Pirates: A History
Page 15
This raid, from 1680 to 1682, was widely described by several participants, including Esquemeling, Dampier, and the buccaneer Basil Ringrose, as well as in the private journals of other leading buccaneers, such as Bartholomew Sharp, John Cox, and an anonymous source. It is notable that both John Cox and Bartholomew Sharp dedicated their journals to the Duke of Albemarle, Governor of Jamaica, who was sympathetic to the buccaneers. Another journal by William Cowley discussed a later Pacific Ocean voyage. This first raid started off on the western tip of Jamaica as a dozen ships and about 500 buccaneers gathered. Captain Coxon, a former privateer from Jamaica, was elected admiral, and the fleet agreed to meet at the Isle of Pines, where Drake had spent much time. The first target was Porto Bello, where Drake had died and was buried at sea, which had been raided previously by various buccaneers, including Morgan. Coxon’s plan was to land some sixty miles from Porto Bello and surprise the town by marching, rather than sailing, to the town. However, according to Sharp’s manuscript, an Indian saw the buccaneers as they closed in on Porto Bello, and called out ‘Ladrones’, meaning robbers, and ran toward the town. Coxon thereupon cried out, ‘good boys you that are able to runn get into towne before we are descried, we had then about three miles to Puerto Uello [Porto Bello].’ But the Indian got into town about half an hour before the buccaneers, and the alarm gun was fired. Sharp recounted that ‘ye foorlorne [the ‘forlorn hope’, the name normally used for a lead attack group, who often died, hence lacking hope] being led by Capt Robert Alliston ye rest of our party following up so fast as they could before of ye clocke in the afternoon [mid-day] we had taken ye towne …’ The Spanish soldiers retreated into the central castle called the Glory, and about 200 of their soldiers tried to come out, but were forced back. It does not seem that the Spaniards resisted very strongly. The buccaneers plundered the town for a day and then left, taking some prisoners for ransom. On the way back to where their ships were anchored, the buccaneers took a Spanish ship, which led to the first of many problems relating to leadership because it was found that Coxon had wrongly kept 500 pieces of gold for himself. This was sorted out and everyone got 100 pieces of eight per man.19
Subsequently, Coxon still proved a problem because when the buccaneer group of some 300 men consulted over what to do next, he declared that he wanted to go home. Coxon was apparently both hot tempered and thought to be a coward, and at one point argued with the buccaneer Richard Hendricks, firing his musket at him, but luckily missing. If Coxon’s aim had been better, he would have been severely punished by the buccaneers. Yet Coxon must have had the necessary experience because he was still elected overall commander, though, according to Bartholomew Sharp, ‘wee were forced to agree to make him our Generall by reason wee were very unwilling to brake our party soe he seeming then to be well satisfied it was agreed and concluded on that wee should proceed toward the citty of Panama…’20 The buccaneers therefore set out for Panama City, with each group following their own captain under different coloured flags. Sharp’s group followed a red flag with green and white ribbons, Sawkins’ flag was red striped with yellow, Peter Harris had a green flag, Coxon had strong red colours, and Edmund Cook flew a complicated flag of red striped with yellow, containing a hand and sword device. The buccaneers were helped very much by the local Kuna Indians, who supplied food, canoes and most importantly, guides. Nevertheless, the buccaneers were on their guard since the party had split up into different marching and canoe groups, ‘We weare putt all to stand att this and thoughts rise amounge us yt these Indians only separated us to bring us all to distruction, so that wee had much grumblings amounge us, yt, they made signes we should nott be troubled att any thing.’21
The Indians proved loyal, and the first Spanish town the buccaneers came across was Santa Maria. This was taken by a charge led by Captain Sawkins, killing seventy of the defenders, with only two buccaneers being wounded, including Sawkins. However, there was little of value in the town, since the buccaneers had missed a gold shipment by just three days, while the Spanish governor, who could have been ransomed, made his escape by running fast for about a mile beside the river and could not be caught. Once more another vote was taken on whether to continue, and once more ‘Our General Capt Coxon seemed unwilling, butt with much perswaifsion went…’22 Meanwhile, the buccaneers took along as many Spanish prisoners from Santa Maria as they could, but had to leave many behind, and the Indians ‘killed all ye poore soules yt were left…’ The buccaneers pressed on, and arrived at the coast near Panama, but found the city had been warned of their approach. Consequently, three Spanish ships with some 300 men onboard sailed out to defend the city. Undaunted, the buccaneers boldly launched their canoes on each side of the Spanish ships, and then came under the stern to wedge the rudders, which prevented the Spanish cannon from being effective. Instead, the cross fire of the buccaneers’ muskets proved decisive, so that one Spanish ship fled, one was taken by boarding, and one surrendered. Casualties to the buccaneers were eleven killed, and thirty-four wounded – one of the killed being ‘Brave vallient Capt Peter Harriss [who] was shot through both his leggs bordeing of a greate ship.’ Harris did not die straight away, but perished after the doctor cut off one leg which then developed gangrene.23
