These hopes were frustrated.  When only one hundred and twenty leagues out all the masts of his vessels were carried away in a storm, and it was only by diligent pumping that he was able to keep his craft afloat and put back to Plymouth.  Thence on the 24th of June he made another start in a vessel of sixty tons with thirty men.  But ill-luck still attended him.  He had a queer adventure with pirates.  Lest the envious world should not believe his own story, Smith had Baker, his steward, and several of his crew examined before a magistrate at Plymouth, December 8, 1615, who support his story by their testimony up to a certain point.

It appears that he was chased two days by one Fry, an English pirate, in a greatly superior vessel, heavily armed and manned.  By reason of the foul weather the pirate could not board Smith, and his master, mate, and pilot, Chambers, Minter, and Digby, importuned him to surrender, and that he should send a boat to the pirate, as Fry had no boat.  This singular proposal Smith accepted on condition Fry would not take anything that would cripple his voyage, or send more men aboard (Smith furnishing the boat) than he allowed.  Baker confessed that the quartermaster and Chambers received gold of the pirates, for what purpose it does not appear.  They came on board, but Smith would not come out of his cabin to entertain them, “although a great many of them had been his sailors, and for his love would have wafted us to the Isle of Flowers.”

Having got rid of the pirate Fry by this singular manner of receiving gold from him, Smith’s vessel was next chased by two French pirates at Fayal.  Chambers, Minter, and Digby again desired Smith to yield, but he threatened to blow up his ship if they did not stand to the defense; and so they got clear of the French pirates.  But more were to come.

At “Flowers” they were chased by four French men-of-war.  Again Chambers, Minter, and Digby importuned Smith to yield, and upon the consideration that he could speak French, and that they were Protestants of Rochelle and had the King’s commission to take Spaniards, Portuguese, and pirates, Smith, with some of his company, went on board one of the French ships.  The next day the French plundered Smith’s vessel and distributed his crew among their ships, and for a week employed his boat in chasing all the ships that came in sight.  At the end of this bout they surrendered her again to her crew, with victuals but no weapons.  Smith exhorted his officers to proceed on their voyage for fish, either to New England or Newfoundland.  This the officers declined to do at first, but the soldiers on board compelled them, and thereupon Captain Smith busied himself in collecting from the French fleet and sending on board his bark various commodities that belonged to her—­powder, match, books, instruments, his sword and dagger, bedding, aquavite, his commission, apparel, and many other things.  These articles Chambers and the others