The Vial Poured Out Upon the Sea

He is swift as the Waters; their Portion is cursed in the Earth; he beholdeth not the way of the Vineyards.

Thus Paraphrased by the Incomparable Sir Richard Blackmore.

TO this vile Crue you may the PIRATE add

Who puts to Sea the Merchant to invade,

And reaps the Profit of another's Trade.

He sculks behind some Rock, or swiftly flies

From Creek to Creek, rich Vessels to surprize.

By this ungodly Course the Robber gains,

And lays up so much Wealth, that he disdains

And mocks the poor, unprofitable Toil,

Of those, who plant the Vine, or till the Soil.

p. 1A Remarkable RELATION OF A Cockatrice crush'd in the Egg.

A Vessel of that sort which they call, a Snoe, belonging to certain Merchants in Bristol, and commanded by John Green, of that City, sailed from Jamaica, some time in April, 1726. bound for Guinea. The Boatswain, William Fly, having before concerted with some aboard, (in a way of Revenge, they said, for Bad Usage) the Destruction of the Master and the Mate, and the proper Consequences, on May 27. about One a Clock in the Morning, he, with one Alexander Mitchel, went into the Cabin, and siezing on the Master, held his Hands, while Mitchel wounded him. Then they hawled him up; who perceiving their Intention to throw him overboard, beg'd, For the Lord's sake, don't throw me overboard; For if you do, you throw me into Hell immediately. But Fly bid him say, Lord, Have Mercy on my Soul! And when he siezed the Mainsheets with his Hand, to prolong his Time, the merciless Monsters, with a Cooper's Broad-axe, cut off his Hand, and threw him over-board. While this was a doing, one Samuel Cole, presently assisted with Mitchel and one Winthrop, secured the Mate, whose Name was p. 2Thomas Jenkins, and brought him upon Deck, telling him, that he should go after the Master. Accordingly, having first cut him down the Shoulder with a Broad-axe, they threw him over, just before the Main Shrouds. After he was thrown over, he cried out unto the Doctor, For the Lord's sake, to fling him a Rope. But Fly soon secured the Doctor, and put him in Irons; and confined the Gunner also and the Carpenter, who were not for their Turn.

Two Days after this, they met one of the Ships, that came out in Company with Green, and hailing them, ask'd, How Captain Green did. They answered, Very well! At your Service! But upon consulting, whether they had best attack that Ship, they left her, in Consideration, That they had not Hands enough to Man her. So, they bore away for North-Carolina; Where, off Cape Hattaras Bar, on June 3. there lay a Sloop at Anchor, whereof the Commander was one whose Name is Fulker. Some of the Sloop's Hands went aboard Fly, who was now become the Captain of the Snoe, supposing them to want a Pilot. Fly commanded Fulker aboard, and informed him, They were Gentlemen of Fortune; and let him know, that they must have the Sloop, if it sailed better than the Snoe. The contrary Winds rendring the Sloop unable to be brought off, our New Captain fell into a great Passion, and swore he would burn her, and bringing Fulker to the Geers, (who it seems, unadvisedly provoked them) inflicted a severe Scourging upon him. The Boats Crue, could not bring the Sloop any further than the Bar, but there she bilg'd and sank: and the Pirates endeavoured then to set p. 3her on Fire, but could not make the Fire to take. Fulker and his Men, and his Passengers, were detained Prisoners by Fly; But on June 5. they sailed from thence; and on the Day following they saw a Ship commanded by one whose Name is Gale, bound from Barbados to Virginia. They could not come up with Gale till the next Morning; when they hoisted their Black Flag, and fired several Guns at the Ship; and there being little Wind▪ Gale struck; and Fly made the Men his Prisoners; but robbed the Ship only of several Sails, and some Cloaths and small Arms; and after a Captivity of Two Days released them; at the same time giving Fulker, and one of his Passengers, and a Servant, and Green's Doctor, their Liberty. However they forceably detained one William Atkinson, who had been Commander of a Brigantine, but left her for a Passage home in Fulker, bound then for Boston:

p. 3And who had often declared, That if the Pirates ever took him, he would humour them, till he could see his first Opportunity to rise upon them. They wanted him to be their Pilot, for the Coast of New-England; which they told him▪ he should be, or, They would blow his Brains out. It seems, they forgot, how bad a Coast New-England has been for Pirates to come upon! Off of Delaware Bay, they met a Sloop commanded by one Harris bound from New-York to Pensilvania, having about Fifty Scotch-Irish Passengers aboard; which upon their hoisting of their Black Flag Surrendred unto them. After they had a little ransack'd the Vessel, and kept her twenty four Hours, they forced a Lusty Blade, one James Benbrook, from her, and so dismiss'd her. Fly bore away for Martha's Vineyard, pretending p. 4to Water there, and so away for Guinea; But the Pilot purposely miss'd the port, (whereat Fly was very angry,) and on June 23. bearing Eastward, they mett with a Fishing Schooner, on Browns Bank; from which upon Fly's hoisting his Black Flag, and threatning to sink her, the Master came aboard them, & Fly told him, he must have the Schooner, unless he could inform him, where to get a better Sailor. About Noon, they saw some other Schooners; and Fly sent that Schooner with seven hands after them. Fly (who had now entirely sold himself to the God of Ekron,) and Three other Pirates, whereof one (Samuel Cole aforesaid, was in Irons upon Suspicion of Mutiny, remained aboard the Snoe; and fifteen others that had been taken by him; namely, Fulkers Mate, a couple of his Boys, Green's Gunner and Carpenter, five of Gale's Men, Benbrook, Three Fishermen belonging to the Schooner, and our Atkinson. While the Pirates were gone upon their chase, there appeared in Sight several other Fishing-Vessels; and Atkinson by telling Fly what he saw, drew him forward, from his two Loaden Guns, and Sword, which he had with him; and while Fly satt on the Windlace with his Prospective-Glass, Benbrook and Walker, (who had been Fulker's Mate) upon the Direction from Atkinson, secured Fly, and put him in Irons; and Atkinson struck another of the Pirates; and with the Help of the Carpenter, soon confined the other Two. Thus they made themselves Masters of the Snoe; the rest of the Prisoners all the while standing unactive, not being made acquainted with the Design, which was now managing for their Deliverance.