PIRACY 495 
legs, that my agony was excruciating. In this situation he 
left me. 
On looking round I found them all employed in plundering 
and ransacking every thing we had. Over my left shoulder 
one of our sailors was strung up to the yard-arm, and appa- 
rently in the last agonies of death ; while before me our gal- 
lant captain was on his knees and begging for his life. The 
wretches were endeavoring to extort from him the secret of 
our money ; but for a while he was firm and dauntless. Pro- 
voked at his obstinacy, they extended his arms and cut them off 
at the elbows. At this human nature gave way, and the in- 
jured man confessed the spot where we had concealed our 
specie. In a few moments it was aboard their own vessel. To 
revenge themselves on our unhappy captain, when they had 
satisfied themselves that nothing else was hidden, they spread 
a bed of oakum on the deck before, and after soaking it through 
with turpentine, tied the captain on it, filled his mouth with the 
same combustibles, and set the whole on fire. The cries of the 
unfortunate man were heart-rending, and his agonies must have 
been unutterable ; but they were soon over. All this I was com- 
pelled to witness. Heart-sick with the sight, I once shut my 
eyes, but a musket discharged close to my ear was a warn- 
ing sufficient to keep them open. 
On casting my eyes to the stern of the vessel, I discovered 
that the boatswain had been nailed to the deck through his 
feet, and the body spiked through to the tiller. He was writh- 
ing in the last agonies of crucifixion. Our fifth comrade was 
out of sight during all this tragedy ; in a few minutes, how- 
ever, he was brought upon the deck blindfolded. He was then 
conducted to the muzzle of the swivel and commanded to kneel. 
The swivel Avas then fired off, and his head was dreadfully 
wounded by the discharge. In a moment after it was agoni- 
zing to behold his torments and convulsions — language is too 
feeble to describe them. I have seen men hung upon the gib- 
bet, but their death is like sinking in slumber when compared 
with his. 
Excited with the scene of human butchery, one of those 
wretches fired his pistol at the captain's dog. The ball struck 
his shoulder and disabled him ; he finished him by shooting 
him again, and at last by cutting out his tongue ! At this last 
hell-engendered act my blood boiled with indignation at such 
savage brutality on a helpless, inoffensive dog ! But I was un- 
able to give utterance or action to my feelings. 
Seeing that the crew had been every one despatched, I be- 
