The Real Captain Kidd

their fellow-countrymen, who were preying on the Indian commerce. On the other hand, had he not been so unfortunate as to find the pirates awaiting him there on his way back to Boston,

cientious commander, in possession, it is true, of a rich prize, but in some doubt, owing to his hesitation in retaining her, whether, when they got to Boston, questions as to the legality of the capture, to say nothing of their recent misconduct in rifling the Portuguese ship, might not be raised, ending in their getting no pay whatever for[79] between two and three years' heavy and perilous work, and possibly in their being thrown into gaol by Bellamont for piracy. Probably they would have mutinied long before, if they could have found a capable leader with the necessary knowledge of navigation to take Kidd's place. As it was, when they found their fellow-countrymen at St. Marie's, living on the fat of the land on cargoes taken from the Moors, under an adventurous and successful commander, Culliford,

tale in his own

one into the other,' and thereupon ninety-seven men deserted, and went into[81] the Moca Frigate, and sent into the woods for the said pirates, and brought the said Culliford and his men on board again, and all the time he stayed in the said port the said deserters sometimes in great numbers came on board the said Galley and Adventure Prize, and carried away great guns, Powder, Shot, small arms, sails, Anchors, Cab

e's house, where his, the Narrator's chest was lodged, and broke it open[82] and took out ten ounces of gold, 40 pound of plate, 370

ions. It was then that the Narrator was left only with 13 men, so that the Moors he had to pump and keep the Adventure Galley abov

ll his crew; plundered of the greater part of the spoil he was taking home to his employers; on board the sinking Adventure Galley;[83] confined to his stifling cabin with its barricaded approaches.

ne knew better than they that he would sell his life dearly. Let us hope, too, that some few of his crew stood by him in this emergency, with "the forty loaded small arms, besides pistols." But although the pirates and mutineers could not make an end of him, it was equally impossible for him to ta

t is difficult to see how Kidd in his then position could have made a better bargain than this for the great men who were employing him. Judging from the amount of specie[85] and goods which he succeeded after all in bringing to America, he appears to have done very well indeed for them. Possibly the canny Scot, notwithstanding the theft of his chest, had more gold and valuables concealed in his impenetrable cabin than the deserters dreamed of. Possibly some of his late crew had consciences and were willing to let him off cheaply. Wh

in that hot climate, he was glad enough to take a long drink of it, when at length a truce had been arranged. According to the King's evidence at his trial, he solemnly undertook over this draught of "bomboo" not to molest the pirates, and presumably they also undertook not to molest him. The alternative very possibly was his death from thirst in his stuffy cabin. Culliford's men o

ou not come aboard my ship

. "No, I

ent away and met you on the deck, and s

"No, I did

ou are a

ai

e you not promised your

is very fit to be made an evidence of the King. Perhaps there can

eir employers, one of whom was the King himself, could not be relied on as witnesses. The only witnesses who could be trusted to swear through thick and

n from the ve

It is hard that a couple of rascals should take away the Kin

ance, and an answer by the other had been suggeste

ke away so many of the King's subjects' li

8

ng this time

to say. He knows no more of these things than you do. The f

e m

s. The man contradicts h

as you, if I would not go along with you? This was the reason I could not come home. Did you not with the others set fire to the boat to destroy my sh

Boston, she carried besides her thirty mounted guns, taken from the Adventure Galley, twenty more guns of her own, stowed away in her hold, some two hundred bales of calicoes, silks, and muslins, between eighty and ninety tons of refined sugar, forty tons of saltpetre, and ten tons of iron "in short junks." No reason, other than stern necessity, can have induced him to prolong his stay

, and reached Anguilla in the West Indies in April, 1699. By this time he had been condemned unheard by the home authorities; and the hue and cry had been raised against him and such of his crew as had remained faithful. The lords justices had sent instructions to the governors of all the English colonies in America "to apprehend him[92] and his accomplices, whenever he or they should arrive in any of the said plantations," and "to secure his ship and all the effects therein, it being their Excellencies' intention th

on shore being sick, and five more" (out of his small crew) "went away and deserted him. There he heard th

o Curaso for canvas to make sails for the prize, she not being able to proceed, and she returned in ten days, and after the canvas came he could not persuade the men to carry her to New England. But six of them went and carried their chests and things on board of the Dutch sloop, bound for Curaso, and would not so much as heel the vessel, or do anything." The remainder of the men not[94] being able to bring the Adventure Prize to Boston "he secured her in a good safe harbour in Hispaniola and l

s evidence that the two prizes, in respect of which he had been charged with piracy, had been[95] lawfully taken under his letters of marque. On the thirteenth of June, Emmot came to Bellamont at Boston with these passes, and two days aft

been prejudiced in Kidd's favor, it is unlikely that he would have been selected by Bellamont for the purpose of ascertainin

19 Jun

n His Majesty's Dominions. That you owned there were two ships taken, but that your men did it violently and against your will, and had used you barbarously, in imprisoning you and treating you ill the most part of your voyage, and often attempting to murder you. Mr. Emmot delivered to me the two French passes taken on board the two ships your men rifled,[10] which passes I have in my custody, and I am apt to believe they will be a good article to justify you, if the late peace were not by[97] the Treaty between England and France to operate in that part of the world at the time the hostility was committed, as I am almost confident it was not

, that you may safely come hither, and be equipped and fitted out to go and fetch the other ship, and I make no manner of doubt but to obtain the King's pardon for

t whatever goods and treasure you may bring hither, I will not meddle with the least bit of them: but they shall be

o this letter

Earl of

and on Board th

une,

ease your

hearty thanks. I cannot but blame myself for not writing to your Lordship before this time, knowing it was my duty: but the clamours and f

he men formerly belonging to my Galley) that the report is gone home against me to the East India Company, that I have been the actor. A sheet of paper will not contain what may be said of the care I took to preserve the owners' interest, and to come home to clear my own innocency. I do further declare and protest that I never did in the least act contrary to the King's Commission, nor to the reputation of my honourable owners,[100] and doubt not but that I shall be able to make my innocence appear; or else I had n

ve account of our affairs and diligently follow the same that there may be a speedy answer from England. I desired Mr. Campb

o Boston. This with my humble duty to your[101] Lordship and Countess, is w

iam K

nscious of his integrity and relying on the word and honour of Bellamont. It may well be doubted