which they must be
conscious they now equally deserved; impending law, which never let them
sleep well unless when drunk. But all the use that was made of it here,
was to commend the justice of the court that condemned Kennedy, for he
was a sad dog, they said, and deserved the fate he met with.

But to go back to Roberts, whom we left on the coast of Caiana, in a
grievous passion at what Kennedy and the crew had done, and who was now
projecting new adventures with his small company in the sloop; but
finding hitherto they had been but as a rope of sand, they formed a set
of articles to be signed and sworn to for the better conservation of
their society, and doing justice to one another, excluding all Irishmen
from the benefit of it, to whom they had an implacable aversion upon the
account of Kennedy. How, indeed, Roberts could think that an oath would
be obligatory where defiance had been given to the laws of God and man,
I cannot tell, but he thought their greatest security lay in this--"that
it was every one's interest to observe them, if they minded to keep up
so abominable a combination."

* * * * *

The following is the substance of articles as taken from the pirates'
own informations:--

I

Every man has a vote in affairs of moment, has equal title to the fresh
provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and may use them at
pleasure, unless a scarcity (no uncommon thing among them) make it
necessary for the good of all to vote a retrenchment.

II

Every man to be called fairly in turn by list, on board of prizes,
because, over and above their proper share, they were on these occasions
allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defrauded the company to the
value of a dollar, in plate, jewels, or money, marooning was their
punishment. (This was a barbarous custom of putting the offender on
shore, on some desolate or uninhabited cape or island, with a gun, a few
shot, a bottle of water, a bottle of powder, to subsist with or starve.)
If the robbery was only between one another, they contented themselves
with slitting the ears and nose of him that was guilty, and set him on
shore, not in an uninhabited place, but somewhere where he was sure to
encounter hardships.

III

No person to game at cards or dice for money.

IV

The lights and candles to be put out at eight o'clock at night. If any
of the crew after that hour still remained inclined for drinking, they
we