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'One That's More Torrid': The Pirates of Madagascar

Tew [part iii] Lamentations

Amidst the utopian planning of Libertalia remains the brutal reality of misogyny and racism. Freed Africans remain second-class citizens, and here the young girls on pilgrimage are taken from their families as the pirate settlers need (or 'want,' in the eighteenth-century use of the term) female inhabitants. Misson (the fictional pirate) is overruled by his crew, a grim instance of realism breaking into the somewhat utopian tale.

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Of Captain Tew [Part iii] This Resolution was put in Execution, and they brought off 100 Girls, from 12 to 18 Years old, who designed to make the Pilgrimage with their Parents. The Lamentations this Separation caused among the Prisoners, had such Effect on Misson, that he was for letting them go, but every one of his Men were against him. They now made the best of their Way for Madagascar, putting 200 Hands on board the Prize, which proved a very heavy Sailer, and retarded them very much. Off the Cape Guarde Fin they were overtaken with a cruel Storm, which was very near wrecking them on the Island called Irmanos; but the Wind coming about due North, they had the good Luck to escape this Danger. Though the Fury of the Wind abated, yet it blew so hard for 12 Days together, that they could only carry their Courses reef'd. They spy'd a Sail in their Passage, but the Weather would not permit their endeavouring to speak with her. In a Word, they return'd to Libertatia with their Prize, without any other Accident, but the Captors could make no Estimate of her Value, she having on Board a vast Quantity of Diamonds, besides rich Silks, raw Silks, Spices, Carpets, and wrought and bar Gold. The Prize was taken to pieces, as she was of no Use; her Cordage and knee Timber preserv'd, with all the Bolts, Eyes, Chains, and other Iron Work, and her Guns planted on two Points of the Harbour, where they raised Batteries, so that they were now so strongly fortified they apprehended no Danger from any Number of Shipping which could be brought into those Seas to attack them. They had, by this Time, clear'd, sown, and enclosed a good Parcel of Ground, and taken in a Quantity of Pasturage, where they had above 300 Head of black Cattle, bought of the Natives. The Dock was now finish'd, and the Victoire growing old and unfit for a long Voyage, and the last Storm having shook and loosened her very much, she was pull'd to pieces and rebuilt, keeping the same Name. She was rigg'd, victuall'd, and fit to go to Sea, and was to sail to the Coast of Guinea for more Negroes, when one of the Sloops came in, which had been sent out rather to exercise the Negroes, than with any View of making a Prize, and brought Word five tall Ships chac'd her into the Bay, and stood for their Harbour; that she judg'd them to be Portuguese by their Built, and 50 Gun Ships, full of Men. This prov'd the real Truth. The Alarm was given, the Forts and Batteries mann'd, and every Man stood to his Arms. Misson took upon him the Command of 100 Negroes, who were well disciplin'd, (for every Morning they had been used to perform their Exercise, which was taught them by a French Serjeant, one of their Company, who belong'd to the Victoire) to be ready where his Assistance should be requir'd. Tew commanded all the English. They had hardly order'd their Affairs when these Ships hove in Sight, and stood directly for the Harbour with Portuguese Colours. They were warmly received by the two Forts, which did not stop them, though it brought one of them on the Careen; they enter'd the Harbour, and thought they had done their Business, but were saluted to warmly from the Forts and Batteries, Sloops and Ships, that two of them sunk downright, and a great many Men were drowned, though some got on Board the other Ships. The Portuguese, who did not imagine they had been so well fortified, and thought in passing the two Forts they should, without Difficulty, land their Men, and easily root out this Nest of pyrates, found now their Mistake, for they durst not venture to hoist out a Boat. They had wisely, however, contriv'd to enter just before the Turn of the Tide. Finding the Attempt vain, and that they lost a great many Men, they clapp'd upon a Wind, and with the Help of the Tide of Ebb, made more Haste out than they did to get in, leaving two of their Ships sunk in the Harbour; but they did not get off so cheaply, for no sooner were they clear of the Forts, but Misson manning, with the utmost Expedition, both the Ships and the Sloops, he gave them Chase, and engag'd them at the Mouth of the Bay. The Portuguese defended themselves with a great deal of Gallantry, and one of them put off the Libertatians twice, who boarded them from the two Sloops; two of them, finding themselves hard press'd, made a running Fight, and got off, and left the third to shift as well as he could. The Bijoux and Victoire finding the Portuguese endeavour'd to clear themselves, and knowing there was little to be got by the Captures, gave over the Chase, and fell upon the third, who defended himself till his Decks swam with Blood, and the greater Number of his Men killed; but finding all Resistance vain, and that he was left to an unequal Fight by his Companions, he called for Quarter, and good Quarter was given, both to himself and Men. This Prize yielded them a great Quantity of Powder and Shot, and, indeed, they expected nothing of Value out of her. None of the Prisoners were stripp'd, and the Officers, Misson, Caraccioli and Tew, invited to their Tables, treating them very civilly, and extolling the Courage they had shewn in their Defence. Unhappily two Prisoners were found on Board, who had been released, and had sworn never to serve against them; these were clapp'd in Irons, and publickly tried for their Perjury. The Portuguese Officers being present, the Witnesses proved them the very discharged Men, and they were condemned to be hanged at the Point of each Fort; which Execution was performed the next Morning after their Condemnation, with the Assistance of the Portuguese Chaplain, who attended, confess'd and absolv'dthem. This was the Engagement with the pyrates, which made so much Noise in the Lisbon Gazette, and these the Men whom the English ignorantly took for Avery; who, we had a Notion here in London, had 32 Sail of Men of War, and had taken upon him the State and Title of King, a Mistake we have already spoken to in the first Volume.

