THE depravity of the human mind is so universally acknowledged in the pres­ent enlightened age, and a belief of the uni­versal presidency of providence over the af­fairs of men so evidently established, as to need no argument to enforce the reception of a narrative in which both are peculiarly manifest.

Convinced of the truth of the above [...] ­ment I shall proceed in my narrative, [...] ­voring on the one hand to avoid tedious [...] ­petitions, and on the other to omit no [...] ­dent that may afford entertainment to my courteous reader.

My father dying when I was young, my mother put me apprentice to learn the trace or occupation of a carpenter. On the other side of the road, opposite to the house where I lived there dwelt a tailor, who had an ap­prentice named William White, with whom I was very intimate, during the time of his apprenticeship, but he was out of his time and went to sea some time before I was free, being about three years older than my­self.

White, as I before observed, went to sea sometime before I was free, but he did not return, nor do I remember that I ever saw or [Page 4] heard of him afterwards, till I found him among the pirates.

From my youth I had an almost irresisti­ble desire for undertaking a voyage to sea, which I resolved at all events to gratify, as soon as I obtained a right to dispose of my­self. In establishing this resolution, a love of novelty, joined to a secret delight I en­joyed in hearing sailors relate the curiosities they met with in their voyages, doubtless had a great effect, and the older I grew the impression became the stronger.

But however strong my desire was to fol­low the sea, a sense of the duty I owed my surviving parent, so far overballanced my inclination, as to occasion me to form a de­termination not to gratify it untill I should be of age, unless I could gain her consent. The propensity however was so strong as to induce me at the age of seventeen, to apply to my mother and request liberty to go [...] voyage to sea. My mother was very uneasy at the request, and used every art of persua­sion that maternal tenderness could dictate, to induce me to relinquish the design. Ex­pressing some surprise that I should entertain any idea of following the sea, as it was a life most evidently attended with innumerable fa­tigues and dangers: urging, as a particular reason for her disapprobation of the measure, the melancholly fate of my father, who be­ing a seafaring man, was taken by a French [Page 5] frigate, on a voyage homeward bound, and carried into Martinico, a number of years before, where he underwent all the hardships of a close and cruel confinement, and altho' ultimately redeemed, with many others, was supposed to be most inhumanly poisoned by the French, on board the cartel, as they prin­cipally died on their passage home.

However strong an argument this might have appeared to my mother it failed of its desired effect upon me, it only lulled my desire for a while, but by no means eradica­ted it: I waited however with a great de­gree of impatience about two years longer, when I again asked leave to go a voyage to the Westindies, and my mother finding my reso­lution unabated, concluded she could as well part with me then as when I became of age, after which she imagined she should not be able to detain me. Upon the whole she told me she was unwilling I should go to the Westindies, but that the sloop Dolphin, capt. Haskell was then in the harbor, fit­ting out for a fishing voyage, and if I would go with him she would give her consent; to this proposal I readily assented.

I accordingly shipped on board the sloop, and had a tolerable passage to the fishing ground; but soon after our arrival there, we were surprized by the appearance of a ship, which from external signs we suspected to be a pirate. We were not by any means pre­pared [Page 6] to oppose so formidable an enemy, and she was so close upon us before we sus­pected her as to render it impossible for us to escape by running away, we were there­fore obliged to abide our fate peaceably let the consequence be what it would.

The pirate soon came up and sent a boat on board our sloop, demanding who we were, and where we were bound; to which our captain gave a direct answer. By this boat's crew we learned, that the noted pirate capt. Phillips commanded their ship. This intel­ligence it will readily be conceived, gave us great uneasiness, most of our crew being quite young, and having often heard of the cruelties committed by that execrable pi­rate, which made us dread to fall into his hands.

