calculated to prejudice him in the opinion of his employers: but, conscious of the uprightness of his intentions, he did not reply in anger, only saying that there was a steward on board, who had the care of the provisions, and that all reasonable complaints should be redressed: on which the seamen retired with apparent satisfaction.

The wind being fair, the captain directed his men to weigh anchor as soon as the merchants had quitted the vessel. It was observed that Paterson, one of the complainants, was very dilatory in executing his orders; on which the captain demanded why he did not exert himself to unfurl the sails; to which he made no direct answer, but was heard to mutter, 'As we cat, so shall we work.' The captain heard this, but took no notice of it, as he was unwilling to proceed to extremities.

The ship had no sooner sailed than the captain considered his situation as dangerous, on reflecting that his conduct had been complained of, and his orders disobeyed. Hereupon he consulted the mate, and they agreed to deposit a number of small-arms in the cabin, in order to defend themselves in case of an attack. This precaution might have been extremely salutary, but that they spoke so loud as to be overheard by two of the conspirators, who were on the quarter. deck.

The captain likewise directed the mate to order Gow, who was second mate and gunner, to clean the arms; a circumstance that must plainly insinuate to the latter that the conspiracy was at least suspected.

Those who had overheard the conversation between the captain and mate communicated the substance of it to Gow and the other conspirators, who thereupon re

solved to carry their plan into immediate execution. Gow, who had previously intended to turn pirate, thought the present an admirable opportunity, as there were several chests of money on board the ship: wherefore he proposed to his companions that they should immediately embark in the enterprise; and they determined to murder the captain, and seize the ship.

Half of the ship's company werc regularly called to prayers in the great cabin at eight o'clock in the evening, while the other half were doing duty on deck; and, after service, those who had been in the cabin went to rest in their hammocks. The contrivance was, to execute the plot at this juncture. Two of the conspirators only remained on duty, the rest being among those who retired to their hammocks.

Between nine and ten at night a kind of watchword was given, which was, Who fires first? On this some of the conspirators left their hammocks, and, going to the cabins of the surgeon, chief mate, and supercargo, they cut their throatswhile they were asleep.

The surgeon, finding himself violently wounded, quitted his bed, and soon afterwards dropped on the floor, and expired. The mate and supercargo held their hands on their throats, and, going on the quarterdeck, solicited a momentary respite, to recommend their souls to Heaven: but even this favour was denied; for the villains, who found their knives had failed to destroy them, dispatched them with pistols.

The captain, hearing a noise, demanded the occasion of it. The boatswain replied that he did not know; but was apprehensive that some of the men had either fallen, or been thrown, overboard. The captain hereupon went to look over

the ship's side, on which two of the murderers followed, and tried to throw him into the sea; but he disengaged himself, and turned about to take a view of them; when one of them cut his throat, but not so as to kill him. He now solicited mercy; but, instead of granting it, the other stabbed him in the back with a dagger, and would have repeated his blow, but he had struck with such force that he could not draw back the weapon. At this instaut Gow, who had been assisting in the murders between the decks, came on the quar. ter-deck, and fired a brace of balls into the captain's body, which put a period to his life.

The execrable villains concerned in this tragical affair having thrown all the dead bodies overboard, Gow was unanimously appointed to the command of the ship.

Those of the sailors who had not been engaged in the conspiracy secreted themselves, some in the shrouds, some under the stores, in dreadful apprehension of sharing the fate of the captain and their murdered companions.

Gow now assembled his associates on the quarter-deck; and, appointing them their different stations on board, it was agreed to commence pirates. The new captain now directed that the men who had concealed themselves should be informed that no danger would happen to them if they did not interfere to oppose the new government of the ship, but kept such stations as were assigned them.

The men, whose fears had taught them to expect immediate death, were glad to comply with these terms; but the pirates, to enforce obedience to their orders, appointed two conspirators to attend with drawn cutlasses, to awe them, if necessary, into submission.

Gow and his companions now divided the most valuable effects in the cabin; and then, ordering liquor to be brought on the quarter-deck, they consumed the night in drinking, while those unconnected in the conspiracy had the care of working the ship.

The ship's crew originally consisted of twenty-four men, of whom four had been murdered, and eight were conspirators; and, before morning, four of the other twelve having approved of the proceedings of the pirates, there were only eight remaining in any kind of opposition to the usurped authority.

On the following day the new captain summoned these eight to attend him, and, telling them he was determined to go on a cruising voyage, said that they should be well treated if they were disposed to act in concert with the rest of the crew. He observed that every man should fare in the same manner, and that good order and discipline was all that would be required. He said further that the late captain's inhumanity had produced the consequences which had happened: that those who had not been concerned in the conspiracy had no reason to fear any ill resulting from it

that they had only to discharge their duty as seamen, and every man should be rewarded according to his merit.

To this address these unfortunate honest men made no kind of reply; and Gow interpreted their silence into an assent to measures which it was not in their power to oppose. After this declaration of the will of the new captain they were permitted to range the ship at pleasure; but, as some of them appeared to act very reluctantly, a strict eye was kept on their conduct; for, guilt being ever suspicious, the pirates were greatly apprehensive of being

An individual named Williams now acted as lieutenant of the vessel; and, being distinguished by the ferocity of his nature, he had an opportunity of exerting it by beating these unhappy fellows; a privilege he did not fail to exercise with a degree of severity that must render his memory detestable.

