The Brigantine return’d to the Island, where she had left the Scooner, who being ready to sail, it was put to the Vote of the Company, what Voyage to take next; and herein they follow’d the Advice of the Captain, who thought it not adviseable to go any farther to Leeward, because of the Men of War who were cruising in their feveral Stations, which they were not at all fond of meeting, and therefore it was agreed to go to the Azores, or Western Islands.

The latter End of July, Low took a French Ship of 34 Guns, and carried her along with him to the Azores. He came into St. Michael’s Road the 3d of August [1722], and took seven Sail that were lying there, viz. the Nostre Dame, Mere de Dieu, Captain Roach Commander; the Dove, Capt. Cox; the Rose Pink, formerly a Man of War, Capt. Thompson; another English Ship, Capt. Chandler; and three other Vessels. He threatened all with present Death who resisted, which struck such a Terror to them, that they yielded themselves up a Prey to the Villains, without firing a Gun.

The Pyrates being in great Want of Water and fresh Provisions, Low sent to the Governor of St. Michael’s for a Supply, and promised upon that Condition to release the Ships he had taken, but otherwise to burn them all; which Demand the Governor thought it not prudent to refuse, but sent the Provision he required, upon which he released six of the Ships, (after he had plundered them of what he thought fit,) and the other, viz. the Rose Pink, was made a Pyrate Ship, which Low himself took the Command of.

The Pyrates took several of the Guns out of the French Ship, and mounted them aboard the Rose, which proved very fit for their Turn, and condemned the former to the Flames. They took all the Crew out of her, but the Cook, who, they said, being a greazy Fellow would fry well in the Fire; so the poor Man was bound to the Main-Mast, and burnt in the Ship, to the no small Diversion of Low and his Mirmidons.

Low ordered the Scooner to lye in the Fare between St. Michael’s and St. Mary’s, where, about the 20th of August, Captain Carter in the Wright Galley, had the ill Fortune to come in her Way; and because at first they shewed Inclinations to defend themselves, and what they had, the Pyrates cut and mangled them in a barbarous Manner; particularly some Portuguese Passengers, two of which being Friers, they triced up at each Arm of the Fore-Yard, but let them down again before they were quite dead, and this they repeated several Times out of Sport.

Another Portuguese, who was also Captain Carter’s Passenger, putting on a sorrowful Countenance at what he saw acted, one of this vile Crew attacked him upon the Deck, saying, he did not like his Looks, and thereupon gave him one Blow across his Belly with his Cutlash, that cut out his Bowels, and he fell down dead without speaking a Word. At the same Time another of these Rogues cutting at a Prisoner, missed his Mark, and Captain Low standing in his Way, very opportunely received the Stroke upon his under Jaw, which laid the Teeth bare; upon this the Surgeon was called, who immediately stitched up the Wound, but Low finding fault with the Operation, the Surgeon being tollerably drunk, as it was customary for every Body to be, struck Low such a Blow with his Fist, that broke out all the Stitches, and then bid him sew up his Chops himself and be damned, so that Low made a very pitiful Figure for some Time after.

When they had plundered Captain Carter’s Ship, several of them were for burning her, as they had done the French Man, but it was otherwise resolved at last; for after they had cut her Cables, Rigging and Sails to Pieces, they left her to the Mercy of the Sea.

[…]

Low had heard by one of the above mentioned Ships, that two small Gallies were expected every Day at the Western Islands, viz. the Greyhound, Captain Glafs, and the Joliff, Captain Aram; the former of which was designed to be fitted for the pyratical Trade to Brasil, if Things had happened to their Minds. They mann’d the Sloop, and sent her in Quest of one or both of these Ships to the Western Islands aforesaid, whilst they carreen’d their Ship Rose, at one of the Cape de Verds: But now Fortune that had hitherto been so propitious to them, left her Minions, and baffled for the present all their Hopes, for the Sloop missing of their Prey, was reduced to great Necessities for want of Provisions and Water, so that they ventured to go ashore at St. Michael’s for a Supply, and pass for a Trader; but they play’d their Parts so aukwardly, that they were suspected by the Governor to be what they really were, and he was soon put out of doubt by a Visit some Portuguese made them, who happened unluckily to be Passengers in Captain Carter’s Ship, when Low took her, and knew the Gentlemen’s Faces very well; upon which the whole Crew was conducted into the Castle, where they were provided for as long as they liv’d.

Low, in the mean Time, did not fare quite so ill, but had his intended Voyage to Brafil spoil’d, by the oversetting of his Ship, when the was upon the Careen, whereby she was loft, so that he was reduc’d to his old Scooner, which he called the Fancy, aboard of which they all went, to the Number of 100, as vile Rogues as ever ended their Lives at Tyburn. They proceeded now to the West-Indies, but before they had gotten far on their Voyage, they attack’d a rich Portuguese Ship, call’d the Nostre Signiora de Victoria, bound home from Bahia, and after some Resistance, took her. Low tortur’d several of the Men, to make them declare where the Money, (which he suppos’d they had on Board) lay, and extorted by that Means, a Confession that the Captain had, during the Chace, hung out of the Cabin Window, a Bag with 11,000 Moidores, which, as soon as he was taken, he cut the Rope off, and let it drop into the Sea.

Low, upon hearing what a Prize had escap’d him, rav’d like a Fury, swore a thousand Oaths, and ordered the Captain’s Lips to be cut off, which he broil’d before his Face, and afterwards murthered him and all the Crew, being thirty two Persons.