This sea battle was a considerable victory for the buccaneers, and they were then able to easily capture the Spanish ships inside the harbour of Panama because they were manned by very few men. One of these ships was the 400 ton Santissima Trinidad, which was renamed the Trinity, and turned into a hospital ship. Then, as often happened, an argument developed among the buccaneers over what was to happen next. Panama City itself was too strong to be attacked, so the choices were to either continue on into the South Seas, or return to the Caribbean. Coxon, true to form, wanted no more of fighting, and elected to return home, while Sawkins was made the new admiral. Coxon was anyway dismissed because of ‘not behauving himself nobly in Line of Ingagement, [and] was something howled att by the Party…’ Not only was Coxon relieved of his post, but he took the surgeon with him, and the best part of the medicines ‘having no respect to the poor wounded men…’ It seems that the desire to stay with the wounded was part of the decision by the buccaneers to remain in the South Seas, ‘confidering ye condition of 34 poore wound/d. men were very unwilling to fee so many who had behaved themselves so bravely to perish, tooke up a resolution to stay in ye South Seas, till they were cured…’24
Coxon left to cross back over the Isthmus of Panama with some seventy men, while the remaining buccaneers, perhaps around 200, sailed south. Good luck produced a Spanish ship from Lima, which when captured contained 50,000 pieces of eight, plus wine and brandy, which certainly encouraged the buccaneers. Now the party had Sawkins as admiral in the Trinity, Sharp as commander of the recently taken Lima ship, Cooke as commander of a small ship, and two small barques containing seven men apiece. The decision was next made to attack the town of Pueblo Nuevo, in order to obtain fresh meat, which the buccaneers declared they had to have. Sawkins stormed ashore at the head of the attack party, but was killed, together with three others, and one man captured, who was tortured by the Spanish, making a ‘dreadful noyse…’ Following this, there arose the inevitable debate over who to elect as admiral, and where to go. John Cox wrote that ‘here fell out a greater distraction amongst our men which was accationed by C/a Sawkins his men, for the lofs of their Commander, so 75 men left us…’ It seems that Sawkins had been much liked, and Sharp much disliked, but Sharp made a speech promising to continue the South Seas voyage and make each man rich, and to stand by the wounded men, so he was elected admiral, while Sawkins’ men departed, leaving 146 men to continue.25
The remaining buccaneers continued sailing south, but did not have much luck. The town of Arica proved too strong to capture, so the small port of Ilo (or Hilo) was taken and some provisions were found. By December 1680 they arrived at the Bay of Coquimbo. Here the buccaneers launched three canoes with thirty-five men against 150 Spanish cavalry, yet these
odds did not daunt the buccaneers, whose captain told them that only five or six buccaneers should fire at a time, and only when sure of their mark. Coquimbo was captured because most of the defenders fled to the hills. There then took place a long debate with the governor of Coquimbo over a ransom – which the buccaneers always demanded if they could – but the governor declined to agree. The Spanish then opened the irrigation gates and tried to literally wash the buccaneers away. Realising there was nothing more to obtain from the town, the buccaneers left, carrying some silver plate and some jewelry. Then it was on to the Juan Fernandez Islands – a frequent stopping place for pirates because it was far enough off shore (some 400 miles off modern Chile) that the pirates were not bothered, and because the islands had plenty of goats, fish and water. The islands are steep sided and forbidding, and over the years several men were marooned here. This was also the case in January 1681 when the buccaneers departed the islands because they sighted some Spanish ships. This meant that they left behind a Moskito coast Indian, William the Striker (so called because of Moskito fishing skills), who was away hunting. William the Striker survived, and was later rescued in 1684.