The pirate's boat soon boarded us again, demanding the name of every hand on board: In this boat came White the tailor, with whom I had been acquainted during his apprenticeship, as beforementioned. I was greatly surprized to find him employed in so criminal a course of life, though I said nothing of the matter to him. On the re­turn of the pirate's boat with a list of our names, White, as I was afterwards inform­ed, acquainted Philips of his knowledge of me, informing him, that if he could engage me in his service, he would gain a good stout resolute fellow, every way he supposed, such a hand as he wanted.

[Page 7] On receiving this information, as he stood in need of a hand, and found we had no property he wanted on board, he sent his boat once more with orders to capt. Haskell, to send me on board his ship and the rest of the crew with the sloop, may go free. My worthy commander, with much visible con­cern in his countenance, took me aside, and informed me of Phillips's orders, adding, that although it would be exceedingly disa­greeable and painful to him to let me go, yet as we were entirely in the power of a bloody merciless ruffian, and no hopes of escape but by giving me up, I believe, says he, you must go and try your fortune with them.

The thought of being sacrificed as it were to procure liberty for the rest of the crew, opperated greatly upon my spirits, and the first conclusion I drew up was, that I would not on any conditions agree to go on board the pirate. I therefore told my captain that I had ever been faithful to his interest and commands, that I had always wished to do my duty punctually and well, but that I was determined not to go on board the pirate let the consequence be what it would. Our conversation ended here, for that time, and the boat returned without me.

Phillips was greatly incensed when the boat returned without me, and sent again, with orders to bring me either dead or alive. My capt. took me aside again, and told me the [Page 8] pirate's resolution and message, adding that he believed I should do well to go with them, for if I refused to go, and made resistance, it would be inevitable death to me, and proba­bly to our whole crew: He urged further, that my submitting would prove the certain release of the rest of the crew, and there would at least be a probability of my making an escape from them at sometime or other: But if I could not find a way to escape, it was not impossible but Phillips might dis­charge me, for he had sent word that if I would agree to serve him faithfully for two months, he would then set me at liberty.

Those only who have been in similar cir­cumstances can form an adequate idea of the distress I experienced at this time. If I ob­stinately refused to join the pirates, instant death stared me and my comrades in the face, if I consented to go with them I expected to be massacred for refusing to sign their pirat­ical articles, which I had fully determined never to do, though I should be put to the extremity of torture for refusal. Into so critical a situation had my bad fortune plun­ged me, that inevitable destruction seemed to stare me in the face from every quarter.

I took the matter however into serious consideration, and after the most mature de­liberation, determined, to venture myself a­mong them, rather than bring the vengeance of the pirates on my comrades; I therefore [Page 9] went with them, seemingly contented, and the capt. renewing his promise to set me at liberty in two months, I engaged to serve him to the best of my abilities during [...] term. I was likewise agreeably disappointed in their not urging so strenuously as I expected the thing I most of all dreaded, viz. the signing of their articles. To induce me to join them they used more arguments of a persuasive than a compulsory nature, judging I suppose, that youth would be more easily enticed than compelled to join in sharing their ill-gotten gain.

When I first went aboard of the pirate their crew consisted of ten men, including their captain, and the whole of them I think, as stout, daring, hardy looking fellows as ev­er I saw together. As I was then the only hand aboard who had not subscribed their articles, the capt. assigned me to the helm, where I kept my station during the greatest part of the time I stayed with them.

No captures of any consequence were made during the first two months: Some small vessels were taken, but their lading was too inconsiderable to satisfy the insatia­ble disposition of the pirates.

The period being now arrived, when I had a right, according to agreement, to demand my liberty, I thought it a proper season at least to remind the capt. of the manumission he had engaged me. For this purpose I [Page 10] went to him, and in language the least offen­sive I could frame, reminded him of his promise, and requested him to fulfil it. Phil­lips in tollerable good humour, replied, that we had done but little business since I came aboard; that he could not well spare me yet, but if I would stay with him three months longer, he would then set me at liberty UPON HIS HONOR, and I was obliged quietly to submit, comply with his demands, and trust to his honor, though it turned out in the end that it did but mock me.

