The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, {Protect
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3 by Frederick Whymper This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license Title: The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3 Author: Frederick Whymper Release Date: April 1, 2012 [Ebook 39343] Language: English ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEA: ITS STIRRING STORY OF ADVENTURE, PERIL, & HEROISM. VOLUME 3*** MORGAN’S ATTACK ON GIBRALTAR. THE SEA Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. BY F. WHYMPER, AUTHOR OF “TRAVELS IN ALASKA,” ETC. ivThe Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3 ILLUSTRATED. *** CASSELL,PETTER,GALPIN &CO.: LONDON, PARIS & NEW YORK. [ALL RIGHTS RESERVED] [iii] CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS. PAGE Who was the First Pirate?—The Society of Bu- 1 caniers—Home of the Freebooters—Rise of the Band—Impecunious Spanish Governors and their Roguery—Great Capture of Spanish Treasure—An Un- just Seizure, but no Redress—Esquemeling’s Narra- tive—Voyage from Havre—“Baptism” of the French Mariners—Other Ceremonies—At Tortuga—Occupied and Reoccupied by French and Spanish—The French West India Company—Esquemeling twice Sold as a Slave—He Joins the Society of Pi- rates—Wild Boars and Savage Mastiffs—How the Wild Dogs came to the Islands—Cruelty of the Planters—A Terrible Case of Retribution—The Mur- derer of a Hundred Slaves—The First Tortugan Pi- rate—Pierre le Grand—A Desperate Attack—Rich Prize Taken—Rapid Spread of Piracy—How the Rovers Armed their Ships—Regulations of their Voy- ages—“No Prey, no Pay”—The richly-laden Vessels of New Spain—The Pearl Fisheries—An Enterprising Pirate—Success and Failure—His Final Surrender CHAPTER II. THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (continued). viThe Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3 The Pirate Portuguez—Another Successful Boat 13 Attack—Re-taken—A Gibbet or Life—Escape—Saved by Two Wine-jars—Helped by the Pirates—Rich again—And suddenly Poor—A Dutch Pirate—From Sailor to Captain—A Grand Capture—And a brutal Commander—No Surrender to the Spaniards—Victory and Horse-flesh—The Rover’s Prodigality—A Stratagem—Worse than Ever—The Spaniards reduce their Commerce—Lewis Scot—John Davis—Outrages at Nicaragua—Piratical Gains—Lolonois the Bad and Brave—His First Wounds—And his Early Suc- cesses—Six Hundred and Sixty Pirates—The Capture of Maracaibo and Gibraltar—Division of the Gains—His Brutalities—And Deserved Death CHAPTER III. THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (continued). The Second Lolonois—Captain Henry Morgan—His 29 first Successes—A Pirate Fleet of Seven Hun- dred Men—Attack on a Cuban Town—Morgan’s Form—Not to be Beaten—Puerto Bello—Morgan’s Strategy—The Castle taken—Extravagant De- mands—The Governor of Panama Derided—Return to Jamaica—Their Dissipation—A Fresh Start—Maracaibo re-taken—A Chance for Guy Fawkes—Gibraltar again—Cruel Tortures inflicted on Prisoners—Horrible Brutalities—Arrival of a Spanish Fleet—Morgan’s Insolence—Letter from the Spanish Admiral—“To the Death!” CHAPTER IV. THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (continued). Contents vii Attack resolved—The Fire-ship—Morgan passes the 40 Castle—Off for St. Catherine’s—Given up by a Stratagem—St. Catherine’s an Easy Prey—Power of Fire—Thirty in Three Hundred Saved—The March on Panama—A Pirate Band of Twelve Hun- dred—Sufferings on the Way—A Pipe for Sup- per—Leather and Cold Water—Panama at Last—The First Encounter—Resolute Fighting—Wild Bulls in Warfare—Victory for the Pirates—Ruthless Destruc- tion of Property—Cruelty to Prisoners—Searching for Treasure—Dissatisfaction at the Dividend—The Last of Morgan CHAPTER V. THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (continued). The Exploits of Captain Sawkins—Three Ships 51 Attacked by Canoes—Valiant Peralta—Explosion on Board—Miserable Sight on Two Ships’ Decks—Capture of an Empty Ship—Dissatisfaction among the Pirates—Desertion of Many—Message from the Governor of Panama—The Pirate Cap- tain’s Bravado—His Death—Fear inspired on all the Southern Coasts—Preparations for Punishing and Hindering the Bucaniers—Captain Kidd—His First Commission as Privateer—Turns Pirate—The Mocha Fleet—Almost a Mutiny on Board—Kills his Gun- ner—Capture of Rich Prizes—A Rich Ransom De- rided—Grand Dividend—Kidd Deserted by some of his Men—Proclamation of Pardon—Kidd Ex- cepted—Rushes on his Doom—Arrested in New York—Trial at the Old Bailey—Pleadings—Execution with Six Companions CHAPTER VI. THE PIRATES OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. viiiThe Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3 Difference between the Pirates of the Seventeenth and 59 Eighteenth Centuries—Avery’s brief Career—A Cap- tain all at Sea—Capture of his Ship—Madagascar a Rendezvous for Pirates—A Rich