24 THE SEA. 



if ever, paying for what they took. And before passing to other subjects, let us accompany 

 Monson on paper on a little expedition he took against some of the said pirates. 



So considerable an amount of alarm had been caused by piratical adventurers on the 

 coasts of Scotland, that King James was in 1614 urgently requested to send some royal 

 ships there. Sir William Monson and Sir Francis Howard were despatched at once, and 

 after calling at Leith to obtain information and also the service of pilots, proceeded to the 

 Orkney Islands. Touching at Sinclair Castle, the residence of the Earl of Caithness, situate 

 on "the utmost promontory" of Britain, they learned that the accounts had been much 

 exaggerated. There were only two known to the Earl, and indeed one of them whom Monson 

 took could hardly be deemed such at all; he was a common sailor, and when he had found 

 out the nature of the service to which he had been engaged, he had abandoned it as soon 

 as possible. Clarke, the other adventurer, to whom the title of pirate more fairly belonged, 

 had been ashore to the castle a day previously, and had been entertained in a friendly way, 

 the fact being that the Earl and his tenants were a little afraid of him as an ugly customer. 

 Hearing that Sir "William was on the coast, he had fled : Monson, therefore, finding it useless 

 and needless to remain at Caithness, sailed for Orkney, where he left Sir Francis Howard 

 while he proceeded to explore the coasts in detail, putting into every inlet where it was 

 likely Clarke or other pirates might be hidden. He was unsuccessful in his search, and at 

 length decided to make for Broad Haven a noted rendezvous for pirates partly on account 

 of its remoteness and inaccessibility, and partly because one Cormat dwelt there, who, with 

 his daughters, entertained these thieving adventurers with great cordiality. On the voyage 

 he encountered a terrible gale, " that it were fit only for a poet to describe." One of his 

 vessels was engulfed in the seas, and no traces of it or of its crew remained, while the 

 others were dispersed and did not see each other again till all met in England. Monson had 

 now alone to beard the lion in his den. 



Arrived at Broad Haven, which he describes as " the well-head of all pirates," he made 

 good use of the half -pirate he had secured, the only person on board who knew anything 

 of that den of sea-thieves. This man, with some others of the crew who had had some 

 experience in piratical pursuits before, were sent to Cormat, <c the gentleman of the place," 

 with a well concocted story. Monson was described, for the nonce, as one Captain 

 Manwaring, a grand sea-rover, liberal to all he liked, and whose ship was full of wealth. 

 " To give a greater appearance of truth to all this, the crafty messenger used the names 

 of several pirates of his acquaintance, and feigned messages to the women from their 

 sweethearts, making them believe that he had tokens from them on board. The hope of 

 wealth and reward set the hearts of the whole family on fire; and the women were so 

 overjoyed by the love tales and presents, that no suspicion of deceit entered into their minds." 

 Cormat proffered his services, and recounted how many pirates he had assisted, at great 

 peril to himself; he further volunteered to send two "gentlemen of trust" on board next 

 day, as hostages for his sincerity. He recommended that some of them should come ashore 

 next day, armed, and kill some of the neighbours' cattle ; this was intended doubtless to 

 frighten the poor settlers round, so that he himself might derive all the benefit of 

 Manwaring's visit. Next morning the farce began, the first part of the programme being 

 followed as Cormat had directed ; Captain Chester, with fifty men, was despatched ashore by 