The ship thus seized had been called the George Galley, but the pirates gave her the name of the Revenge; and, having mounted several guns, they steered towards Spain and Portugal, in expectation of making a capture of wine, of which article they were greatly deficient.

They soon made prize of an English vessel laden with fish, bound from Newfoundland to Cadiz ; but, having no use for the cargo, they took out the captain and four men, who navigated the ship, which they sunk.

One of the seamen whom they took out of the captured vessel was named James Belvin; a man ad. mirably calculated for their purpose, as he was by nature cruel, and by practice hardened in that cruelty. He said to Gow that he was willing to enter into all his schemes, for he had been accustomed to the commission of acts of barbarity. This man was thought a valuable acquisition to the crew, as several of the others appeared to act from motives of fear rather than of inclination.

The next vessel taken by the pirates was a Scotch ship bound to Italy with pickled herrings; but this cargo, like the former, being of no use to them, they sunk the vessel, having first taken out the men, arms, ammunition, and stores.

After cruising eight or ten days, they saw a vessel about the size of

She hoisted French colours, and crowded all her sail in order to get clear of them; and, after a chase of three days and nights, they lost her in a fog.

Being distressed for water, they now steered towards the Madeira Islands, of which they came in sight in two days; but, not thinking it prudent to enter the harbour, they steered off and on for several days, in the hope of making prize of some Portuguese or Spanish vessel; but these expectations were frustrated.

Their distress increasing, they stood in for the harbour, and brought the ship to an anchor, but at a considerable distance from the shore. This being done, they sent seven men, well armed, in a boat, with instructions to board a ship, cut her cables, and bring her off; but, if they failed in this, they were to attempt to make prize of wine and water, conveying them in the boat to the ship. Both these schemes were, however, frustrated, since it was easily known, from the distance they lay at, that they were pirates.

When they had cruised off for some days they found themselves in such distress that it became absolutely necessary to seek immediate relief; on which they sailed to Port Santa, a Portuguese settlement, at the distance of about ten leagues.

On their arrival off this place they sent their boat on shore, with a present of salmon and herrings for the governor, and the name of a port to which they pretended to be bound. The persons sent on shore were civilly treated by the governor, who accompanied some of his friends on board the ship. Gow and his associates received the governor very politely, and enter. tained him and his company in the

most hospitable manner; but the boat belonging to the pirates not coming on board with some provisions they had expected, and the governor and his attendants preparing to depart, Gow and his people threatened to take away their lives unless they instantly furnished them with what they required.

The surprise of the Portuguese governor and his friends on this occasion is not to be expressed. They dreaded instant death, and, with every sign of extreme fear, solicited that their lives might be spared. Gow being peremptory in his demands, the governor sent a boat repeatedly ashore, till the pirates were furnished with such articles as they wanted.

This business being ended, the Portuguese were permitted to depart, and the pirates determined to steer towards the coast of Spain, where they soon arrived. After cruising a few days off Cape St. Vincent, they fell in with an English vessel bound from the coast of Guinea to America with slaves, but which had been obliged to put into the port of Lisbon. Now although it was of no use for them to make capture of such a vessel, yet they did take it, and, again putting on board the captain and men, but taking out all the provisions and some of the sails, they left the ship to proceed on her voyage.

Falling in with a French ship, laden with wine, oil, and fruit, they took out the lading, and gave the vessel to the Scotch captain, in return for the ship which they had sunk.

The Scotchman was likewise presented with some valuable articles, and permitted to take his men to sail with him; all of whom did so, except one, who continued with the pirates through choice.

About the same time they observed another French ship bearing down towards them, on which Gow ordered his people to lay to; but, observing that the vessel mounted two-and-thirty guns, and secmed proportionably full of men, he assembled his people, and observed to them that it would be madness to think of engaging so superior a force.

The crew in general were of Gow's opinion; but Williams, the lieutenant, said Gow was a coward, and unworthy to command the vessel. The fact is, that Gow possessed somewhat of calm courage, while Williams's impetuosity was of the most brutal kind. The latter, after behaving in a very abusive manner, demanded that the former should give orders for fighting the vessel; but Gow refusing to com. ply, the other presented his pistol to shoot him; but it only flashed in the pan.

This being observed by two of the pirates, named Winter and Pa. terson, they both fired at Williams, when one of them wounded him in the arm, and the other in the belly. He dropped as soon as the pieces were discharged, and the other seamen, thinking he was dead, were about to throw him overboard, when he suddenly sprang on his feet, jumped into the hold, and swore he would set fire to the powder-room; and, as his pistol was yet loaded, there was every reason to think he would actually have done so, if he had not been instantly seized, and his hands chained behind him, in which condition he was put among the French prisoners, who were terrified at the sight of him; for the savage ferocity and barbarity of this man's nature are not to be described, it being a common practice with him to beat the prisoners in