Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/263

 is, that the Traders ettled here, are naturally their Friends. There are about 30 Englih Men in all, Men who in ome Part of their Lives, have been either privateering, buccaneering, or pyrating, and till retain and love the Riots, and Humours, common to that ort of Life. They live very friendly with the Natives, and have many of them of both Sexes, to be their Grometta’s, or Servants: The Men are faithful, and the Women o obedient, that they are very ready to protitute themelves to whomoever their Maters hall command them. The Royal African Company has a Fort on a mall Iland call’d Bence Iland, but ’tis of little Ue, beides keeping their Slaves; the Ditance making it incapable of giving any Moletation to their Starboard Shore. Here lives at this Place an old Fellow, who goes by the Name of Crackers, who was formerly a noted Buccaneer, and while he followed the Calling, robb’d and plundered many a Man; he keeps the bet Houe in the Place, has two or three Guns before his Door, with which he Salutes his Friends, (the Pyrates, when they put in) and lives a jovial Life with him, all the while they are there.

Here follows a Lit, of the ret of thoe lawles Merchants, and their Servants, who carry on a private Trade with the Interlopers, to the great Prejudice of the Royal African Company, who with extraordinary Indutry and Expence, have made, and maintain, Settlements without any Conideration from thoe, who, without uch Settlements and Forts, would oon be under an Incapacity of puruing any uch private Trade. Wherefore, ’tis to be hop’d, proper Means will be taken, to root out a pernicious et of People, who have all their Lives, upported themelves by the Labours of other Men.

Two of thee Fellows enter’d with Robert’s Crew, and continued with them, till the Detruction of the Company. A