Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-06-28

Of depreciation was carried on systemaei-.
cally, and TO an enormous extent, III the
Charabean seas. This freebooter lived In
the reign Of George the second !:
/" This extraordinary man had united
in his fortunes i desperate and formida-
bic gang Of piTases, sitting himself their,
commodore, and assuming the asshositY
of a legitimate chief. Under wild hg-l
tree, the trunk of which still remains, and
was shown to r..p in The eastern part Of
. the town, he used TO sit ncouncil amongs.
his, bandittb coneer.ing or promulgaung
his plans. and exercising the authority of
magistrate. His. piracies were often
carried on near the English settleme cts OH
.he coast Of North America, where he
metwith extraes binary SUCCESS. Perhaps
in the history Of human depravity. it would
be difficult to select actions, more brutal
and eA,rayagaht than Black Beard's biossa-
ptsr Las recorded. OF him. As the narra-
tive to whish allude is generally credited,
and bears strong internal evidence oftruths
it may b.: amusing to mention few parts
culars OF man who was tor some time
considered as sovereign Of thar island.
in person as we'll as IN disposition,
this desperado, who was a native OF Eng
land, seems to have been qualified Tor tic
chief OLA gang OF thieves. The effect OF
his beard, which gaze natural ferocity To
his conntenacae, as WAS always solicitious
20 heighten, By suffsriag it TO grow 10 an
immodcrate length, and twisting it aboGr
IN small tails ikea Families wig whence
hr derived the nalnes of Black Beard. Ills
portrait in time OF acnon is described as
that Ola complete fury with three brace
of pistols inholsters over his shoulders Ike
bandolierss and lighted matches under his
hat, sticking ont over each OF his ears. All
authority as well as admiration amongst
the pirates was conferred On those who
committing every outrage on humanity,
displayed the greatest andacity and extra
vagance. Black Boards pretensions to an
elevated rank in the estimation of his ass.
sociate:, may be conceived from the Cha
racter of his jokes.
Having often exhibited himself before
them as damon, he determined once
to shew them hell of their own crea-
ton. For this purpose, he collected a
quantity of sulphur and comsustlble ma.
terials between the decks of his vessel,
when kindling the flame and shutting down
the hatches upon his crew, he involved
himself with them literally in FIRE and brim.
stone. With oaths and frantic gestures,
he then acted the part of the devil, as little
affected by the smoke as if he had been
bornin the infernaire gions; tiHshis comp
Mons sufocased s fainting compelled him
to release them. His cornwall humor was
Of similar cast. In one of his exacies
whilst heated with liquor, and sitting in
his cabin he took pitoi in each hand then
cooking them under the table, blew OUT the
candles, and crossing his hands, fred on
each side at his companions: one of them
received shot which manned him for life,
His gallantry also was of the same COM
plexion as his vein of humor. He had IL
wives IL they may be so called. BUT his
conducttowards one them appears to have
been too unteelinS and unmaniy to admit OF
descri ption.