THE PIRATE EGBERTS. 63 



there about thirty years after, there were only eleven of them left, surrounded by a numerous 

 progeny of half-breed children. The circumstance will remind our readers of the descendants 

 of the mutineers of the Bounty on Pitcairn Island. 



A little later we find a remarkable pirate on the field of action. Captain Bartholomew 

 Roberts seems at first to have been really averse to the line of life to which he afterwards 

 took so kindly. When his commander, Captain Davis, a pirate, died, the crew, in solemn 

 conclave, selected Roberts. He accepted the dignity, and told them that " since he had 

 dipped his hands in muddy water, and must be a pirate, it was better being a commander 

 than a private." Very shortly afterwards he captured two vessels, the first Dutch and 

 the second English. The crew of the latter joined him, and emptied and burned the vessel. 

 On the Brazilian coast they were not successful, but among the West Indian Islands they 

 encountered a fleet of forty -two sail of Portuguese ships, waiting for two men-of-war to 

 convoy them. Roberts, with his one little vessel, determined to have one or more of them, 

 and he sailed among the fleet, keeping the larger part of his men concealed. He steered 

 his ship almost alongside one of them, hailed her, and ordered her master to come on board 

 quietly, threatening to give no quarter if the least resistance were made, or even if a signal 

 of distress were displayed. The Portuguese, perceiving a sudden flash of cutlasses on board 

 the pirate ship a coup de theatre arranged by Roberts submitted at once. The newly- 

 fledged pirate saluted the captain courteously, and told him that he should go scot-free 

 if he indicated which was the richest ship in the fleet. He gladly pointed to a large vessel, 

 and, although very much superior in size and apparent strength to his own, made towards 

 her, carrying with him the poor Portuguese captain, for reasons which will at once appear. 

 Coming alongside, Roberts made his unwilling prisoner ask in Portuguese how Seignior 

 Capitano did, and to invite him on board, as he had a matter of great importance to impart. 

 He was answered in the affirmative, but Roberts perceiving an unusual movement on board, 

 and expecting that they meant to give him a broadside, forestalled them by pouring in a 

 shower of shot, and then grappled, boarded, and took her. She proved herself a rich 

 prize, laden with tobacco, sugar, skins, and a goodly number of golden moidores. Roberts 

 was not long in securing the better part of her cargo, and speedily sailed away. 



After touching at various points, they sailed for Newfoundland, entering the harbour 

 of Trepassi with the black flags flying, and drums and trumpets sounding. The original 

 account says that there were twenty-two "ships" lying there, but it probably means 

 large fishing boats. The men aboard abandoned them, and the pirates burnt or sunk them 

 all, besides doing enormous damage ashore. Roberts here took a small Bristol vessel, which 

 he fitted and manned for his own service. Shortly afterwards he destroyed ten French 

 " ships " (probably meaning, as before, large fishing boats) on the banks of Newfoundland, 

 and after that a number of prizes of more value. At Martinique it had been the custom 

 of Dutch traders, when they approached the island, to hoist their jacks. Roberts knew 

 the signal, and imitated it, and the poor people believing that a profitable market was at 

 hand, vied with each other who should first row out to the ship. As they one by one 

 approached he fired into and sunk them, determined to do them as much damage as 

 possible. This was in retaliation; he had heard that some cruisers had been sent out to 

 punish him. 



