THE Ship Adventure, of which Thomas Gullock was Commander and Supra-Cargo, bound to Borneo in East-India, broke ground from Graves-End on the 16th of March 1697/8. and toucht at Brava one of the Cape de Verdy Islands, and having there got plenty of Refreshment, Fowls, Hogs, Goats and green Trade, proceeded on their Voyage, and in the Month of August fell in with the Coast of Sumatra, went to Padang to get Refreshment for the Ships Company, lay there five days, bought there four Bullocks, Fowls, Fruit, green Herbs, Potato's, &c. which was equally divided to the Ships Company, also about a Tun and half of Rice, and half a Butt of Arack, got one Boat-load of Water, and sail'd thence; about 20 days after, being by calms and currents driven near Naias, an Island inhabited by a barbarous sort of People who have no Commerce with any Europeans, came to an Anchor, the Captain order'd the Long boat on shoar with empt [...] Cask to fill Water, under the charge of Mr. William Hill his second Mate, with 24 Men well arm'd, with orders that if a Gale of Wind should spring up, or that they should see any Natives or tracks of them upon the Sand, then im­mediately to repair on Board without Water, being in no great want of it, but thought that the best use could be made of the time whilst lying at an Anchor. After the Long-boat was put off, the Captain was in great perplexity lest the Boats-crew might be destroyed by the barbarous Natives, therefore went on shoar himself in his Yaul after them, and stay'd at the watering place, being two or three hundred yards distant from the Boat, until Mr. Hill sent him word the Water-cask were full; the Captain then sent him orders to send the Long-boat on board with fifteen Men; Joseph Bradish Boatswains mate desired Mr. Hill to let him have the Yaul to tow the Long boat off from the shoar, which he agreed to, intending only the Secu­rity of the Boat, but they continued to tow much farther than necessary, and then cast off the Tow-rope, laying the Yauls Head to the shoar, with only two Men as appear'd in her; when the Long boat was near the Ship, two Men more rose out of the Yauls hull, and then with four Oars row'd direc [...]ly [...]board the Ship getting bo [...] on board together; then did Joseph Bradish, John Lloyd, Thomas Hughs and others, seize Mr. Abraham Parrott the chief Mate, telling him he was their Prisoner, and the Ship and all that was in her was their own. He asked them what was the matter, and what they thought would be the end of it? They answered he need not trouble himself about that, they were for A short Life and a merry one. The Conspirators being immediately arm'd, made themselves Masters of the Ship, cut her Cable, loosed her Sails, and run away with her, leaving the Captain and 14 Men upon the said Island, exposed to inexpressiable Miseries and Dangers, not only from the barbarous Natives, but Tygers and other wild Beasts, &c. without any manner of Provisions, Moneys or Cloaths, except the worst, which they had on their backs, or any prospect of returning to their Native Country, or indeed of so much as preserving their Lives.

Soon after the Ship was under Sail, they turn'd [...] Yaul away, and in her five Men, viz. Mr. Dru Hacker, Rex Kempson, George Reyner, Jona [...] Grizley, and Francisco an Indian, being such as would not joyn with them in their Villainous Design, not giving them one Bisket Cake, or any Sustenance, but refused to let them go to their own Chests to put on a Coat, Hat, or [Page 2] Shoes, insomuch that three were turned ashoar without Coats or Hats, and two without Shoes, and being forced to travel over sharp Rocks, they, with others whose Shoes soon wore out, had their Feet torn and mangled, and bled in such a miserable manner, that they desired to lye down and dye there, rather then to have gone on, if the Captain had not over perswa­ded them.

The number left in this deplorable state were 16 of their fellow Seamen, with the Comman­der and three Merchants, who, besides the extream danger of perishing there, were rob'd of what they had aboard, frustrated of the fruits of their Voyage, and their poor Wives and Children left to starve at home. Eight have since perished by hunger and hardships, who, if they were present, would more livelily set out the horrid Cruelty of those unmerciful Men who run away with the Ship, and left them in that miserable and wretched Condition.

