It happen’d this Ship was taken by Engliſh Pyrates, and Mary Read was the only Engliſh Perſon on Board, they kept her amongſt them, and having plundered the Ship, let it go again; after following this Trade for ſome Time, the King’s Proclamation came out, and was publiſh’d in all Parts of the Weſt-Indies, for pardoning ſuch Pyrates, who ſhould voluntarily ſurrender themſelves by a certain Day therein mentioned. The Crew of Mary Read took the Benefit of this Proclamation, and having ſurrender’d, liv’d quietly on Shore; but Money beginning to grow ſhort, and hearing that Captain Woods Rogers, Governor of the Iſland of Providence, was fitting out ſome Privateers to cruiſe againſt the Spaniards, ſhe with ſeveral others embark’d for that Iſland, in order to go upon the privateering Account, being reſolved to make her Fortune one way or other.
Theſe Privateers were no ſooner ſail’d out, but the Crews of ſome of them, who had been pardoned, roſe againſt their Commanders, and turned themſelves to their old Trade: In this Number was Mary Read. It is true, ſhe often declared, that the Life of a Pyrate was what ſhe always abhor’d, and went into it only upon Compulſion, both this Time, and before, intending to quit it, whenever a fair Opportunity ſhould offer it ſelf; yet ſome of the Evidence againſt her, upon her Tryal, who were forced Men, and had ſailed with her, depoſed upon Oath, that in Times of Action, no Perſon amongſt them were more reſolute, or ready to Board or undertake any Thing that was hazardous, as ſhe and Anne Bonny; and particularly at the Time they were attack’d and taken, when they came to cloſe Quarters, none kept the Deck except Mary Read and Anne Bonny, and one more; upon which, ſhe, Mary Read, called to thoſe under Deck, to come up and fight like Men, and finding
