The National Register.
London, England, 1822-10-13 00:00:00

PIRACY.

The following is an extract of a letter from Cap-
tain Hearn, of the Valeria, bound from Jamaica
to London, r.ild dated on board the brig ItGrad!,
Liverpool, Oct. 3:—
~~
It is with great sorrow 1 have to communicate to you the
capture of the Vittorio on the 7th of August in the Gulf of Flo-
rida, by • pirate. She left Jamaica on the 27th of July, and
nothing particular happened till the 7th of the following mouth,
when shortly after day break • brig appeared upon my starboard
bow, about seven miles nearer the shore than I was, Saddle
Hill bearing S. by E, distant 30 miles; a short time after •
schooner bore in sight, • long way within the brig before men-
tioned, and appeared to me to be working up along the coast ;
when at 11 a. m. I taw him close to the brig, bet I could not
distinguish what ►hey were about. An hour after be was with.
is gunshot of me, rowing with large scoops, there being a very
light air from the S.S.E., so that the Vittoria could scarcely
steer. He came close to, and desired me to brave to until he
sent his boat on hoard, having then American colours flying.
did so, when a bust-load of the most desperate robbers human
nature can furnish, headed by au Englishman, who it appears
had formerly been mate of a West Indisman, came on board
armed with muskets, pistols, and cutlasses. He ordered me,
together with my chief mate, second, and three of the crew,
to go into the boat. I did so, and was taken on board the
schooner, which had still American colours lying : when 1 got
on the schooner's deck, I found to my •stonishtueot the captaiu
of the brig to In Captain Cook, of the brig ladiattry, of Mon-
tego Bay, which I bad spoken a few days before oil Cape An-
tonio. • Captain Cook, together with four of his crew, were
secured below. We were then strictly searched, and every
thing taken from us. Tue pirates then made sail with the two
brigs and their schooner towards the laud, a little to the west-
ward of the Saddle Hill : the chief of the ro'ibers then came
to me sod told me be knew I had motley stowed away. I made
answer I had not ; what I hail, he bad already taken away :
he then said he would more th 111 probable find wit, for he would
do to me what he had done to a wester of some vessel he bad
previously taken, which was, that lie bad put him into a large
Ore on shore, and then he confessed where he had money stowed
—for which, however, he still burnt him alive. Ile had then
in his possession in some creek within the Colorado% Beef a
Dutch ship and an American, discharging, .and said lie would
take our vessels into the saute place. They continued to run
in with the laud during the whole of the afteraooo ; and about
5 p. es. the chief robber took Captain Cook, together with his
crew, on board the Industry, pot them all below, excepting
Captain Cooks whom be tied to the windlas, and made four of
his men fresh load their guns and fire at him ; but they having
a little more of the human being left them than their master,
tired at random, which was the preservation of Captain Cook's
life. The chief robber then came on board the schooner, having
first secured some of the brig's men below on board of his own
vessel, and left her in charge of five of his crew, to follow
him. When he had been on board • few minutes, he again
came to me with his knife in one hand and a cutlass in the
other, and declared he would cut my throat ; I asked bins what
would that profit him, since lie bud taken my ship and my all
from we ? His reply to me was, that if any Engli h ship of
war gut hold of lion be would he hung. I answered—mare
then probable. Night coming on, and the vessels still running
down the land, we were put below, and two sentinels placed
over us, and at ten at night they came to anchor in four fathoms.
The head robber then went ou board the Vittoria in his heat ;
and, according to the statement ,1,1 my carpenter, C: Lewis,
who had never been taken out of the Vittoria, made him take
down all the lining of the cabin and break open my trunks, lbe.
he there found a few dollars, and after drinking some time, he
left the Vittoria, and came on board his own schooner. About
midnight he celled for one of the prisoners ; my second mate
was going on deck, when be was stopped by the ceolinel, sod
ordered to keep below. At this time we beard • great noise
upon deck for a few moments, but in a short time all was again
quiet. Vi hen the morning came, they ►pied to give us the
Indiostrg, but not a single thing, only as we stood : so you
may suppose in what a deplorable state I ant at present. I can
only add by thanking the Almighty that I sin spared with my
life ; for if the chief robber had not been killed (which wan
the noise I have already attested to) that night, which we did
not know of until we were all on board the lackstrg, he had
made a vow when be left the Vittoria that the moment he got
on board the schooner he would hare my life, end was only
stopped by one of his own people murdering ban, and he was
(brown overboard very quietly for fete we should know it. The
command of the vessel then fell to this Englishman, who would
not so much as allow re a change of clothes, but told me
nada think myself well off that my life was saved. Vie woe
fell in with the Blacken, which has brought me safe here."
[The cargo of the Vittoria, we understand, has been inland
at Lloyd's for more than 30,0001.1
A correct statement of the plunder of the Edward Prothro"
of Bristol, on Monday, 10 a.m. ltah of August, 1822, opposite
Saddle.hills, coast of Cuba :
.` As the Edward Protheroe was standing in towards shore, •
schooner hove in sight, hearing to W., which bad, on first seeing,
the appearance or a drogger, with It boat at her stern ; when
we tacked the relrioner was withie musket shut, fired three
muskets, and ordered its to heave-to (at which time several
brigs and ships were in signt) and send our boat on board ;
but finding our boat at stern to cause detention, they imme-
diately hoisted their boat out, and came alongside with ten
men, who had the appearance of savages, with draws swords,
kuises, and pistols; after boarding, they drove all the ship's
company down the fore hatchway, when some kept guard, re-
!Hoarder came on quarter-deck, and sarrounded the Captain
and Messrs. (redden and Smart, passengers. The Captain they
tbre►teped • ith death, drawing a Waite across his throat several