Part 11

This famous South Sea pirate was born on March 1st, 1670, at Boston, and received a commission from the Governor of Massachusetts to cruise as a privateer on the Banks. No sooner was he out of sight of land than Halsey turned pirate. Taking a ship or two, he sailed to the Canary Islands, picking up a rich Spanish ship there. He next doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and paid a call on the "brethren" at Madagascar. He then sailed to the Red Sea, another happy hunting ground of the pirates, and met a big Dutch ship armed with sixty guns. Halsey astounded his men by announcing his sudden determination to attack only Moorish ships in the future. The indignant crew mutinied, threw Captain Halsey and his chief gunner in irons, and proceeded to attack the Dutchman. The mutinous pirates got the worst of the encounter, and released Halsey, who only just managed to get his ship away. Luck seems to have deserted Halsey for a while, for not a Moorish ship could he meet with, so much so that his scruples against taking Christian ships eased enough to permit him to bag a brace of English ships, the _Essex_ and the _Rising Eagle_.

The captain of the former proved to be a very old and dear friend of Halsey's quartermaster, and to show a friendly feeling, Halsey allowed the captain to keep all his personal belongings. Nevertheless, they took a comfortable booty, comprising some fifty thousand pounds in English gold, out of the _Essex_, and another ten thousand out of the _Rising Eagle_.

The pirates, being strict business men, produced invoices and sold the two ships back to their legal owners for cash, and having settled this affair to everybody's satisfaction, Halsey and his consort returned to Madagascar. Here they were visited by the captain of a Scotch ship, the _Neptune_, which had come to trade liquor, probably rum, but possibly whisky, with the pirates. A sudden hurricane arose, destroying both the pirate ships and damaging the _Neptune_. Halsey, ever a man of resource, thereupon seized the Scotch ship, and, with even greater enterprise, at once attacked a ship, the _Greyhound_, which lay at anchor, which was loaded with stolen merchandise which the pirates had only just sold to the captain of the _Greyhound_, and for which they had been paid.

The end was now drawing near, for in 1716 Captain Halsey was taken ill of some tropical fever and died. He was a popular commander, respected, ever loved by his men, for he was a humane man, never killing his prisoners unless necessity compelled. A contemporary eyewitness of his funeral rites leaves the following account of his burial:

"With great solemnity, the prayers of the Church of England being read over him and his sword and pistols laid on his coffin, which was covered with a ship's Jack. As many minute guns were fired as he was old--viz., 46--and three English vollies and one French volley of small arms." The chronicler continues: "His grave was made in a garden of watermelons and fenced in to prevent his being rooted up by wild pigs."

This last a truly touching thought on the part of the bereaved.

HAMAN, CAPTAIN JOHN.

He lived all alone with his wife and family on a small and otherwise uninhabited island in the Bahamas.

About the year 1720, he sailed into New Providence Harbour in his 40-ton sloop, intending to settle there. Captain Rackam and Anne Bonny stole this vessel and eloped in her.

Writing of Captain Haman, Johnson tells us "his Livelihood and constant Employment was to plunder and pillage the Spaniards, whose Sloops and Launces he had often surprised about Cuba and Hispaniola, and sometimes brought off a considerable Booty, always escaping by a good Pair of Heels, insomuch that it became a Bye-Word to say, 'There goes John Haman, catch him if you can.' His Business to Providence now was to bring his Family there, in order to live and settle, being weary, perhaps, of living in that Solitude, or else apprehensive if any of the Spaniards should discover his Habitation, they might land, and be revenged of him for all his Pranks."

HAMLIN, CAPTAIN JEAN.

A famous French filibuster who turned pirate.

Set out in 1682 from Jamaica in a sloop with 120 other desperadoes in pursuit of a French ship that was "wanted" by the Jamaican Governor. Having overtaken the ship, _La Trompeuse_, he seized her, fitted her up as a man-of-war, and then started out on a wild piratical cruise, taking eighteen Jamaican vessels, barbarously ill-treating the crews, and completely demoralizing the trade of the island. Two other ships were now sent to find and destroy the new _La Trompeuse_, but Hamlin escaped and sailed to the Virgin Islands, and was most hospitably received by the Governor of the Danish Island of St. Thomas, one Adolf Esmit, who was himself a retired pirate. Using this island as his headquarters Hamlin cruised about and took several English ships.

