Tisdell, who kept a tavern in
the island, and they treated him with great respect.

Christmas Day coming, the pirates landed on a small island to celebrate
this festival in a thorough manner, carousing and drinking as long as the
liquor lasted, when they sailed away to seek more. Their next prize was a
strange one. On coming alongside a ship, she surrendered, and the pirates
boarding her to examine her cargo, found it to consist of thieves from
Newgate on their way to the plantations. Taking two more vessels, Rackam
sailed to the Bahama Islands, but the Governor, Captain Woodes Rogers,
sent a sloop, which took away their prizes.

Rackam now sailed his ship to a snug little cove he knew of in Cuba, where
he had more than one lady acquaintance. Here the pirates were very happy
until all their provisions and money was spent. Just as they were about to
sail, in comes a Spanish Guarda del Costa with a small English sloop which
they had recently taken. Rackam was now in a very awkward position, being
unable to get past the Spaniard, and all he could do was to hide behind a
small island. Night came on, and when it was dark Rackam put all his crew
into a boat, rowed quietly up to the sloop, clambered aboard, threatening
instant death to the Spanish guards if they cried out, then cut the cables
and sailed out of the bay. As soon as it was light the Spanish ship
commenced a furious bombardment of Rackam's empty vessel, thinking he was
still aboard her.

In the summer of 1720 he took numbers of small vessels and fishing boats,
but nothing very rich, and was not above stealing the fishermen's nets and
landing and taking cattle. In October Rackam was chased near Nigril Bay by
a Government sloop commanded by a Captain Barret. After a short fight
Rackam surrendered, and was carried a prisoner to Port Royal.

On November 16th Rackam and his crew were tried at St. Jago de la Vega,
convicted and sentenced to death. Amongst the crew were two women dressed
as men, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. The former was married, in pirate
fashion, to Rackam.

On the morning of his execution Rackam was allowed, as a special favour,
to visit his Anne, but all the comfort he got from her was "that she was
sorry to see him there, but if he had fought like a man, he need not have
been hanged like a Dog."

Rackam was hanged on November 17th, 1720, at Gallows Point, at Port Royal,
Jamaica.

RAPHAELINA, CAPTAIN.

Much dreaded by the merchant sailors n