Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/68

, otherwie they mut be either killed or made Slaves. They trengthened their Party, and tied ome to them by interet; when there was no War, they contrived to pirit up private Quarrels among them, and upon every little Dipute or Miundertanding, puh on one Side or other to Revenge; intruct them how to attack or urprize their Adveraries, and lend them loaded Pitols or Firelocks to dipatch them with; the Conequence of which was, that the Murderer was forced to fly to them for the afety of his Life, with his Wives, Children and Kindred.

Such as thee were fat Friends, as their Lives depended upon the afety of his Protectors; for as we oberved before, our Pyrates were grown o terrible, that none of their Neighbours had Reolution enough to attack them in an open War.

By uch Arts as thee, in the Space of a few Years, their Body was greatly increaed, they then began to eparate themelves, and remove at a greater Ditance from one another, for the Convenience of more Ground, and were divided like Jews, into Tribes, each carrying with him his Wives and Children, (of which, by this Time they had a large Family,) as alo their Quota of Dependants and Followers; and if Power and Command be the Thing which ditinguih a Prince, thee Ruffians had all the Marks of Royalty about them, nay more, they had the very Fears which commonly diturb Tyrants, as may be een by the extream Caution they took in fortifying the Places where they dwelt.

In this Plan of Fortification they imitated one another, their Dwellings were rather Citadels than Houes; they made Choice of a Place overgrown with Wood, and cituate near a Water; they raied a Rampart or high Ditch round it, o trait and high, that it was impoible to climb it, and cially