The Adventures and Exploits of Captain Avery

From Charles Ellms' The Pirate's Own Book

Containing an Account of his capturing one of the great Mogul's ships laden with treasure; and an interesting history of a Colony of Pirates on the Island of Madagascar.

During his own time the adventures of Captain Avery were the subject of general conversation in Europe. It was reported that he had married the Great Mogul's daughter, who was taken in an Indian ship that fell into his hands, and that he was about to be the founder of a new monarchy — that he gave commissions in his own name to the captains of his ships, and was acknowledged by them as their prince. In consequence of these reports, it was at one time resolved to fit out a strong squadron to go and take him and his men; and at another time it was proposed to invite him home with all his riches, by the offer of his Majesty's pardon. These reports, however, were soon discovered to be groundless, and he was actually starving without a shilling, while he was represented as in the possession of millions.

He was a native of Devonshire, England, and at an early period sent to sea; advanced to the station of a mate in a merchantman, he performed several voyages. Certain merchants of Bristol fitted out two ships of thirty guns, well manned, and commanded them to sail for Corunna to receive their orders. Captain Gibson commanded one of these ships, and Avery appears to have been his mate, in the year 1715. He was a fellow of more cunning than courage, and insinuating himself into the confidence of some of the boldest men in the ship, he represented the immense riches which were to be acquired upon the Spanish coast, and proposed to run off with the ship. The proposal was scarcely made when it was agreed upon, and put in execution at ten o'clock the following evening.

Captain Gibson had taken his usual dose and gone to bed. The men who were not in the confederacy went also to bed, leaving none upon deck but the conspirators. At the time agreed upon, the long boat of the other ship came, and Avery hailing her in the usual manner, he was answered by the men in her, "Is your drunken boatswain on board?" — which was the watchword agreed between them. Avery replying in the affirmative, the boat came alongside with sixteen stout fellows, who joined in the adventure. They next secured the hatches, softly weighed anchor, and immediately put to sea without bustle or noise.

When the captain awoke, he rang his bell, and Avery going into the cabin found him yet half asleep. He inquired, "What is the matter with the ship? does she drive?" supposing that it had been a storm, and that the ship was driven from her anchors. "No, no," answered Avery, "we're at sea, with a fair wind and good weather." "At sea!" said the captain: "how can that be?" "Come," answered Avery, "don't be in a fright, but put on your clothes, and I'll let you into a secret. You must know that I am captain of this ship now, and this is my cabin, therefore you must walk out; I am bound to Madagascar, with a design of making my own fortune, and that of all the brave fellows joined with me."

The captain, having a little recovered his senses, began to understand his meaning. Avery desired him to fear nothing; "for," said he, "if you have a mind to make one of us, we will receive you; and if you turn sober, and attend to business, perhaps in time I may make you one of my lieutenants; if not, here's a boat, and you shall be set on shore." Gibson accepted the last proposal; and the whole crew being called up, there were only about five or six who chose to accompany the captain ashore.

The Great Mogul's Ship

Avery proceeded on his voyage to Madagascar, and when arrived at the northeast part of that island, he found two sloops at anchor, which upon seeing him slipped their cables and ran themselves ashore, while the men all landed and concealed themselves in the woods. These were two sloops which the men had run off with from the East Indies, and seeing Avery's ship, supposed that he had been sent out after them. Suspecting who they were, he sent some of his men on shore to inform them that they were friends, and to propose a union for their common safety. Confidence was established, and they were mutually well pleased, as it added to their strength.

Having consulted what was most proper to be attempted, they endeavored to get off the sloops and hastened to prepare all things in order to sail for the Arabian coast. Near the river Indus, the man at the mast-head espied a sail, upon which they gave chase. She proved a better prize than expected; for when they fired at her she hoisted Mogul colors, and seemed to stand upon her defence. The sloops, however, attacked, the one on the bow and another upon the quarter of the ship, and so boarded her. She then struck her colors. She was one of the Great Mogul's own ships, and there were in her several of the greatest persons in his court, among whom, it was said, was one of his daughters going upon a pilgrimage to Mecca; and they were carrying with them rich offerings to present at the shrine of Mahomet. The people of the east travel with great magnificence, so that these had along with them all their slaves and attendants, with a large quantity of vessels of gold and silver, and immense sums of money; the spoil therefore which they received from that ship was almost incalculable.