In May, 1683, he appeared on the West Coast of Africa disguised as an English man-of-war. Off the coast of Sierra Leone, he took seventeen Dutch and English ships, returning to Dominica in July, 1683, finally reaching the friendly St. Thomas Island, being warmly welcomed back by the pirate Governor. Three days afterwards, H.M.S. _Francis_ arrived on the lookout for pirates, and attacked and burnt Hamlin's ship. Hamlin, with the help of the Governor, managed to escape with his life.

HANDS, ISRAEL, also known as BASILICA HANDS.

Sailing-master with the famous Teach or Blackbeard. One day when Teach was entertaining a pilot and Hands in his cabin, after they had been drinking and chatting awhile seated round the cabin table, on which stood a lighted candle, Blackbeard suddenly drew his pistols, blew out the candle, and crossing his arms, fired both his pistols under the table. Hands was shot in the knee, and crippled for life. Teach's explanation to the angry demands of his guests as to the reason for this extraordinary conduct produced the reply that "if he did not shoot one or two of them now and then, they'd forget who he was." Hands after this deserted, but was captured at Bath in Carolina by Brand. Hands, probably in revenge for being wantonly shot by Teach, turned King's evidence at the inquiry held at Charleston, and brought very serious accusations against one of the most prominent men in the colony, Knight, who was secretary to the Chief Justice, and a deputy collector of Customs.

Hands was tried for piracy in Virginia in December, 1718, but pardoned. When last heard of was seen begging his bread in London.

HANSEL, CAPTAIN.

He behaved himself so courageously at the taking of Porto Bello in 1669, that a party of some 400 men, in four ships, chose Hansel to be their admiral in an attempt on the town of Comana, near Caracas. This attack was a most complete failure, the pirates being driven off "with great loss and in great confusion." When Hansel's party arrived back at Jamaica, they found the rest of Morgan's men had returned before them, who "ceased not to mock and jeer at them for their ill success at Comana, after telling them, 'Let us see what money you brought from Comana, and if it be as good silver as that which we bring from Maracaibo.'"

HARDING, CAPTAIN THOMAS.

In 1653 he captured a rich prize, a Barbadoes vessel. For this he was tried for piracy at Boston.

HARDY, RICHARD.

One of Captain Bartholomew Roberts's crew. Hanged at Cape Coast Castle, West Coast of Africa, on April 6th, 1722, at the age of 25 years.

It is recorded that, owing to the lack of expert knowledge in the niceties of carrying out executions, Hardy was led to the scaffold with his hands tied behind him. This annoyed Hardy very much, and it is mentioned in the official account of his execution that the prisoner indignantly declared "that he had seen many a Man hang'd, but this Way of the Hands being ty'd behind them, he was a Stranger to, and never saw before in his Life."

HARPER, ABRAHAM.

Born at Bristol.

He was cooper on board Captain Roberts's _Royal Fortune_. When the pirates took a prize, it was Harper's duty to see that all the casks and coopers' tools were removed from the prize to the pirate craft.

Hanged at the age of 23, with the rest of the crew, in 1722.

HARRIS, CAPTAIN.

Joined the Barbary corsairs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, turned Mohammedan, and rose to command a Moorish pirate vessel. Cruised off the coast of Ireland, was taken prisoner by an English ship, and hanged at Wapping.

HARRIS, HUGH.

Of Corfe Castle, Dorsetshire.

One of Roberts's crew; tried and condemned to be hanged in 1722, but reprieved and sold to the Royal African Company to serve for seven years in their plantations.

HARRIS, JAMES.

One of Roberts's crew.

HARRIS, PETER.

Born in Kent.

This buccaneer was known amongst the brethren of the coast as "a brave and Stout Soldier."

In 1680 he took a leading part in the march of the buccaneers across the Isthmus of Darien, but during the attack on the Spanish Fleet off Panama he was shot in both legs, and died of his wounds.

HARRIS, RICHARD.

A Cornishman.

One of Captain Roberts's crew and the oldest, being 45 years of age when he was hanged, an unusually advanced age to reach in this most "unhealthy" profession.

HARRISON, CAPTAIN.

Sailed in October, 1670, in company with Captains Prince and Ludbury, into Port Royal, after a successful expedition with 170 men up the San Juan River in Nicaragua, when they plundered the unfortunate city of Granada. This city had suffered so much from previous attacks from the buccaneers that the plunder came to only some £20 per man on this occasion.

