he King's
Commission for the said Captain _Kid_.

Captain _Kid_ had also another Commission, which was called a
Commission of Reprisals; for it being then War time, this Commission
was to justify him in the taking of _French_ Merchant Ships, in case
he should meet with any. He sail'd out of _Plymouth_ in _May_ 1696, in
the _Adventure_ Galley of thirty guns, and eighty men; the place he
first design'd for was _New York_; in his Voyage thither he took a
French _Banker_, but this was no Act of Piracy, he having a Commission
for that purpose, as we have just observed.

When he arrived at _New York_ he put up Articles for engaging more
Hands, it being necessary to his Ship's crew, since he proposed to
deal with a desperate enemy: The terms he offered were, that every man
should have a share of what was taken, reserving for himself and
Owners forty shares. Upon this encouragement he soon increas'd his
company to a hundred and fifty five men.

With this company he first sail'd for _Maderas_, where he took in wine
and some other necessaries; from thence he proceeded to _Bonavist_,
one of the _Cape de Verd Islands_, to furnish the ship with salt, and
from thence went immediately to _St. Jago_, another of the _Cape de
Verd Islands_, in order to stock himself with provisions. When all
this was done, he bent his course to _Madagascar_, the known
rendezvous of Pirates; in this way he fell in with Captain _Warren_,
Commodore of three Men-of-War; he acquainted them with his design,
kept them company two or three days, and then leaving them, made the
best way for _Madagascar_, where he arrived in _February_ 1696, just
nine months from his departure from _Plymouth_.

[Illustration]

It does not appear all this while that he had the least design of
turning Pirate; for near _Mahala_ and _Joanna_ both he met with
several _Indian_ ships richly laden, to which he did not offer the
least violence, tho' he was strong enough to have done what he pleas'd
with them; and the first outrage or depredation I find he committed
upon mankind, was after his repairing his ship, and leaving _Joanna_;
he touch'd at a place call'd _Mabbee_, upon the _Red Sea_, where he
took some _Guinea_ Corn from the natives, by force.

After this he sail'd to _Bab's Key_, a Place upon a little Island at
the entrance of the _Red Sea_; here it was that he first began to open
himself to his ship's company, and let them understand that he
intended to change his measure