This distressed Company being thus left, without any thing to eat, did remain so from Sa­turday morning the 17th of September till Thursday evening the 22th.

But tho' the Barbarity of their fellow Seamen left them in such unspeakable distress, yet it pleased God wonderfully to bring about Means for the Preservation of a few of them to be Witnesses of so horrid a Villany; for there happened to come two Boats to the said Island, which the Captain did hire with the Promise of 500 Pieces of Eight to pursue his Ship, and was on Munday the 19th within 4 or 5 Miles of her, but by a sudden Storm was forced ashoar, and both those Boats staved to pieces, only himself with 5 Men in the Yaul escaped that Ship-wrack. But it pleased God none of them lost their Lives, but all came by Land to a Creek or Cove, whither the Captain with much toil and difficulty got in the Yaul; the Number was now by these Atcheeners encreased to 42 Men, and no Boat or Vessel but the Yaul, which could not carry in the Sea above Eight or Ten. The Atcheeners seem'd most afraid of the Natives, begging the Captain to stand by them, or else the Natives would either kill or make Slaves of him and them; for they said there was a Boat of Atcheen which came there the Year before, the Men of which the Natives had knockt on the head, and halled the Boat up above High­water mark; this Boat was survey'd and found much rent with the Sun, but that the Malayers undertook to stop, and did so, with Moss, Bark, &c. whilst the Captain took care to get the Sail and some other things of one of the wrack'd Boats, and did Launch her that day, (tho' whilst they were about it they were attack'd by 200 of the Natives, all arm'd with Swords, Targets, and Launces, who made a fierce onset, but by firing Twelve or Fourteen shot were put to flight) and with her and the Yaul got off to small Islands call'd Maroos, where they got some Coker Nuts, and from a Boat they met at those Islands got some Rice which had been wet with Salt water in the same Storm when the two Boats were lost, and was heated and stank abominably, but was eaten heartily: This Boat pretended to belong to Padang, so that the Captain agreed with the Master for transport to Padang, giving the launch'd Boat to the Acheeners in lieu of their two Boats, which was all the Recompence he could then possibly make them. Going with this Boat toward Sumatra they were chased with a Malaya Pirate, who came up with them, but seeing them stand to their Arms bore up round, and stood away without one word. Coming near Priaman there is a Shoal upon which the Malayar ran his Boat; and when the Boat was on ground, the English-men all leapt over Board to go to a dry Spot not far distant, but many had like to have been drown'd by holes in the Rocks, which dipt them over head and ears, but others who could Swim assisted and got them safe to the dry Spot. The Captain went on shoar with the Yaul, and begg'd the Assistance of the Dutch Corporal, who sent a Boat with Natives, which brought the Men all off from that Spot, which not long after was overflown with the Tide, otherwise they must have been drowned; for the Malayar, after they jumpt out, got his Boat off, and went away without stay­ing to expect his Freight, for what reason we know not. Two days after they went to Padang, where being ill treated, and labouring under great Want and Sickness, three soon died there. But it pleased God to raise them up there a Friend indeed, Mr. Antony Gillis a Native of India, who pitied their Miseries, relieved their Wants, and (under God) saved their Lives; whose inexpressible and almost inimitable Charity, extended to the Dead and Living, shrowding the one, and succouring the other, which is here mention'd to his honour, and in gratitude to him.

The remaining part of this distressed Company got their Passage to Bencoolen, whereof one died by the way, and some remain'd there, of which three more soon died, and it is to be fear'd several of the rest which staid there are since dead, for only six of the Company pro­ceeded to Batavia, where, after a languishing Sickness, died one more, viz. George Rayner, from which place the Commander and three more got passage to England.

