sels, from which they augmented their
small crew by the addition of several likely and brisk seamen. Amongst
these they had the good fortune to take prisoner an old pirate called John
Rose Archer, who had served his pirate apprenticeship under the able
tuition of the famous Blackbeard, and who they at once promoted to be
quartermaster. This quick promotion caused trouble afterwards, for some of
the original crew, particularly carpenter Fern, resented it. The pirates
next sailed to Barbadoes, that happy hunting ground, but for three months
never a sail did they meet with, so that they were almost starving for
want of provisions, being reduced to a pound of dried meat a day amongst
ten of them.

At last they met with a French vessel, a Martinico ship, of twelve guns,
and hunger drove them to attack even so big a ship as this, but the sight
of the Black flag so terrified the French crew that they surrendered
without firing a shot. After this, they took several vessels, and matters
began to look much brighter. Phillips quickly developed into a most
accomplished and bloody pirate, butchering his prisoners on very little or
on no provocation whatever. But even this desperate pirate had an
occasional "qualm of conscience come athwart his stomach," for when he
captured a Newfoundland vessel and was about to scuttle her, he found out
that she was the property of a Mr. Minors of that island, from whom they
stole the original vessel in which they went a-pirating, so Phillips,
telling his companions "We have done him enough injury already," ordered
the vessel to be repaired and returned to the owner. On another occasion,
they took a ship, the master of which was a "Saint" of New England, by
name Dependance Ellery, who gave them a pretty chase before being
overhauled, and so, as a punishment, the "Saint" was compelled to dance
the deck until he fell down exhausted.

This pirate's career ended with a mutiny of his unruly crew, Phillips
being tripped up and then thrown overboard to drown off Newfoundland in
April, 1724.

During the nine months of Phillips's command as a pirate captain, he
accounted for more than thirty ships.

PHILLIPS, JOSEPH.

One of Teach's crew. Hanged in Virginia in 1718.

PHILLIPS, WILLIAM.

Born at Lower Shadwell.

Boatswain in the _King Solomon_, a Guinea merchant ship. This ship, while
lying at anchor in January, 1721, was attacked by a boatful of pirates
from Bartholomew Roberts's ship, the _Ro