Modyford, the Governor of Jamaica, "reproved the captains for acting without commissions, but did not deem it prudent to press the matter too far"; in fact, instead of arresting Harrison and his crew, he sent them to join Morgan the Buccaneer, who was then gathering together a great fleet of buccaneers at the Isle of Vache.

HARVEY, CAPTAIN.

Arrived at New London in 1685 in company with another pirate, Captain Veale; posed as an honest merchant, but, being recognized, left in great haste.

HARVEY, WILLIAM.

Tried for piracy with the rest of Gow's crew at Newgate in 1725, and acquitted.

HARWOOD, JOHN.

Tried for piracy at Boston in 1704. One of the crew of the brigantine _Charles_ (Captain John Quelch, Commander).

HATTSELL, CAPTAIN.

This buccaneer served as an officer with Mansfield in his successful and daring night attack on the Island of Providence, when, with only 200 men, the fort was captured and the Spanish Governor taken prisoner. Captain Hattsell was left behind with thirty-five men to hold the island, while Mansfield sailed to the mainland with his prisoners, who had surrendered on condition that they should be safely conducted there.

HAWKINS, CAPTAIN.

A seventeenth-century Barbadoes pirate. Notorious for his cruelty, which led to his fighting a duel with one of his crew, Greaves, _alias_ Red Legs, by whom he was defeated, his victor being elected captain in his place.

HAWKINS, SIR JOHN.

Born in 1532.

This famous Elizabethan seaman sailed in 1561 to the Canary Islands, and traded in negro slaves between Africa and Hispaniola. Afterwards became an officer in the Royal Navy. Died at sea off Porto Bello, in 1595, when serving with Drake in the West Indies.

HAWKINS, CAPTAIN THOMAS.

In the year 1689 cruised off the coast of New England, burning and plundering the shipping. The Bay colony sent out an armed sloop, the _Mary_ (Samuel Pease, commander), in October of that year, to attempt to capture Hawkins. Pease found the pirate in Buzzard's Bay. Hawkins ran up a red flag and a furious engagement began. The crew of the _Mary_ at last boarded the pirates, and the captain, Pease, was so severely wounded that he died.

HAWKINS, THOMAS.

Born at Boston.

Turned pirate and cruised with Captain Pound. Tried for piracy at Boston in 1690, but reprieved. Sent to England, but on the voyage was killed in a fight with a French privateer.

HAYES, CAPTAIN, nicknamed "Bully Hayes." A South Sea pirate.

In 1870 was arrested by the English Consul at Samoa for piracy. There being no prison in this delightful island, the Consul ran Hayes's ship on shore, and waited for a man-of-war to call and take his prisoner away. Hayes spent his time, while under open arrest, attending native picnic parties, at which he was the life and soul, being, when off duty, a man of great charm of manner and a favourite with the ladies. Presently another pirate arrived, one Captain Pease, in an armed ship with a Malay crew. Hayes and Pease quarrelled violently, and the Consul had great trouble to keep the two pirates from coming to blows. This animosity was all a sham to throw dust in the Consul's eyes, for one night Pease sailed away with Hayes, whom he had smuggled on board his ship.

HAZEL, THOMAS.

Of Westminster.

Hanged in Rhode Island in 1723 at the advanced age, for a pirate, of 50. This is one of the longest lived pirates we have been able to hear of.

HEAMAN, PETER, _alias_ ROGERS.

A French pirate, born in 1787.

Sailed from Gibraltar in May, 1821, as mate on board the schooner _Jane_ (Captain Thomas Johnson), bound for Bahia, Brazil, with a very rich cargo of beeswax, silk, olives, and other goods, as well as eight barrels of Spanish dollars.