After this bloody Action, they continued their Course, till they came to the Northward of all the Islands, and there cruiz’d for about a Month, in which Time they made Prizes of the following Vessels, viz. a Snow from New-York to Curacoa, Robert Leonard Master; a Sloop from the Bay, bound to New-York, Craig Master, a Snow from London and Jamaica, bound to New-York; and the Stanhope Pink, Andrew Delbridge Master, from Jamaica to Boston; which last they burnt, because of Low’s irreconcileable Aversion to New-England Men.

After this Cruize, they went into one of the Islands and clean’d, and then steered for the Bay of Honduras, where they arrived about the Middle of March 1722-3 […]

[…]

The latter End of July, (1723,) Low took a large Ship, called the Merry Christmas, and fitted her for a Pyrate, cut several Ports in her, and mounted her with 34 Guns. Low goes aboard of this Ship, assumes the Title of Admiral, and hoists a black Flag, with the Figure of Death in red, at the Main-topmast Head, and takes another Voyage to the Western Islands, where he arrived the Beginning of September. The first Vessel he met with there, was a Brigantine, formerly an English Sloop, commanded by Elias Wild, but lately bought by a Portuguese Nobleman, and altered: She was manned partly with English, and partly Portuguese; the latter Low caused to be hang’d, by Way of Reprisal, for some of his own Men sent thither in a Sloop from the Cape de Verd Islands, as has been mentioned: The English Men he thrust into their own Boat, to shift for themselves, and set Fire to the Vessel.

At St. Michaels, they sent in their Boats and cut out of the Road, a new London built Ship of 14 Guns, commanded by Captain Thompson, who was taken there the Year before, by Low, in the Rose Pink. The Boats had fewer Men than the Ship, and Captain Thompson would have defended himself, but his Men through Cowardize, or too great an Inclination of becoming Pyrates themselves, refused to stand by him, and he was obliged to surrender; and when he came aboard the Pyrate, had his Ears cut off close to his Head, for only proposing to resist Admiral Low’s black Flag; they gave him one of his own Boats, and burnt his Ship.

The next was a Portuguese Bark that fell into their Hands, whose Men came off somewhat better than usual, for they only cut them with their Cutlashes, out of Wantonness, turned them all into their Boat, and set their Vessel on Fire. When the Boat was going from the Side of the Ship, one of Low’s Men, who, we may suppose, was forced into his Gang, was drinking with a Silver Tankard at one of the Ports, and took his Opportunity to drop into the Boat among the Portuguese, and lye down in the Bottom, in order to escape along with them: After he had stowed himself in the Boat, so as not to be seen, it came into his Head, that the Tankard might prove of some Use to him, where he was going; so he got up again, laid hold of the Utensil, and went off, without being discover’d: In which Attempt had he failed, no doubt his Life, if not the Lives of all the People in the Boat, would have paid for it: The Name of this Man is Richard Hains.

Low took his old Tour to the Canaries, Cape de Verd Islands, and so to the Coast of Guiney, but nothing extraordinary happened till they arrived near Sierraleon in Africa, where they met with a Ship call’d the Delight, Captain Hunt Commander; this Ship they thought sit for their own Purpose, for she had been a small Man of War, and carried 12 Guns; however, they mounted 16 on Board her, mann’d her with 60 Men, and appointed one Spriggs, who was then their Quarter-Master, to be Captain of her, who, two Days after, separated from the Admiral, and went to the West-Indies a-pyrating, upon his own, and particular Company’s, Account, where for the present we shall leave him.

In January last, Low took a Ship, called the Squirrel, Captain Stephenson; but what became of him afterwards, I can’t tell; we have had no News concerning him come to England, since this I have now mentioned; but I have heard that he talk’d of going to Brazil; and if so, it is likely we may too soon hear of some Exploit or other; tho’ the best Information we could receive, would be, that he and all his Crew were at the Bottom of the Sea.

A General History of the Pyrates, from Their first Rise and Settlement in the Island of Providence, to the preſent Time. With the remarkable Actions and Adventures of the two Female Pyrates Mary Read and Anne Bonny; Contain’d in the following Chapters,

Introduction.

Chap. I. Of Capt. Avery.

II. Of Capt. Martel.

III. Of Capt. Teach.

IV. Of Capt. Bonnet.

V. Of Capt. England.

VI. Of Capt. Vane.

VII. Of Capt. Rackam.

[VIII. The Life of Mary Read/The Life of Anne Bonny]

VIII[IX]. Of Capt. Davis.

[X. A description of the Islands of St. Thome, Del Principe, and Annobono.]

IX[XI]. Of Capt. Roberts.

X[XII]. Of Capt. Anstis.

XI[XIII]. Of Capt. Worley.

XII[XIV]. Of Capt. Lowther.

XIII[XV]. Of Capt. Low.

XIV[XVI]. Of Capt. Evans.

XV[XVII]. Of Capt. Phillips.

XVI[XVIII]. Of Capt. Spriggs.

And their feveral Crews.

To which is added.

A short Abstract of the Statute and Civil Law, in Relation to Pyracy.

The second Edition, with considerable Additions By Captain Charles Johnson.

London: Printed for, and sold by T. Warner, at the Black-Boy in Pater-Noster-Row, 1724

Researched by Professor Emeritus, Manuel Menezes de Sequeira, who has retired and lives on the island of Flores, Azores.