The foregoing Account is given, not only by the Commander and poor surviving Seamen, but was (long before the taking of any of the wicked Crew who run away with the Ship) writ­ten from Padang in a Letter to the Owners by Mr. Robert Anby and Mr. Ralph Peck, two Gentle­men, who, with some others, were to have staid at Borneo to have settled a Factory; which Letters, with two others from Mr. Nixon and Mr. Parrot at Batavia, may be seen at Mr. Crowches a Bookseller at the Corner of Popes head-Alley in Cornhill, out of which, for Vindication of the Commander from the base and unjust Aspersions of his ill usage of the Seamen, the Owners have permitted the following Paragraphs to be printed with this Narrative.

Mr. Samuel Nixon Chirurgeon, in his Letter to the Owners from Batavia, Nov. 27th. 1698. writes thus:

Mr. Abraham Parrott Chief-mate, in his Letter to the Owners, gives the same account of Victualling and Punishments, &c. adding, That after the Seisure of the Ship it was freely discourst, William Griffeth the Trumpeter had taken upon him to have shot the Captain.

And now to return, to give some Account of the procedure of those who ran away with the Ship, taken from Three who by force were with them the whole Voyage, and gave Evi­dence upon Oath thereof, at their Tryal, viz. John Westby, Robert Amsden, and William Saunders; the Captain only giving Evidence that the Prisoners were aboard the Ship when it was run a­way withal.

After they had seised the Ship, and turned ashoar the five Persons before-mentioned, they sailed about 50 Leagues to Sea from the Island, and then turn'd away in the Long Boat Mr. A­braham Parrott the Chief Mate, William Whitesides the Boatswain, and Richard Heath ArmourerNote, These 3 poor Creatures were 23 days at Sea, and had there perish'd if they had not by acci­dent met a Dutch Ship bound to Ba­tavia, who carried them thither., to each of whom they gave a Certificate in the following words; the Original whereof was produced and sworn to in Court, viz.

This being done, they began to divide the Clothes and Moneys of those whom they had so left and turn'd ashoar, and some time after divided the Pieces of Eight belonging to the Own­ers, weighing to each Man his Proportion by the Stillyards, which came to about Fifteen hun­dred Pieces of Eight a Man.

When they came near the Coast of New-England they agreed to destroy all the Journals and Writings aboard, which they did by putting them into a Bagg, and sinking them with Shot, saying, They should not rise up against them.

After this, near to Block-Island, they disperst themselves into several Sloops, taking with them their Moneys, &c. and were not contented with that, but fired five Guns through the Ships bottom, and sunk her in deep Water, with the Cloath, Lead, Iron, and other Commodities a­board; all which, as well as the Ship, were thereby irrecoverably lost.

Notwithstanding their separating themselves into several distant Parts, Divine Justice has pur­sued them, and they have all been taken but one, who is suppos'd to be kill'd, and were brought to their Trial on the 21st of June last at the Old-Baily, where what they said for themselves, as to the Matter of Fact, was frivolous and inconsistent, but endeavoured to extenuate their Crime by charging the Commander with Severity and Ill usage, from which the Court was [Page 4] pleased to give the Commander an opportunity to vindicate himself, which he did [...]pon Oath in the manner following, to the Satisfaction of the Court? Viz.

That he was sorry to see so many Men so remorsless, as to endeavour the excusing one Villany by committing another, as not content to have rob'd him of his Ship and Cargo, expos' [...] him­self and 19 more to those inexpressible Hardships and Miseries, whereby the King lost eight of his Subjects by untimely death, and no more than three besides himself return'd to England, of the 20 left on shoar,) but farther endeavoured to Murther his Reputation with most unjust, and base Aspersions. As for the Victualling of his Ship, he said, that on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays they had every Mess a piece of good Beef and a Pudding of two pound and a half of Flower with ¼ of Suet, besides Butter or Cheese for Breakfast. That on Mondays and Fridays they had Pork and Pease, with Breakfast as before: On Wednesdays and Saturdays Fish and Bur­goo; and they had Burgoo for Breakfast, with Butter and Sugar, on those days. That they had three Cans of Beer a Mess every day till far beyond the Cape of good Hope, and after that two Cans of good Beer and Water; and when they drank Water, there was a Cask with a Scuttle or Hole cut at the Bung enough to put a Cup in and drink when they pleas'd, lash'd fast to the Main-mast upon the Main-deck, fill'd as often as there was occasion. Also that they had 28 pound of Bread per Week every Mess, until John Lloyd desired the Cap­tain to let him put two bags of Bread about 50 pound each, (which his Mess alone had saved out of their Allowance) into the Bread-room, which was done accordingly. That then they were at no Allowance for a Fortnight or three Weeks, but had the Bread in an open Cask in the Steerage, to eat when and what they pleas'd, until they left it greasie up and down where they eat, and then 'twas retrencht to 25 pound per Week every Mess, and never less by his order or knowledge. Also that they had Drams Morning and Evening when fair, and as often as the Watches was chang'd when wet, never letting them go to their Hamocks wet without a Dram, to be sure of which he did not suffer the Steward to give it them below, but constantly his own Servant at his Round house door. Also that every Mess had on Sundays a Can of strong Beer; and when about the Cape in cold raw weather, they have often had, both Morning and Evening, Burgoo, and sometimes Fowls for the whole Ships Company [...], with a very particular regard to all sick Men.

