The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-07-22

auu tne men ici W ucu peioTe tue piTates,
leaving them entire masters of the decks.
The brutal scene which followed the
. capture Of the vessel will not at present
} describe, having neither space nor time
enough for its extent, but will defer il un
Ill my next letter; when | shall also give
you au account Of the providentis manner
in which the monster Benito de Soto, und
the other pirates, were brought to justice.
I shall, besides, attempt q description of
Soto's person, which is the most remarks.
Bile ever beheld; his face agreed well
with the philosophy Of Lsvater, and his
head fully honors the phronologists.
dETTER ll.-BEs,ro pr Soro.
March ooh, 1890.
shall now, gentlemen resume the sub
ject with which concluded INV fnrnar lat
| tvI.
When the pirates Who boarded the Morn.
ing Star and succeeded in etiectually pros
trating all the people on deck, they drove
most of them below, and reserved the re
mainder TO assist in their operations. I'm.
less the circumstances be closely cxamin.
ed, it may be wondered how six men could
have so easily overcome a crew Of English
seamen, supported by about twenty sold.
iers, with a major at their head; but it will
not appear so surprising, when II Is consid-
cred that the sailors were altogether un.
armed, the soldiers worn out nvalids, and
more partc ularly, that the pirate carried
heavy long gun, ready 10 sink beryictim a,
a shot. Major Logic was fully impressed
with the folly of opposing so powerful and
desperate an enemy, and therefore advised
submission as the only course for the safe
ty Of those under his charge; presumlng,
no doubt, that something like humanity
might be found in the breasts even Of the
worst of men. But alas! he was wociuly
deceived in his estimate of the villains ma
| ture, and felt, when too late, that even
death would have been preferable TO the
barbarous treatment he was forced TO en-
dure.
| Beaten, bleeding, terrified, the men lay
huddled together in the hold, while the pi
rates proceeded in their work of pillage
and brutality. Every trunk was hauled
forth, every portable article Of value heap
ed for the plunder; money, plate, charts,
nautical instruments. and seven parcels Of
valuable Jewels which formed part Of the
cargo; these were carried from below on
the backs Of those men whom the pirates
selected 10 assist them, and for two hours
they were thus employed, during which
time Soto stood upon his own deck direct
ing the operations, for the vessels were
within hundred yards oreaeh other. The
scene which took place in the cabin exhib.
tied the most licentious brutality. The
sick officer, Mr.. Gibson; was dragged from
his birth, the clothes of the other passen.
gers stripped from their backs, and the
whole Of the cabin passengers driven on
:: deck, except the females, whom he locked
up IN the round house on deck, and the
;, steward, who was detained to serve the
: pirates with wine and satatlss. This treat
Q ment, no doubt, fastened tho death Of Glib.
: son; the unfortunate gentleman did not
o long survive it. As the passengers were
forced up the cabin ladder, the feelings oi
c Major Logic, it may DO well imagined
', were Of the most art.rending desc RI p,on
!, In vain did he intreat to be allowed to re
:. main; he was hurried away from even tn,
q chance Of protecting his defencecss wife
II and battened down with the rest in Tho
2 hold, there to ho racked with tho fearful
d apprehension of her almost certain doom.
D, The labors Of the robbers being nov
:, concluded, they sat down to regal'
!, themselves, preparatory to the chief d
s Ruyre Oftheir diabolical enterprise, an6
o a more terrible looking group Of demi
,, devils, the Steward declares could no
}. he well imagined, than commanded his
q attention Mt the cabin-table. Howey.
er, as he was Frenchman, and natu-
: rally polite, he acquitted himself in the
> office Of cup-bearer, if not as graceful
;. ly at least as anxiously, as ever die
J. Ganymede himself Yetnotwithstand
ing this readiness TO serve the visitor
= III their gastronomic desires, the poo
'ss Steward felt i'll requited; he was twic
- frightened into an iciclc, and twic
a thawed back into conscious horror b.
the rudeness Of those he entertained
e. In one instance, when he had filled on
ID a sparkling glass for ruffian, and be
S, lieved that he had quite won the hear
IS of the drinker by the act, he found him
u, ~ self grasped roughly and tightly by tn
!, throat, and the point ofa knife stnrin
n him in the face. II seems the fello'
y who thus seized him, had felt bctwee
a. his teeth a sharp bit Of broken glass
y and fancying that something had bee
d. put into the wine to poison him, he de
10 termined to prove his suspicious b
~ making the Steward swallow what re
Ia mained in the bottle from which tn
ID liquor had been drawn, and thus un
tremendously prefaced his command
ID however, ready and implicit obedienc
averted farther bad consequence
e The other instance Of the Steward
:. :. jeopardy was this: when the repast wa
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