Taking the treasure on board their own ships, and plundering their prize of every thing valuable, they then allowed her to depart. As soon as the Mogul received this intelligence, he threatened to send a mighty army to extirpate the English from all their settlements upon the Indian coast. The East India Company were greatly alarmed, but found means to calm his resentment by promising to search for the robbers. The noise which this made over all Europe gave birth to the rumors that were circulated concerning Avery's greatness.

Avery's Betrayal and Miserable End

In the meantime, our adventurers made the best of their way back to Madagascar, intending to make that place the deposit of all their treasure. Avery, however, disconcerted this plan entirely. While steering their course, Avery sent a boat to each of the sloops, requesting that the chiefs would come on board his ship to hold a conference. He then proposed that all their treasure should be sealed up in three chests — that each of the captains should have keys, and that the chests should not be opened until all were present — and that the chests should be put on board his ship, and afterwards lodged in some safe place upon land. This proposal seemed so reasonable, and so much for the common good, that it was without hesitation agreed to.

The weather being favorable, they remained all three in company during that and the next day; meanwhile Avery, tampering with his men, suggested that they had now on board what was sufficient to make them all happy; "and what," continued he, "should hinder us from going to some country where we are not known, and living on shore all the rest of our days in plenty?" They soon understood his hint, and all readily consented to deceive the men of the sloops and fly with all the booty; this they effected during the darkness of the following night. The reader may easily conjecture what were the feelings and indignation of the other two crews in the morning, when they discovered that Avery had made off with all their property.

Avery and his men hastened towards America, agreed to divide the booty, to change their names, and each separately to take up his residence, and live in affluence and honor. The first land they approached was the Island of Providence, then newly settled. Avery, pretending that his vessel had been equipped for privateering, sold his own ship and purchased a small sloop. In this he and his companions embarked, and landed at several places in America, where, none suspecting them, they dispersed. Avery, however, had been careful to conceal the greater part of the jewels and other valuable articles, so that his riches were immense. Arriving at Boston, he was almost resolved to settle there, but, as the greater part of his wealth consisted of diamonds, he was apprehensive that he could not dispose of them without being taken up as a pirate. He resolved to sail for Ireland.

The wealth of Avery now proved of small service, and occasioned him great uneasiness. He could not offer his diamonds for sale in Ireland without being suspected. He thought there might be some person at Bristol he could venture to trust. Going into Devonshire, he sent to one of his friends to meet him at a town called Bideford. When he had unbosomed himself to him and other pretended friends, they agreed that the safest plan would be to put his effects into the hands of some wealthy merchants. Accordingly, the merchants paid Avery a visit at Bideford, where, after strong protestations of honor and integrity, he delivered them his effects, consisting of diamonds and some vessels of gold. After giving him a little money for his present subsistence, they departed.

He changed his name, and lived quietly at Bideford. In a short time his money was all spent, and he heard nothing from his merchants, though he wrote to them repeatedly; at last they sent him a small supply, but it was not sufficient to pay his debts. He therefore determined to go privately to Bristol, and have an interview with the merchants himself — where, instead of money, he met with a mortifying repulse; for, when he desired them to come to an account with him, they silenced him by threatening to disclose his character; the merchants thus proving themselves as good pirates on land as he was at sea.

Whether he was frightened by these menaces, or had seen some other person who recognised him, is not known; however, he went immediately to Ireland, and from thence solicited his merchants very strongly for a supply, but to no purpose; so that he was reduced to beggary. In this extremity he was determined to return, and cast himself upon the mercy of these honest Bristol merchants, let the consequence be what it would. He went on board a trading-vessel, and worked his passage over to Plymouth, from whence he travelled on foot to Bideford. He had been there but a few days, when he fell sick and died; not being worth so much as would buy him a coffin!