Prize—The Great Mogul’s Ship Taken—Immense Spoils—The Great Mogul’s Rage—Avery’s Treachery—His Companions abandon their Evil Ways—The Water-rat beaten by Land-rats—Avery dies in abject Poverty—A Pirate Set- tlement on Madagascar—Roberts the Daring—Sails among a Portuguese Fleet, and selects the best Ves- sel for his Prey—His Brutal Destruction of Prop- erty—His End—Misson and Caraccioli—Communistic Pirates—Their Captures—High Morality and Robbery Combined—Their Fates CHAPTER VII. THE PIRATES OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY (concluded). Mary Read, the Female Pirate—As Male Servant, 67 Soldier, and Sailor—Her Bravery and Modesty—The Pirate Vane—No Honour among Thieves—Delivered to Justice—The brief Career of Captain Worley—The Biter Bit—A more than usually brutal Pirate—Captain Low’s Life of Villainy—His Wonderful Successes—An unfortunate Black Burned to Death—Torture of a Por- tuguese Captain—Of Two Portuguese Friars—The Re- sults of Sympathy—Low’s Cupidity defeated by a Por- tuguese—Eleven Thousand Moidores dropped out of a Cabin Window—An Unpunished Fiend CHAPTER VIII. PAUL JONES AND DE SOTO. Contents ix Paul Jones, the Privateer—A Story of his Boyhood—He 71 Joins the American Revolutionists—Attempt to Burn the Town and Shipping of Whitehaven—Foiled—His Appearance at St. Mary’s—Capture of Lady Selkirk’s Family Plate—A Letter from Jones—Return of the Plate several Years after—A Press-gang Im- pressed—Engagement with the Ranger—A Privateer Squadron—The Fight off Scarborough—Brave Cap- tains Pearson and Piercy—Victory for the Priva- teers—Jones Dies in abject Poverty—A Nineteenth Century Freebooter—Benito de Soto—Mutiny on a Slave Ship—The Commander left Ashore and the Mate Murdered—Encounters the Morning Star—A Ship without a Gun—Terror of the Passengers—Order to spare no Lives—A Terrified Steward—De Soto’s Com- mands only partially observed, and the Ship Saved—At Cadiz—Failure of the Pirate’s Plans—Captured, Tried, and Hanged at Gibraltar CHAPTER IX. OUR ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS. Our Latest Arctic Expedition—Scene at 84 Portsmouth—Departure of the Alert and Discov- ery—Few Expeditions really ever pointed to the Pole—What we know of the Regions—Admitted and Unadmitted Records—Dutch Yarns—A Claimant at the Pole—Life with the Esquimaux—A Solitary Journey—Northmen Colony—The Adventurer kindly treated—Their King—Sun-worshippers—Believers in an Arctic Hell—The Mastodon not Ex- tinct—Domesticated Walruses—The whole story a nonsensical Canard CHAPTER X. CRUISE OF THE PANDORA. xThe Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3 The Arctic Expedition of 1875-6—Its Advocates—The 91 Alert and Discovery—Cruise of the Pandora—Curious Icebergs—The First Bump with the Ice—Seal Meat as a Luxury—Ashore on a Floe—Coaling at Ivig- tut—The Kryolite Trade—Beauty of the Greenland Coast in Summer—Festivities at Disco—The Belles of Greenland—A Novel Ball-room—The dreaded Melville Bay—Scene of Ruin at Northumberland House—Devastation of the Bears—An Arctic Grave- yard—Beset by the Ice—An Interesting Discov- ery—Furthest Point Attained—Return Voyage—A Dreadful Night—The Phantom Cliff—Home again CHAPTER XI. THE ALERT AND DISCOVERY. Nares’ Expedition—Wonderful Passage through Baf- 99 fin’s Bay—Winter Quarters of the Discovery—Capital Game-bag—Continued Voyage of the Alert—Highest Latitude ever attained by a Ship—“The Sea of Ancient Ice”—Winter Quarters, Employments, and Amuse- ments—The Royal Arctic Theatre—Guy Fawkes’ Day on the Ice—Christmas Festivities—Unparalleled Cold—Spring Sledging—Attempt to Reach the Discov- ery—Illness and Death of Petersen—The Ravages of Scurvy—Tribute to Captain Hall’s Memory—Markham and Parr’s Northern Journey—Highest Latitude ever reached—Sufferings of the Men—Brave Deeds—The Voyage Home CHAPTER XII. THE FIRST ARCTIC VOYAGES. Contents xi Early History of Arctic Discovery—The Hardy 115 Norseman—Accidental Discovery of Iceland—Colony Formed—A Fisherman Drifted to Greenland—Eric the Red Head—Rapid Colonisation—Early Intercourse with America—Voyages of the Zeni—Cabot’s Attempt at a North-West Passage—Maritime Enterprise of this Epoch—Voyage of the Dominus Vobiscum—Of the Trinitie and Minion—Starvation and Cannibalism—A High-handed Proceeding—Company of the Merchant Adventurers—Attempts at the North-East—Fate of Willoughby—Chancelor, and our First Intercourse with Russia CHAPTER XIII. EARLY ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS. Attempts at the North-West Passage—Sir Humphrey 123 Gilbert’s Advocacy—The One thing left un- done—Frobisher’s Expeditions—Arctic “Dig- gins”—A Veritable Gold Excitement—Large Fleet Despatched—Disaster and Disappoint- ment—Voyages of John Davis—Intercourse with the Natives—His Reports concerning Whales, &c.—The Merchants Aroused—Opening of the Whaling Trade—Maldonado’s Claim to the Discovery of the North-West Passage CHAPTER XIV.