Nothing of any importance occurred dur­ing this three months. Some few small ves­sels were taken and plundered; their car­goes were of no great value and their hands were dismissed with their vessels, except two or three robust, stout looking men whom Phillips picked from among them and com­pelled to sign his articles.

When the three months were expired, I went to the capt. and once more reminded him of the expiration of my servitude, and handsomely requested him to set me ashore according to his promise, that I might go to my mother, who had not heard from me since my first capt. returned from his fishing voyage.

Set you at liberty, damn you; you shall be set at liberty when I damn'd and not be­fore replied Phillips; in a rage more compa­rible with the diabolical disposition of an in­fernal [Page 11] fiend than a being endowed with a ra­tional soul, susceptible of human sensations.

It is evident, and experience daily evinces, that persons, by habituating themselves to any particular vice, become so familiarized thereto, as to be unable to distinguish it from a real virtue; and in such case con­science ceases to alarm the understanding and suffers the culprit to pursue it to its ex­tremity. This was undoubtedly the case with capt. Phillips, who was not addicted to one particular vice, but to every vice.

Having now lost all hope and probability of being liberated, there was no alternative more eligible for me than to sustain my ser­vitude with as much patience, resolution and fortitude as possible. Although the capt. had asserted that I should not be set at liber­ty till he was damned, I was still in hopes that we might be taken by some vessel, or that we might take more prisoners, who, in concert with myself, might be able to con­trive some plan whereby we might take the ship, and thereby incapacitate Philips to de­termine whether I should obtain my freedom before he received his final doom, or not.

As we were sailing, one day, we came within view of a fine merchant vessel, the appearance of which pleased the capt. much, who swore by heaven he would have it. Accordingly I was ordered to bear off for her as direct as possible. Phillips being ex­tremely [Page 12] anxious for taking this vessel, walk­ed the deck with his glass in his hand, view­ing of her the greatest part of the day, and damning me because, as he said, I did not steer so well as I might.

Eleven holes he cut through my hat and the skin of my head, without the least pro­vocation, with his broad sword. But the merchantman being lightly built and com­pletely rigged, left sight of us before night. Phillips exclaiming in a horrid rage, that the loss of that fine ship was all my damned do­ings, adding that he wanted the damned thing just long enough to sail to hell in.

We had sundry prisoners on board, French­men and negroes; we had also an American with whom I had been intimately acquainted when young, and whom the pirates could neither persuade nor compel to sign their ar­ticles. Thus fortune had sent me one friend with whom I could sympathize under my al­most insupportable calamities; though our sympathy was chiefly confined to looks and private gestures, for we durst not complain in the hearing of the crew.

About the end of the seventh month from my entering on board, we took a merchant­man belonging to Boston, capt. Harridon commander, a young man only twenty two years of age. The father of this young man was a merchant in Boston, and had giv­en this son the education requisite for a mar­riner [Page 13] and sent him to the Westindies, capt. of this vessel, in which he was returning home when we took him.

All except Harridon, James Cheeseman a ship carpenter, and a Spanish indian, who was taken with Harridon, my friend whom I mentioned above, and myself, had been com­pelled to sign the pirates articles. We had been enjoined to sign them but had utterly refused, choosing rather to be killed by the villains, than to be taken, condemned and executed, for being their associates. But I suppose they thought we might be serviceable to them and therefore deemed it best not to dispatch us yet.

One day we took a large vessel, after con­siderable trouble in chacing, but found no­thing on board worthy the attention of the pirates, except their provisions and water, which being in some want of, Phillips stript them of it entirely, took out one or two of their hands, and then let them go.

Some of the pirates having been sent on board Harridon's vessel, there remained only six of the old pirates on board, besides those who had been forced to sign their articles, and as there were five of us who wished to escape from them, we began to think and ev­en to suggest something about trying some scheme to effect that purpose. There was no time that we could confer together with­out being discovered, except in the dead of [Page 14] the night, and even then we durst not be all together, and consequently could not with­out great difficulty, succeed in forming any regular plan to effect our escape.

