for he ſo burnt his Fleſh diſtant from the Place of Amputation, that it had like to have mortify’d; however nature perform’d a Cure at laſt without any other Aſſiſtance.
From Tobago they ſtood away to the Northward and took a Portugueze bound for Brazil, and two or three Sloops from Jamaica, in one of which, Fern the Carpenter, endeavouring to go off, was kill’d by Phillips the Captain, purſuant to their Articles; another had the ſame Fate ſome Days after for the like Attempt. Theſe Severities made it dangerous for any to conſult or project an Eſcape; the Terror of which made ſeveral ſign their Articles and ſet down quietly, waiting impatiently for Redemption, which as yet they ſaw no great likelyhood of, and ſhould they have been taken before ſuch Circumſtances appear’d in their Actions or Characters, as afterwards happen’d, to denote their Innocence, they might have loſt their Lives upon a Tryal at a Court of Admiralty; for pretty ſtrong Evidence is expected in their Favour, to ballance that of being taken aboard a Veſſel which is prov’d to be in actual Pyracy, and they aſſiſting therein.
Thus was many an honeſt Man’s Caſe made moſt deſperate by the conſummate Villany of a few hardned Wretches, who fear neither God or Devil, as this Phillips us’d often blaſphemouſly to expreſs himſelf.
On the 25th of March they took two Ships from Virginia for London, John Phillips, the Pyrate Captain’s Nameſake, was Maſter of one, and Captain Robert Mortimer, the other, a brisk young Fellow, that deſerv’d a better Fate than he met with. Phillips the Pyrate ſtaid on Board of Captain Mortimer’s Ship, while they tranſported the Crew to the Sloop, and the Boat returning along ſide, one of the Pyrates therein calls to Phillips, and tells him, there was a Mutiny aboard their Veſſel, Mortimer had two Men