The same Account John Westby, Robert Amsdem, and William Saunders upon Oath con­firm'd; except that Mr. Westby and Amsden said, they once heard or saw that one Mess had but Sixteen pound of Bread one Week, which the Captain said he never heard any Complaint of, for if he had, he should have as readily redrest it as he did the only Com­plaint was ever made him of Victuals, which was by William Griffeth, who brought him a piece of Pork very small, which he order'd his Servant to take from him, and give Griffeth a piece from his own Table in exchange for it; the truth of which was confirm'd by the Wit­nesses, and cannot he deny'd by the Prisoners themselves, unless they will run the hazard of going from Man's Judgment to the most tremendous and eternal Judgment of God with guilt.

As for Chastisement, he did acknowledge that Ham Edgell and Wetherell had been punished; Edgell because that he being a Quarter-Master, working in the Lazaretta, did break open a Box, and stole about a dozen pound of white Suger; the next day the Captain de­manded at once all Keys of Chests, and did find the Sugar in his Chest: which Felony he thought fit publickly to punish, especially in him, who being a Quarter-Master, might have the opportunity of the same Fact in Goods of far greater value, and that it might prove exempla­ry to the whole Ships Company.

Edward Ham purely for the welfare of those who complain against it, because that he after many checks, and some blows, continued nasty to that degree, that upon a complaint of the copperishness of the Pease, the Captain himself went into the Cook-room, and took off the sides of the Copper a great quantity of Verdigreese, for which the Captain beat him with a Japan Cane, but not to that degree as at all to wound or break his Skin, as the Chirurgeon's Mate, Mr. Westby confirmed upon Oath. And Witherell was beaten for striking the Boatswain of the Ship. And if Correction in such Cases be not used aboard Ships, no order can be maintain'd, but all would run into Confusion.

And these very Men themselves, sometime after Seisure of the Ship, did seise the same Edward Ham to the Gang-way, and severely beat him for the same Crime.

The Names of the Prisoners which were Condemned, were Joseph Bradish, John Lloyd, Thomas Hughs, Ellmore Clarke, Edward Ham, Thomas Dean, William Griffeth, Robert Mason, Thomas Edgell, Francis Read, Cornelius Larking, Thomas Simpson, Tee Wetherell, Robert Knox, Thomas Davis, Andrew Marten, Rowland Marten, John Peirce.

The Names of those left on shoar, Capt. Thomas Gullock, Mr. Robert Anby, Mr. Ralph Peck, Mr. Drew Hacker, Edward Watts, Rex Kempton, George Reyner, Jonas Grizley, William Hill, Sa­muel Nixon, John Baker, John Hire, Daniel Gravier, Henry Barnet, Giles Brown, Thomas Barrow, John Templer, one Frenchman, and one Dutchman.

Names of the Dead are Rex Kempton, Henry Barnet, Giles Brown, Daniel Gravier, Robert Anby, Ralph Peck, Edward Watts, George Reyner.