When about seventeen days out, in the middle of the night, Heaman attacked one of the crew, James Paterson, and beat him to death. On the captain coming up on deck to find out what all the noise was about, Heaman beat him to death with a musket, being assisted by the cook, Francis Gautier, also a Frenchman. The two conspirators then proceeded to imprison the rest of the crew in the forecastle, and threw the dead bodies of the captain and the sailor overboard. For two days the murderers tried to suffocate the crew by burning pitch and blowing the smoke into the forecastle. Failing to accomplish this they let the crew out after each had sworn on the Bible not to inform on them. The course was now altered, and they sailed towards Scotland. The barrels of dollars were broken open and the coins placed in bags. In June they reached the Island of Barra, where Gautier went ashore, wearing the late captain's green coat, and bought a large boat. Next, they sailed to Stornoway, where they arrived in July, and here they sank their schooner. The crew rowed ashore in the long-boat, sharing out the dollars as they went, using an old tin as a measure, each man getting 6,300 dollars as his share. Their boat was smashed on the rocks when landing, but they got their plunder safely ashore and hid it amongst the stones on the beach. Early next morning the mutineers were visited by the Customs officer. After he had left, the cabin boy, a Maltese, ran after him and told him the true story of the murders and robbery. A party of islanders was got together, the mutineers arrested and taken to Edinburgh, where Heaman and Gautier were tried for piracy and murder, and on November 27th found guilty and condemned to death. They were both hanged on January 9th, 1822, on the sands of Leith, within the flood mark, and afterwards their bodies were delivered to Dr. Alexander Munro, Professor of Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh, to be publicly dissected by him.

HEATH, PELEG.

One of William Coward's crew. Condemned to be hanged at Boston in 1690, but afterwards reprieved.

HEIDON, CAPTAIN.

Arrested for piracy in 1564 for having captured a Flemish ship. This vessel he manned with thirteen Scotchmen in addition to his own crew, and sailed off the coast of Spain. Here he took a prize containing a cargo of wine, which he carried to the Island of Bere in Bantry Bay. The wine was sold to Lord O'Sullivan. Heidon now fitted up another ship, the _John of Sandwich_. Was wrecked in her on the Island of Alderney and Heidon was arrested, but managed to escape in a small boat with some others of the pirates.

HENLEY, CAPTAIN.

In 1683 sailed from Boston "bound for the Rack," afterwards going to the Red Sea, where he plundered Arab and Malabar ships.

HERDUE, CAPTAIN. Buccaneer.

Commanded a frigate of four guns, crew of forty men, at Tortuga Island, in 1663.

HERNANDEZ, AUGUSTUS.

Hanged at Kingston, Jamaica, in 1823.

HERNANDEZ, JUAN.

Captured with nine other pirates by H.M. sloop-of-war _Tyne_ and taken to Jamaica. Hanged on February 7th, 1823, at Kingston.

HERRIOTT, DAVID.

Master of the _Adventure_, from Jamaica, taken by Teach in 1718. He joined the pirates, and later, when Major Stede Bonnet separated from Teach, he took Herriott to be his sailing-master. Taken prisoner with Bonnet and his crew of the _Royal James_ by Colonel Rhet, at Cape Fear, North Carolina, September 27th, 1718. Herriott and the boatswain, Ignatius Pell, turned King's evidence at the trial of the pirates held at Charleston. On October 25th, Bonnet and Herriott escaped from prison, in spite of the fact that the latter had turned King's evidence. Herriott was shot on Sullivan Island a few days later.

HEWETT, WILLIAM, or HEWET, or HEWIT.

Of Jamaica.

One of Major Stede Bonnet's crew. Tried for piracy at Charleston in 1718, and hanged at White Point on November 8th, and buried in the marsh below low-water mark.

HIDE, DANIEL.

Of Virginia.

One of the crew of Captain Charles Harris, who, with Captain Low, played havoc on the shipping off the American coast from New York to Charleston. Hanged at Newport, Rhode Island, in July, 1723, at the age of 23.

HILL, CORPORAL JOHN.

In charge of the guard at Fort Royal, Falmouth, Maine, which all deserted one night, and went to sea with the pirate Captain Pound. Killed at Tarpaulin Cove in 1689.

HILLIARD, JOHN.

Was "chief man" of the company of Captain Bartholomew Sharp on his "dangerous voyage" to the South Seas. Died on January 2nd, 1681, of dropsy; buried at sea with the usual buccaneers' honours.

HINCHER, DR. JOHN.

Of Edinburgh University.

Tried for piracy in July, 1723, at Newport, Rhode Island, but acquitted. This young doctor, his age was only 22, was taken off a prize by Captain Low against his will, to act as ship's surgeon with the pirates.

HIND, ISRAEL, or HYNDE.

Of Bristol.

