The Pirates Own Book (23 page)

Benavides having manned the Herculia, it suited the mate, (the captain
and crew being detained as hostages,) to sail with the brig to Chili,
and seek aid from the Spanish governor. The Herculia returned with a
twenty-four pounder, two field-pieces, eleven Spanish officers, and
twenty soldiers, together with the most flattering letters and
congratulations to the worthy ally of his Most Catholic Majesty. Soon
after this he captured the Perseverance, English whaler, and the
American brig Ocean, bound for Lima, with several thousand stand of arms
on board. The captain of the Herculia, with the mate of the Ocean, and
several men, after suffering great hardships, landed at Valparaiso, and
gave notice of the proceedings of Benavides; and in consequence, Sir
Thomas Hardy directed Captain Hall to proceed to Arauca with the convoy,
to set the captives free, if possible.

It was for the accomplishment of this service that Capt. Hall sailed
from Valparaiso; and he called at Conception on his way, in order to
glean information respecting the pirate. Here the Captain ascertained
that Benavides was between two considerable bodies of Chilian force, on
the Chilian side of the Biobio, and one of those bodies between him and
the river.

Having to wait two days at Conception for information, Captain Hall
occupied them in observing the place; the country he describes as green
and fertile, and having none of the dry and desert character of the
environs of Valparaiso. Abundance of vegetables, wood, and also coals,
are found on the shores of the bay.

On the 12th of October, the captain heard of the defeat of Benavides,
and his flight, alone, across the Biobio into the Araucan country; and
also that two of the Americans whom he had taken with him had made their
escape, and were on board the Chacabuco. As these were the only persons
who could give Captain Hall information respecting the prisoners of whom
he was in quest, he set out in search of the vessel, and after two days'
search, found her at anchor near the island of Mocha. From thence he
learned that the captain of the Ocean, with several English and American
seamen had been left at Arauca, when Benavides went on his expedition,
and he sailed for that place immediately.

He was too late, however; the Chilian forces had already made a
successful attack, and the Indians had fled, setting fire to the town
and the ships. The Indians, who were in league with the Chilians, were
every way as wild as those who arrayed themselves under Benavides. Capt.
Hall, upon his return to Conception, though dissuaded from it by the
governor, visited the Indian encampment.

When the captain and his associates entered the courtyard, they observed
a party seated on the ground, round a great tub of wine, who hailed
their entrance with loud shouts, or rather yells, and boisterously
demanded their business; to all appearance very little pleased with the
interruption. The interpreter became alarmed, and wished them to retire;
but this the captain thought imprudent, as each man had his long spear
close at hand, resting against the eaves of the house. Had they
attempted to escape they must have been taken, and possibly sacrificed,
by these drunken savages. As their best chance seemed to lie in treating
them without any show of distrust, they advanced to the circle with a
good humored confidence, which appeased them considerably. One of the
party rose and embraced them in the Indian fashion, which they had
learned from the gentlemen who had been prisoners with Benavides. After
this ceremony they roared out to them to sit down on the ground, and
with the most boisterous hospitality, insisted on their drinking with
them; a request which they cheerfully complied with. Their anger soon
vanished, and was succeeded by mirth and satisfaction, which speedily
became as outrageous as their displeasure had been at first. Seizing a
favorable opportunity, Captain Hall stated his wish to have an interview
with their chief, upon which a message was sent to him; but he did not
think fit to show himself for a considerable time, during which they
remained with the party round the tub, who continued swilling their wine
like so many hogs. Their heads soon became affected, and their
obstreperous mirth increasing every minute, the situation of the
strangers became by no means agreeable.

At length Peneleo's door opened, and the chief made his appearance; he
did not condescend, however, to cross the threshold, but leaned against
the door post to prevent falling, being by some degrees more drunk than
any of his people. A more finished picture of a savage cannot be
conceived. He was a tall, broad shouldered man; with a prodigiously
large head, and a square-shaped bloated face, from which peeped out two
very small eyes, partly hid by an immense superfluity of black, coarse,
oily, straight hair, covering his cheeks, hanging over his shoulders,
and rendering his head somewhat the shape and size of a bee-hive. Over
his shoulders was thrown a poncho of coarse blanket stuff. He received
them very gruffly, and appeared irritated and sulky at having been
disturbed; he was still more offended when he learned that they wished
to see his captive. They in vain endeavored to explain their real views;
but he grunted out his answer in a tone and manner which showed them
plainly that he neither did, nor wished to understand them.

Whilst in conversation with Peneleo, they stole an occasional glance at
his apartment. By the side of the fire burning in the middle of the
floor, was seated a young Indian woman, with long black hair reaching to
the ground; this, they conceived, could be no other than one of the
unfortunate persons they were in search of; and they were somewhat
disappointed to observe, that the lady was neither in tears, nor
apparently very miserable; they therefore came away impressed with the
unsentimental idea, that the amiable Peneleo had already made some
impression on her young heart.

Two Indians, who were not so drunk as the rest, followed them to the
outside of the court, and told them that several foreigners had been
taken by the Chilians in the battle near Chilian, and were now safe. The
interpreter hinted to them that this was probably invented by these
cunning people, on hearing their questions in the court; but he advised
them, as a matter of policy, to give them each a piece of money, and to
get away as far as they could.

Captain Hall returned to Conception on the 23d of October, reached
Valparaiso on the 26th, and in two weeks thereafter, the men of whom he
was in search, made their appearance.

