at this time fitting out at
this island, and Lafitte was appointed captain of one of these vessels;
after a cruise during which he robbed the vessels of other nations,
besides those of England, and thus committing piracy, he stopped at the
Seychelles, and took in a load of slaves for the Mauritius; but being
chased by an English frigate as far north as the equator, he found
himself in a very awkward condition; not having provisions enough on
board his ship to carry him back to the French Colony. He therefore
conceived the bold project of proceeding to the Bay of Bengal, in order
to get provisions from on board some English ships. In his ship of two
hundred tons, with only two guns and twenty-six men, he attacked and
took an English armed schooner with a numerous crew. After putting
nineteen of his own crew on board the schooner, he took the command of
her and proceeded to cruise upon the coast of Bengal. He there fell in
with the Pagoda, a vessel belonging to the English East India Company,
armed with twenty-six twelve pounders and manned with one hundred and
fifty men. Expecting that the enemy would take him for a pilot of the
Ganges, he manoeuvred accordingly. The Pagoda manifested no suspicions,
whereupon he suddenly darted with his brave followers upon her decks,
overturned all who opposed them, and speedily took the ship. After a
very successful cruise he arrived safe at the Mauritius, and took the
command of La Confiance of twenty-six guns and two hundred and fifty
men, and sailed for the coast of British India. Off the Sand Heads in
October, 1807, Lafitte fell in with the Queen East Indiaman, with a crew
of near four hundred men, and carrying forty guns; he conceived the bold
project of getting possession of her. Never was there beheld a more
unequal conflict; even the height of the vessel compared to the feeble
privateer augmented the chances against Lafitte; but the difficulty and
danger far from discouraging this intrepid sailor, acted as an
additional spur to his brilliant valor. After electrifying his crew with
a few words of hope and ardor, he manoeuvred and ran on board of the
enemy. In this position he received a broadside when close too; but he
expected this, and made his men lay flat upon the deck. After the first
fire they all rose, and from the yards and tops, threw bombs and
grenades into the forecastle of the Indiaman. This sudden and unforeseen
attack caused a great havoc. In an instant, death and te