is, that the Traders ſettled here, are naturally their Friends. There are about 30 Engliſh Men in all, Men who in ſome Part of their Lives, have been either privateering, buccaneering, or pyrating, and ſtill retain and love the Riots, and Humours, common to that ſort of Life. They live very friendly with the Natives, and have many of them of both Sexes, to be their Grometta’s, or Servants: The Men are faithful, and the Women ſo obedient, that they are very ready to proſtitute themſelves to whomſoever their Maſters ſhall command them. The Royal African Company has a Fort on a ſmall Iſland call’d Bence Iſland, but ’tis of little Uſe, beſides keeping their Slaves; the Diſtance making it incapable of giving any Moleſtation to their Starboard Shore. Here lives at this Place an old Fellow, who goes by the Name of Crackers, who was formerly a noted Buccaneer, and while he followed the Calling, robb’d and plundered many a Man; he keeps the beſt Houſe in the Place, has two or three Guns before his Door, with which he Salutes his Friends, (the Pyrates, when they put in) and lives a jovial Life with him, all the while they are there.
Here follows a Liſt, of the reſt of thoſe lawleſs Merchants, and their Servants, who carry on a private Trade with the Interlopers, to the great Prejudice of the Royal African Company, who with extraordinary Induſtry and Expence, have made, and maintain, Settlements without any Conſideration from thoſe, who, without ſuch Settlements and Forts, would ſoon be under an Incapacity of purſuing any ſuch private Trade. Wherefore, ’tis to be hop’d, proper Means will be taken, to root out a pernicious ſet of People, who have all their Lives, ſupported themſelves by the Labours of other Men.
Two of theſe Fellows enter’d with Robert’s Crew, and continued with them, till the Deſtruction of the Company.
