durst not refuse doing as he would have him. The meaning
of this was, that he would seize the ship as fair prize, and as if she
had belonged to French subjects, according to a commission he had for
that purpose; though one would think, after what he had already done, he
need not have recourse to a quibble to give his actions a color.

[Illustration: _Captain Kidd attacks the Moorish fleet._]

In short, he took the cargo, and sold it some time after; yet still he
seemed to have some fears upon him, lest these proceedings should have a
bad end; for, coming up with a Dutch ship some time after, when his men
thought of nothing but attacking her, Kidd opposed it; upon which a
mutiny arose, and the majority being for taking the said ship, and
arming themselves to man the boat to go and seize her, he told them,
such as did, never should come on board him again; which put an end to
the design, so that he kept company with the said ship some time,
without offering her any violence. However, this dispute was the
occasion of an accident, upon which an indictment was grounded against
Kidd; for Moor, the gunner, being one day upon deck, and talking with
Kidd about the said Dutch ship, some words arose between them, and Moor
told Kidd, that he had ruined them all; upon which Kidd, calling him a
dog, took up a bucket and struck him with it, which breaking his scull,
he died next day.

But Kidd's penitential fit did not last long; for coasting along
Malabar, he met with a great number of boats, all of which he
plundered. Upon the same coast he also fell in with a Portuguese ship,
which he kept possession of a week, and then having taken out of her
some chests of India goods, thirty jars of butter, with some wax, iron
and a hundred bags of rice, he let her go.

Much about the same time he went to one of the Malabar islands for wood
and water, and his cooper being ashore, was murdered by the natives;
upon which Kidd himself landed, and burnt and pillaged several of their
houses, the people running away; but having taken one, he caused him to
be tied to a tree, and commanded one of his men to shoot him; then
putting to sea again, he took the greatest prize which fell into his
hands while he followed this trade; this was a Moorish ship of 400 tons,
richly laden, named the Queda Merchant, the master whereof was an
Englishman, by the name of Wright; for the Indians often make use of
English or Dutchmen to command their ships, their own m