with this commission: ‘Carry those to the bashaw of Trawnick, and tell him from me, that if he does not release my wife and children, without delay, I will serve every Turk who falls into my hands in the same manner; and God only knows what excessive pleasure it would give me to roast the bashaw himself!’

  Adventures of Morgan, Prince of Free-Booters: A Terrible Storm!

  Scarcely had his ship regained the ocean, when they encountered a horrible tempest, which threatened them with a loss which appeared the most inevitable as they were all more or less damaged. The pirates lost their anchors and their masts, and were also in momentary apprehension of being sunk: the wind tossed them about with incessant violence. On the one hand they were contiguous to a coast where they could not land without risking great dangers of another description; behind them were the Spaniards who would have gladly availed themselves of such an opportunity of retaliation. Never were navigators placed in a more critical situation. Some of their ships admitted water from every side, notwithstanding the indefatigable exertions made by the crews to keep the pumps going, beside the other expedients usually resorted to in such cases. Others were so much shattered by the storm that it became necessary to bind them together in various parts with thick cables, to prevent their falling to pieces. This hurricane, which was accompanied with thunder and lightning, continued four days without intermission: and, during the whole of that period, the freebooters’ eyes were (to use one of the pirates’ expressions) constantly open for fear they should be shut for ever. When calm weather was restored, alarms succeeded, which were not less acute than those they had already experienced, though of another kind. They discovered six ships, which at first they took, in the moment of despair, to be Spaniards; but their fear was quickly converted into joy. The ships were a French squadron under the command of admiral D’Estrees, from whom they received that assistance of which they stood in such pressing need. For the present, therefore, the pirates separated, some of them sailing for St Domingo, while the rest, who were under the command of Morgan, directed their course to Jamaica, where they arrived without encountering further accidents.

  Morgan had, from his various expedients, acquired an immense fortune; and was at length desirous of enjoying some repose; but his comrades speedily dissipated the produce of their depredations, and had even contracted new debts. They besought him, therefore, to plan new enterprises, in such a pressing manner, that he yielded to their entreaties. The moment his resolution was taken and known, the free-booters flocked together from all parts, from Jamaica, St Domingo, and Tortuga; some in ships, others in canoes, in order to place themselves under his command. This example was followed by a great number of hunters from the island of St Domingo, who had never been on the sea, and who crossed vast forests, that they might join him.

  The 24th day of October, 1670, was fixed upon for their departure…

  At length the fleet under his orders, the greatest that had been commanded by a free-booter in the West Indian seas, was ready to set sail. It consisted of thirty-seven ships, of various rates; the admiral’s ship carrying thirty-two, the others twenty, eighteen, and seventeen pieces of cannon; and the smallest four pieces. On board the fleet there was a great quantity of ammunition, together with powder machines of a new invention, and also two hundred marines, exclusive of the seamen and swabbers.

  With such force great expectations migh
t be formed: Morgan, therefore, promised his free-booters that, on their return, they should have wherewith to spend their days agreeably; provided, as already had too often happened, they did not attack places of little strength, but would direct their valour against the strongest; for experience had caused Morgan to adopt this principle:– Where the Spaniards obstinately defend themselves, there is something to take; consequently their best fortified places are those which contain most treasure.

  Morgan hoisted on his main-mast the royal flag of England, and divided his naval forces into two squadrons, distinguished by red and white flags, and formally assumed the title of admiral. He afterwards nominated a vice-admiral for each squadron, who took an oath of fidelity to him; established signals; and chose all his officers… Morgan also formally issued patents and letters of marque, empowering them to attack with hostilities, and in every possible manner, the Spaniards, both on land and sea, so long as they were the declared enemies of his sovereign, the king of England.

  After these acts of authority, Morgan assembled all his officers, on whom he conferred full powers to sign in the name of the whole fleet, a convention or agreement with regard to plunder. It was stipulated that Morgan, as admiral, should have a hundredth part of the whole, and afterwards, for every hundred men, such a share as every private freebooter would have; that the commanding officer of every ship should have eight shares, beside what would be due to him on account of the money, provisions, & c. which he might have advanced for the fitting out of his vessels; that the chief surgeon should, in addition to his appointments, receive one hundred piasters out of the whole, for medicines; that the ship’s carpenter, independently of his pay, should have a present of one hundred piasters. By the same agreement, the indemnities, already fixed in the general regulation for the loss of different limbs, were augmented; and particular rewards were established for every illustrious achievement, either in engagements or in the attacking of fortresses.