One day we came in sight of a merchant­man which Phillips imagining would prove a valuable prize gave orders for chacing. His orders were put in execution immediate­ly, but the merchantman being lightly built, and a prime sailer, we chaced her three days before we were able to capture them. Hav­ing made what disposition he pleased of the hands &c. he found on board the new prize, Phillips ordered one Fern, a daring resolute fellow of the old pirate crew, to go on board of her, and take command, taking some of the old crew along with him.

Phillips had now become so exceedingly arbitrary as to be hated by his own crew, but they stood in such dread of him that they durst no more contradict his orders than they durst to die. Soon after night came on, Fern proposed to the pirates with him, that as they were now in possession of a fine ves­sel, every way fitted for a cruiser, and as good a sailor as Phillips's if they would join him he would put out his lights, and steering by the light of the old pirate, make their escape from the tyranny of Phillips, and set up for themselves. The crew accordingly joined, and they began to execute their plan, but Phillips suspecting their design, on finding [Page 15] they darkened their ship, put out his own light and endeavoured to follow them; in which design he succeeded so well as to be in sight of them next morning. We continu­ed to chace the new pirate till the third day before we came up with her, when a fierce engagement ensued, but Fern soon finding himself overpowered, and no hope of escape, sent word to Phillips, that if he would grant him a pardon he would strike to him, and once more serve him faithfully, but if not they would all fight till they died; Phillips immediately complied with their demand, and sent orders for Fern to come on board his ship, which he did, and Phillips, not re­garding his engagement to pardon, immedi­ately ran his sword through his body, and then blew his brains out with his pistol, and thus glutted his own vengeance, and ridded us of a desperate enemy.

I mentioned before that there were five of us who had not signed the pirate's articles, and as Phillips by killing Fern had left but five of the old pirate crew alive, we began to conceive it a proper opportunity to make our escape. We were however exceedingly cau­tious, and had not yet had an opportunity to communicate our plans to my Newengland friend beforementioned, yet conscience made the pirates suspicious of something of the kind being in agitation, and from the conse­quent murderous proceedure of Phillips we [Page 16] had reason to apprehend they had in reality discovered our intentions.

My friend the American before mentioned being on board the vessel lately taken from Capt. Harridon, Phillips ordered out a boat and went on board, where he accused him with joining in a plot, assisted by me, to kill him and all his crew, and take the vessel. My friend solemnly denied the accusation and declared he knew nothing of such a plan, which was, in fact the case, for I afterwards learned that there had nothing been said to him about it. This reply, however true, did not mitigate the captain's passion, in the least, for he damned him, swore he would send him to hell, and instantly ran him through the body with his sword, in such a manner that he twisted the point of it off, leaving it in his backbone.

My friend, I suppose, not being conscious of having received his death wound, still denied the charge, and with great earnestness begged that his life might be spared, but the capt. whose insatiable thirst for flaughter was not sufficiently gorged, damned him, pre­sented his pistol and shot him through the head, exclaiming, I have sent one of the dev­ils to hell and where is Fillmore, he shall go next. I was then ordered to go aboard Har­ridon's vessel.

My long familiarity with, & constant appre­hension of death, rendered its near approach­es [Page 17] less terrifying than formerly; but I did not receive this message without heart-rend­ing sensations and thrilling emotions of trepi­dation and fear. But Phillips was complete­ly despotic, and there was no such thing as evading his commands: I therefore drew up a resolution that if I found he was bent on my death I would sell my life as dear as possi­ble and endeavor to kill him first. With this resolution, and as much fortitude as I could muster, I went on board to Phillips, and stood by a handspeak that lay upon the deck, Phillips charged me as he had done my friend with contriving to betray him and take the ship. The accusation was true e­nough, but I concluded a lie was warranta­ble in that case, and consequently replied that I knew nothing of any conspiracy either against him or his crew. I had prepared myself to make resistance in case he offered any abuse, but he had a pistol concealed un­der his coat, which he presented to my breast and snapped it before I had time to make any evasion; but happily for me, it missed fire. He drew it back, cocked and presented it again, but I struck it aside with my hand, so that it went off by my side without doing any injury.

