down the Coaſt, and raiſe a new Company, than to proceed to Cape Corſo, and be hanged like a Dog, and Sun dry’d. One of them abhorring the Cruelty, or fearing the Succeſs, diſcovered it to the Officer, who made him immediately a Priſoner, and brought the Ship ſafe.
When they came to be lodg’d in Cape Corſo-Caſtle, their Hopes of this kind all cut off, and that they were aſſured they muſt there ſoon receive a final Sentence; the Note was changed among moſt of them, and from vain inſolent jeſting, they became ſerious and devout, begging for good Books, and joyning in publick Prayers, and ſinging of Pſalms, twice at leaſt every Day.
As to their Tryals, if we ſhould give them at length, it may appear tedious to the Reader, for which Reaſon, I have, for the avoiding Tautology and Repetition, put as many of them together as were try’d for the ſame Fact, reſerving the Circumſtances which are moſt material, with Obſervations on the dying Behaviour of ſuch of them, as came to my Knowledge.
And firſt, it may be obſerved from the Liſt, that a great Part of theſe Pyrate Ships Crews, were Men entered on the Coaſt of Africa, not many Months before they were taken; from whence, it may be concluded, that the pretended Conſtraint of Roberts, on them, was very often a Complotment between Parties equally willing: And this Roberts ſeveral Times openly declared, particularly to the Onſlow’s People, whom he called aft, and ask’d of them, who was willing to go, for he would force no Body?
As was depoſed, by ſome of his beſt Hands, after Acquittal; nor is it reaſonable to think, he ſhould reject Iriſh Voluntiers, only from a Pique againſt Kennedy, and force others, that might hazard, and, in Time, deſtroy his Government: But their Behaviour ſoon put him out of this Fear, and convinc’d him, that
