The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-23 00:00:00

PIRACIES IN THE WEST INDIES

Extract of a Letter from a Merchant at the Havaanah, dared Octe• ber 26, 1825.

' Our commerce here io much annoyed by the canstant derre.
ditjaeg and outrages eommitted by a number of armed seaootiers,
nn West Infliamen and other trading ships passing through the
Golf, as also upon the small craft ott the coast. In tact, the heat
scarcely ever venture our, except under the protection of sons
ship of war, so much dreaded are the desperadoet which man 'low
pirates. They consist of renegadoes of several nations, dirty
Creole, Spaniards, Portuguese, and offenders front the coasts of
South Amerie.a and the islands adjacent.
Their vestels are mostly schooner rigged, retrying from eight r,
twelve, nr fourteen guns ; besides. they have an immense quart:ty
of fire arms, which they are able, in case of emergency, to put in
requisition, on account of the number of hands oa board. which :a
generally not less than from 70 to PIO men. In bnattliv each man
Is 'uppity! with a pike, or an axe. besides his customary lire Arm.:
these, however, are but seldom used, as thoy only attack slosh ships
as they are convinced can make but hole or no resit:ante; hr
when they tire pursued by an enemy of superior fore. they tame.
diately set all their canvas, and scud for sum, port or rendevetn,
which is generally on the Spanish aisles. Their audacity is car.
vied to such an extent that they will frequently run in Close oft our
ports ; and, in sight, sometimes, of a regular ship of w.rr, plurdir
merchant vessels and sugar droggers. eh: crews of which, if resist-
ance io made, fall victims to their ferocity.
On the 13th instant, an instance of what I have been descrillee
took piece.
An American merchant brig sailed from the river Fit. Lavoiroe.
with a cargo of flour, staves. wood-hoops, coals. &c. for the 11e.
madam ; three weeks after her departure, she made the tag end or
the blood of Jamaica, and or :lie 13;11 inst. came off a pole.: e:
land called " Care Corrientes... on the south side v 1 this isla: .1,
about two o'clock in the afternoon, a hair about three Icae,evs oars
the land, and hearing W.S.W. a sail was discovered on the lee
quarter, distant about four leegues. At first the Captain user a
it was an English merchant ship, which was steering thtouga :le
gulf, and consequently teak no particular 110:iee of it, hut en Eitel
ing they neared them, and was ins'..ing all sail, he went :dote and
with his glass could distinguish that it was an armed schroner, fait
of men, with a piratical flag fly itig at the wizen. In conaequoicsai
this Capt. Petty thought it advisable to cater his course end rake
for this port, and every man on hoard exerted hitin,elf to the tenser.
but unfortunately the ship made as much lee as head way, the siral
being on the starboard bow, anti at he time blowing a stiff breeze,
the ship going with her top-sails reefed. Cv tins time the schr'tret
Was making fast op ..n thent ; about five o'clock, Cant. Petty was
compelled to the dreadful alternative of either tersakiag hit vessel
and escaping on shore with his crew in his boats, or to Tallinn sod
calmly see his ship plundered by the enemy, for resistrince, shell
once they gain p-,ssession of her. wnul,l be instant death.
After snore deliberation with his officers, the Cap•ain dateroiert
on the latter course; at this time the American was 0:1:y ^bit
a league and half from tile shore. which was dns.•lete to the tx.
treme. About halepast rine o'clock the schooner was al:out else:
shot astern, and a few minutes afterwards a Shot crossed the sins
of the American ; n number of voices now nssottied that tolottator
ship to surrender. Cat t. P: toy, with great presence of mind and t• •
trepidity, crime forward, and from the quarter deck. ei•h lac !nor-
pet, offered the pirates whatever supplies they wanted ; but this ro
not Iteide I by tire marauder., anti three boats from the pirate. eta
of men, boarded the American, sword in hand. Ott reachine
decks, Captain Petty and hie officers were called to this vet,
selves, which they no sooner did, than they were seie-d, end in
most inhuman manrer bound with cords. Pitting the 7erfoson
attendant on this dreadful scene, several of the crew cf hbr bt
threw themselves overboard, and perished either in the crew o•
the shots of the pirates, who had now entire possession of rho •
less American brig. The few which remained on be ern wrh tt
Captain and his mates were lashed to the windlass. cat•ioet. sT6
other parts of the ship. Some of the Americans, however, al4)
resisted this barharcus usage were inhumanly tot:Mired by thee
bloodthirsty monsters, who afterwards threw their bodies
board. In the mean time, the Captain and reminder of :at cr.
after enduring every cruelty from the pirates, were f aced. sr!'
barely their clothes on their backa, into a boas, maimed with sort
of the crew of the pirate, who were well armed, sad soil 0"
through several heavy surfs, where they lett then.
It is impossible to describe the wretched situation of the Cap•vi
and the other poor fellows, left during the night on a foreien wee
ithunt any tatatenance, and tar distant from the abode at oo.•
The climate being warm, they rested till morning. when they :'••
wired that both the pirate and their own vessol had disarrie•e '•
It would be too tedious to enter into a detail of the pries
and aufr:ringa these men endured before they reecho! 3 Sei, t.•
town. Soflice it that they supported nature on small she'd-fish •
coast, and fruit which the island produces, till they
Jaw.), a small pia e nu the sea-euast, about froi• int •
where they were put on above ; as may be easily lireeitted. oo •
bodies were teiluced by fatigue and exhatistio
The inhabitants, who are accustomed to scerea stmif r !O
We are describing, renderei them every rissisotoi,e ; nod the t
ere
tales, with .Mr. Erytyn his chief officer. were enabled to Pro:lgc
conveyance to this city. being u disiaoce of about 00 i• tics.
Since his arrival here the Authorities have been made isetteesll-.
with the capture of his vessel, and the subsequent harSso,ose
the crew of the pirate, end every possible commiscroti.:: a e .o.•••
rim have ,been shown hint.

Immediately on Captain Petty's arrival, the Bri•is't
ther I n'.4tweni roe:: ciraug in i
g great hope, rte
tamed that Idle will fall in with the pit tie, a deserii,ll.,
was given the commander. I ant now actptaimed • ith u'
tihnetilT
gulf,
and
and ma.:e s,
innate gentleman, from whom I have gained the at
yvirticulors ; a subsc:iption has been enterei ioto, I.r It a. r'
officer, Mr. Evelyn.
It is high Otte that either the British or Spnniah Gorr"'
rrt
should Rend out a frigate for the sole purpose of ereVing •' "e
seas, which would in time wholly put down theca maraud:ls.

01 4

Ba'ness, judging by an advertisement 11.1'.;11 1"W1 I
in a contemporary journal on Saturday, must he tae
est place in the British dominions. The notice a1iu,1,,.) te:
which is evidently genuine, statcs, that two ladies ot
spectable character could he accommodstril with roo:l4‘,''
and lodging, in a respectable family in that thrir.ioe
at twelve guineas per annum. This is a fr.ct ".
the consithsation of such ladies as hare abjured the cart.'
of matritnony for vnaidealy independence, and tird
comforts curtailed by the sinalluass. of their wort';
—Edireburgi Oltrerver.