On reaching the Cape, Warren could get no news of him, but to the captains of the Company’s ships he communicated his suspicions of Kidd.  Three of them, bound for Johanna in the Comoro Islands, the Sidney, the Madras Merchant, and the East India Merchant, agreed to sail in company for mutual protection.  The Sidney, being the faster sailer, reached Johanna in advance of her consorts, and found the Adventure at anchor in the roadstead.  As the Sidney came to anchor, Kidd sent a boat to Captain Gyfford, ordering him to strike his colours, and threatening to board him if he refused.  Gyfford prepared to defend himself.  Two days later the East India Merchant and the Madras Merchant appeared, making for the anchorage, and Kidd lowered his tone.  He then invited the three captains to come on board the Adventure, which they refused to do, letting him plainly see that they distrusted him.

Soon they had to warn him regarding his ill-treatment of the Johanna people, for which they threatened to call him to account.  This unlooked-for attitude on the part of the three captains made Kidd uneasy; and finding that they would not leave the anchorage till he had gone, he made sail and departed.  Some of the crew of the Adventure had, however, used suspicious language, saying they were looking for an East India ship.  When asked if they would attack a single one, they answered evasively, while continuing to boast of the things they were going to do.  These early proceedings of Kidd effectually dispose of the plea that his intentions were at first honest, and that he only yielded to the coercion of his crew in taking to piracy, after reaching the Indian seas.  The truth is that Kidd was resolved on piracy from the first, and had little difficulty in persuading the majority of the crew to join him.  It can hardly be doubted that the accounts of the great wealth acquired by Every had turned his head.  There were a number of men on board the Adventure who were unwillingly coerced into piracy, and who remained in a chronic state of discontent, but Kidd was not one of them.  Long before he had made a single capture, it was reported in the ports of Western India that Kidd was a pirate.

From Johanna he shaped his coarse for Madagascar, but the pirates were all away in search of prey; so he continued his cruise in the Mozambique Channel and along the African coast.  He is said to have met Indian ships at this time without molesting them, which was afterwards cited to show that his intentions were then honest.  It is more likely that he was only doubtful as to his own power, being unacquainted with the weakness of Asiatics, and reserving himself for the rich prey offered by the Mocha fleet.

Cruising northwards, he landed at Mabber[1] on the Somali coast, and took some corn from the natives by force—­his first bit of filibustering.  Then making for Perim, he anchored to await the Mocha fleet.  Three times he sent a boat to look into Mocha harbour, and bring notice when the Indian ships were ready to sail.  As the fleet in scattered array emerged from the straits, he singled out a large vessel and began firing at it.  This at once attracted the attention of the Sceptre frigate that Sir John Gayer had sent as a convoy, and Kidd took to his heels.