alled my
partner into the cabin, and related the story at large, which was
confirmed and more amplified by the two men I had brought on board.
Scarce had we finished our discourse upon this head, but a sailor came
to the cabin door, with a message from the Captain, that we were chased
by five sloops full of armed men. "Very well," said I, "it is plain now
there is something in it." And so, going upon deck, I told all the men
there was a design for seizing the ship, and of executing us for
pirates; and asked them whether they would faithfully stand by us, and
by one another? To which they unanimously replied, "That they would
fight to their last drop of blood." I then asked the Captain, which way
he thought best for us to manage the battle? _Sir_, said he, _the only
method is to keep them off with our great shot as long as we are able,
and then have recourse to our small arms: and when both these fail us,
then retire to close quarters, when perhaps the enemy wanting materials,
can neither break open our bulk heads, nor get in upon us_. Meantime,
the gunner was ordered to bring two guns to bear fore and aft out of the
steerage, and so load them with musket-bullets and small pieces of old
iron; and the deck being cleared, we prepared for the engagement, still,
however, keeping out at sea. The boats followed us, with all the sail
they could make, and we could perceive the two foremost were English,
which out-sailed the rest by two leagues, and which we found would come
up with us: hereupon, we fired a gun without a ball, intimating that
they should bring to, and we put out a flag of truce, as a signal for
parley; but finding them crowding after us, till they came within shot,
we took in our white, and hanging out the red flap, immediately fired at
them with ball: we then called to them with a speaking trumpet, bidding
them at their peril keep off.

But all this signified nothing; for depending upon the strength that
followed them, they were resolutely bent for mischief: hereupon I
ordered them to bring the ship to, by which means, they lying upon our
broadside, we let fly at them at once, one of whom carried away the
stern of the hindermost boat, and obliged them not only to take down
their sail, but made them all run to the head of the boat, to keep them
from sinking, and so she lay by, having enough of it. In the meantime,
we prepared to welcome the foremost boat in the same manner. While we
were doing this, one of the th