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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
I SEPTEMBER, 1928
to run, but allowed the smaller and better sailer to overhaul him, when "Kidd's hardy rogues soon gave them enough of it and miserably mauled them before the great ship could come to their help, but, as soon as she came near, Kidd set his sails and ran from them" (Letter from Thomas Pattle, 22nd September 1697. Surat Factory Records, XIII). Kidd in his Narrative (House of Commons Journal, XIII, 32) says: "The said fight was sharp and the said Portu. guese left the said Galley with such satisfaction that the Narrator believes no Portuguese will ever attack the King's colours again, in that part of the world especially." This incident has been referred to as an instance of both piracy and cowardice on Kidd's part, but if Kidd were honest, he had a right to give the Portuguese a lesson for interfering with him, and if he were a pirate, then it was not good business to fight when only blows and not loot could be gained. As it was, he lost ten men in the scrap with the little ship (State Trials, XIV, 157), and I fancy from what follows that the statement that he ran away from the big ship was merely a yarn for the satisfaction of the Portuguese authorities, the big ship in reality making no effort to engage him. It was probably in reference to this fight that the Viceroy of Goa wrote on the 2nd January 1699,"It is believed that all Englishmen are corsairs who sell in Bombay all they can steal at sea. If our frigates meet them at sea, they produce the Company's papers and we can do nothing with them, but when they come across our merchantmen they rob them, and the English Company then excuse themselves by saying the ships are pirates " (Danvers, Portuguese Records, p. 76). Instead of making such complaints, the Viceroy should have set about reorganizing his naval forces. The little ship had behaved gallantly, but the bigger one returned to Carwar on the 18th September and anchored in the River. There she heard that an Arab ship had passed up and sent boats to surprise her. They found every one asleep but, instead of attacking at once, opened fire from some distance The crew woke up and stood to their guns, and after two hours of this nonsensical work, the Portuguese retired with a loss of 14 men killed and as many wounded. Who could expect pirates to respect the traders of a country, the warships of which were so badly officered?
451. So far, apparently, except for recruiting pirates at Johanna to fill up the vacancies in his crew (Pattle says that he had only 140' well men' on board at Carwar), Kidd seems to have had no connection with the other pirates in the Indian Seas. Probably they were doubt. ful as to his real intentions towards them and kept at & safe distance. On the 2nd October the Bombay Council wrote to Surat "We hear of no pirates on the Coast but Kidd " (Surat Letters Recd. CXIII, p. 155).
452. Kidd appears to have refitted and repaired his ship, which was very leaky, at an island in Carwar Bay, thereafter known as Kidd's Island (Downing, p. 18). He then went on to Calicut, before which he appeared with the King's Jack and Pennant (Madras Records. Letter from Thomas Pennyng and Robert Adams, 11th October 1697), though he had been flying French colours in order to deceive any traders which might be carrying French passes (Ind. Off, 0. C. 6473). Pattle suspected that he was watching for Abdu'l Ghafür's ships. On the 4th October he sent his Quartermaster ashore with the following letter "Sir, I can't but admire that the People is so fearful to come near us, for I have used all possible means to lett them understand that I am an Englishman93 and a friend, nor offering to molest any of their canoes. So I thot it convenient to write this that you may understand whome I am, which I hope may end all suspition. I came from England about fifteen months agone with the King's commission to take all pirates in the seas, and from Carwar came about one month agone, Bo do believe you have heard whome I am before this, and all that I come for here is wood and water, which if you will be pleased to order me shall honestly satisfie for the same or anything that they will bring off, which is all from him who will be very ready to serve you in what lieth in my power.-William Kidd."
From what they had heard, the English would willingly have arrested him, but were afraid to make the attempt.
98 This is the only positive statement that I have found regarding Kidd's nationality. He is generally supposed (See para. 446 above) to have been a Scotchman.
