in his Ship, and the Pyrate Captain had two, therefore thought it a good Opportunity to recover his Ship, and directly took up a Handſpike and ſtruck Phillips over the Head, giving him a dangerous wound, but not knocking him down, he recovered and wounded Mortimer with his Sword; and the two Pyrates that were aboard coming in to Captain Phillips’s Aſſiſtance, Captain Mortimer was preſently cut to Pieces, while his own two Men ſtood by and did nothing.
This was the firſt Voyage that Mortimer had the Command of a Veſſel, by whoſe Death is a poor diſconſolate Widow made miſerable, more in regard of the mutual Love and Fidelity they lived in, than the Loſs of what would have been a handſome and comfortable Proviſion for themſelves and Children, which, I think, now ought to be made up by the Publick, ſince ’twas in the publick Service he fell; for had his Attempt ſucceeded, in all Probability he would not only have regained his own Ship, but entirely ſubdued and deſtroy’d the Enemy, there being ſeveral, as it afterwards proved, that would have ſeconded ſuch an Enterprize when ever they found a Beginning made.
This Affair ended without any other Conſequence than a ſtrict Search after a Brother of Captain Mortimer, who was on Board, in order to have put him likewiſe to death; but he had the good Fortune to meet with a Townſman among the Crew, who hid him for four and twenty Hours in a Stay-Sail, till the Heat of their Fury was over, and by that Means happily miſſed of the Fate deſigned him.
Out of the other Virginia Man before ſpoken of, they took one Edward Cheeſeman, a Carpenter, to ſupply the Place of their late Carpenter, Fern. He was a modeſt ſober young Man, very averſe to their unlawful Practice, and a brave gallant Fellow.There
