that Pierre le Grand setting out to sea by the
Caycos, he took this great ship with all the ease imaginable. The
Spaniards they found aboard they set ashore, and sent the vessel to
France. The manner how this undaunted spirit attempted and took this
large ship I shall give you, out of the journal of the author, in his
own words. "The boat," says he, "wherein Pierre le Grand was with his
companions, had been at sea a long time without finding any prize worth
his taking; and their provisions beginning to fail, they were in danger
of starving. Being almost reduced to despair, they spied a great ship of
the Spanish flota, separated from the rest; this vessel they resolved to
take, or die in the attempt. Hereupon, they sailed towards her, to view
her strength. And though they judged the vessel to be superior to
theirs, yet their covetousness, and the extremity they were reduced to,
made them venture. Being come so near that they could not possibly
escape, they made an oath to their captain, Pierre le Grand, to stand by
him to the last. 'Tis true, the pirates did believe they should find the
ship unprovided to fight, and thereby the sooner master her. It was in
the dusk of the evening they began to attack; but before they engaged,
they ordered the surgeon of the boat to bore a hole in the sides of it,
that their own vessel sinking under them, they might be compelled to
attack more vigorously, and endeavour more hastily to board the ship.
This was done accordingly, and without any other arms than a pistol in
one hand and a sword in the other, they immediately climbed up the sides
of the ship, and ran altogether into the great cabin, where they found
the captain, with several of his companions, playing at cards. Here they
set a pistol to his breast, commanding him to deliver up the ship. The
Spaniards, surprised to see the pirates on board their ship, cried
'Jesus bless us! are these devils, or what are they?' Meanwhile some of
them took possession of the gun-room, and seized the arms, killing as
many as made any opposition; whereupon the Spaniards presently
surrendered. That very day the captain of the ship had been told by some
of the seamen that the boat which was in view, cruising, was a boat of
pirates; whom the captain slightly answered, 'What then, must I be
afraid of such a pitiful thing as that is? No, though she were a ship
as big and as strong as mine is.' As soon as Pierre le Grand had taken
this rich prize, he detai