gers on board for England. The next day they took another vessel
coming out of Charles Town, and also two pinks coming into Charles Town;
likewise a brigantine with fourteen negroes aboard; all of which, being
done in the face of the town, struck so great a terror to the whole
province of Carolina, having just before been visited by Vane, another
notorious pirate, that they abandoned themselves to despair, being in no
condition to resist their force. There were eight sail in the harbor,
ready for the sea, but none dared to venture out, it being almost
impossible to escape their hands. The inward bound vessels were under
the same unhappy dilemma, so that the trade of this place was totally
interrupted. What made these misfortunes heavier to them was a long,
expensive war the colony had had with the natives, which was but just
ended when these robbers infested them.

Teach detained all the ships and prisoners, and, being in want of
medicines, resolved to demand a chest from the government of the
province. Accordingly, Richards, the captain of the _Revenge_ sloop,
with two or three more pirates, were sent up along with Mr. Marks, one
of the prisoners whom they had taken in Clark's ship, and very
insolently made their demands, threatening that if they did not send
immediately the chest of medicines and let the pirate ambassadors
return, without offering any violence to their persons, they would
murder all their prisoners, send up their heads to the governor, and set
the ships they had taken on fire.

Whilst Mr. Marks was making application to the council, Richards and the
rest of the pirates walked the streets publicly in the sight of all
people, who were fired with the utmost indignation, looking upon them as
robbers and murderers, and particularly the authors of their wrongs and
oppressions, but durst not so much as think of executing their revenge
for fear of bringing more calamities upon themselves, and so they were
forced to let the villains pass with impunity. The government was not
long in deliberating upon the message, though it was the greatest
affront that could have been put upon them, yet, for the saving so many
men's lives (among them Mr. Samuel Wragg, one of the council), they
complied with the necessity and sent aboard a chest, valued at between
three and four hundred pounds, and the pirates went back safe to their
ships.

Black-beard (for so Teach was generally called, as we shall hereafter
show), as soon