The Multitude of Men and Veſſels, employ’d this Way, in Time of War, in the Weſt-Indies, is another Reaſon, for the Number of Pyrates in a Time of Peace: This cannot be ſuppoſed to be a Reflection on any of our American Governments, much leſs on the King himſelf, by whoſe Authority ſuch Commiſſions are granted, becauſe of the Reaſonableneſs, and abſolute Neceſſity, there is for the doing of it; yet the Obſervation is juſt, for ſo many idle People employing themſelves in Privateers, for the ſake of Plunder and Riches, which they always ſpend as faſt as they get, that when the War is over, and they can have no farther Buſineſs in the Way of Life they have been uſed to, they too readily engage in Acts of Pyracy, which being but the ſame Practice without a Commiſſion, they make very little Diſtinction betwixt the Lawfulneſs of one, and the Unlawfulneſs of the other.
I have not enquired ſo far back, as to know the Original of this Rover, but I believe he and his Gang, were ſome Privateer’s Men belonging to the Iſland of Jamaica, in the preceeding War; his Story is but ſhort, for his Reign was ſo; an End having been put to his Adventures in good Time, when he was growing ſtrong and formidable. We find him Commander of a Pyrate Sloop of eight Guns, and 80 Men, in the Month of September, 1716, cruiſing off Jamaica, Cuba, &c. about which Time he took the Berkley Galley, Captain Saunders, and plundered him of 1000 l. in Money, and afterwards met with a Sloop call’d the King Solomon, from whom he took ſome Money, and Proviſions, beſides Goods, to a good Value.
They proceeded after this to the Port of Cavena, at the Iſland of Cuba, and in their Way took two Sloops, which they plundered, and let go; and off the Port fell in with a fine Galley, with 20 Guns,
