Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/346

 and Tackle, mounted the Morning Star with 32 Pieces of Cannon, mann’d her with a 100 Men, and appointed one John Fenn Captain; for the Brigantine being of far les Force, the Morning Star would have fallen to Antis, as elder Officer, yet he was o in Love with his own Veel, (he being an excellent Sailor,) that he made it his Choice to tay in her, and let Fenn, who was, before, his Gunner, Command the great Ship.

Now, that they had two good Ships well mann’d, it may be uppoed they were in a Condition to undertake omething bold: But their Government was diturbed by Malecontents, and a Kingdom divided within it elf cannot tand; they had uch a Number of new Men amongt them, that eem’d not o violently enclined for the Game; that whatever the Captain propoed, it was certainly carried againt him, o that they came to no fix’d Reolution for the undertaking any Enterprize; therefore there was nothing to be done, but to break up the Company, which eemed to be the Inclination of the Majority, but the Manner of doing o, concerned their common Safety; to which Purpoe various Means were propoed, at length it was concluded to end home a Petition to his Majety (there being then no Act of Indemnity in Force) for a Pardon, and wait the Iue; at the ame Time one Jones, Boatwain of the Good Fortune, propoed a Place of afe Retreat, it being an uninhabited Iland near Cuba, which he had been ued to in the late War, when he went a privateering againt the Spaniards.

This being approved of, it was unanimouly reolved on, and the underwritten Petition drawn up and igned by the whole Company in the Manner of what they call a Round Robin, that is, the Names were writ in a Circle, to avoid all Appear