This Execution seeming to impugn the Maxims of the Chiefs, Caraccioli made an Harangue, in which he told them, that there was no Rule could be laid down which did not allow Exceptions: That they were all sensible how tender the Commadore, Monsieur Misson, was in shedding of Blood; and that it was a Tenet of his Faith, that none had Power over the Life of another, but God alone, who gave it; but notwithstanding, Self-Preservation sometimes made it absolutely necessary to take away the Life of another, especially an avow'd and an obliged Enemy, even in cool Blood. As to the Blood shed in a lawful War, in Defence of that Liberty they had generously asserted, it was needless to say any Thing, but thought it proper to lay before them Reasons for the Execution of the Criminals, and the Heinousness of their Crimes. They had not only received their Lives from the Bounty of the Libertatians, but their Liberty, and had every Thing restored them which they laid claim to, consequently their Ingratitude rose in Proportion to the generous Treatment they had met with. That, indeed, both he and Captain Misson would have passed by the Perjury and Ingratitude they had been guilty of, with a corporal Punishment, which had not extended to the Deprivation of Life, but their gallant Friend and Companion the English Commander, Captain Tew used such cogent Reasons for an exemplary Punishment, to deter others from the like Crimes, that they must have been Enemies to their own Preservation in not following his Advice. That the Lives of their whole Body ought to be preferr'd to those of declared and perjured Enemies, who would not cease to endeavour their Ruin; and, as they were well acquainted with their Settlement, might be fatal Instruments of it, if they were again restored to that Liberty which they had already abused. That he was obliged to do Captain Tew the Justice, to acknowledge he was inclined to the Side of Mercy, till he was thoroughly informed of the Blackness of their Ingratitude, and then he thought it would be Cruelty to themselves to let those Miscreants experience a second Time their Clemency; thus an absolute Necessity had obliged them to act contrary to their declar'd Principles; tho’, to state the Case rightly, these Men, not the Libertatians, were the Authors of their own Deaths: Here the Assembly crying out, their Blood is on their own Heads, they sought their Deaths, and hanging was too good for them; Caraccioli gave over, and every one returned satisfied to his private or the publick Affairs.

Some Differences arising between Misson's and Tew's Men, on a national Quarrel, which the latter began; Captain Tew proposed their deciding the Quarrel by the Sword, but Caraccioli was entirely against it, alledging, that such a Decision must necessarily be a Damage to the Publick, since the brave Men who fell, would be a weakening of their Colony; he therefore desired Captain Tew to interpose the Authority he had over his Crew, as he and Misson would endeavour to bring their Men to an amicable Agreement; and for the future, as this Accident proved the Necessity, wholesome Laws should be made, and a Form of Government entered upon, both Parties were call'd, and Caraccioli shew'd them the Necessity of their living in Unity among themselves, who had the whole World for Enemies; and as he had a perswasive and insinuating Way of Argument, with the Assistance of Captain Tew, this Affair was ended to the Satisfaction of both Parties.

The next Day the whole Colony was assembled, and the three Commanders propos'd a Form of Government, being taken up, as necessary to their Conservation; for where there were no coercive Laws, the weakest would always be the Sufferers, and every Thing must tend to Confusion: That Mens Passions blinding them to Justice, and making them ever partial to themselves, they ought to submit the Differences which might arise to calm and disinterested Persons, who could examine with Temper, and determine according to Reason and Equity: That they look'd upon a Democratical Form, where the People were themselves the Makers and Judges of their own Laws, the most agreeable; and therefore, desired they would divide themselves into Companies of ten Men, and every such Company chuse one to assist in the settling a Form of Government, and in making wholesome Laws for the Good of the whole: That the Treasure and Cattle they were Masters of should be equally divided, and such Lands as any particular Man would enclose, should, for the future, be deem'd his Property, which no other should lay any Claim to, if not alienated by a Sale.

The Proposal was received with Applause, and they decimated themselves that very Day, but put off the meeting of the States till a House was built, which they set about very chearfully, and finish'd in about a Fortnight; it being of framed Timber, and they having among them a great many who understood the handling an Ax.

When this Body of Politicians met, Caraccioli open'd the Sessions with a handsome Speech, shewing the Advantage flowing from Order; and then spoke to the Necessity of lodging a supream Power in the Hands of one, who should have that of rewarding brave and vertuous Actions, and of punishing the vicious, according to the Laws which the State should make; by which, he was to be guided. That such a Power however should not be for Life, nor hereditary, but determinate at the end of three Years, when a new Choice should be made by the State, or the Old confirm'd for three Years longer; by which means, the ablest Men would always be at the Head of Affairs, and their Power being of short Duration, none would dare to abuse it: That such a Chief should have the Title of Lord Conservator, and all the Ensigns of Royalty to attend him.

This was approv'd Nemine contradicente, and Misson was chose Conservator, with Power to create great Officers, &c. and with the Title of Supream Excellence.