Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/71

 the Men went ahore, they were for inveigling them, and drawing them into a Plot, for eizing the Captain and ecuring the ret of the Men under Hatches, when they hould have the Night-Watch, promiing a Signal to come on Board to join them; propoing, if they ucceeded, to go a Pyrating together, not doubting but with that Ship they hould be able to take any Thing they met on the Sea: But the Captain oberving an intimacy growing betwixt them and ome of his Men, thought it could be for no good, he therefore broke it off in Time, not uffering them o much as to talk together; and when he ent a Boat on Shore with an Officer to treat with them about the Sale of Slaves, the Crew remained on Board the Boat, and no Man was uffered to talk with them, but the Peron deputed by him for that Purpoe.

Before he ailed away, and they found that nothing was to be done, they confeed all the Deigns they had formed againt him. Thus he left them as he found them, in a great deal of dirty State and Royalty, but with fewer Subjects than they had, having, as we oberved, old many of them; and if Ambition be the darling Paion of Men, no doubt they were happy. One of thee great Princes had formerly been a Waterman upon the Thames, where having committed a Murder, he fled to the Wet-Indies, and was of the Number of thoe who run away with the Sloops; the ret had been all foremat Men, nor was there a Man amongt them, who could either read or write, and yet their Secretaries of State had no more Learning than themelves. This is all the Account we can give of thee Kings of Madagacar, ome of whom it is probable are reigning to this Day.