Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/218

 pas’d between him and the Governor, he returned again on Board.

It happened a French Ship came in there to upply it elf with ome Necearies, which Davis took into his Head to plunder, but to give the Thing a Colour of Right, he peruaded the Portugueze, that he had been trading with the Pyrates, and that he found everal Pyrates Goods on Board, which he eized for the King’s Ue: This Story paed o well upon the Governor, that he commended Davis’s Diligence.

A few Days after, Davis, with about fourteen more, went privately ahore, and walk’d up the Country towards a Village, where the Governor and the other chief Men of the Iland kept their Wives, in tending, as we may uppoe, to upply their Husbands Places with them; but being dicovered, the Women fled to a neighbouring Wood, and Davis and the ret retreated to their Ship, without effecting their Deign: The Thing made ome Noie, but as no body knew them, it paed over.

Having cleaned his Ship, and put all Things in Order, his Thoughts now were turned upon the main Buines, viz. the Plunder of the Iland, and not knowing where the Treaure lay, a Stratagem came into his Head, to get it (as he thought) with little Trouble, he conulted his Men upon it, and they liked the Deign: His Scheme was, to make a Preent to the Governor, of a Dozen Negroes, by Way of Return for the Civilities received from him, and afterwards to invite him, with the chief Men, and ome of the Friers, on Board his Ship, to an Entertainment; the Minute they came on Board, they were to be ecured in Irons, and there kept till they hould pay a Ranom of 40000 l. Sterling.

But this Stratagem proved fatal to him, for a Portugueze Negroe wam ahore in the Night, and dicovered the whole Plot to the Governor, and alo let him