The bloody career of Benavides now drew near to a close. The defeat on
the Chilian side of the Biobio, and the burning of Arauca with the loss
of his vessels, he never recovered. At length, in the end of December
1821, discovering the miserable state to which he was reduced, he
entreated the Intendant of Conception, that he might be received on
giving himself up along with his partisans. This generous chief accepted
his offer, and informed the supreme government; but in the meantime
Benavides embarked in a launch, at the mouth of the river Lebo, and
fled, with the intention of joining a division of the enemy's army,
which he supposed to be at some one of the ports on the south coast of
Peru. It was indeed absurd to expect any good faith from such an
intriguer; for in his letters at this time, he offered his services to
Chili and promised fidelity, while his real intention was still to
follow the enemy. He finally left the unhappy province of Conception,
the theatre of so many miserable scenes, overwhelmed with the misery
which he had caused, without ever recollecting that it was in that
province that he had first drawn his breath.

His despair in the boat made his conduct insupportable to those who
accompanied him, and they rejoiced when they were obliged to put into
the harbor of Topocalma in search of water of which they had run short.
He was now arrested by some patriotic individuals. From the notorious
nature of his crimes, alone, even the most impartial stranger would have
condemned him to the last punishment; but the supreme government wished
to hear what he had to say for himself, and ordered him to be tried
according to the laws. It appearing on his trial that he had placed
himself beyond the laws of society, such punishment was awarded him as
any one of his crimes deserved. As a pirate, he merited death, and as a
destroyer of whole towns, it became necessary to put him to death in
such a manner as might satisfy outraged humanity, and terrify others who
should dare to imitate him. In pursuance of the sentence passed upon
him, he was dragged from the prison in a pannier tied to the tail of a
mule, and was hanged in the great square; his head and hands were
afterwards cut off, in order to their being placed upon high poles, to
point out the places of his horrid crimes, Santa Juona, Tarpellanca and
Arauca.

With an account of his surprising the Fort at Gambia
.

Davis was born in Monmouthshire, and, from a boy, trained to the sea.
His last voyage from England was in the sloop Cadogan from Bristol, in
the character of chief mate. This vessel was captured by the pirate
England, upon the Guinea coast, whose companions plundered the crew, and
murdered the captain, as is related in England's life.

Upon the death of Captain Skinner, Davis pretended that he was urged by
England to become a pirate, but that he resolutely refused. He added,
that England, pleased with his conduct, had made him captain in room of
Skinner, giving him a sealed paper, which he was not to open until he
was in a certain latitude, and then expressly to follow the given
directions. When he arrived in the appointed place, he collected the
whole crew, and solemnly read his sealed instructions, which contained a
generous grant of the ship and all her stores to Davis and his crew,
requesting them to go to Brazil, and dispose of the cargo to the best
advantage, and make an equal division of the money.

Davis then commanded the crew to signify whether they were inclined to
follow that mode of life, when, to his astonishment and chagrin, the
majority positively refused. Then, in a transport of rage, he desired
them to go where they would.

Knowing that part of the cargo was consigned to merchants in Barbadoes,
they directed their course to that place. When arrived there, they
informed the merchants of the unfortunate death of Skinner, and of the
proposal which had been made to them. Davis was accordingly seized, and
committed to prison, but he having never been in the pirate service,
nothing could be proved to condemn him, and he was discharged without a
trial. Convinced that he could never hope for employment in that quarter
after this detection, he went to the island of Providence, which he knew
to be a rendezvous for pirates. Upon his arrival there, he was
grievously disappointed, because the pirates who frequented that place
had just accepted of his majesty's pardon, and had surrendered.

Captain Rogers having equipped two sloops for trade, Davis obtained
employment in one of these, called the Buck. They were laden with
European goods to a considerable value, which they were to sell or
exchange with the French and Spanish. They first touched at the island
of Martinique, belonging to the French, and Davis knowing that many of
the men were formerly in the pirate service, enticed them to seize the
master, and to run off with the sloop. When they had effected their
purpose, they hailed the other ship, in which they knew that there were
many hands ripe for rebellion, and coming to, the greater part joined
Davis. Those who did not choose to adhere to them were allowed to remain
in the other sloop, and continue their course, after Davis had pillaged
her of what things he pleased.

In full possession of the vessel and stores and goods, a large bowl of
punch was made; under its exhilarating influence, it was proposed to
choose a commander, and to form their future mode of policy. The
election was soon over, and a large majority of legal votes were in
favor of Davis, and no scrutiny demanded, Davis was declared duly
elected. He then drew up a code of laws, to which he himself swore, and
required the same bond of alliance from all the rest of the crew. He
then addressed them in a short and appropriate speech, the substance of
which was, a proclamation of war with the whole world.

They next consulted, what part would be most convenient to clean the
vessel, and it was resolved to repair to Coxon's Hole, at the east end
of the island of Cuba, where they could remain in perfect security, as
the entrance was so narrow that one ship could keep out a hundred.

They, however, had no small difficulty in cleaning their vessel, as
there was no carpenter among them. They performed that laborious task in
the best manner they could, and then made to the north side of
Hispaniola. The first sail they met with was a French ship of twelve
guns, which they captured; and while they were plundering her, another
appeared in view. Enquiring of the Frenchmen, they learned that she was
a ship of twenty-four guns and sixty men. Davis proposed to his crew to
attack her, assuring them that she would prove a rich prize. This
appeared to the crew such a hazardous enterprise, that they were rather
adverse to the measure. But he acquainted them that he had conceived a
stratagem that he was confident would succeed; they might, therefore,
safely leave the matter to his management. He then commenced chase, and
ordered his prize to do the same. Being a better sailer, he soon came up
with the enemy, and showed his black colors. With no small surprise at
his insolence in coming so near them, they commanded him to strike. He
replied, that he was disposed to give them employment until his
companion came up, who was able to contend with them; meanwhile assuring
them that, if they did not strike to him, it would most certainly fare
the worse for them: then giving them a broadside, he received the same
in return.