There was also something of a mutiny among the buccaneers at the Juan Fernandez Islands because Sharp wanted to go home, having personally accumulated around 3,000 pieces of eight, some obtained by gambling. On the other hand, two thirds of the party had no money. It seems that a group of ‘refactory’ buccaneers went ashore and decided to turn out Sharp by signing a joint paper which named John Watling as admiral. Sharp was angry, but was made a prisoner. According to Sharp, the mutiny was led by John Cox and 70 men – but Cox’s journal does not support this argument, calling Watling an usurper and nicknaming him ‘Olliver’ – a reference to Oliver Cromwell who usurped the crown of England. However the change came about, the new admiral was Watling, and the buccaneers decided to return to Arica and capture that town. An old Indian was captured and told Watling that Arica was well defended with thirteen copper cannon – but strangely, Watling refused to tell the crew what the Indian had said, and had the Indian shot. Consequently, when some ninety buccaneers attacked Arica in January 1681, there was a bitter fight, and they failed to capture the Spanish fortress in the town despite superhuman efforts. Watling was killed, along with twenty-seven others. Seventeen buccaneers were also wounded, leaving just forty-seven fit men to fight off 1,200 Spanish soldiers. The ships’ surgeons were also left behind at Arica, either because they were drunk, or were occupied treating the wounded. Somehow the rest of the party reached their canoes and then got back onboard ‘with heavy hearts to think we should leave so much Plate behind us…’26
Predictably, once more dissension reigned over who should become the new admiral of the buccaneers. John Cox complained that ‘ye former difsconters had not forgotten their old trade, but were every day for a new Broome…’ There was also a severe water shortage, so the buccaneers agreed first to stand in to the shore for water, so ‘that contented them for a while…’ With a lack of seasoned leaders, the buccaneers voted Sharp in as their admiral once again, and the party returned to the Isle of Plate (off Peru, at the same latitude as the Galapagos Islands). The island was so called because Drake was thought to have divided up his treasure there. Here the buccaneers split up for the last time, with forty-five men refusing to serve under Sharp, including William Dampier, and Lionel Wafer, a surgeon. These forty-five men took one ship and two canoes and returned to cross the Isthmus of Panama. Meanwhile, the now much depleted group of buccaneers sailed south again in the Trinity under the command of Sharp, who redeemed himself somewhat, for they first captured a Spanish ship carrying 37,000 pieces of eight, and shared out the treasure, and then shortly after captured the Spanish ship Santa Rosario. Out of this ship the buccaneers took out much plate and linen and pieces of eight, but ignored 700 pigs of lead or tin ‘not being able to pefswade our men to take in those pigs…’ These pigs of lead or tin turned out to be silver, which the buccaneers missed, but they still managed to prevent the captain of the Rosario from throwing overboard a very valuable set of Spanish maps (called derroteros) of every Spanish port along the Pacific coast. Ringrose also reported in passing that the captain’s wife was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in the South Seas.27
Now the Trinity headed south to the Straits of Magellan, where it seems that the African slaves onboard tried to revolt but were informed upon, and so failed. These slaves were simply kept onboard, as John Cox wrote, ‘to do our worke…’ The Trinity rounded the Cape and turned north toward the Caribbean. Along the way, on Christmas Day 1681, Sharp, still unpopular, apparently even feared for his life at this time, and therefore handed out three jars of wine to each mess, which did the trick. John Cox reported that the men killed a hog and a spaniel dog for their Christmas dinner and had much wine. Finally, the Trinity reached Barbados in January 1682. Unfortunately, the Royal Navy frigate Richmond was there, which frightened the buccaneers away, so they headed for Antigua. Here the governor of Antigua refused permission for the crew to land. Consequently the buccaneers gave the Trinity to seven of their number who had lost all their money gambling – a very common pirate problem – and everyone else then ‘shifted for himself’. Sharp and Cox returned to England, where they were tried for piracy, but escaped the noose by presenting their carefully prepared journals to the king, Charles II, and especially because of the value of the Spanish maps they had captured onboard the Rosario. These maps or derroteros were secret and very valuable, and it is surmised that Charles II arranged to fix the trials in favour of Sharp and Cox because of the information they gave the Crown. Sharp does not seem to have learned his lesson, since he participated in other piratical activities in the Caribbean and faced another piracy trial on Nevis in 1687. With the probable connivance of the governor he was freed, and perhaps even became governor of Anguilla. But in 1688 he was sentenced to life in prison by the Danes on St Thomas, and there he died sometime after 1699, crippled, and short of money.28
The 1680–1682 South Seas voyage was notable for friction among the buccaneers, and for the several participants who wrote about their adventure, including the well known authors William Dampier and Lionel Wafer. The voyage did produce a sizeable number of pieces of eight for those who persisted to the end and did not lose it all gambling, while the buccaneers did cause a considerable amount of bloodshed along the way. Drake and Morgan had shown the way, but this new South Seas piracy revealed that while the Spanish could not defend the whole Pacific coastline, they usually had good intelligence about the buccaneers, and the larger towns were usually well defended, although smaller towns, ports, and Spanish ships, were vulnerable.
