Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-07-29
FREYA THE FEARLESS,
THE BLACK BUccANgER OF BARBADOS.


tolerable good berth on board the Sire Fly"
a new schooner mounting twelve guns, eight
mines, and four six-p0unders. She was re-
markably fine vessel, sharp in the bows, spen-
did sailer, and of the most exquisite mould that
/ think have ever seen. Her run from stem to
stern was in such perfect good taste, and there
was such a proporionate, yet almost impercep-
tible rise in her quarterback and forecaStle:
which added TO the elegant and symmetrical
form of her hull, the delicate tapering OF ner
upper spars, the tautness and exactltude OF her
standing and running rigging, and the neatness
of her general TRIM excited an astonishing de-
gree of pleasure and admiration in the eyes OF
every real sailor that looked upon her. our
station during these two years was the West In
dies.
We sailed from Kingston on the 18th of Octo-
Der, 1870 and stood away to the eastward, with'
a bright azure sky and a smooth sea- Our
cruise was TO be one o. six months, between eight
and thirty-four degrees n. latitude, and forty
and seventy of w. longitude, and We were am
ply provided with every thing that might be ne.
cessary. Our craft had been newly coppereo,
and with fresh paint and bunting flying, we
made most gallant appearance in going out
of the harbour.
About this time, pirate, unusually fortunate
and audacicus, had chosen to make the west
Indian seas the scene Of his depredations.
great many heavily laden ships OF all natlons,
and from all parts of the world, fell into MS
hands. The crews were generally treated in
the most barbarouS manner, often their lves
, were sacrificed or they were subjected to the
most cruel tortureS.
This rascal was known throughout the islands
by the name of the "Black Buccaneer of Bar
badoes'' that fanciful piece of ALTERATION hav-
ing been assigned to him, first, because he was
born in that island, and next, because his dis
tinguishing colors were sable His mode OF
proceeding was this: under the flag OF some
friendly nation, he used to decoy every vessel
that he thought he could master into has own pow
err then when they were alongside OF him. down
went the assumed ensign and mp went his own
black bunting. The conflict was seldom OF long
duration: of boarding he was very fond, and
az Il very expert. thousand varying state
ments were made of his vessel and force
By some the former was described as large
schooner, carrying eighteen guns; by others as
a powerful brig of twenty; and again as small
frigate of four-and-twenty. His crew was COM
Duted at between two and three hundred, and
some went so far as TO make 1t amount to
much larger number. However, all agreed IN
maintaining that he was a most bloody and
truculent fellow, and that his vessel was one OF
the fastest saiers known. Many insisted that
no man would be suffered to intest the ocean
with such daring impunity, and TO DEFY the
mower of the law with such barefaced Ell
frontery, unless protected by some evil SPELL
Some even rumored that he had disposed of his
soul 10 the Evil One in consideration of his pro-
lection or limited that he was the very devil
himself in prOprid perSOpG. lis RdH re guerre,
of Freya the Fearless" added 10 the general
terror; and the fact strongly asserted too, by the
way that one day he was seen twenty leagues
to the eastward of the Bermudas, in heavy
saual with his main-topmast down, and in a
most perilous condition, and the same evening
rupninn between Gaudaloupe and Dominica,
coyroh rated the reports OF that mystical cha
racter which had so readily been assigned to
him.
was told, when in Jamaica, by person who
knew him well, that he was Spanish Creole,
of gigantic stature and fierce aspect; that ms
crew was composed OF refugees, ana vie cna-
racters, of all nations; men, whose crimes or
violent dispositions had eXiled them from their
several countries, to the amount OF one hundred
and ninety, or two hundred and that knowing,
were they caught gibbets and ropes would be
their only greeting on reaching the shore, they
were fierce and desperate TO the last degree.
The accounts of the pirates force, as observ-
ed before were so vague and contradictory,
that no reliance could be placed on them. We
went off, Notwithstanding, with no small eXpec-
tation of coming up with, taking, aud bringing
him into port.
After two DAYS sail, with a smart breeze at
N N. W., before which we made good way,
the wind chopped round TO the east, and after
much fluctuation settled in the N. +. by E.
Towards the evening of the goth dense bank
of rainy, blue clouds rose maJestlcally to the
wndwdrd plcturihS inat quoi.ei VI VIC
an inky hue, and marking out the horizon WIN
its white spray with great distinctness. The
breeze began to flag and grow capricious, and
sesned inclined to blow up into gale so our
yNp-gallant clew-lnes were manned, and the
r1ys' yards sent down on deck.
TAe NIGHT vas dark as pitch. The WIND
.f4s zone, and left us with heaps of heavy va
right over head The moon was struS-
aard among groups dragged clouds and
st n,sts, but every now and then long and
y pale beam would burst out, and light
za a snip of sea in the distance showing us
q tsmbling waves cleaning and flashing like
Ieuid silver, and then it would fade gradually
way, aud appear quite Unexpectedly in ano-
ther place. The duh glimmering of the sky,
aud The heavy, monotonous sound OF the sea,
dashing no against the bows and cutwater,
had ulling effect upon the senses of all on
deck.
About ten o'clock, the lookout on our star
l,aarahnw ,houaht he saw something like snsck