THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN CONDENT

Captain Condent was a Plymouth man born, but we are as yet ignorant of the motives and time of his first turning pirate.  He was one of those who thought fit to retire from Providence, on Governor Rogers’ arrival at that island, in a sloop belonging to Mr. Simpson, of New York, a Jew merchant, of which sloop he was then quarter-master.  Soon after they left the island, an accident happened on board, which put the whole crew into consternation.  They had among them an Indian man, whom some of them had beaten; in revenge, he got most of the arms forward into the hold, and designed to blow up the sloop; upon which, some advised scuttling the deck, and throwing grenade shells down, but Condent said that was too tedious and dangerous, since the fellow might fire through the deck and kill several of them.  He, therefore, taking a pistol in one hand, and his cutlass in the other, leaped into the hold.  The Indian discharged a piece at him, which broke his arm; but, however, he ran up and shot the Indian.  When he was dead, the crew hacked him to pieces, and the gunner, ripping up his belly and tearing out his heart, broiled and eat it.

After this, they took a merchantman called the Duke of York; and some disputes arising among the pirates, the captain, and one half of the company, went on board the prize; the other half, who continued in the sloop, chose Condent captain.  He shaped his course for the Cape-de Verd Islands, and in his way took a merchant ship from Madeira, laden with wine, and bound for the West Indies, which he plundered and let go; then coming to the Isle of May, one of the said islands, he took the whole salt fleet, consisting of about 20 sail.  Wanting a boom, he took out the mainmast of one of these ships to supply the want.  Here he took upon himself the administration of justice, inquiring into the manner of the commanders’ behaviour to their men, and those against whom complaint was made, he whipped and pickled.  He took what provision and other necessaries he wanted, and having augmented his company by volunteers and forced men, he left the ships and sailed to St. Jago, where he took a Dutch ship, which had formerly been a privateer.  This proved also an easy prize, for he fired but one broadside, and clapping her on board, carried her without resistance, for the captain and several men were killed, and some wounded by his great shot.

The ship proving for his purpose, he gave her the name of the Flying Dragon, went on board with his crew, and made a present of his sloop to a mate of an English prize, whom he had forced with him.  From hence he stood away for the coast of Brazil, and in his cruize took several Portuguese ships, which he plundered and let go.