onstrated with him,
saying I was sick and could not walk any faster; he answered me, "_No
intende_." I then discovered he was a Portuguese, and not understanding
that language, I excused myself as well as I could in the French
language, hoping he understood me; but I found it did not relieve my
back, as he continued to beat me all the way to the fore-scuttle, and
there giving me a heavy blow on the head as I descended, closed it,
where we remained about half an hour; they in the meantime appeared to
be searching the vessel. After letting us up from the fore-castle they
ordered the sailors to work the vessel in near the land and anchor her,
which was soon accomplished. While beating the vessel toward the shore,
they told me if I would give up my money they would let me go with my
vessel. This I readily complied with, hoping to save the vessel and
cargo. I then gave them all the money I had, consisting of four hundred
and eighty dollars in gold and silver. After they had received it they
broke open our trunks, seized all our clothes, taking the finest shirts
and vests, and putting them on one over another.

As soon as they had anchored my vessel they hauled their largest
schooner alongside, while the rest of the fleet were laying within a few
rods of us, and then all hoisted the bloody flag, a signal for death. I
was ordered into the cabin, where one of the pirates, having found a
bottle of cordial, took it up in one hand, and drawing his cutlass with
the other, struck off the neck and handed it to me, flourishing his
cutlass over my head, and making signs for me to taste it, which I found
it difficult to do on account of the broken particles of glass. After I
had tasted it he went to a case of liquor standing in the cabin, took
out the bottles and compelled me to taste of them. After this ceremony
was over one of the pirates drew a long knife from its sheath, and
taking hold of the hair on the top of my head, drew the knife two or
three times across my throat near the skin, saying, "Me want to kill
you." Another pirate soon approached me with a dagger, with which he
pricked me lightly in the body, two or three times, saying, "Me kill you
by and by." I was then dismissed from the cabin and driven into the
fore-castle with the sailors and passengers. My cook was put on board
the schooner lying alongside of us. Some of the pirates went aloft on
board my vessel and cut loose her square-sail, top-sail, and
top-gallant-sail, a