[2] It would appear that he assumed the name of Every on taking to piracy.
[3] Sir James Houblon was an Alderman of London, and
a Governor of the
Bank of England at the time.
[4] The letter appears to have been left by Every
with the natives of
Johanna, who gave it to the
merchant captains who brought it to
Bombay.
[5] The quotation is taken from Johnson’s History
of the Pirates. In his
cruising voyage round the
world Woodes Rogers did not touch at
Madagascar. On that occasion
(1711) he met two ex-pirates at the Cape,
who had received pardons,
and told him that the Madagascar
settlements had dwindled to
sixty or seventy men, “most of them very
poor and despicable, even
to the natives,” and possessed of only one
ship and a sloop. But,
he adds, “if care be not taken, after a peace,
to clear that island of them,
and hinder others from joining them, it
may be a temptation for loose
straggling fellows to resort thither,
and make it once more a troublesome
nest of freebooters.”
[6] Elliot’s History of India as told by its
own historians. Muntakhabu-l
Lubab of Khafi Khan.
[7] Equal to L534,000 at that day.
[8] According to the statement of a lascar, taken
in the Futteh Mahmood
and carried to Madagascar,
Every sailed for the Bahamas in the autumn
of 1695, so that his career
in the Indian seas lasted only six months.
On reaching Providence, Every
presented the Governor with forty
pieces of eight and four pieces
of gold for allowing them to come and
go in safety.
[9] Johnson’s “General History of the Pyrates,” 1724.
CHAPTER II
CAPTAIN KIDD
Measures to suppress piracy—The Adventure fitted out—Warren’s squadron meets with Kidd—His suspicious behaviour—He threatens the Sidney—Waylays the Red Sea fleet—Captures the Mary—Visits Carwar and Calicut—His letter to the factory—Chased by Portuguese men-of-war—Chases the Sedgwick—Chivers—Action between Dorrill and Resolution—Kidd captures the Quedah Merchant—Dilemma of European traders at Surat—Their agreements with the authorities—Experience of the Benjamin—News of Kidd’s piracies reaches England—Despatch of squadron under Warren—Littleton at Madagascar—Kidd sails for New York—Arrested and tried—His defence and execution—Justice of his sentence—His character—Diminution of piracy—Lowth in the Loyal Merchant—Act for suppression of piracy—Captain Millar.