78 THE SEA. . 



and the officers were suitably promoted. The Royal Exchange Insurance Company presented 

 both captains with services of plate. It need not be said that Paul Jones was for the nonce a 

 much-appreciated man in America. 



His subsequent career does not possess much interest for the general reader. He was, 

 in 1786, employed in diplomatic service, and he crossed the Atlantic with despatches for 

 London, in the then remarkable time of twenty-two days, and, having performed his duty, 

 he remained a few hours only, and then immediately started on the return voyage. American 

 go-a-headedness was fast developing at that early period. When peace was concluded 

 he entered into the service of Russia for a short period, after which he was in Paris at the 

 period of the Revolution. Here he sought, but failed in obtaining, employment in the French 

 navy; and he soon became a man as dejected and downcast as he had once been buoyant 

 and resolute. He died in abject poverty ; and he would hardly have been decently interred 

 but for the sympathy of a friend, who succeeded in raising a small subscription for the 

 purpose. 



The full history of piracy would occupy a small library of volumes, and would 

 possess many elements of sameness in its full narration. In the present volume only 

 leading examples can be given, for space would fail us to record the crimes committed by 

 Algerian, Spanish, Indian, Chinese, and other pirates, many of them in times not long 

 gone by. But the example of unbridled brutality and villany about to be presented could 

 not be omitted in any fair account of the subject. Sad to say, it occurred in this present 

 century of general enlightenment. The career of the infamous Benito de Soto is the subject 

 of the following pages. * 



Benito de Soto was a Portuguese sailor, and up to the year 1827 appears to have 

 followed the ordinary avocations of his profession. In the above year a slaver was being 

 fitted out for a voyage to the coast of Africa. In the horrible traffic in which the 

 vessel was engaged a strong crew was required, and, among a considerable number of sailors, 

 De Soto was engaged. It was the intention of the captain to run to a part of the African- 

 coast not usually visited, where he hoped to obtain them cheaper than elsewhere, or perhaps 

 get them by force. His crew consisted principally of French, Spanish, and Portuguese 

 renegades, who made no objection to sail with him on his evil voyage. 



The captain of the slave-ship arrived at his destination, and obtained a considerable 

 number of natives, who were closely battened down in the hold. One day he went ashore 

 to make arrangements for completing his cargo, when the mate, who was a bold, reckless, 

 and thoroughly unprincipled man, and who had perceived in Benito de Soto a kindred 

 spirit, proposed to the latter a design he had long contemplated for running away with 

 the vessel and becoming a pirate. De Soto at once agreed to join in the mutiny, and 

 declared that he had himself been contemplating a similar enterprise. The pair of rogues 

 shook hands, and lost no time in maturing the plot. A large part of the crew joined in 

 the conspiracy, but a number held out faithfully to the captain, and the mate was despair- 

 ing of success, when De Soto took the matter in hand, thoroughly armed the conspirators, 

 declared the mate captain, and told the others, "There is the African coast: this is our 

 ship ; one or other must be chosen by every man on board within five minutes. " The well- 

 * The narrative is derived from one of two most graphic letters by the author of " The Military Sketch-book." 