One of Captain Roberts's crew. Hanged at Cape Coast Castle in 1722, at the age of 30.

HINGSON, JOHN.

One of Wafer's party left behind and lost in the forest when Dampier crossed the Isthmus of Darien on foot in 1681.

HITCHENS, ROBERT.

A Devonshire man, born in the year 1515.

Took to piracy early in life. Sailed with the pirate Captain Heidon, and was wrecked on Alderney in the year 1564. Arrested and tried for piracy, and was hanged in chains at low-water mark at St. Martin's Point, Guernsey, in 1564, at the age of 50.

HOLDING, ANTHONY.

One of John Quelch's crew of the brigantine _Charles_. Tried for piracy at Boston in 1704.

HOLFORD, CAPTAIN. Buccaneer.

Of Jamaica.

An old friend of the notorious pirate Vane. In 1718 he happened to arrive in his ship at a small uninhabited island in the Bay of Honduras to find Vane on shore and destitute. Vane thought he would be saved by Holford, but the latter was quite frank in refusing, saying: "I shan't trust you aboard my ship unless I carry you a prisoner, for I shall have you caballing with my men, knock me on the head, and run away with my ship a-pyrating." It was owing to Holford that Vane was eventually taken a prisoner to Jamaica and there hanged.

HOLLAND, CAPTAIN RICHARD.

An Irishman.

Commanded a Spanish pirate vessel in the West Indies in 1724. The crew consisted of sixty Spaniards, eighteen French, and eighteen English sailors. Holland had originally belonged to the Royal Navy, but deserted from the _Suffolk_ at Naples, and took shelter in a convent in that city. In August, 1724, Holland's ship took as prizes the _John and Mary_, the _Prudent Hannah of Boston_, and the _Dolphin_, of Topsham, all on their way to Virginia. From out of the _John and Mary_ he took thirty-six men slaves, some gold dust, the captain's clothes, four great guns and small arms, and 400 gallons of rum.

HOPKINS, MR. Buccaneer and apothecary.

First lieutenant to Captain Dover (a doctor of physic) on board the _Duchess_ privateer, of Bristol. Mr. Hopkins was an apothecary by profession, not a sailor, but being a kinsman to the captain, no doubt was given promotion. He sailed from Bristol on August 2nd, 1708.

HORE, CAPTAIN.

About 1650 Hore turned from a privateer into a pirate, and was very active and successful in taking prizes between New York and Newport, occasionally sailing to Madagascar to waylay ships of the East India Company.

HORNIGOLD, CAPTAIN BENJAMIN.

Commanded a sloop in 1716 and cruised off the Guinea coast with Teach, taking a big French Guinea ship. He then sailed to the Bahama Islands, where, in 1718, Woodes Rogers had just arrived with the offer of a pardon to all pirates who surrendered themselves. Teach went off again "on the account," but Hornigold surrendered. Shortly afterwards Hornigold was wrecked on a reef and drowned.

HOW, THOMAS.

A native of Barnstaple in Devon.

One of Captain Bartholomew Roberts's crew. Condemned to death for piracy, but reprieved and sold to the Royal African Company to work on their plantations for seven years.

HOWARD, THOMAS.

Born in London, the son of a Thames lighterman. Sailing to Jamaica, he deserted his ship and, with some companions of a like mind, stole a canoe and set off to the Grand Cayman Islands, and there met with some 200 buccaneers and pirates. Joining with these, they took several vessels, lastly a well-armed Spanish ship. In her they cruised off the coast of Virginia, taking a large New England brigantine, of which Howard was appointed quartermaster. Their next prize was a fine Virginian galley, twenty-four guns, crowded with convicts being transplanted to America. These passengers were only too willing to join the pirates.

Next, they sailed away to Guinea, where they took numerous prizes. Here they were attacked by a big Portuguese ship of thirty-six guns, which they defeated. Having by now got together a well appointed pirate fleet, they sailed round the Cape of Good Hope to Madagascar, the happy home of the South Sea pirates. Their ship, the _Alexander_, was wrecked and lost on a reef, and Howard, together with the English and Dutch members of the crew, seized the treasure, and drove off the Portuguese and Spanish sailors and also the captain, and got to shore in a boat. They then broke up their ship, and lived for a while by fishing and hunting. On one of these hunting parties, the men ran away and left Howard behind.