Isaac Bickerstaffe

“ I have already said, that with these people I remained upwards of three years; on land I acted as store-keeper; and at sea, as a sort of purser to the ship. It is to be observed, that there was always a sufficient number of hands left on the island to man the fort, which was so situated as effectually to prevent the approach of an enemy. Indeed the office of store-keeper was a place of great trust. You would hardly credit me, was I to attempt to tell you the immense riches these robbers robbers had amassed together. One article alone will be sufficient to give you an idea of it. ”

“ I warned the fellows of their capacity, and the danger of deeply loading the ship, but they would not give over till she could hold no more; and then the treasure, packed in chests, each man’s share separate to himself, we put in the cabin. ”

“ Their whole lives were a scene of rapine and murder, which, when they had not an opportunity of committing upon wretches that fell into their clutches, during their piratical pursuits, they committed upon one another. ”

“ There was an uninhabited island, about twelve leagues well of the Gulph of Mexico, which those villains called Swallow island, from the great number of those birds which harboured upon it. Here they had a fortification; and the place being rendered almost inaccessible by rocks, except at one little inlet, just large enough to admit a single vessel, they defied the Spanish power.
Their captain was one Bryan Walsh, an Irishman, whom I cannot help calling a most execrable and bloody villain, though God Almighty put it into his heart to be a very good friend to me. ”

“ We now began to feel the consequence of too deeply loading the vessel. The first things we threw overboard were our guns, and as our case became more and more desperate, every thing followed them, not excepting our chests of treasure. ”

“ Collins, I missed him; and then it was I found I had made a mistake; and, instead of getting on board my own boat, which I now saw a-head, I had got into a boat belonging to some of the pirates. I attempted to leap overboard, and should easily have swam ashore; but I was prevented by one of the crew, who gave me a stroke on the head, which immediately laid me senseless; and I found afterwards they mistook me for one of their own men, whom they had sent to purchase something in the town.
A more infernal crew than these pirates breathed, not upon the face of the earth. ”

“ I never saw any man express such concern as he did, while I was pursuing my melancholy adventures; but when I came to the circumstances of being hanged, and afterwards hung in chains, I could hardly prevail upon him to believe my relation, till backed by the most serious asseverations, pronounced in the most solemn manner. ”

“ As soon as the poor creatures found I was an Englishman, they were extremely happy, even in their distressed situation, though indeed they were treated with lenity enough, and only sent to the prison till a lodging could be provided for them, they having been, in the course of the war, made prisoners as well as myself, and then on their return home. ”

“ About three o’clock in the morning we were obliged to heave the ship too under her spare poles, and the sea ran so exceeding high that we could keep no lights on board, tho' the night was so dark that we could scarce see one another at a quarter of a yard distance; the wind still increasing, we sprung the main-mast about six feet from the deck, that nothing could save it. ”

“ We had been six months out upon our cruise, having had but very indifferent success, when, being upon the coast of Florida, then in the hands of the Spaniards, we unfortunately fell in with a squadron of their men of War: and, being consequently, taken without striking a stroke, we were all brought prisoners into the harbour of Havannah. ”

“ About six o'clock I arose, no body yet being up in the house. The gentleman was not yet returned to bed, or if he was, had again left it. I drest myself with what haste I could, being impatient to see my sister; and the reckoning being paid over night, I let myself out at the street door.
I will not trouble you with a relation of the kindness with which my sister and her husband received me. We breakfasted together and I believe it might be about eleven o'clock in the fore-noon, when standing at the door, my brother-in-law being by my side, we saw three horsemen galloping towards us. ”

“ I endeavoured, however, to keep myself above water as well as I could, though I had no manner of hopes of saving my life. My first attempt was to swim after the ship; but finding that impracticable, I turned about, and, I believe, might have swam about three quarters of an hour, when being very faint and weak, I began to put up my last prayer to God, and commit myself to the deep ”

“ I wrought on board them for some years, when the galley I belonged to was ordered to sea, against an Algerine rover that infested the coast; but, instead of one, we met with three of them. The issue of the engagement was fatal to us. The greatest part of the crew were killed, and the rest taken prisoners, amongst which last I was one having lost the leg which you see me want, in the action. ”

“ Somebody proposed to search me, severals began to turn my pockets inside out, and from my waistcoat tumbled the pen-knife and the piece of money I have already mentioned. Upon seeing these, the woman immediately screamed out, "O God! there is my uncle's pen-knife!" Then taking up the money, and calling the people about her, "Here, said she, is what puts the villain's guilt beyond a doubt; I can swear to this William and Mary's guinea; my uncle has long had it by way of a pocket piece, and engraved the first letters of his name upon it." ”

“ Richard Collins (the name of the man I was supposed to have murdered) either alive or dead. No information, however, of any kind came to hand; at the assizes, therefore, I was brought to trial, and circumstances appearing strong against me, I received sentence, to be carried in a cart the Wednesday fortnight following, to the town of Deal, and there to be hanged before the innkeeper’s door where I had committed the murder; after which I was to be hung in chains within a little way of my brother’s house. ”

“ I could not be less than thirty hours in this situation, when I was taken up by a Spanish carrick; but I hardly reckon that among fortunate accidents; for the same day that I entered the ship, one of the men, while I was asleep, hanged up my clothes among the shrouds to dry; in doing it, emptied my pockets, and finding several papers relative to the pirates' affairs, as soon as they arrived in Port-Royal, whither they were (illegible text) und, they seized me as one of that desperate (illegible text) g. ”