Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/273

 Factories, giving an Account of it: They were enible of this Error immediately, and becaue they would make the bet of a bad Market, reolved to keep out of ight of Land, and loe the Prizes they might expect between that and Whydah, to make the more ure of that Port, where commonly is the bet Booty; all Nations trading thither, epecially Portuguee, who purchae chiefly with Gold, the Idol their Hearts were bent upon. And notwithtanding this unlikely Coure, they met and took everal Ships between Axim and that Place; the circumtantial Stories of which, and the pannick Terrors they truck into his Majety’s Subjects, being tedious and unneceary to relate, I hall pas by, and come to their Arrival in that Road.

They came to Whydah with a St. George’s Enign, a black Silk Flag flying at their Mizen-Peek, and a Jack and Pendant of the ame: The Flag had a Death in it, with an Hour-Glas in one Hand, and cros Bones in the other, a Dart by it, and underneath a Heart dropping three Drops of Blood.The Jack had a Man pourtray’d in it, with a flaming Sword in his Hand, and tanding on two Skulls, ubcribed A B H and A M H i. e. a Barbadian’s and a Martinican’s Head, as has been before taken Notice of. Here they found eleven Sail in the Road, Englih, French and Portuguee; the French were three tout Ships of 30 Guns, and upwards of 100 Men each, yet when Roberts came to Fire, they, with the other Ships, immediately truck their Colours and urrendred to his Mercy. One Reaon, it mut be confes’d, of his eay Victory, was, the Commanders and a good Part of the Men being ahore, according to the Cutom of the Place, to receive the Cargoes, and return the Slaves, they being obliged to watch the Seaons for it, which otherwie, in o dangerous a Sea as here, Rh