ut the Inhabitants into a sad
fright, being in no condition to help themselves.

[Illustration]

_Teach_, alias _Blackbeard_, sent _Richards_ along with Mr. _Mark_,
one of the Prisoners, to demand a chest of medicines of the Governor,
several of his Men being sick aboard; threatening otherwise to burn
the Ships, and destroy all the prisoners, among whom was Mr. _Samuel
Wrag_, one of his Council. Altho' this went very much against the
inhabitants, yet they were forced to comply with it to save the lives
of the many souls had in his custody. So sending him a chest worth
about 3 or 4 hundred Pounds, _Richards_ went back safe to the ships
with his booty; which as soon as _Blackbeard_ had received, (for so I
shall call him for the future) he let the ships and the prisoners go,
having first taken 1500_l._ Sterling, and some provisions out of her.
From thence they sailed to North _Carolina_, where he had thoughts of
breaking up the company, and securing the money and the best of the
effects for himself and friends. Accordingly he ran a-ground, as if it
had been by accident, and calling _Israel Hands_ to his assistance, he
ran the Sloop ashore near the other, and so they were both lost. This
done _Blackbeard_ goes into the _Revenge_ and maroons 17 men upon a
desert island; where they must inevitably have perished, if _Bonnet_
had not after taken them up.

_Blackbeard_ goes straight to the Governor of _North Carolina_, with
Twenty of his Men, and pleads his Majesty's Pardon, and receives
Certificates thereupon. He went to his Sloop which lay at _Okere-Cock_
Inlet, and set out for Sea upon another expedition, steering his Ship
towards _Bermudas_. Meeting with one or two _English Vessels_ in his
way, he robb'd them only of provisions for his present occasion; but
meeting with a _French_ Ship laden with sugar and cocoa, he brought
her home with her cargoe to _North Carolina_, where the Governor and
the Pirates shared the plunder. He had no sooner arrived there, but he
and four of his Men made affidavit, That they found the _French_ Ship
at Sea, without ever a Man on board; upon which she was condemned. The
Governor had sixty hogheads of sugar for his dividend, his Secretary
twenty, and the rest were shared amongst the other Pirates. And for
fear the ship might be discovered by some that might come into the
River, _Blackbeard_, under pretence that she was leaky, and might
sink, obtained an order from the Governor to bring her out