I thought of knocking out his brains with the handspeak that lay near me, but I knew it would be instant death for me, and there­fore concluded, if he would leave me, I [Page 18] would not meddle with him at that junctur [...] He then swung his sword over my hea [...] damned me and bid me go about my bus­ness, adding, that he only did that to try me These last words raised my spirits one degre [...] higher than they had been before; for I con­fess I thought that snapping a loaded pisto [...] at a man's breast, was an harsh mode of trial, and such an one as I had by no means been accustomed to before. I stooped to take up the handspeak, thinking to try him with the but end of that, but upon mature considera­tion, concluded to let the matter rest a little longer, and watch for a more convenient op­portunity to resent the injury. The pistol missing fire when snapped at my breast, and then going off by my side, was a strong in­dication to me that providence had interpos­ed graciously in my preservation, that our final deliverance from the barbarity of the savage Phillips, and his abandoned banditti, might be the more speedily effected.

A few weeks now ensued which were spent in tolerable good humour and peace among all hands on board, and myself and friends put on the semblance of content as much as possible, though we were incessantly seeking opportunities to confer with each other upon some mode of escape; but no proper oppor­tunity occurred, nor indeed were our meas­ures properly concerted as yet.

Again we were called upon to sign their [Page 19] flagitious articles, and become willing mem­bers of the piratical band, with menaces of immediate death in case we still refused; but we had heard their threats too often to be frightened into a compliance by them now.

A short time after this, being about nine months after I was taken, and about two from the time we fell in with and made a prize of the the vessel, board of which Harrison was taken, the crew, in commemmoration of some signal advantage, which they had obtained, had a grand carouse; eating, drinking, and spend­ing the day in such diversions as their gross inclinations required. A favorable oppor­tunity now seemed to offer to extricate us from our suffering, and we determined to improve it if possible. Cheeseman was ord­ered by Phillips, to bring some tools on deck and do something towards repairing the ship, early next morning, and the master was ord­ered to take an observation next day at noon to find out where we were. Thus far prov­idence seemed to favor our design and we felt firm in the determination of executing of it next day.

It was late in the evening before the pi­rates retired to rest, and White and one more of the o'd pirates got into the caboose, as drunk as beasts and lay down before the ire. A favorable opportunity now seemed [...] offer for us to improve in confering upon some means for our escape. We got togeth­er, [Page 20] held a consultation and concluded to risk our lives in trying to work our deliverance, concluding that we had better die in so just a cause, than share the fate of our late New­england friend, which we had no doubt would soon overtake us, if we persisted in our determination never to sign their articles or share in their unlawful gain.

When I mention that we had determined on an immediate execution of our design, I would inform the reader that there were but three of us, viz. Cheeseman, myself and the Spanish indian before mentioned, for poor Harridon declared that his heart was broken, his resolution and courage gone by a series of ill-usuage, and that he durst not engage to assist but would not discover our plot: thus there remained only three of us to engage the whole crew, and the indian we felt rath­er dubious about, though we gained a confi­dence in him from his having firmly refused several times, though threatened with imme­diate death, to subscribe the pirating articles. However I must do him the honor to say he was true to his trust, and had it not have been for him our plot would most probably have failed in the execution.

Cheeseman, the indian and myself got to­ther and agreed that Cheeseman should leave his broad ax on the main deck when he had done using of it, and when I saw Cheesman make ready to grasp the master, I was to [Page 21] catch it up and make the best use of it I could, cutting and flashing all that offered to op­pose me, while the indian was to stand rea­dy to help as occasion may require. And each one of us in the mean time was to do every thing he could think of to forward the design.