A Colony of Pirates on Madagascar

We shall now turn back and give our readers some account of the other two sloops, which had been left behind. Their provisions were nearly exhausted, and both fish and fowl were to be found on shore, yet they were destitute of salt to cure them. As they could not subsist at sea without salt provisions, they resolved to form an establishment upon land. Here they met with some of their countrymen, and we will inform our readers how they came to inhabit this place.

Captain Thomas Tew had received a commission from the Governor of Bermuda to sail for the river Gambia in Africa. Instead of proceeding in his voyage, Tew made towards the Cape of Good Hope, doubled that cape, and sailed for the straits of Babel-Mandeb. There he met with a large ship richly laden coming from the Indies, and bound for Arabia. Though she had on board three hundred soldiers besides seamen, yet Tew had the courage to attack her, and soon made her his prize. It is reported, that by this one prize every man shared near three thousand pounds. The island of Madagascar was chosen as a settlement. Tew, however, and a few others, in a short time went for Rhode Island, and obtained a pardon.

The natives of Madagascar are negroes, but differ from those of Guinea in the length of their hair and the blackness of their complexion. They are divided into small nations, each governed by its own prince, who carry on a continual war upon each other. When the pirates first settled among them, their alliance was much courted by these princes, and those whom they joined were always successful in their wars, the natives being ignorant of the use of fire-arms. By these means they in a little time became very formidable, and the prisoners whom they took in war they employed in cultivating the ground. The natural result was, that they separated, each choosing a convenient place for himself, where he lived in a princely style, surrounded by his wives, slaves, and dependants. Nor was it long before jarring interests excited them also to draw the sword against each other. In these civil wars their numbers and strength were greatly lessened.

These pirates, unexpectedly elevated to the dignity of petty princes, used their power with the most wanton barbarity. The negroes, at length, exasperated by continued oppression, formed the determination of extirpating them in one night. Fortunately, however, a negro woman, who was partial to them, ran twenty miles in three hours, and warning them of their danger, they were united and in arms to oppose the negroes before the latter had assembled. This narrow escape made them more cautious, and induced them to foment wars among the negro princes, while they themselves declined to aid either party. Those who were vanquished fled to them for protection, and increased their strength. By this time the pirates were so formidable, that none of the negro princes durst attack them in open war.

Thus like tyrants they lived, dreading, and dreaded by all, and in this state they were found by Captain Woods Rogers, when he went to Madagascar in the Delicia, a ship of forty guns, with the design of purchasing slaves. He touched upon a part of the island at which no ship had been seen for seven or eight years before, where he met with some pirates who had been upon the island above twenty-five years. There were only eleven of the original stock then alive, surrounded with a numerous offspring of children and grandchildren.

They were struck with terror upon the sight of the vessel, supposing that it was a man-of-war sent out to apprehend them. But when they found some of the ship's crew on shore without any signs of hostility, and proposing to treat with them for slaves, they ventured to come out of their dwellings attended like princes. Having been so long upon the island, their cloaks were so much worn, that their majesties were extremely out at elbows. They had nothing to cover them but the skins of beasts in their natural state, not even a shoe or stocking; so that they resembled the pictures of Hercules in the lion's skin; and being overgrown with beard and hair upon their bodies, they appeared the most savage figures that the human imagination could well conceive.

The sale of the slaves in their possession soon provided them with more suitable clothes, and all other necessaries. Meanwhile, they became very familiar, went frequently on board, and were very eager in examining the inside of the ship. Their design was to surprise the ship during the night. But the captain suspecting them, kept so strong a watch upon deck, that they found it in vain to hazard an attempt. Thus he departed from the island, leaving these pirates to enjoy their savage royalty. One of them had been a waterman upon the Thames, and having committed a murder, fled to the West Indies. The rest had all been foremastmen, nor was there one among them who could either read or write.