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NOVEMBER, 1919)
EPISODES OF PIRACY IN THE EASTERN SEAS
201
About 12 of the clock their ship had gott the weather guge of us and came rangeing up our starboard quarter with French coloure flying. The enemy being within musquett shott of us, upon our Boatswaines windeing his Call, we beate our Drum and gave them three cheers. They being come nigher abroadside of us, our Master called to him to bear under our stern or else be would fire upon him, upon which one from their boltspritt end in 8 commanding manner called to us to hoist out our boate and come aboard of them. Our Commander replyed he should not do that, but if tŁey had any business with us, their boate being out, they might come aboard. Afier which one from aboard of them in broken English said, 'We'r Lound aboard of you. Our Master replyed Wellcome, win her and ware ber.'
No sooner were these words spoken but they sent a volley of small shott into us, which did little harme, upon which our Master and Mr. Salvey fired twice apiece from the Quarterdeck and went to their close quarters in the Roundhouse, and our men giveing them a volley from the Waste, retired half of them into the Stearidge (according to order) and the other 18lf into the Forecastle, excepting one, being a soldier, who was shott dead entring the Fore. Jastle doore, which was all the enemy see fall of our men.
We being in close quarters, they, in the Forecastle brought their aftermost great gun to bear upon the enemys bow, which they fired and see doe execution. Whereupon they run us aboard with their boltspritt in our main shrowds, at which time wee discharged both our Stearidge gurs, being loaded with double round and Partridges shett, which made ter salley, 45 upon which the enemy made a great outcry and veered so far astern that they brought their boltspritt into our mizen shrowds and lashed fast to our chain plates, 46 by reason of which we could not bring our Forecastle guns to beer upon them.
All this time they continued fireing upon us with their great and small guns, as we upon them. After wbich the enemy commanded his men to enter us, wbich they seemed eager to doe, by comeing on their boltsprit and others creeping up our side, where they made a halt. which gave us oppertunity as well from our loopholes as otherwise to coe great execution. Some of their men run up our shrowds, endesrourirg to cutt down our y rds, but findeing them slung with chains, they were discouraged. They that wert up were either shott down and fell in the sea or else went down on the other side and swam round to their ship, they not dareing to enter upon our Quarterdeck, seeing us traverse our great guns upon them out of the Roundhouse doore. Neither did they dare to board us on our Poop by reason of our powder chest and other provision made there. Their Commander from on board earnestly pressed them to enter us, but they found our ship too hot for them. They still continued fireing upon us, their cheif aime being att our Roundhouse, Great Cabbin and Stearidge through which they fired three great shott, endeavouring to kill our Captain and sett fire to A powder chest, which att the last they accomplished.
Upon its blowing up, the enemy made a great shout and, reasuming courage, entered upon our Poop and with their Poleaxes [ endeavoured ) to cutt down the Antient Staff.
43 To do this was considered a confession of inferiority or submission. So also it was the duty of the inferior to send his boat to the ship of his superior. When pirates could induce a merchant captain to send boat aboard, they generally detained the crew and sent the boat back crowded with their own men who, especially if the merchant captain had come with the boat, usually met with no resistance.
44 Partridge was some kind of small shot, possibly what is now known as Swan or Duck sho
46 Query, Jump, shiver or shake. The Oxford English Dict. has burst or leap forth' as one of the meanings of sally'.-ED.
Le Plates bolted to the side of the ship, to which the thronds are fastenedl.
