Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/129



A LETTER from Captain Mackra, dated at Bombay, Nov. 16, 1720.
E arrived the th of July last, in Company of the Greenwich, at Juanna, (an Iland not far from Madagacar) putting in there to refreh our Men, we found fourteen Pyrates that came in their Canoes from the Mayotta, where the Pyrate Ship to which they belong’d, viz. the Indian Queen, two hundred and fifty Tons, twenty eight Guns, and ninety Men, commanded by Capt. Oliver de la Bouche, bound from the Guinea Coast to the Eat-Indies, had been bulged and lot. They aid they left the Captain and of their Men building a new Veel to proceed on their wicked Deign. Capt. Kirby and I concluding it might be of great Service to the Eat-India Company to detroy uch a Nest of Rogues, were ready to ail for that Purpoe the th of Augut, about Eight o’Clock in the Morning, when we dicovered two Pyrate Ships tanding into the Bay of Juanna, one of thirty four, and the other of thirty Guns. I immediately went on Board the Greenwich, where they eem’d very diligent in Preparations for an Engagement, and I left Capt. Kirby with mutual Promies of tanding by each other. I then unmoor’d, got under Sail, and brought two Boats a-head to row me cloe to the Greenwich; but he being open to a Valley and a Breeze, made the best of his Way from me; which an Otender in our Company, of Guns, eeing, did the ame, though the Captain had promied heartily to engage with us, and I believe would have been as good as his Word, if Capt. Kirby had kept his. About half an Hour after Twelve, I called everal times to the Greenwich to bear down to our Aitance, and fir’d Shot at him, but to no Purpoe. For tho’ we did not doubt but he would join us, becaue when he got about a League from us, he brought his Ship to, and look’d on, yet both he and the Otender baely deerted us, and left us engaged with barbarous and inhuman Enemies, with Rh