ſome French and ſome Engliſh, and then ſail’d for the Weſt-Indies; in one of theſe Veſſels they took out one John Roſe Archer, who having been a Pyrate under the famous Black-beard, was immediately preferr’d over other People’s Heads, to be Quarter-Maſter to the Company; which ſudden Promotion ſo diſguſted ſome of the older Standers, eſpecially Fern, the Carpenter, that it occaſioned ſome Miſchief to follow, as we ſhall ſhew by and by.
The Pyrates came off Barbadoes the beginning of October, and cruiſed there, and among other Iſlands, above three Months, without ſpeaking with a Veſſel, ſo that they were almoſt ſtarv’d for want of Proviſions, being reduc’d to a Pound of Meat a Day between ten; at length they fell in with a Martinico Man of 12 Guns and 35 Hands, far ſuperior in Force, and what they would not have ventur’d on at another Time, but Hunger will break down Stone Walls
; they were reſolved to ſhew the French Men their black Flag; and if that would not do, they muſt ſeek out elſewhere; accordingly, they boldly ran up a-long-ſide of the Sloop, with their pyratical Colours flying, and told them, if they did not ſtrike immediately, they would give them no Quarters; which ſo intimidated the Frenchmen, that they never fired a Gun. This proved a ſeaſonable Supply; they took her Proviſions, and four of her Men, and let her go. They took preſently after, a Sloop belonging to New-York, and a Virginia Man, Huffam Maſter.
Having now occaſion to clean their Veſſel, Phillips propos’d Tobago, where the Company he formerly belong’d to, under Anſtis and Fenn, broke up; to induce them to it, he told them when he left the Iſland, there was left behind ſix or eight of their Company that were not willing to go to England, with three Negroes: Whereupon they ſail’d to the Iſland, and after a careful Search, found onlyone
