Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1853-10-12
Adventure of "A Quaker vessel.

Adventure of a Quaker Vessel.
The principle upheld by the Society of Friends
that armed violence should on no account be empoye,
is usually regarded totally unfit TO be acted upor
IN practical affairs. Yet it is a doctrine to which we
nave a warm side, and we therefore have been much
pleased to find that it was at least on one occasion
acted upon bcnefdiayi III the reign of Charles II
Quaker merchant vessel with master and mate OF
that persuasion but manned by ordinary PERSONS was
returning from Venice, when It WAS taken by Band
of Turkish pirates To pursue narrative, quoted in
Mr.. Hunts Indicator from Sewels History of the
Quakers:
The second night after, the captain of the Turks
and one of his company being gone to sleep in the
cabin with the master, the mate--whose name was
Thomas Lurting-p persuaded one to lie in his cabin
and about an hour after another in another cabin and
at last, 1t raining very mucl he persuaded them all
TO lie down and sleep; and when they were all asleep
he, coming 10 them, fairly got their arms into his
possession. This being done he told his men, ''Now
we have the Turks at our command no man shall hurt
any of them for if ye do will be against thee but
this we will do, now they under deck we will
keep them So and go for Maorca" Now, having
ordered some to keep the doors, they steered their
course for Majorca, and they had such strong gale
that in the morning they were near to it. Then he
ordered his if any offered to come out not to let
above only one or two at time and when one came
out, expecting TO see his own country he was not
little astOnished, instead thereof to see Maorca
Then he ordered his men BE careful of the door
for when he goes in, shall see what they will do
but have a not to spill blood" The Turk being
gone down. and telling his comrades what he had seen
and how they were going to Majorca, they, instead
OF rising, all fell crying, for their courage was quite
sunk and they begged that they might not be sold
This the mate promised them, and said they should
mot AnA. l,k ,1. I
the cabin TO the master, who knew nothing of what
was done, and gave him an account of the sudden
change, and how they had mastered the Turks
Which, when he understood, he told their captain
'That the vessel was tlefr posseosion
but in his again and that they were going to Major
Ca" At this unexpected news the captain wept, and
desired the master not to sell him which he promised
he would not. Then-they told him. also, they would
make place to hide them in, that the Spaniards"
coming aboard should not find them And so they
did accordingly, at which the Turks very glad.
Being come into the port of Majorca, the master, with
four men, went on shore, leaving the mate board
with ten Turks. The master having finished his bus
ness returned board, taking license lest the
Spaniards should come and see the Turks but anoh
English master, being an acquaintance, lying there
also with his ship, at night on board and, after
some discourse, they told what they had done, under
promise of silence lest the Spaniards should come
and take them away. But he broke his promise, and
would have had two or three of the Turks, to have
brought TO England with him. His design then being
seen, his demand denied and seeing he could
not prevail he told Pattson and his mate "That they
fools, because they would not sell the Turks
which were each worth two or three hundred pieces
of eight" But they told him, '"rhat if they could
get many thousands they would sell them, for they
hoped to send them home again; and to sell them,"
mate said Vonld mt have done he whole
island" The other master then going ashore, told
the Spaniards what he knew of this who then threat
ened TO take away the Turks. But Pattison and his
mate having heard this called out the Turks, and told
them that they must help, the Spaniards would
take them. To this the Turks, as one may easily
guess, very ready, and they quickly got out
TO and thus the English, to save the Turks, put
themselves TO the hazard of being overcome again /,
for they continued lowering several days. because they
would not put into any port of Spain, for fear of los
ing the Turks, TO whom they gave liberty for few
days. until they made attempt to rise; which the
mate perceving, he prevented, without hurting any
of them, though he laid hold of one. Yet gen.
orally, he was kind TO Them that some of his men
grumbed, and said she had much more care for the
Turks than for them" To which his answer was,
"they strangers, and therefore he must treat
them we'll" AT length, after, several occurrences,
the mate told the master 'that he thought it best to
go to the coast Of Barbary because they were then
likely to miss their men-of-war." To this the mas
ter consented. However TO deceive the Turks, they
sailed and fro for several days. for in the daytime
they were going TO Agers, but when the night came
they seered the contrary way and went back again,
by which means they kept the Turks in ignorance,
as to be quiet
But on the ninth day, being all upon deck, when
none of the English there but the master, his
rnato, and tho at the helm, they begun be sc
untoward and naughty, that it in the motoo MIND
'what if they should lay hold the master, and cas-
him overheard !" for they were in all ten lusty men
and he but little man. This thought struck hin
with terror but recollectng HIMSELF he stamped will
his foot, and the men coming up, asked for The
crow and another for the axe, to fall the Turks
but the mate babe them not, and said 81 will lay holC
on their captain - which he did for having hearC
them threaten the master, he stepped forward and lay
ing hold of the captain, said he go down, which
he did very quietly, and all the rest followed him.
Two days after, being the coast of Barbary
they were, according to what the Turks said, abou
fifty miles from Agers, and six from land and il
the afternoon it fell calm But how to set the Turk
on shore was not yet resolved upon. The mate saw
well enough that he being the man who had begu
this business it would be his lot bring il to an end
He then acquainted the master that he was willing Il
*M9jorco was inhabited by spaniards.