Second Wave of South Seas Piracy
No sooner had the South Seas voyage finished than a second wave of South Seas piracy descended on the Pacific coast when Dampier, Wafer, Edward Davis and William Cowley, among many others, sailed from Virginia on the Revenge in August 1683. This ship was under the command of John Cook, who himself had served under Coxon in the previous voyage. Some of this voyage is vividly described in the journal of William Cowley, who often remarked on a wide range of topics. For example, while at the Cape Verde Islands, Cowley, in one of several comments on race, wrote that the inhabitants of St Nicholas Island were Portuguese, but looked black – yet ‘a man being in danger of his life that calls them Negroes.’ Turning to an account of this second wave of buccaneers, they first sailed to the Cape Verde Islands in order to get a better ship for their adventure. The buccaneers initially took a Dutch slaver, but this was too small, with only eight guns. So the buccaneers sailed on for the Guinea coast, and amusingly, cut the cable of a ship at St Jago, and tried to tow it away, but then discovered that the ship contained 300 men, so left it hurriedly alone. The next ship they tried to take turned out to be a Royal Navy ship, and that was also best avoided. It was along the African coast, past Sierra Leone, that Cowley went ashore with the ship’s doctor, when the local king offered his ‘black women’
to them. The doctor stayed for this invitation, but Cowley casually remarked that he did not appreciate his woman because ‘I did not like her hide.’ However, it was near here that the buccaneers did manage to capture another slaver, this one Danish, and a bigger ship, with thirty-six guns. This became their flagship and was renamed the Batchelor’s Delight. The reason for this name may have been because there were sixty female slaves onboard.29
Next, the buccaneers sailed around Cape Horn in a storm, which drove them far south, before meeting up with another pirate ship commanded by John Eaton. They agreed to co-operate and in March 1684 the small fleet sailed for the Juan Fernandez Islands, where Cowley noted that the captain sowed carrot, chive, and garden seeds, as well as boiled Brussels sprouts! Notably, the buccaneers came across the Moskito Indian William the Striker, who had been inadvertently marooned on the islands by Sharp nearly three years earlier. Cowley reported that the Spanish had left a plate on the island engraved with the message that they had courageously and violently chased away Captain Sharp. Yet William the Striker survived:
This fellow had been hunted by the Spanish – he having nothing but Goates’ skins to cover himself when we came there, he having been there alone neare three yeares, seeing no man in that time but those Spanish that had chased him with Doggs, he cutt his Gunn in pieces for Instruments to take ffifh [fish] and Goats.
Cowley and the others were obviously much impressed with William’s survival skills, and were happy to rescue him. Now it was time for the serious business of pirating, yet here there came a hitch because the Spanish, as usual, had good intelligence on the buccaneers’ arrival, together with other English pirates on the Pacific coast, and had sent ‘expresses’ to warn the entire coast line. The buccaneers learnt of this situation through the capture of small coastal ships, and quickly realised there was no point in attacking any major town or port.30