Our plan being thus concerted, I went down into the caboose where White and John Rose Archer, a desperate fellow who had been taken in one of the prizes, and imme­diately joined the pirates, laid on the floor, as before mentioned, drunk as beasts. I took fire and burnt these two villains in the feet, while they lay senseless, so badly as to render them unable to be upon deck next day. There were only four left now of the old pirate gang, and five who had joined them since, besides the two who I had render­ed incapable of injuring us.

We were up early in the morning and Cheeseman used the broad ax and left it as a­greed. It was very late in the morning and the pirates were none of them up, and we were afraid they would not arise until too late to take an observation, and our plan of consequence must fall through. To prevent this, about ten o'clock I went to the cabbin door and told the captain the sun was almost up to the meridian. Damn you, said he, it is none of your business. This was all the thanks I got, and indeed all I expected for [Page 22] my service. However, it answered the end designed, for the captain, boatswain, quarter master and master came upon deck a little after eleven o'clock. Enquiry was made for White and Archer and their burns im­puted to accident. Harradon was nearly dead with fear and the indian became near as white as any of us. Phillips took notice of Harradon's paleness, and I cloaked the mat­ter by informing him that Harridon had been sick all night, and I believed a dram would help him: Phillips told me to go to his case and get a bottle of brandy which I did, and we all drank heartily except the indian who refused to taste a drop, tho' something apt to drink at other times.

The important crisis now drew near when three of us were to attack the whole crew; the master prepared to take his observation, and Cheeseman was walking the deck with a hammar in his hand. The quartermaster was in the cabbin drawing out some leaden slugs for a musket, and the Spanish indian stood by the cabbin door. The captain and boatswain stood by the mainmast, talking up­on some matters, and I stood partly behind them, whirling the axe round with my foot, till my knees fairly smote together.

The master being busied, I saw Cheese­man make the motion to heave him over, and I at that instant, split the boatswain's head in twain with the broad ax, and dropped him [Page 23] upon the deck to welter in his gore. Before the capt. had time to put himself into a pos­ture of defence, I gave him a stroke with the head of my ax which partly stunned him; at the same time Cheeseman dispatched the master overboard, and then came to my as­sistance and gave the capt. a blow with his hammer on the back side of his head, which put an immediate end to his mortal existence.

The quartermaster hearing the bustle, came running out of the cabbin with his hand up to strike Cheeseman with his hammer, and would probably have killed him, had not the indian catched him by the elbow, as he was bringing the hammer down, and there held him, untill I came up and gave him a blow upon the back side of his head, cutting his wig and neck almost off, so that his head hung down before him.

We had now dispatched all the old pirates except White, and demanded a surren­der of the vessel, which was granted, and those poor frenchmen and negroes came to us, fell down, and imbraced our legs and feet, begging for their lives.

White, Archer, and one more of the pi­rates were tried, condemned and executed in Boston, the three other pirates were sent to England with the vessel, with whom my friend Cheeseman and the indian went like­wise, whom government liberally rewarded for their services, and gave Cheeseman an honor­able [Page 24] birth in one the king's shipyards: the three pirates who went home with the vessel, were hung at execution dock, and the vessel made a prize of by government.

I never saw any of the human specie more spiteful and malicious than White was, from the time he was taken till he was executed. I believe he would have killed me any time in that interval had it been in his power.

The honorable Court which condemned the pirates gave me captain Phillips gun, sil­ver hilted sword, silver shoe and knee buck­les, a curious tobaccobox, and two gold rings that the pirate capt. Philips used to wear.

When we came in sight at the cast [...] [...] Boston, we hoisted our pi [...] colours and fired a gun, as a signal for them to come off to us. At this time some of the pirates were on deck, and one of them asked leave to fire another gun, which being granted, he would not swab the gun out nor have the vent stop­ped, but put in the cartridge, and stood di­rect before the muzzle to ram it down, by which means the cartridge took fire, and blew him into pieces; it is supposed he did this purposely in order to escape the punishment which he knew must be his lot in case he was carried into the harbor.