Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-16

for he was afraid to offer a single one of
his diamonds for sale for fear lest suspicion
should be raised against him.
At last it occurred to him that maybe
some of his friends in Bristol might help
him, for he knew that there were mer-
chants there who dealt in precious stones.
Accordingly he set about returning to Eng
land. He was too poor to pay for a pas
sage and so he had to work his way across
the Irish channel, landing at Portsmouth
and walking afoot down to Devonshire as
far as Bideford. There he put up at a
poor inn and sent word to some friends in
Bristol whom he could trust to come, to
him.
The fame of Captain Avery had Travelled
before him and his friends came down by
post in answer to his message.
They found Captain Avery in the tap
room when they arrived. He was haif
tipsy, but had sufficient wits left to ask
of the landlord that he and his friends
should be shown into private room. Then
he took out leather bag from his breast
and poured out before them upon the rough
deal table such a streaming, glistening
heap of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sap
phires as dazzled their eyes and left them
standing dumfounded. Then the pir-
ate scraped the jewels back into the leath-
ern bag again and hung the bag about his
neck, where 1t had been before, and he was
just as poor as ever.
He and his friends sat for a long time
discussing what was to be done. AT last 1t
was determined that certain honest, re-
asked to take charge of the jewels and to
dispose of them from time to time as they
could.
Accordingly a week later a party of gen.
tlemen came down to Bideford to see Capt.
Avery Again in the back room of the inn
he poured out upon the table the little pile
of jewels before the dazzled eyes of the
merchants. As soon as they had recovered
from their amazement they began carefully
inspecting the stones one by one. Then,
after consulting together. they told Avery
they would do what they could for him
that they would take the stones and sell
them from time to time, paying him his
money as they disposed of them. Then the
stones were counted, a receipt given for
them, and the merchants took their leave,
carrying away the stones and leaving a
little money for the pirate captains present
needs.
Capt. Avery remained in Bideford wait
ing to hear from his friends, the merchants.
He waited and waited A week went by
two weeks but not word from the Brs-
toll merchants. By that time his money
was all spent and he was as poor as ever
AT last he wrote to the merchants very
pressing letter and after some delay a
small supply of money was sent to him
hardly sufficient, we are told, to pay his
drinking debts at the inn. Again in the
course OF week he received another small
remittance, and then again after another
week a few shillings more. After that
there was no mere money paid to him, nor
could he get even an answer to the letters
ne wrote mis- agents at Bristol.
AT last. growing tired of this neglect he
went to Bristol himself to speak to the
merchants, where" says his historian, Gin
stead oil money he met the most shocking
repulse, for when he desired them to come
to an account with him, they silenced him
by threatening to discover him if he at
tempted to push them further
He did not dare to go back to Bideford
again, Tor ne owed money at the inn which
he could not pay. Poor, despairing, and in
absolute need of food and clothing, he made
his way to Plymouth and thence back to
ireland, where he lived for awhile, writing
letters, first to this merchant and then to
that, now of a threatening nature and now
pleading piteously for just little money
to keep soul and body together
But the Bristol merchants paid no atten-
ton to him, sending neither a word of re-
ply nor farthing of money. AT last in
very desperation he started back to Eng
land again, determined to go to Bristol no
matter what it might cost Once more he
worked his way to Plymouth and Travelled
to Bideford afoot. He got no further than
the inn where he had lodged before. Here
he fell sick and died, rot being worth
the historian says, 80 much as would buy
him coffin"
Such is the story of Capt. Avery and
OF that vast fortune of precious stones
which he won from the Great Mogurs shin
ana which hung around his neck as useless
and so many pepper corns. while he himself
suffered all the pangs of the most abiect
ana miserable poverty.